Why I Do Not Accept Bob Knight's Apology
by Glenn Logan on Apr 19, 2011 5:48 PM EDT
in Commentary
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PrintI am seeing accusations fly at Kentucky fans for being skeptical of Bob Knight's apology over at ESPN, and have seen myself and other UK fans skeptical of Knight's contrition called out as homers and trying to have it both ways. Here is why have issues with coach Knight's latest pronouncement, which is as follows:
"My overall point is that 'one and dones' are not healthy for college basketball," Knight said. "I should not have made it personal to Kentucky and its players and I apologize."
Knight accused Kentucky's players of not going to class, and implied that Kentucky was complicit in what amounts to academic fraud. That was a serious accusation and he supplied no facts to support it, primarily because they do not exist anywhere in the world. UK called him on it, not just on behalf of the school and their coach, but on behalf of the players who did the work. Some of the players joined in to protect their reputations.
We know what really happened. Patrick Patterson graduated in only 3 years. Darius Miller is still in school. The other three "one and done" freshmen all left UK in good academic standing which was duly reported to the NCAA. These are the facts, and they are beyond contestation.
Nowhere in his remarks expressing regret did Knight address this defective and specious claim. It was slanderous and wrong, and yes, it was personal, but that was far and away the least of the violence his words did to the University of Kentucky, its coaching staff, and its current and former players.
I'm not calling for Knight's head, or for lawsuits or other excessive actions. But I'm not satisfied with this as an apology. Speaking only for myself, I do not accept it as sufficient redress for Knight's offensive and damaging remarks. What would have been acceptable? Admitting that his words were mistaken in fact and apologizing for that error, which he manifestly did not do. I am not naive enough, though, to expect an amplification, and I am not calling for it on the basis of sheer futility.
I will say that as a Kentucky fan indirectly harmed by Knights remarks, I will hope for better from the Hall of Famer in the future. I share his concern about the current collective bargaining agreement between the NBA players and the Association management, and I remain hopeful that Knight will address his understandable disdain for the "one and done" matter to the parties directly responsible (namely the NBA Players Union), rather than to schools and college coaches doing their best to field a quality basketball team and who have no control whatever over when student athletes choose to leave college for professional sports.
That is all.
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Nice try Bobby-
But anything less than your firing as analyst for ESPN, will not satisify the Big Blue Nation…
"You are what you are and you ain't what you ain't"
Good job, Glenn.
As I said in another post, that’s not an apology at all. That’s the “SORRY” that my kids used when they were nine. It didn’t address the issue at all, that issue being that he passed on information that he knew or should have known was incorrect. If he didn’t know, he is uninformed and if he did, he’s a liar. To make matters worse, he attacked the players, not just the school and coaches. I can’t say with 100% certainty whether his “apology” was sincere or just to save his ass, but I do have an opinion. The BBN shouldn’t let this lying, raving lunatic bully off with a “SORRY.”
Slogan for the NCAA: If it ain't broke, break it.
Good try, but not good enough.
As Glenn notes, his “apology” isn’t quite as wordy as his baseless accusations, which to me screams insincerity.
A non-apology
He expressly didn’t apologize to our kids. But, i expect nothing from him.
God Bless Our Troops............Especially Our Snipers!
Me neither
Knight was cornered, a trap door opened and he jumped through it. That is all.
"He still carries a lunch bucket. What's up with that?"
by BlueCollarMan on Apr 19, 2011 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Bobby Knight
Is a lazy Dumbass.To make those “quotes” about the 2009 squad proves it.Either he Is to he TOO lazy to do a google search or just TOO stupid to make comments without any background information.Old fart falling fast.
zoso
I’m not of the opinion that Knight is lazy nor stupid. He’s fully aware that his info was wrong, but he was playing to an Indiana audience and his hatred of everything Kentucky just couldn’t be suppressed.
God Bless Our Troops............Especially Our Snipers!
by bigbill992001 on Apr 19, 2011 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Positive outcome?
Ok, as a UK fan Knight’s comments make me sick. But after a moment I wondered if this might actually be a good thing. Id say if you polled most casual college basketball fans (not truly informed but casual), I think a decent number would have a negative impression of Coach Cal simply because of comments like Knights and other media who have gotten away with labeling Cal as ‘shady’ or whatever because of wins vacated at previous schools. The NCAA has cleared Coach Cal of any person wrongdoing, no? So…can Knight’s stupid comments possibly encourage others in the sports media to spend some time on this and educate the masses regarding Cal being unfairly smeared? Am I reaching here?
I'd call that a stretch.
People enjoy wallowing in their own ignorance. This won’t change that fact.
