Bob Knight dies at 83

#51      

Ransom Stoddard

Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
Bloomington, IL
Ransom Stoddard
WWWWRocU said:
At 83, in this day and age, still way too young to meet your maker.
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He's had health issues, and reported dementia, for quite a while. The last time I saw him in a public appearance on TV he looked lost. I felt bad for the guy.

I got to help wait on him one time when I worked at Mountain Jack's in the 80's. He was nothing but polite and gracious, and even put up with a lot of mouthing off from Illini fans who were there. Yeah, it's Bobby Knight, but let the man eat his filet and baked potato. Go scream at him in the parking lot.
 
#52      

WWWWRocU

W
Herndon, VA
WWWWRocU
Ransom Stoddard said:
He's had health issues, and reported dementia, for quite a while. The last time I saw him in a public appearance on TV he looked lost. I felt bad for the guy.

I got to help wait on him one time when I worked at Mountain Jack's in the 80's. He was nothing but polite and gracious, and even put up with a lot of mouthing off from Illini fans who were there. Yeah, it's Bobby Knight, but let the man eat his filet and baked potato. Go scream at him in the parking lot.
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Ransom,
Thanks for the details. I usually do not pay attention to the details mostly because no details are ever given.
And unfortunately, I have lost 4 elders this year and so I am just tired of death at this point. I just want people to live.
But then, don't we all die just a little when our Fighting Illini lose a game?
 
#53      

mysterio2525

mysterio2525
mysterio2525
Ransom Stoddard said:
He's had health issues, and reported dementia, for quite a while. The last time I saw him in a public appearance on TV he looked lost. I felt bad for the guy.

I got to help wait on him one time when I worked at Mountain Jack's in the 80's. He was nothing but polite and gracious, and even put up with a lot of mouthing off from Illini fans who were there. Yeah, it's Bobby Knight, but let the man eat his filet and baked potato. Go scream at him in the parking lot.
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Side note: The spicy shrimp appetizer was awesome at mountain jacks!
 
#54      

WeWillWhen

WeWillWhen
WeWillWhen
He was a total a-hole and borderline psychopath, which made him so easy to hate and his losses so wonderful to savor.

Especially since those losses were few and far between, because he sure knew how to coach.
 
#57      

frozenrope9190

frozenrope9190
Aurora, IL
frozenrope9190
Second place is 1st loser said:
Even if it would bring us three National Championships?

Keep in mind, how many of his players would not defend him or run through a wall for him? Heck, Jordan loved playing for him in the Olympics.
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To have a psychopath as a head coach that was Emporer of his little fiefdom where a large percentage of his subjects were afraid of him? No. Id change teams to root for first. I detest bullies, and he was biggest of them all.
 
#58      

Second place is 1st loser

S
Second place is 1st loser
frozenrope9190 said:
To have a psychopath as a head coach that was Emporer of his little fiefdom where a large percentage of his subjects were afraid of him? No. Id change teams to root for first. I detest bullies, and he was biggest of them all.
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Who do you believe the he bullied? His players love him. Coaches that he coached against show their love for him(even Gene Keady and they were always at war).

The refs....well, not so much.

We're in a day and age where discipline and toughness is frowned upon. That man continually squeezed the last ounce of ability out of his kids and his teams.

He was one of the greatest ever and part of what made him great was that he tuned people out that just don't matter. His kids were his priority and opposing fans(us)....didn't matter, which is what made the rivalry so much fun.
 
#59      

the national

the national
the Front Range
the national
altgeld88 said:
Thanks for posting that. Observations:

(1) Graphic late in game noted IU started off 10-21 from line (speaking of our recent poor FT shooting) then went 7-7. Even The General couldn't produce high FT% on demand
(2) Lord, those baggy unis
(3) Loved me some Lon Kruger mock turtlenecks c. late '90s
(4) Bradford buries the game-winning trey, Guyton lobs a brick from half court that's way wide, and Knight begrudgingly, and wordlessly, shakes Lon's hand and also Sergio's since he happens to be standing behind Lon, then turns and walks off the court in disgust.

