Mr. Dude
Would you want your son playing for Knight???
In general, Knight now a loser
By Chuck Culpepper
HERALD-LEADER SPORTS COLUMNIST
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LOUISVILLE -- It is some strange culture in which a guy can coach 1,000 college basketball games while still not maturing to adulthood.
But we like it, mostly. The American culture gives us excellent border competitions like the ugly-duckling-turned-classic between Kentucky and Indiana last night at Freedom Hall. It lets us see teams such as Kentucky repeatedly summon their fortitude to win. And for lessons in the other direction, it can give us a peek at how an icon like Bob Knight, who coached his 1,000th game last night, can ride hypocrisy and monomania to status as one of the most pathetic figures in American sports.
It was a fine affair until Knight intruded during overtime to remind us again that, for all his talk about standards, he abides by no more of them than any other average yutz.
When the most staggering of hypocrites kicked the scorer's table twice and drew a technical foul, he took his team out of a game in which it had performed gamely. You could see the deflation in his players' faces.
He followed that a minute later by calling, "Time (expletive beginning with the sixth letter of the alphabet) out." Bob Knight screamed at his players after kicking the scorer's table and getting a technical foul in overtime last night. (Mark Cornelison)
You don't find maturity like that from just any 58-year-old.
The officials he thought had erred to his detriment actually cut him a break, for he should've been thrown out on the spot.
In fact, he should be thrown out of every game, ceremonially, during the first minute. While this probably was official several years back, he now has detracted from the game more than he has contributed to it, with the margin widening. It's a good thing college basketball is not as popular as some other sports; granted the forum, Knight could single-mouthedly erase all the sports civility Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa constructed through the summer of 1998. He was among my favorite coaches in the 1970s; by now he's indefensible for anyone who appreciates decency.
It supplied an early-season look into its intestines, and the view was promising.
I wouldn't have given you much for its chances with eight minutes to play, when Indiana finally led Kentucky after chasing all game, and I'd have given you even less heading into overtime, when Kentucky had just blown a nine-point lead with 1:27 to play.
In a way, though, Kentucky toys with Indiana these days. Make it seven wins out of eight. When the lights are brightest, Kentucky seems to find its clearest head.
A champion played like one. Kentucky turned aggressor. It has become a Tubby Smith staple that the first play out of any timeout usually is sharp, neat and effective. So it went, off the bat in overtime. Padgett curled around to the top of the arc, took the pass and made the three-pointer. Score that little X-and-O tete-a-tete to Kentucky: It was 54-51 with 13 seconds gone. Soon Kentucky's Wayne Turner was beating the defense down the floor for a quick layup and a 56-51 lead, Indiana was whistled for traveling and Knight was primed for another demonstration of arrested development.
If he couldn't win the game, he figured he would lose it.
When a 58-year-old adolescent doesn't get his way, everyone pays.
Tantrum commenced, he kicked the scorer's table twice, called his profane timeout and soon summoned the official from across the floor for one of his patented little lectures designed to portray himself the ultimate authority on his one little sport.
It's irrelevant whether he was correct, or incorrect as he was with the double-dribble call he demanded last Saturday near the end of Indiana's win over Temple. Respect gathers based on how people handle situations, and he is not worthy of it, whatever sure-to-come lame arguments he offers.
Then again, only strong people know how to apologize. This 1,000th night, Knight left the court as what he has become in general: a loser.
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