Saying Goodbye to a Coaching Legend

Earlier this week we found out that IU's legendary basketball coach, Bobby Knight, had died.  It was a sad day for a lot of Hoosier fans as there was still a lot of love for him in the state of Indiana, even though he was fired from IU for questionable behavior.  I wasn't quite sure how I felt about the news.  I realized that Coach had been sick, so I wasn't surprised.  I just didn't have the passion for him or IU basketball that I did in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  

Yesterday, while I cleaned the house, packed and waited for Doug to arrive to start our trip to Bloomington, I listened to the Big Ten Network.  They interviewed former Hoosier players from my favorite eras, showed some of the best games coached by Knight, and discussed all things IU.  I still didn't agree with his coaching style, especially after having a child participate in a program with an over the top coach who screamed and yelled at the players, but I did enjoy the walk down memory lane and revisiting some of my favorite basketball moments.  

With a late night drive ahead of us yesterday, I suggested to Doug that we listen to some of the same interviews and specials that I had already heard.  H enjoyed hearing Steve Alford, Coach Woodson, and Joe Hillman speak as much as I did.  He also liked the special tributes from ESPN, especially Jay Bilas' excerpt on Coach Knight.  When we arrived in Bloomington today, I wasn't surprised to see a flower memorial tribute to the man outside of Assembly Hall complete with a folding chair, representing his famous chair toss during a Purdue game forty years ago.  

Cal called shortly before we arrived in Bloomington and asked me what I thought about Knight.  I told him that I had really forgotten how much IU basketball had meant to me.  Cal had even been named after Doug and my favorite basketball player, Calbert Cheaney.  As much as I had loved that time period, Coach Knight had stopped being part of my life over twenty years ago.  I was sad for his family and players that he was no longer living, but he just didn't mean as much to me anymore.