An Outrage

In Response to the Proposed Bobby Knight sitcom

When the following story came out in the summer of 2004, I was in disbelief. What surprised me even more was that there was no response from the public or from reporters about why such a show is a very bad idea. I am deeply concerned that Paramount and CBS are developing a sitcom based on the life of Bobby Knight. I believe that this action is irresponsible and inappropriate. Bobby Knight is surely not an appropriate subject for a sitcom, or any medium that would glorify or excuse his repeated behavior, yet the story below only refers to Knight as "fiery". Perhaps more appropriate terms would be "abusive" and "misogynistic". I am interested to know how one would justify hiring such a man. Hopefully, those involved will reconsider providing Mr. Knight with a forum for his invectives and small-mindedness. He spreads contention and hatred wherever he goes and I do not want to see that brought to my television screen. My feelings are illustrated well by the second story below.


TV viewers soon might see Knight's life with laugh track

From wire reports

The life and times of Bob Knight could soon be inside America's living rooms.

By Orlin Wagner, AP

The fiery Texas Tech basketball coach met with television officials last month in Los Angeles and gave his approval for a sitcom deal. CBS and Paramount Television are exploring the development of a half-hour comedy that could run by next year.

Knight, 63, would serve as a consultant and said he might make guest appearances. "Right now it's still in an embryonic stage," Lindy DeKoven, who would serve as the show's executive producer, told the Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Journal for Tuesday's editions.

"Right now we don't have a writer yet, so we can't get into too much detail. But it would be a half-hour comedy based on Bobby's character."

Knight was out of town Tuesday and couldn't be reached for comment.

The next step is for a writer to go to Lubbock and spend time getting to know Knight at work and at home.

When the script is written, DeKoven will take it to CBS, which will decide whether to make a pilot.

John Wentworth, executive vice president of marketing and media for Paramount Television, said the show would possibly be ready to run in September 2005.



Bobby Knight - How Contrite - Good Night!

What do Knight, Spreewell, Tyson, Davis, Ditka and the recent U.S. Olympic (Pro) Hockey Team, to name just a few, have in common. They are all out-of-control and want us to accept that that's just the way it is. Too harsh? I think not. On Mother's Day, when many metro newspapers were doing page 5 and page 9 stories on "Violence in Youth Sports Spreading", "Foul Play in Youth Sports", and "Violence in Sports Spreading in Youth Ranks," in addition to all the stories on the Million Mom March, our white-haired darling Bobby Boy got Front Sports Page mention in all of these metro papers and then some. You can't pay PR firms to get this kind of coverage, so could it be the alumni association flexing their muscle or sports writers coming to his defense (James Prichard of the AP was the BK positive author of most of them)? I wonder. Here's a man who is reported to have grabbed former player Neil Reed by the throat, attacked a former assistant last November, attacked an SID, throwing a vase at a wall when he couldn't get his way with an IU secretary, firing a starter's pistol at a reporter, shooting a friend in a hunting incident and hot reporting it, throwing an LSU fan in a dumpster, fighting in a parking lot with a diner who took exception to a too-loud racial characterization by Knight, hitting a Puerto Rican policeman during the Pan Am Games, kicking his own son during a game, and spending a lifetime in smelly gyms bullying other people's children. A man who once said "If rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it." Who put a tampon in a player's locker to motivate him. The record seems to stand on its own. Men end up in prison for less than what he's done, though he did get 6 months for the Puerto Rico incidence, which has yet to be served. I guess it doesn't matter if you're in Indiana and you win basketball games, though let the record also show he hasn't won a national championship in 13 years.

In his 330 word statement he said he was "trying" to control his emotions. Emotions are okay, in fact encouraged. He needs to understand the difference between emotions and control his otherwise out-of-control behavior. He said he needed to be more diplomatic. What he needs is 26-52 weeks in an alternatives to violence program. And, he needs to stop "trying" to do it and "Do it". Coaches strangling players. Players strangling coaches. Maybe we should just turn off the TV and wait until these athletes can get it together, if they want to, and then see if we can enjoy sharing a basketball with our kids again, sans Bobby Knight.