Bob Knight "slap"

[Ruuuuuufus]

...according to ESPN at least. He kind of popped him on the bottom of the jaw, but I'm willing to bet Knight will have to address it over the next few days.

Either way, pretty much par for the course with Knight. :rolleyes:

[birddog]

oh, big surprise.

that dude needs a lifetime ban from college athletics.

[jk the sooner fan]

i just watched the video, its not much really but the fact that its bob knight is going to make this much much more

[Cack]

people today are just wussies ... when i was growing up playing ball ... i don't think i had a shirt that the front neck of it wasn't stretched from my coaches pulling me to scream at me for some reason ... did i cry?? no ... i went out and did whatever it took not to have him do that again (the way it should be) ... Knight is a legend ... he is a legend because he wins ball games and has for many many years ... he's not a legend because he lets his players do whatever they want

[Alum81]

I could cite examples of many more coaches that earned their players respect without being a jerk to them. I think John Wooden has a few more national championships than Knight - just ONE example. Bobby Knight is what you get when you let a kid bully grow up without ever getting his own just due. Somewhere along the line, if somebody had beat the living crap out of him, he might have turned out different. There's still hope......

[Ruuuuuufus]

there's a new joke going around (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whvcySRM7FQ&NR)

[Veritas]

Bob Knight is years past one of his players getting fed up with that crap and beating his *** into the floor.

His supporters like to try to peg his idiotic behavior as "being a disciplinarian." Give me a break. How about Knight shows some discipline and refrains from hitting players. Coaches like Coach K, Bobby Petrino, Roy Williams, Dean Smith...these guys have all managed to produce well-disciplined athletes without the jackassery Knight stoops to.

[sooneron]

Knight has major anger issues. You can tell by the look in his eyes when he did it. Did he hurt the kid? No. People keep saying that it's a story b/c it's knight, I think it's a story b/c only knight seems to pull this crap.

I was 11 rows behind the bench on Saturday when Gresham got called for the personal foul penalty. Stoops came at him from 30 ft away and never came close to touching him. He did dress him down verbally, though. Yet, no hitting etc.

[william_brasky]

Bob Knight is years past one of his players getting fed up with that crap and beating his *** into the floor.

BK would probably like it.

[ouflak]

On the Raider board, they are saying all coaches do this. Has anybody here ever see or heard of another basketball coach who slap his players? I'm not saying it doesn't happen. But all coaches. Somehow, that seems a stretch....

[william_brasky]

Coach Norman Dale hit a player in the college ranks, was banned from College coaching, and ended up at Hickory High.

[Rhino]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VedDrh99gc4

[GrapevineSooner]

One thought comes to mind. It may not be much.

But it reminds me of a quote that Bill Parcell's dad used to tell his son everytime he'd be near trouble. Coincidentally, Parcells is one of Knight's best friends.


Parcells, it's may not be your fault. But you're always there.

Substitute Parcells with Knight and this is a very appropriate saying about Bobby.

[Ash]

Apparently the local media's Bball fave, Franny Fraschilla, defended Knight. I'll just say this: not surprised.

I don't think this is as bad an incident as other things Knight has done.

But I've seen Franny's act up close, and he's cut from the same cloth. I can't believe the local media fawn over Franny, he's a fraud and a crappy a$$ coach and has been kicked out of two jobs for being abusive to players and sucking in general.



edit: paragraphs are our friends!

[william_brasky]

he's a fraud and a crappy a$$ coach

I don't defend Knight's actions yesterday, but that fraud and crappy a$$ coach is going to become the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history this season.

[Ash]

I don't defend Knight's actions yesterday, but that fraud and crappy a$$ coach is going to become the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history this season.

wrong coach will, I was referring to Franny.

And the day he becomes the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history I'll paint my *** blue and run down Lindsey naked.

[Scott D]

I don't see anything wrong with it other than the fact that the media is blowing it up.

You don't know for sure that Wooden didn't do anything behind closed doors. Media access in the 60s and early 70s was nothing compared to today.

[william_brasky]

I'll paint my *** blue and run down Lindsey naked.

You should do that some random day just for kicks.

[william_brasky]

I don't see anything wrong with it other than the fact that the media is blowing it up.

You don't know for sure that Wooden didn't do anything behind closed doors. Media access in the 60s and early 70s was nothing compared to today.