Bet that IU postgame locker room was all ice cream, ponies, and unicorns. They were a 6-seed in the tourney. 11-seed Pepperdine crushed them by 20 in the first round.

Basketball, like math, is hard.
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In rewatching this clip (I watched it live years ago), I actually clapped and cheered when Bradford nailed that three, wins the game, keeping his streak alive. I had totally forgotten the finish. It couldn’t have been a better script.

I really loved watching that team play basketball. Deep bench, lots of tools in the belt for Lon to work with. But wow, Damir Krupalija was awesome in that game.
 
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#60      

the national

the national
the Front Range
the national
azillini1 said:
Regardless of what anyone thinks, he was a great coach and got the utmost out of his players. At one point late in his career, he had won about 2/3 of all games decided by 3 points or less (I believe this was from the book "A Season On The Brink)". Not many coaches can say they win the close games like that.

Around year 2000 or 2001, I happened to be eating with my family in Tempe, Arizona in an Italian restaurant. My father (age 77). my mom, my wife and children were with me. The restaurant had just opened, and we had we had just been served when I looked up and saw Bobby Knight (and I assume his wife) at a table about 30 feet from our table. It was shortly after he had been fired at Indiana. Anyway, I told my son (age 13) and father that Bobby Knight was sitting across the room. My father then got up and went to his table. My first thought was, "I hope this doesn't cause a scene."

My father told him that he admired him as a coach even though he was an Illinois graduate. Bobby Knight asked if my father's grandson was over at our table. He then got up and he and my father came to our table. Bobby talked to my son for 2 or 3 minutes and gave him an autograph. A much nicer guy that I expected.

Anyway, I then proceeded to see him on my morning jogs and walks in Tempe for about 3 years (he must have purchased or rented a home in the area). He always said hi and occasionally asked how my son was doing.

Just my experience with the guy.
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I appreciate hearing your perspective and personal experience with the man, outside the spotlight. Thanks for sharing!
 
#61      

john1952

john1952
john1952
I beleive it was in the book A Season on the Brink by Feinstein, I read that Knight was so frustrated with the quality of his players practicing, that he had them jump in the care and drive 30 minutes down the road to watch 8th Grader Damon Bailey's practice or game to see what great basketballl looked like.
 
#62      

pruman91

pruman91
Paducah, Ky
pruman91
I was taught growing up that if you can't say something nice about someone , then say nothing at all......So , ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
 
#64      

dbeverly26

dbeverly26
dbeverly26
Second place is 1st loser said:
Who do you believe the he bullied?
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Seriously?

He assaulted a cop. He punched his SID. He threw a potted plant at his secretary. He hit Joe B. Hall. He punched Todd Jadlow. That's just the stuff we know about.

His on-court record speaks for itself but none of this is 'tough love' or whatever the hell you guys love to prattle on about when you defend violent psychopaths, and none of it is the way that 'every great field general' acts. I'd go so far to say that if you need to use physical coercion on your subordinates, you're a piss-poor leader by any definition. That's not what generals do, it's what criminals do.

Screw him. He deserves no more peace in death than the people around him had while he was alive.
 
#66      

MTPeoria

M
MTPeoria
WizardBill said:

"If rape is inevitable, relax & enjoy it" - Bobby Knight's controversial quote resurfaces online following NCAA legend's death​


EVERY WOMAN in the world.

He is an abomination.
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I think that it would be good for you to consider the fact that human beings are not one dimensional. I think most would agree that he was an abomination at times. That does not make him an abomination.


And rape in the context of that quote was a metaphor I do believe. I don't believe it had anything to do with women. But it is still an abominable statement in my opinion.
 
#68      

RickBB

R
RickBB
This may be a case where “He’s forgotten more basketball than you’ll ever know.”

(I probably wouldn’t say that if he was a better human.)
 
#69      

WizardBill

WizardBill
WizardBill
MTPeoria said:
I think that it would be good for you to consider the fact that human beings are not one dimensional. I think most would agree that he was an abomination at times. That does not make him an abomination.


