Thursday, February 24, 2011

Talking Bobby Knight

You can say a lot about former Indiana and Texas Tech Coach Bobby Knight, but don’t question the guy’s knowledge about college basketball.

I was reminded of that again last night when I saw Knight and Duke Coach Mike Kryzewski interviewed on ESPN. Kryzewski, a former Knight pupil, is closing in on Knight’s record for all-time victories.

Knight praised “Coach K” for coaching basketball the right way—keeping his program honest and free of NCAA infractions. Knight, never one to back down from his views, said there is lots of cheating going on in college basketball.

The sad part about Knight’s cheating comment is the truth of it. But that’s a blog for another day.

I’ve enjoyed Knight’s work on ESPN. He’s more of a coach/teacher than a color commentator. He explains what a player has done and what he has done well or not so well. He doesn’t use many words, but “The General” (his nickname) is insightful Viewers can learn from Knight.

ESPN must enjoy his work too. The network allows him to wear a sweater instead of the standard tie and coat. That tells you, the General is still calling the plays even as a former coach.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Coach Knight brings a very different perspective to the broadcast booth. Quite enjoyable, refreshingly honest and, typically, very direct. And it's all basketball.

Paul Delger said...

Nobody can ever say that Knight is not direct. I agree his is good for ESPN. Thanks for your comments.