I'd bet a whole lot of money that Wooden and Dean Smith never popped their players in the face.

Now Adolph Rupp would be another story.

[Ash]

You should do that some random day just for kicks.

It's already in the works, get yer cameras!:eek: ;)

[Scott D]

I'd bet a whole lot of money that Wooden and Dean Smith never popped their players in the face.

Now Adolph Rupp would be another story.

I'm not accusing Wooden of having done anything, what I'm saying is that it wouldn't particularly strike me as scandalous if it turns out he did. The media coverage today is more to blame for a lot of the furor about this kind of stuff than anything. 30 years ago the tap on the chin that Knight gave wouldn't get a sniff of coverage. Today the techniques that Bo Schembechler used to get his offensive linemen to use proper fundamentals in their stances would have gotten him run out of town on a rail within weeks.

[Ash]

I'm not accusing Wooden of having done anything, what I'm saying is that it wouldn't particularly strike me as scandalous if it turns out he did. The media coverage today is more to blame for a lot of the furor about this kind of stuff than anything. 30 years ago the tap on the chin that Knight gave wouldn't get a sniff of coverage. Today the techniques that Bo Schembechler used to get his offensive linemen to use proper fundamentals in their stances would have gotten him run out of town on a rail within weeks.

I'd agree with you for the most part. I think this incident is being overblown. But Bobby's got a prior history, so it's also understandable that this draws scrutiny.

[jk the sooner fan]

here's the deal.....if somebody said to you "a major division 1 coach struck a player", Knight is going to be one of your top guesses.....you'd expect him to do it because he has a history.....and its why alot of people wont make a big deal about it, because its bobby knight

on the flip side...is it right? certainly not.......does it happen elsewhere" probably so......is it a big deal? its not shocking news because Knight did it.....if Sampson had done this it would be more disturbing because its out of character

when i first heard about the incident, i envisioned a roundhouse uppercut....all he did was lift his chin with a little force

[Harry Beanbag]

I heard this discussed all day on the radio without having seen it. I thought it sounded like no big deal at all. After watching it just now, it looked worse than I thought it would.

[sanantoniosooner]

I heard a good analogy on the radio a moment ago.

If you are a recovering alcoholic and stop to drink a single beer, it may not be totally wrong, but it is a sign that things aren't headed the right direction.

It's not like he's totally out of control, but this isn't a good sign.

[Ash]

One media guy's perspective:


Knight hasn't changed ... and he never will

Jeff Goodman / FOXSports.com




Bobby Knight hasn't changed.

The Texas Tech head coach was at it again on Monday night, grabbing the chin of Red Raiders sophomore forward Michael Prince during a timeout after the player didn't appear to be making eye contact with his coach during a timeout.

Knight has thrown chairs across the court, thrown a photographer into the bushes, kicked his son and shoved a fan of an opposing team into a garbage can. He twisted the arm of an Indiana freshman and cursed at him for addressing him as "Hey, Knight" instead of "Mr. Knight" or "Coach Knight."

Who knows what he's done behind closed doors in practices and in meetings?

Most kids don't want to play for Knight, but some don't have much of a choice if they want to play at a high-major level. That's the case for many of the players up and down the Texas Tech roster -- who weren't all that heavily recruited coming out of high school, but still wanted to play at the highest level.

Prince was a mid-major recruit coming out of Plano West in a suburb of Dallas two years ago.

"I've never met a better kid, ever," said Team Texas coach Wes Grandstaff, who coached Prince until he left for an expanded role with a smaller AAU team. "He's first class and his parents are two of the classiest people I've ever met."

Knight doesn't care. He's grizzled and only knows one way.

His way.

While Knight will soon become the all-time winningest men's basketball coach (he is nine victories shy), he will never be in the same class as Dean Smith.


Smith did it the right way. He didn't beat kids down so badly that they had no self-esteem left. He didn't have to hit them.

He got the respect of college kids the way it should be done — without having to instill the fear of physical harm.

Was it the worst thing that Knight has done in his coaching career when he grabbed Prince's chin late in the team's 86-74 win against Gardner-Webb? Not even close.

But was it necessary? Probably not.

I'm all for manners and kids listening to their coach, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Prince told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal "it was nothing" after the incident, but enough is enough.

