Saturday, December 23, 2006

The General Ascendant. aka The Magnificent Bastard


Later this afternoon there is a very good chance that Bobby Knight will surpass Dean Smith's record for career victories with a Texas Tech win over Bucknell, and I don't know how I feel about that.


Dean Smith is a class act. Bobby Knight is a pain in the ass with a history of rude behavior toward students, fans, IU administrators, etc etc etc.... Dean Smith was a Civil Rights pioneer in the Chapel Hill, NC area. Bobby Knight, while clearly NOT racist, was once photographed whipping Calbert Chaney with a towel (Bad Call). Smith spawned a tightly knit North Carolina "family." Knight once blew off former star player and opposing coach Steve Alford over some perceived slight and has caused many a recruit to transfer.


All that being said... Bobby Knight is one hell of a basketball coach. His teams execute, play real defense, rebound, move without the ball, and are disciplined. I love watching a Knight coached team. The screens his players set, Jesus... textbook. And the press conferences, oh doctor the press conferences. Classic comedy. His players comport them selves with dignity and for the most part GRADUATE! How fing novel!


Once, while watching The Illini hang one on the Hoosiers in Champaign, my father pointed out that Knight had sat down on the bench, legs crossed, hands behind his head, after popping a couple Certs in to his mouth. Pop chuckled, "Christ, that man can make sucking on candy look arrogant... hell of a coach though." I think that sums up Knight perfectly for me.


No one is a saint. I'm sure Dean Smith was a prick at times, and at the end of the day all that matters is the scoreboard. So kudos to you General.... you magnificent bastard.

2 comments:

Jerious Norwood said...

I'm just glad he's doing it at Texas Tech and not at Indiana. Yes, he's a great coach... but he's also a bloated kracker who should be thrown on the pile of backwards thinking, red-neck 'winners' that that are so adored by those that prize college athletics above there own child's access to decent health care. So congrats General, you'll be more remembered for throwing chairs, fighting at salad bars, and shaming Indiana into firing you, than the winning programs you produced. No one deserves it more.

Phil said...

Civil behavior should have value and Knight is anything but a civil person. I'm not sure I would send my sons to be coached by him.