I met Bobby Knight during what was then called The Big Apple Pre-Season NIT Tournament in 1987, a few months after Indiana’s Keith Smart nailed a two-pointer to beat Syracuse for the NCAA basketball championship. I was reporting for the Syracuse Post-Standard at the time, and one of my editors, named Roger, was an incredibly tough man to please as well as an ardent Syracuse basketball fan. In my pregame stories, I had written about how both teams viewed the upcoming preseason game as fairly meaningless, since many of the key players from the title game had moved on. Roger would have none of it, so truly did he believe that Syracuse was seeking vindication for losing the title. Syracuse whomped Indiana, and, in the postgame interviews Knight was as gracious and engaging as he was in that speech at Trine. SU coach Jim Boeheim was equally objective. Both coaches and players knew that this game was indeed pretty much a non-event. I knew that I had, in fact, reported it objectively. When I returned from a fabulous weekend in NYC, and went to the office, Roger apologized to me for putting his emotions and subjectivity into my writing. He was one of those bosses Knight spoke about during his speech. In the end, Roger made me a better writer, but nothing was ever easy when I worked for him!
Bob Knight tells it like it is. He is one of the greatest coaches of our time. What never gets publicized is the charity work that he does and the fact that he has done a lot to help his former players.
@Chess. I met Bobby Knight yesterday at the Ok State Virginia Tech game in Stillwater. He was up stretching his legs at half time and I shook his hand. How’s that for fate.
Good videos Chess.
Thanks and Happy New year’s
I met Bobby Knight during what was then called The Big Apple Pre-Season NIT Tournament in 1987, a few months after Indiana’s Keith Smart nailed a two-pointer to beat Syracuse for the NCAA basketball championship. I was reporting for the Syracuse Post-Standard at the time, and one of my editors, named Roger, was an incredibly tough man to please as well as an ardent Syracuse basketball fan. In my pregame stories, I had written about how both teams viewed the upcoming preseason game as fairly meaningless, since many of the key players from the title game had moved on. Roger would have none of it, so truly did he believe that Syracuse was seeking vindication for losing the title. Syracuse whomped Indiana, and, in the postgame interviews Knight was as gracious and engaging as he was in that speech at Trine. SU coach Jim Boeheim was equally objective. Both coaches and players knew that this game was indeed pretty much a non-event. I knew that I had, in fact, reported it objectively. When I returned from a fabulous weekend in NYC, and went to the office, Roger apologized to me for putting his emotions and subjectivity into my writing. He was one of those bosses Knight spoke about during his speech. In the end, Roger made me a better writer, but nothing was ever easy when I worked for him!
AWESOME STORY. Thanks for sharing!
Great story flyaway, I enjoyed your post. Syracuse, NY of all places, sunny and warm in Miami 🙂
Pt. 3
http://youtu.be/4OV5W4TknN8
Thanks!
Bob Knight tells it like it is. He is one of the greatest coaches of our time. What never gets publicized is the charity work that he does and the fact that he has done a lot to help his former players.
Good story Flyaway, I would have liked to have read your article,what years was that?
Read the first line “1987”
@Chess. I met Bobby Knight yesterday at the Ok State Virginia Tech game in Stillwater. He was up stretching his legs at half time and I shook his hand. How’s that for fate.
awesome! I am jealous