I never thought I would say I support the (in)famous collegiate baseball coach, Bobby Knight, but I am. Before I wrote those words, I took the time to cash a reality check. Bobby Knight is one of the people whom when I mention their name, I punctuate it with "I am not a fan of." I still am not a fan and will never be. Yet, not liking someone does not mean you cannot listen and agree is something the person may say. It is not that I go out of my way to listen to people I do not like. I do listen with an ear toward credibility and credence when we have similar thoughts on an issue.
Bobby's closest associate
Coach Knight has had a long and storied career as a collegiate level basketball coach. Some of his detractors say "too" long and his story is all about controversy. His first head coaching position came at Army in 1965 in a career spanning over four plus decades. Since leaving Army where he became friends with future NFL head coach Bill Parcells, controversy has been his constant companion. Despite this, he has another side to his reputation. Bobby Knight has one of the highest athlete graduation rates in modern college basketball times. The man demands a lot from his athletes. Those demands include they be students and have resulted in his being one of the top coaches of all time with recorded wins. Robert Montgomery Knight, nicknamed "The General," may be obnoxious, irascible, controversial and hard driven, but he is a man with values.
Our accidental agreement
There is a new rule that requires athletes be one year removed from high school and older than 19 before entering the NBA. The rules are an attempt to preclude kids not ready emotionally to make the jump from high school to the pros ala LeBron James. While James is a success another fellow NBA player Kwame Brown has never lived up to expectations and has shown he is too immature for the pros. What Bobby Knight has expressed is that this rule undermines the college level games academic integrity. Unfortunately, there is the world and there is Bobby Knight. Much of the world seems to be under the impression that college athletics on the whole have very little to with academics. Actually, most view college sports programs as fund raisers and a foundation for bringing in booster dollars and NCAA scholarship support. A typical person relates to college athletes as either a potential Michael Jordan getting a tune-up or a Maurice Clarett killing time before entering the penal system. Bobby Knight sees the latter being more of a product of this new rule and I agree.
Recalling a legend's wisdom
Moses Malone was one of the first modern day players to jump from high school to pro basketball. I remember reading toward the middle of his career, Malone spoke about how emotionally difficult it was to be a boy among men. Pro ball requires a different type of dedication. During the season where you travel from city to city and a night off is rarely a true respite from the mental and physical demands of the game. Unlike high school, where after every game you get to go home and hang with your family and friends to unwind.
Knight's crusade
For every Moses Malone, Darryl Dawkins, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James there are many more Kwame Browns or worse like Korleone Young and Leon Smith. Bobby Knight wants to see a change that demands kids play two years of collegiate ball and have a chance to decide whether or not they are ready for the pro's or need more seasoning. While many think that will not change much, I agree it gives the prospects an opportunity adjust their viewpoint.
The swing of a double edge sword
A case in recent sports history was NFL Arizona Cardinals Quart back Matt Leinert, who stayed in school for his full playing eligibility. Leinert by staying in a year longer lost millions in draft positioning contract dollars. Matt wanted to live the full college experience before entering the real world. Many look at this as having been a bad money move. Leinert knows what he will earn in the long haul, as a professional athlete will wipe out any memory of those lost millions. The Matt Leinert decision is one that Bobby Knight feels every high school athlete should be in the position to make.
The lure of the numbers is diminished by another number
Every kid who steps on a field of play has visions of going pro one day. There are no exceptions, it is a dream all youths have. The closest I ever got to that level is to stand on the fields at Giants stadium and Yankee Stadium. The fame and the lure of mind-boggling multi million dollar contracts runs hard and deep. The counterpoint for the NBA being there are only 442 player positions available. The NCAA has over 25,000 colleges with basketball programs for the NBA to draw from. There are also the pools of international players from which Dirk Nowitzki was drafted. Overall, you are looking at millions of potential players vying for those 442 player spots. As Bobby Knight champions, kids have a much better chance of succeeding in life with a college degree. Very few who skip or leave early ever go back. "The General" is a man who should know about the odds because over his four plus decades of coaching he has had thousands of kids pass under his tutelage. Only Isiah Thomas went on to a career in the NBA and achieved greatness.
The numbers don't lie
Think what you want about Bobby Knight. I know I do and they are not pleasant thoughts for the most part. Kids deserve a chance to succeed. We all know of the high school stars that litter the streets because they could not make that success transfer beyond the high school years. Bobby Knight's suggestion for change in the pro sports rule is a compromise on his part. The truth is most kids would benefit more from four year at a college than one or two and out. They will mature, learn about commitment, and be with people their own age. I have always said my college years were the best years of my life. The college experience enabled me to go on to so many more greater experiences. The failures of kids that make the jump are greater than the successes. Bobby's suggestion is a starting point. On this issue, I firmly stand with him. The numbers don't lie because the opposition at this time stacks against us. The only hope is people will think wiser and see the light of Knight.