And rape in the context of that quote was a metaphor I do believe. I don't believe it had anything to do with women. But it is still an abominable statement in my opinion.
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I am considering the fact that he is a person who is tasked with educating and training young men in their late teens and early 20’s.

I do not see that quote as ANY applicable metaphor, and the very use of it is DESPICABLE and he is a DISGUSTING human.

I do not care that he could coach basketball. He is a disgusting human.

I’ll wait for you to give a good context.
 
#70      

80'sIllini

80'sIllini
Arizona
80'sIllini
Ransom Stoddard said:
He's had health issues, and reported dementia, for quite a while. The last time I saw him in a public appearance on TV he looked lost. I felt bad for the guy.

I got to help wait on him one time when I worked at Mountain Jack's in the 80's. He was nothing but polite and gracious, and even put up with a lot of mouthing off from Illini fans who were there. Yeah, it's Bobby Knight, but let the man eat his filet and baked potato. Go scream at him in the parking lot.
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My wife waitressed at Mountain Jacks in the mid-80s. We called it Mountain Craps because of the often terrible tips. That giant salad bar thing they brought to your table was pretty cool though.
 
#71      

TRidge72

T
TRidge72
He is in Heaven already. November 2 was All Souls Day, and doubtlessly, over a million Hoosiers prayed for him. Those under 50 do not appreciate what an achievement it was for the Wooden / Kareem / UCLA dynasty to be stopped, with the in season defeat of the UCLA 75 team, and the NCAA Indiana title in 76. It was like the Yanks not making it back to the World Series in 65 aIllinois could not even attract the black basketball players who had played at the very new Assembly Hall,including Tommie Smith, Kewaunee 71 (Kansas) and Buckner 72. Even then, state championship players from East Chicago IN went to UCLA. Criticism is cheap. Those who chose to play for Knight overwhelmingly feel blessed.
 
#72      

Boomauer

Boomauer
Boomauer
bluemountain said:
Probably the best indication of his coaching ability was the '89 team. UI, UM and Iowa all had 5 or more future NBA players on their rosters, with us and UM :( going to the FF. IU by contrast had Todd Jadlow and Joe Hillman as 2 of their 5 starters, yet won the Big 10 title that year.

When they were on a roll, as much as i hated them, IU basketball was a thing of beauty with the ball and player movement and defensive intensity.
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Hundreds of illegal screens every game not called helped make IU's offense a thing of beauty...
couldn't run that in today's game.
 
#73      

MDchicago

MDchicago
Lake Norman NC
MDchicago
dbeverly26 said:
He assaulted a cop. He punched his SID. He threw a potted plant at his secretary. He hit Joe B. Hall. He punched Todd Jadlow. That's just the stuff we know about.
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Athletic article regarding former Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall's take on his relationship with a former friend. Link

"That 92-90 victory over the Hoosiers in Dayton, Ohio, sent Hall to his first Final Four in just his third season as heir to the legendary Adolph Rupp. It ended a nearly decade-long drought for the Wildcats and their fans, who deem anything less than a national semifinal a failure. But that isn’t what made the win so satisfying for Hall. Revenge is. Denying combustible coach Bob Knight a perfect season was the real thrill, after what his former friend had done to him. (Earmuffs, kids.)

“I wouldn’t piss up his !!! if his bowels were on fire,” Hall says now.

We should explain...."
 
#74      

dbeverly26

dbeverly26
dbeverly26
MDchicago said:
Athletic article regarding former Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall's take on his relationship with a former friend. Link

"That 92-90 victory over the Hoosiers in Dayton, Ohio, sent Hall to his first Final Four in just his third season as heir to the legendary Adolph Rupp. It ended a nearly decade-long drought for the Wildcats and their fans, who deem anything less than a national semifinal a failure. But that isn’t what made the win so satisfying for Hall. Revenge is. Denying combustible coach Bob Knight a perfect season was the real thrill, after what his former friend had done to him. (Earmuffs, kids.)

“I wouldn’t piss up his !!! if his bowels were on fire,” Hall says now.

We should explain...."
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I never thought I'd find myself on the same page as Joe B. Hall but here we are, apparently...