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Good ol' Bobby! I think anyone who was paying attention in those days knew that the issues that came out were only the tip of the iceberg. His methods were beyond ridiculous. Now, I'm sure he'd say it was a better day back then and that players were tougher and his methods prepared them for being great players and handling adversity in the real world.
Well, some of that may be partially true, but assault is still assault. You grab a kid by the balls to intimidate him and force him to do what you're demanding, you're not a great coach. You're a bully and a criminal with a title. That's what Knight always was.
I'll also add this: the political correctness and the prima dona players of today have ruined much of the greatness of the game today, but there is never an excuse to treat players terribly and offer them no dignity whatsoever.
Regarding the veracity of the story, I have no trouble believing this. The pressure that was on these players from Knight, IU, and the Hoosier fan base was probably unbearable in those days. There is no telling how many players he abused in similar ways, but they were intimidated into keeping it quiet.
Well, some of that may be partially true, but assault is still assault. You grab a kid by the balls to intimidate him and force him to do what you're demanding, you're not a great coach. You're a bully and a criminal with a title. That's what Knight always was.
I'll also add this: the political correctness and the prima dona players of today have ruined much of the greatness of the game today, but there is never an excuse to treat players terribly and offer them no dignity whatsoever.
Regarding the veracity of the story, I have no trouble believing this. The pressure that was on these players from Knight, IU, and the Hoosier fan base was probably unbearable in those days. There is no telling how many players he abused in similar ways, but they were intimidated into keeping it quiet.
If anyone's interested, Bob Kravitz wrote this far more detailed article about this story.
I vaguely remember Jadlow as one of those slow-footed but overachieving white big men that Knight's teams seemed to specialize in back in those days, and sort of assumed him a straight-laced type (because that was the IU player stereotype back then), but instead sounds like he became a drunken drug-crazed lunatic after his IU career.
I'll say this, anyone who stayed four years for Knight back in those days deserves toughness points, because everything I've ever read or heard about playing for him at IU describes it as essentially being PTSD-inducing mental torture nearly every single day. But I cannot give those players intelligence points for staying: why put yourself through that hell if you've got other good options?
If coaches today pulled the shit guys like Knight and Woody Hayes did back in the 70s and 80s they'd not only be fired, but also might find themselves arrested and jailed.
I vaguely remember Jadlow as one of those slow-footed but overachieving white big men that Knight's teams seemed to specialize in back in those days, and sort of assumed him a straight-laced type (because that was the IU player stereotype back then), but instead sounds like he became a drunken drug-crazed lunatic after his IU career.
I'll say this, anyone who stayed four years for Knight back in those days deserves toughness points, because everything I've ever read or heard about playing for him at IU describes it as essentially being PTSD-inducing mental torture nearly every single day. But I cannot give those players intelligence points for staying: why put yourself through that hell if you've got other good options?
If coaches today pulled the shit guys like Knight and Woody Hayes did back in the 70s and 80s they'd not only be fired, but also might find themselves arrested and jailed.
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Bombastic Bobby bullied and belittled and yet was dubbed "The General" by the media.
Coach Rupp beats Duke...plays Texas Western...and becomes the eternal symbol of racism.
Pontius Pilate asked: "What is Truth?" The answer is: "Whatever the media conspires to make it."
Coach Rupp beats Duke...plays Texas Western...and becomes the eternal symbol of racism.
Pontius Pilate asked: "What is Truth?" The answer is: "Whatever the media conspires to make it."
He's laid his hands or more kids than Jerry Sandusky.
...too far?
...too far?
Indiana lost a lot of talented players to transfer during the mid to late 80's, which is when Jadlow played for Knight at IU, so it's not surprising at all to hear these stories.
This includes Tracy Foster, Delray Brooks, Mike Giomi, Marty Simmons, Andre Harris, Ricky Calloway and Lawrence Funderburke among others. Wonder what they have to say about this and why they left during that time?
Yes, but that was in the mid-70's and more attributed to Bird being homesick and having trouble adjusting to the large school.
The examples I provided were intended to illustrate the rash of transfers which occurred during the same era that Jadlow was playing. I don't know the reason given for why each of them transferred, but it wouldn't surprise me if much of it can be traced to the way Knight treated his players.
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I wish one of those kids had just flipped out and knocked his d!ck in the dirt. One well-placed punch would have given the kid a new future elsewhere where he wouldn't have to put up with that nonsense, and would have exposed that punk Knight far earlier.
What's amazing and also frustrating to me is that ESPN and other major CBB media outlets and personalities still revere him and ignore the borderline insanity that inhabited him as a coach and still to this day just as a person. To me it's not just that he's a POS, he's literally flawed morally. Anyone else with those same traits would be ripped apart by ESPN.
Unfortunately the time period you described was also the time when people in authority were allowed to abuse their powers largely unchecked, and in fact there was an establishment in place to prop them up and make them largely untouchable.
I'm talking not only of Bob Knight but a worse example in someone like Jerry Sandusky.
Today I would hope that everyone, even those at the top are not above scrutiny and in your words are "held responsible for their actions". It's still a problem today but I think it was much harder back then for an individuals voice to be heard.
Verbal abuse is one thing, but one of those 6'8 kids should've whipped his ass. That would've shed some light on the whole situation and taught ole Bob a lesson he should've learned early in life.
Notice his favorites Valvano, Knight, Boeheim and Coach K aren't exactly angels.
i've always been curious about knight's army career. i've googled many times but the only thing i can find about it is that he joined the army in 1963 to be asst coach at west point, then head coach for six years.
Was he an officer, enlisted man, how many years did he spend in the army? of all the articles i've read about him that period of his life seems to be left out.
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anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y
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Don't know for sure but don't think he was ever in the Army itself.
Knight went to Ohio State and then according to his Wikipedia page became a high school assistant coach in 1962-63 and then after that became an Assistant Coach for Army.
I agree that this entitlement era has hurt many great sports, including basketball. But it's difficult to say "Knight was a great coach" when we know his tactics. Fear and intimidation are not the tools of great coaches. There have been many great coaches in basketball who didn't have to resort to those tactics.
But wiki also says that after one year as a high school coach that "knight then enlisted in the united states army."
Well this is WIKIPEDIA we're talking about so you have to take it with a grain of salt.
Could be wrong but if he was hired to coach basketball (even as an assistant) that's not the same thing as enlisting in the Army, so I'd venture to say the Wikipedia entry is in error.
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anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y
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Stopped reading at "held responsible for their actions." You clearly do not know what this thread is about or just don't know what you're talking about
Yeah,they were the big names along with Garrett.Thomas was the guy that did all the dirty work defense rebound.I was at the game never been to a fnal four and got the chance.The first basketball game i was completely quiet didn't care who one.I did almost get into it with a IU fan because I had my UK shirt on.
Don't worry, there are still lots of people abusing kids and getting away with it. You can smile.
Bob Knight is a peice of garbage . It's hard to even think of someone who would do those types of things , and I believe he did all that crap , as human . He deserves any karma he gets in this life or the next .
