Remember the Knight

Texas Tech men's basketball coach Bob Knight won his 880th game on New Year's Day, surpassing former North Carolina coach Dean Smith as the winningest in NCAA Men's Division 1 basketball history. Several people associated with IU, including President Adam Herbert and Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan, have offered their congratulations, recognizing the greatness of Knight's achievement. Even former IU President Myles Brand, who was responsible for Knight's firing in September 2000, issued a brief congratulatory statement.\nBut basketball achievement aside (the greatness of which the IDS editorial board unwaveringly recognizes), how does Texas Tech's 70-68 win over New Mexico that sealed Knight's place in history affect the face of IU?\nKnight is synonymous with both winning and headline-making behavior. And when the discipline imposed on him by IU finally came to a head with his firing, it yielded one of the most awkward relationships in college sports. \nHere's where we stand. Many students, alumni, faculty and others at IU (not all, we realize) would give their right arms to have Knight once again shouting at referees and disciplining players on the Assembly Hall hardwood. ESPN analyst Dick Vitale even thinks Assembly Hall should be renamed the Robert Montgomery Knight Center at Assembly Hall, an honor that would recognize him as one of IU's most important figures.\nBut this is the kicker. If by some amazing turn of events all the necessary pieces fell into place to honor Knight in such a manner -- if the higher-ups of IU finally decided the fans are right to miss the coach's presence, if IU set up a grand ceremony worthy of Pope Benedict XVI -- we find it unlikely he would show up. Missing from Knight's comments after the game was much mention of his time at IU. \nWe are not denouncing Knight. He would hardly be the man we have all seen throughout his career, both before and after his tenure at IU, if he had forgiven all and dropped his discontent with the University.\nBut win No. 880 reminds us that somewhere along the bumpy line that was the University's relationship with the coach, the two simply cut ties. Not even 662 wins, three national championships and decades of memories can change that. Fans of Knight will continue to invoke his name after every IU loss, and Knight will rack up more wins until, and perhaps beyond, the time his current Texas Tech contract ends in 2011. Fans will hold him up on high and he will ignore the University more. \nThe real tragedy is that fans of IU basketball will seemingly forever be without the support of their coach. Many have attempted to assign blame for the situation, but such a venture is useless. It is simply truth. So here's to hoping for reconciliation while knowing how unlikely it is.