Bob Knight's Hiring by ESPN Sends The Wrong Message to Our Young People

Bob Knight's hiring by ESPN sports network sets a bad example for the kids and young athletes in this country. As basketball coach at Texas A&M and Indiana, he bullied his players, other coaches, referees, and sometimes fans, so many times over the years. I never heard him apologize to anyone for his misbehavior. He won lots of games and got famous being the tough guy. He apparently has a good PR man, got out of many jams, and now seems to be recognized by everyone. ESPN is showing our young people that it's good to be a tough guy and bully and that you too could follow along and get famous. The ESPN decision won't set a good example for young people, will in the long run be bad for television sports coverage, and will hurt the value proposition of the communication business in general.
Posted by Harrison K. Long, March 30, 2008, Explore Group