Times have changed, whether Knight likes it or not. He may as well call it a career after he breaks the record this season, then he can hand the program over to his son, Pat.

Because if not, one of these days, Knight's going to challenge one of his players and find himself picking himself back off the ground.

Let's see how tough he is then.

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. He can be reached at [email protected].

[proud gonzo]

hell, I was expecting something like the dad who tackled the kid at a football game.

[royalfan5]

It's not like you can agree to play for Tech expect not to get hit. C'mon people, the players knew what they were getting into.

[william_brasky]

The kid who received the chin pop and the kid's parents have stated they have no problem with what happened.

I'll bet the kid will maintain eye contact with BK from now on.

So, the kid has learned, and nothing will happen to BK.

Guess what. BK wins.

[chbrew09]

two things: 1)It's a big deal because it's Knight and I don't blame him for doing this, because I didn't see too much wrong with it, but what I don't understand is how stupid Knight can be sometimes. Is he completely ignorant to the fact that he could simply yell at a player too loud and it's going to be in the media spotlight? He, with so many years of experience and a long history, should know that he can't do that if he doesn't want people to talk about it
2)I would love to know what really goes on during the Sand Aggies practices...I bet there's been a lot worse things than this that players were scared ****less to tell anybody. On the other hand, I imagine this happens at a lot of NCAA practices.

[chbrew09]

did anybody just see the Gottlieb vs. Bilas bought of the century on PTI? It was great...pretty rare to see two espn analysts seriously ****ed off at each other on camera.

Gottlieb: "But Jay..."
Bilas: "That's not the question! You're not listening!"

[OUstud]

I'm hoping now that his team tanks and he doesn't get the record. Then, he can retire and bitch a little more about the clock keepers that January 2003 night in Norman.

[TheLlama]

He was just getting his players attention... its not like he slapped him. It was a love tap on the cheek.

[Stoop Dawg]

If Bob can't get his player's attention or be a good coach without physically abusing players, then he isn't much of a coach in my book.

[soonerboomer93]

I saw the video, I didn't see any big deal with it. People are just taking issue because of who did it

[usmc-sooner]

I wouldn't consider what Knight did abuse.

I absolutely can't stand Knight but people are reaching with this one. I have corrected my daughters with more force than that. My HS principal corrected me with more force than that.
Hell my mom spanked me harder than that.

[sanantoniosooner]

I hear Knight knocked the pi$$ out of some French gymnast.

[Scott D]

If Bob can't get his player's attention or be a good coach without physically abusing players, then he isn't much of a coach in my book.

if that was physically abusing a player, then child abuse must be just looking at a child.

[Stoop Dawg]

if that was physically abusing a player, then child abuse must be just looking at a child.

Way to completely miss the point. We should move this thread to the SO.

If Bob needs to physically "touch" (is that word better?) people in order to be "authoritative" then he doesn't have very good leadership skills.

Better?

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

I have seen Bob slap a helmet

[Taxman71]

All I can add is that any player who voluntarily chooses to play for Knight deserves and should know what is coming. That's like Ike Turner's second wife complaining about being shoved.

[Scott D]

Way to completely miss the point. We should move this thread to the SO.

If Bob needs to physically "touch" (is that word better?) people in order to be "authoritative" then he doesn't have very good leadership skills.

Better?

Mm'hmm....So I guess that little incident last year in the NCAA Tournament with the normally hands off Roy Williams means he has poor leadership skills, and should be fired for touching a player in an aggressive manner.

[Stoop Dawg]

Mm'hmm....So I guess that little incident last year in the NCAA Tournament with the normally hands off Roy Williams means he has poor leadership skills, and should be fired for touching a player in an aggressive manner.

Man, you really are in SO mode. :)

Not that I think anyone really cares that much, but let me attempt to clarify one more time.

I'm all for discipline. I wish school teachers could break out the paddle whenever they feel like it. I think that what kids are missing these days is a swift kick in *** when they screw up.

However, as they grow up they need more "lead by example" than "pop on the jaw". That's not to say that "pop on the jaw" is never required, just that it shouldn't be the only thing in your bag.

Given the amount of time BK spends defending his "pop on the jaw" method, I think he probably uses it too much. Of course, that's just my opinion.