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Mike Celizic

NBCSports.com contributor Mike Celizic provides his unique slant as he takes an offbeat look into the world of sports beyond the box scores.



ESPN should explain why it hired Knight

Posted: Friday, February 29, 2008 10:18 AM

Bobby Knight loved to express his disdain of sports journalists and often said that if he ever needed a brain transplant, he’d want one from a sportswriter because he knew it had never been used.

Too bad he won’t be able to use that line anymore. And it’s not just because now he is a member of the media, but because journalism has rules against plagiarism, and Knight stole that line from former Eagle quarterback Norm Van Brocklin.

Funny, isn’t it, how he leaped at a chance to join the sports media? Even more funny is his fulsome praise of ESPN, his new employer:

“I think ESPN has been real good for college basketball and I look forward to working with some of their people who I have known a long time,” the Associated Press quotes him as saying in a press release.

Leave it to ESPN, a network rarely accused of committing actual journalism, to accept that statement and issue some equally smarmy praise for its new buddy. The network neatly managed to forget that back in 2000, after he was fired by Indiana, he took a mean-spirited, on-air swipe at the network’s Jeremy Schapp. The following is from ESPN.com’s own report on the incident: 

On ESPN, he often chastised interviewer Jeremy Schaap for what he considered interruptions as he answered questions. At one point he told Schaap, son of veteran sportswriter and broadcaster Dick Schaap: "You got a long way to go to be as good as your dad, you better keep that in mind." 

I’m not saying ESPN should not have hired Knight; the man does know college basketball as well as anyone alive, and if he can bring himself to criticize his coaching buddies, he could be a great analyst. But it would be nice if the network would at least acknowledge that it once had a problem with him and explain why the guy who busted a dedicated and honest reporter would now be welcomed into the fold.

Good luck expecting anything like that from ESPN, the network that wants to be a part of the events it is covering. That’s a combination that never leads to objectivity, although it has been good for the profit margin.

As for Knight, it’s nice to see that what he’s all about is the same thing so many others are: the money. This is an easy gig for him, and if he has to hang a press pass around his neck and fraternize with people he’s slimed his entire life, well, the pay is good and the hours don’t entirely stink, either.

He’s one of the most intelligent and sharpest people I’ve ever met in this or any other business, and I’ve personally never had any problem with him. (Full Discloser Statement: He once said he liked my hat.) But he’s as ornery an S.O.B. as you’ll find. He’s also been very cruel and downright vicious to way too many people over the years.

I’m not saying ESPN shouldn’t hire him. And I’m not saying he shouldn’t get paid for doing what he’ll do anyway – watch the games and talk about what he’s seeing.

I’d just like to see a little honesty on both sides. Admit what you’ve said and done in the past and tell us why it’s different now. Is being honest too much to ask of people pretending to be journalists?

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Comments

Let us not forget either that he stated that journalism was right up there with prostitution in terms of prestige and dignity.

Richard Jones, Bethlehem, PA (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 1:50 PM)

Honesty? In the business side of sports, honesty don't get in the way of money!!!! You know its all about money, baby!

Terry Mc Gold (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 1:56 PM)

As far as I can tell, you're ALL pretending to be journalists.  Bobby Knight's point about sports reporters has always been that they spend way to much time trying to make news by writing soap operas for men rather than sticking to the actual sports. What would you do without Terrel Owens? Talk about football? How can you if you don't know anything about football? Or does football bore you? How many "reporters" have made their carrers baiting Bobby Knight? And for what? Because he refeuses to take any crap from anyone? Especially snotty students or lazy secretaries? OR (gasp) the media. How many of us out here wish we could be like Bobby K? Let's watch and see who it is in the press box that insists on making it all about the game and not the personalities, THEN we can talk about who's pretending to be a journalist.

Guy S. Newell (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 2:13 PM)

In the Interview with Jeremy Schaap and he was very rude and obnoxious to Bobby Knight. Jeremy got what he deserved. Bobby Knight might be a breath freshair comapred to wind bag and idiot Dick Vitale at least we will get some form of the truth and none the usual bs associated with some like Vitale.

Brian Cobb, Monroe WA (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 2:13 PM)

Everybody is a whore when it comes to money, baby! ESPN don't have no scruples either, they just try'n to sell mo advertising. When'd u get all upity and all that? Sheeet, you wouldn't has nuffin to writes about wifout peeps like ole Bobby Knight....

