Mike Davis enjoyed far more tolerance than Bobby Knight while at IU

Let’s not be so quick to ignore the fortunate opportunity Davis received in 2000, and how he wasted it away in the latter half of his six-year tenure at Indiana.This past Tuesday, as the sports world now knows, legendary college basketball coach, Bobby Knight, was a guest on ESPN’s morning show, “Cold Pizza.”

Facts are facts: Knight is an irreverent fellow who has “offended” many media members over the years with his over-the-top honesty and his lack of concern for tip-toeing the PC line. In 1985, he threw a chair when an official made a porous call, Knight has ripped the media for their lack of professionalism and has chastised many of his players for their lack of hustle and intensity among others instances.

Most collegiate coaches do much of the same (or should) but Knight has always, unfairly in my view, been under more intense scrutiny and kept on a shorter leash over the years, especially over the past decade.

Renowned sports novelist, John Feinstein, has written tell-all books about him, and ESPN has even made one into a movie, and debuts a reality show about “The General” Sunday evening.

The other fact worth noting (conveniently and naturally ignored by the immortal media) is that Coach Knight graduates all his players, and no other college basketball coach, not Mike Krzyzewski at Duke nor coaches at academic bastions like Stanford nor Northwestern, for example, do that anymore. Knight also looks out for his players after they graduate. He is a good man, a noble man, and in a perfect world, he would be lionized rather the demonized.

So when ESPN’s Dana Jacobsen treated him with precious little respect last week, Knight was understandably incensed. Firstly, Jacobsen asked Knight not once, not twice, but three times in various and direct ways how much longer he would continue coaching basketball. Knight first declined to answer. Then, he amicably noted how wonderful the life of a collegiate coach is, with six or seven months per year off to hunt, fish, play golf and watch baseball; and that he could, considering this, coach much longer. After the persistent Jacobsen ignored his words, and pestered him for an exacting response, Knight politely asked her the analogous question of how long she would continue cooking breakfast. Perhaps this was the wrong question to ask a female sports reporter, but his point was obvious. The PC radio, TV and print media then typically attacked the coach for the “gender insensitive” remark. Most were looking for a story and a soundbyte, and did not care what the content leading up to the statement was; they just thought he was being a sexist.

Finally, Jacobsen broached the topic of Indiana basketball. Knight coached there for nearly 30 years before, in my view and many others’, being totally disrespected for reprimanding a student who was showing him (Knight) disrespect in the middle of campus during the fall of 2000. He was forced to resign.

Since that incident, Knight has repeatedly told any reporters who will listen that he wants nothing to do with discussions about Indiana University basketball and that he will not comment. When Jacobsen then ignorantly asked him about the Hoosiers, Knight ended the interview.

No one is going to accuse Bob Knight of being a modest, acquiescing fellow; however, he is still a West Point graduate, three time national title winner as a coach, a role model to anyone who has played for him, a husband, father and a genuinely good human being. Ask any of his friends or former players.

Last week, when current IU coach, Mike Davis, was asked about his dubious future at IU, Davis, an African-American responded, “I don’t know. Maybe they should hire one of their own.” Then, in Thurday’s press conference, Davis continually hammered how the team, fans, community and school would be “more united” with him gone, and that this is a good day for Indiana basketball.

So Knight gets fired for castigating an immature student, and blackballed for comments that contained the smallest hint of gender insensitivity, yet Davis, hired to succeed the legendary Knight with zero head coaching experience in Division One, makes a completely inane remark, with a strong hint of regionalism and racism, few care, and many naturally see HIM as the victim.

Maybe the fact that Mike essentially had just one good year out of six with the Hoosiers and missed the postseason the past two seasons (going on three) plays a factor in the disgruntled fan base. It has nothing to do with race or IU alumni, but lack of cohesion and, most importantly, limited success, especially recently.

Indiana’s Athletic Director, Rick Greenspan, would have undoubtedly proceeded accordingly and fired Davis at season’s end, but since Davis resigned, the mainstream media will thankfully not be given the opportunity to go bananas and rush to Davis’s defense.

Kansas City Star Columnist, Jason Whitlock, capped off his article on the Davis debacle on ESPN.com today perfectly when he noted, “Are there some IU fans who don’t like Davis simply because of the color of his skin? Yes. But that element in no way cost Davis his job. Mike Davis cost himself one of the best jobs in America by wallowing in pity.

Pity provides comfort, but it sure don’t pay the bills.”

Precisely.