UKFan5, you're right
EVERY……………repeat, EVERY sports media person and EVERY sports blogger and everyone more than the most casual fan has seen the rebuttals and KNOWS the WHOLE story about Cal. If they were to have doubts about the rebuttals, they can verify the info, if they’re so inclined. How can any of them claim ignorance? OK, some of these people act like they’re not smart enough to spell G-O-O-G-L-E, but surely they have a coworker/acquaintence that CAN. Therefore, they CHOOSE to perpetuate the myths. For the most part, it’s self-serving because it increases their readership and/or it facilitates their pre-existing hate for all things UK/Calipari. It fills column space when things are slow(kinda like a bracket for NEXT year!).
I know we’re all weary of reading this crap and defending our school/players/coach. I used to think that the best thing that we fans could do was to totally ignore them. Do not give them the satisfaction of a reply/hits. But, because so many people are truly blind and go where the mass media takes them, I’ve come to the conclusion that we MUST debunk these slimy a**holes at every opportunity. Even tho we give them valuable hits, it’s important that we DO NOT let these fabrications, half truths and outright lies go unchallenged. There’s nothing like the glare of the truth upon a liar.
God Bless Our Troops............Especially Our Snipers!
by bigbill992001 on Apr 20, 2011 2:22 AM EDT up reply actions
You can't blame the poor fellow
We did after all muck up what could have been his 2 straight perfect seasons in 75 and 76. He had a 34 game winning streak going when he met UK in Dayton (3/22/75). I feel sorry for the poor man. God love him.
Ah…, screw all of that…. Bhwahhh Hahhh hahhh :)
Seriously, though…. I believe that win is the source for his hatred for UK.
No matter where you're at, there you are
maybe THAT win
and about 16 others ;)
God Bless Our Troops............Especially Our Snipers!
by bigbill992001 on Apr 20, 2011 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Glenn.
I agree 100 percent. Although I never even expected any sort of apology. If he is sincere, he will NEVER say anything falsely negative about our beloved university again.
by phatcatfan on Apr 19, 2011 7:00 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I would love to know
the story behind the apology as it were. You know he really didn’t want to make any concession that meant he was wrong. I really think he was forced to do it.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Put it this way.
The apology was such BS. When I clicked the link to it, it actually crashed my phones internet browser.
by phatcatfan on Apr 19, 2011 7:12 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Look, friends, it goes like this:
RMK is fighting, and has been fighting, two battles that ended long ago.
First, he didn’t start at OSU, and he’s been trying to get the world to kiss his a** ever since to prove that he should have been the star.
Second, Joe B. Hall and the Wildcats beat the best (arguably) team he ever had, and he’s trying to prove that IU actually won that game for 36 years.
This is a man totally consumed by the certainty of his own righteousness; he ain’t gonna change.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . .who spends himself for a worthy cause . . ."
Don't really expect him to change.
Just nice to see him publicly embarrass himself and his employer again. This time he got called on it and not just by UK fans. I predict that he will encounter a UK fan in the near future who will call him on it to his face and he will take a swing at him, or even better, her.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
You know, in some ways
we should acknowledge that Bobby spiced up a slow news period while we anxiously await the decisions by Knight and Jones.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
I was absolutely going to thank him at some point.
He made it much easier for me to find things to talk about. I owe him for that. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Hah. I guess that's right. I did strongly feel a FanPost because of it.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Well...
The spring blue/white game is Saturday. But the weather is not looking good.
And a couple of players have been recently released for violation of team rules. Released!
Minter’s defense seems to be growing.
We still must wait to find out what Mister Cobble really can bring, again.
All you had to do was ask? I know…..
…I understand.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Maybe
Most likely he just needs hormone replacement therapy.
"He still carries a lunch bucket. What's up with that?"
by BlueCollarMan on Apr 19, 2011 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions
The guy is a liar and a quitter
.
Why do people act like the only players in the entire nation to graduate during Knight’s era were attending IU?
There have always been coaches graduating players all across the country. They did so before Knight’s era. They did so during it. And they are still doing it long after Knight lost relevancy and became a bloated cartoon character.
And all along, these coaches across the country did not have to sink to becoming psychotic azzholes in order to get it done.
Propping up Knight in any way is an insult to all of those coaches. I am serious.
.
"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
While I completely respect his stance on the
“One and done” player, and while I also have a particular disdain for the NCAA allowing it to happen, I also have a bit of a problem with the apology. However, considering the source, of the original remarks and the apology itself, it is all we are going to get.
If I am Bob Knight (and I thank my personal God I am not), I would be seriously concerned with ESPN using this as an excuse to torpedo me when they see fit and call it a pattern of behavior.