Yomomma (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 2:20 PM)

So telling Jeremy Schapp that he had a long way to go to be as good as his dad, wasn't being honest? He truly did and does have a long way to go. Nothing worse than a journalist pretending to be honest.

keith (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 2:50 PM)

Will he bring his "GAME FACE" to the studio.  If so, it was a good hire by ESPN

Bobby Townsend (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 2:56 PM)

Wait a minute-you want ESPN and Coach Knight to come clean? When is the last time you saw a reporter admit he made a mistake? They will lie before admitting an error. It's human nature-get with the program.

Matt Broo, Holland, Michigan (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 3:02 PM)

ESPN will regret their hire.....he will not be on the air a month before they are apologizing to somebody for his comments.....and that will remind us all of the old addage:  "you get what you pay for".

g. young, mooresville, indiana (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 3:32 PM)

Come on Mr. Mike, you know the answer.
It's the same reason IU kept him as long as they did.
It's the $$$$ that he contributes. ESPN wants higher ratings, hire RMK, let him be as arrogant and nasty as always, just because he knows the ins and outs of a sport (a great contribution to mankind), and they will hopefully get more $$$$'s. Personally, I wish they wouldn't, I don't like him, and don't see him as entertaining, in front or behind the mic. Besides, he has made it rather apparent he wants to coach again, so hopefully he won't be behind the mic long. Send him out to pasture, go fishing, hunting, anything other than show his arrogant ass on TV.

Jim Smith, New Albany, IN (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 3:38 PM)

He is not a journalist but an analyst. Quite a difference in my eyes and I don't feel he is being dishonest. Can't argue about him being mean or cruel. Is there a pre-req mea culpa to join you guys? Let's hear yours?

HD Indiana (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 4:52 PM)

in life,you say things thta later bite you,no sports writers have ever done that i hope....right...we're all capable of making mistakes...let him start on a positive nature....

right all thetime (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 5:07 PM)

Ahhhh Bobby Knight is too mean for da ittle bitty baby who wears a dorky hat ahhhhhh. Knight will go down in history as a great coach who the majority of kids who played for him appreciated what he did for them. You, Mikeyboy, will go down as an obscure footnote in sportsmedia trivia (if that)!

Yo Momma (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 5:10 PM)

You mislead with your comments about Jeremy Schaap, who still can't carry his late dad's jock. Dick Schaap & Knight were friends, which is the reason he granted the interview to the kid in the first place. If you saw the interview, it was more admonition than insult. Your mischaracterization detracts from the validity of your point, which is valid.

Jim Simmons, Lakewood, Ohio (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 5:30 PM)

Amen. Knight is unlikable. I expect he'll eventually say or do something very stupid and be canned. But in the meantime he'll be "controversial" and get ratings.

Matt C, North Babylon, NY (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 5:30 PM)

I think the guy is a Big Jurk. I don't like him and I don't want to waste any more of my time on him. I hope he will just go away!

Chuck , Bordentown,NJ (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 5:59 PM)

First of all, Knight gave Schaap some advice; it doesn't seem cruel and vicious. So much for that lack of honesty, which media stretches to the max. Yes, I admire Knight, though some of his actions are better left undone. If you want to harp about how many he has hurt being cruel and vicious, why do you leave out the many that he has helped.The whole point is this, and no more. Knight could respond to media without fear and showed he had little respect for those so working. Media couldn't and can't handle that, so bash, bash, bash. Your last paragraph is a laugh, nothing more. Grow up, writer. And, take some of your associates with you.  

WALTER H STEWART, Germantown, Ohio (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 6:14 PM)

Whey do they need to explain to you why they hired the guy. Don't worry about it. Do your job. I'm not asking NBC to explain to me why they hired you.

Ryan Folsom CA (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 6:43 PM)

What is it you'd like them to say Mike?  "I hate the media but I've taken this job because I want to get paid.", or "Sure, Bob Knight said something rude to an ESPN employee but we're overlooking that this time."  What good do either of those statements do for you?  Anyone who's going to be watching already knows how Bob Knight feels about most journalists and ESPN knows that he spouts off a lot.  Stating those facts prior to or after hiring someone is useless.  It's like saying you don't like PB&J sandwiches before taking another bite of one.  Once again, I find myseld regretting reading one of your posts as they mostly a waste of my time.