I am now and shall forever be the Cat in The Hat, The Artist Formerly Known As ABC!!!
by Greg Alan Edwards on Apr 19, 2011 8:21 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
It's not like he hasn't failed
the pattern of behavior test before.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Yep, he was "strongly encouraged" to offer something
We ALL know that he can’t won’t is basically not able to offer a sincere apology when he truly thinks in his own self-righteous mind that UK is involved in all that is wrong with college basketball. It would make him look bad to others. Oh wait…
Who named him The General anyway?
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
It is an insult to anyone who
earned the rank, although some who have are also pompous, self-righteous a…….
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . .who spends himself for a worthy cause . . ."
Knight is fortunate...
…to have excelled in one of the few human endeavors where an idiot savant can rise to the top of his profession despite:
- Repeated public displays of foul behavior
- Throwing chairs
- Strangling co-workers
- Assaulting students, fans, fellow professionals and police officers
- Nepotism
- Public insubordination
ESPN should lock him in a room somewhere and just shove pizza under the door until his contract runs out.
"He still carries a lunch bucket. What's up with that?"
What was UK's record against IU while the Little General was there.
I’m sure Uk has the better winning record.
I go away for a few days,
come back and Bob Knight has blown up again.
Glenn, hope all you want. Bob Knight will not get it right next time.
I have never been a fan of the man or the coach. Am I the only to have wondered why such a “great” coach coaching at the premier university in a state which produces far more bball talent most states (including Kentucky) and in close proximity to tons of talent (Chicago, St Louis, Cleveland, Columbus) didn’t win more championships?
As far as a the man, foul mouthed, bad mannered, abusive, why should anyone admire any of that?
And as far as comparing Calipari and Knight…Calipari goes to Mass many days other than Sunday and Knight (from what I read while he was at Tech) hasn’t seen the inside of a church in many a year. That’s all I need to know.
by darkandbloody@gmail.com on Apr 19, 2011 10:27 PM EDT reply actions
Your last sentence has nothing to do with anything.
Seeing the inside of a church does not guarantee character as has been demonstrated far too often.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
ESPN's Complaint Line - 1-888-549-3776
I just made a formal complaint with ESPN. I am infuriated that ESPN would continue to carry this “Nutcase” as an announcer….or in any representative capacity for ESPN.
Light Em Up Cat Fans: 1-888-549-3776
Excellent post
Couldn’t agree more.
Robert Montgomery Knight had an amazing coaching record at IU and a fantastic graduation rate for his student-athletes (I think around 95% – what ever it was, it was absurdly high!) What’s really sad is that Instead of being remembered for graduating kids and his undefeated season, the General is becoming more known for being a general jerk. From unsubstantiated attacks to outright lies, Knight is showing a total lack of the same responsibility that he once espoused. It’s sad to see what we once looked upon as a great rival, cratering so pathetically.
I called-
I told ESPN that I have watched them from day one of their existance, and that the Big Blue Nation was not satisified with the flimsy apology given today by Bob Knight. To my surprise, a live person answered. I told them that we are tired of continuous remarks made by Knight against our school. I told them if they wanted to keep our respect, that they should immediately fire him. The man was very nice, and thanked me for calling and said he would pass my thoughts along…EVERYONE should call this number!!! extension #3…
"You are what you are and you ain't what you ain't"
One would hope that "Bobby's Folly"
and subsequent “apology” would quieten the masses of UK haters but it hasn’t. From posts I have read they are blindly taking the position that Knight is telling the truth about UK, even if he has to lie to do it.
We won a small battle but the war rages on. It is driven by fear and ignorance. It is the politics of basketball. When they attack one of us, they attack all of us. Unite, Big Blue Nation and accept nothing less than victory!
Okay, so I got a little carried away. :)
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
As Purdue Alum
I’ve put up with RMK’s nonsense for 30 years (1972-2001).
Yes, IU won some NCAA titles under RMK. But Gene Keady had a pretty good run at Purdue in the 1980’s and 90’s yet RMK continued to be unfairly critical of the Boiler program.
I learned (over time) to channel the negative energy towards RMK into positive vibes for the Boilers.
I suggest the same approach. RMK is a (donkey). No changing that in his 70’s.
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 20, 2011 7:31 AM EDT reply actions
dorn lamb great news....
that he will return. Dare we even hope that Sullinger and Barnes decisions will give Terrence, DeAndre and Brandon similar pause….? IF they stayed, fans across the country and BBN could see some of the greatest games played in years. What a team those Cats would make! Many coaches shudder to think. I personally think they all would benefit, but realize that family issues and the lure of fame and money have legitimate sway. Who would be the starting 5 on such a team?
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