Rob, Venutra, CA (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 6:53 PM)

Why don't you work for the minimum wage. That way you could be an example of what you want others to do --work for less than you could otherwise receive. But no, you prefer to whine. It sounds like you're envious. You neglected to say it's not "fair". Buy a ladder and get over it!

Gus Perluzzi, Brooklyn, NY (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 7:29 PM)

Please, I understand that you have to find things to write about, but I think he fits right in with you guys. I figure for the most part journalism and sports in the same sentence is laughable in this age of indulgence. What is it that sports journalists, like accountants or lawyers really add to the product. For the most part you're wannabes that couldn't ever make the grade so rather then get a real job you pat yourselves on the back and quest for celebrity while riding the backs of the real product, and no different then the paparazzi, waitng for those who really are your meal ticket, to fall off their pedestools, so you can go wee wee to anyone that's life is so void of anything of value that they give up part of their life to read the dribble.

rj brown (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 8:36 PM)

you must remember that a Coach is as good as the players that he has. The coach gets all the credit and all the money, but the players do all the work.

carson benson, mentor,ohio (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 10:31 PM)

I will change the channel every time I hear his voice on ESPN! Hi is the opposite of a role model!

Steven Mammone, Leominster, MA (Sent Friday, February 29, 2008 11:18 PM)

Well, you're probably right, but as unpopular as this may be, I love Bobby Knight. I am hoping he doesn't become the typical announcer who talks about how wonderful each coach of a team is, and what a wonderful program each team has, etc and so on. The announcers nowadays are insipid and boring.

Carol (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 7:00 AM)

Why is it that some media just can't let go of stories like Bob Knight?  ESPN doesn't have to explain to anyone why he was hired.  Do you think he's supposed to pay for his mistakes forever?  I'm more interested in the opinions of the players who spent 4 years with Coach Knight, and see where their lives are at, what type of people they are, and how they feel about him.  As far as him being an analyst, at least he will know more about what he's talking about than 99.9% of the media in the sport now.  

Paul Hill, East Lyme, CT (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 8:18 AM)

I have had the pleasure to meet Coach Knight on several occasions, and was even able to sit down and have a conversation with him. Coach Knight is very intelligent and knowledgeable on so many subjects. The one thing he can not stand is having people conversing on subjects which they don't really know about. Since I didn't try to fool him by pretending to know something that I actully had no knowledge of, I found Coach Knight to be engaging, funny, and personable. He does demand respect and since I demand respect myself I respect him for that. Don't ever try to fool him, because he will intimidate you and put you in your place.

David Mote, Aurora, IL (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 8:19 AM)

Explain to you ? Who appointed you guardian of who ESPN hires? The press is getting wider between the eyes then they are between the shoulders. You are preety close to the top of the list

Cat1, Missouri (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 8:19 AM)

Can't we all just get along , lol. I appreciated you taking him to task for what I would consider hypocrisy at it's finest. You may have just saved ESPN one more viewer. I myself don't like knight but I do respect his acumen for the game. I'll watch the games he covers , I just might use the Mute button a little more than usual:).

Michael , Austin,Texas (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 9:18 AM)

Why should ESPN have to explain anything? Do other businesses have to hold a press conference to justify the hiring of their employees. As for Coach joining the media, particularly a network "he once had a problem with", could it be that both sides held a mature meeting and came to the realization that they each had something good to offer? Personally, I look forward to hearing someone with as much knowledge as Coach has, it will be a refreshing change. How about a forum with Coach, Digger, and Dickie V. that would be fun!

Neil, Fort Myers, FL (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 1:35 PM)

I am surprised this comes from you when you have never admitted your mistakes honestly (from so many super bowl projections, NCAA championship projections, NBA projections, Tiger Woods projections, MLB projections, incorrect facts about Mark Cuban a couple years ago, and so on....However, I have to admit that you are more honest than many journalists and sportspeople around (including ESPN and Knight) (and you are an opinionist rather than a reporter). But, in todays journalistic world, dishonesty and bias is the norm--we are seeing this in sports and recent election political coverage day in and day out. I know sometimes you have to satisfy your bosses and say things you didnt want to or intend to (we all do that to a small extent). But the ethical standards in sports and journalism today is in the ditch. We have to rely on the media to tell the truth when the politicians and sportspeople dont tell (look at the current administration, republicans, democrats, Spygate, NFL, NFL network, Roger Clemens, McNamee, etc, etc) and it's unfortunate that the media doesn't either.

Great job on your columns and I read them with interest. Keep up the good work. I would like you to write a column on journalistic ethics in sports.

Vinny Gracciuolo, Secaucus, NJ (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 2:05 PM)

    I will make no judgement on the author's assessment of the circumstances surrounding Coach Knight appearing on ESPN other than one;"The Money".  
    The problems with this assertion are aplenty.  First off, the financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed so who knows what this is really worth.  But most importantly, Coach Knight has never been about "The Money".  In his years at Indiana University every endorsement deal Coach Knight had resulted in the money he earned being donated to the University Library, which he always has said was the backbone of any good University.  Additionally, this is a man who several years ago took his salary that he was to be paid by Texas Tech and did what with it, returned it to the University.  Coach Knight claimed he didn't deserve it and the money was given to the University's Library budget.
    You may call Coach Knight a lot of things, a money hungry & money driven man, however, is not one of them.

Ray, Bloomington, IN (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 3:26 PM)

Mike, Why should ESPN and Bobby Knight have to explain themselves? As you stated, it's in the past. They have obviously made up and now see the value of the relationship.
What good will an acknowledgement of past incidents do? Let bygones be bygones.

Tony Alt (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 4:24 PM)

Sounds like Mr Celizic is intimidated.  Noboby knows the game better than Bobby Knight.

Bob Smith (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 4:40 PM)

Dear Mike
I don't think they should hire Bob Knight as an annoucer. He could say thing that could be offensive.

Chioke Hassan,Baltimore,Md (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 4:49 PM)

Waaaaa.  Cry me a river Open Mike.  The position that Coach Knight and ESPN should air out every difference between them before entering a contract is absurd.  Perhaps we should demand that before you can write a negative article about somebody, you should also have to meet this <cough> "standard".

Coach Knight has a very intriquing mind and an incredible sense of humor, if you don't alienate him first with stupid questions and statements that are pointless and make no sense.  

Ever watch the old "Bob Knight Show" out of Indianapolis/Bloomington?  Jack the Mule still cracks me up to this day.  Funny stuff.  That show was also a great place to learn about court sense/awareness, if you paid attention, lol.  Coach has always been a great analyst; fair, impartial and brutally honest, even if it meant critizing his own.

Cheers Mike.  Please try harder next time.

Dave, Virginia (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 5:21 PM)

Here's something to keep in mind...He was dead on with his comment about Jeremy and it still holds true today. Furthermore, when MSNBC drops their Notre Dame love fest pages (there only because of fat TV contract)I'll call for objectivity from ESPN.

Bucky, Columbus, Oh. (Sent Saturday, March 01, 2008 6:13 PM)

The continuing "No comments yet" , in my mind, makes you liars. I sent a comment several days ago and it has not appeared. And, I followed your guidelines. Obviously, if you are not honest, then I have no interest in anything written by such people.

WALTER H STEWART, Germantown, OHIO (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 7:50 AM)

With all due respect, being a sports journalist is a little different than being an analyst.  Apples and oranges.

John (Sent Monday, March 03, 2008 1:50 PM)

While we may each have our differences with Knight and his behavioral lapses, the man KNOWS BASKETBALL, plain and simple! Not only that, but he is a taskmaster, perfectionist and disciplinarian at a time when our kids need it the most...for that amtter, he is ahead of the times, having been that way throughout his career.  Even though one may not agree with his tactics, his objectives are on the money: "Do what you know you should do, pay attention, and graduate."  Anyone who has a problem with those is part of the problem ie,  can't comprehend the concept of personal responsibility and accountability or selflessness.  Sure, he can be irritating, but besides his tactics, I applaud his objective.  I never thought I would rise to his defense, but c'mon folks - ask his players how they feel!!!!!

Freeman, Carson City, NV (Sent Wednesday, March 12, 2008 9:37 PM)

I just hope Knight doesn't start babbling like the rest of the mouths / dicky v comes to mind / only to fill air time. At least Knight's comments might have relavance to the game, not just some mopes opinion

gene larue, muscatine, iowa (Sent Friday, May 23, 2008 10:26 AM)



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