1/30/2006
My New Favorite Rumor (Non Fleetwood Mac Edition)
It's only Monday afternoon and my week has already been made. Hell, my entire year may very well be made if this rumor comes to fruition. Thanks to Pat Imig's "Monday Morning Memo" over at Joe Sportsfan, I can now giddily tell people:
"Bobby Knight may be the next head coach at the University of Missouri. And I am not making that up. Maybe someone else is, but I am not."
As the rumor goes, Knight recently purchased a home in Columbia, MO, sparking speculation that "The General" may be taking over the Mizzou hoops program next season. It actually makes perfect sense. Knight is a Mid-Western guy who enjoys hunting and fishing in Northern Missouri, and his good friend Tony LaRussa is only a short drive down I-70. Other than the fact that he is under contract with Texas Tech until the end of the 2008-09 season, I can't think of a single reason why this would (and should) not happen. Knight would probably have no problem getting out of said contract with Texas Tech (I'm not sure why they still have contracts in sports anymore...it seems as if no one actually fulfills them) and would hand the Red Raider program over to his son, Pat Knight, who has been waiting in his father's wings to run the program for quite some time.
Bobby Knight roaming the sidelines in Columbia. I can see it now. And it looks glorious.
"The General" coaching the Mizzou Tigers makes me excited for one reason, and one reason only: I am an Illinois fan.
And the Tuesday night before Christmas is one of my favorite days of the year. "Busch Braggin' Rights" day.
The Illinois-Mizzou rivalry should be the stuff of legends (I've written enough about it already) but under the watchful eye of Quin "That's one 'n' in Quin, guys" Snyder, the Mizzou basketball program has become lackluster and mediocre at best; and an all out orgy of drugs, bad hair, and recruitment violations at worst. I have not heard, nor could I ever imagine hearing, any Mizzou backer pleading the case that Snyder should be brought back into the program for next year.
Enter Bob Knight. The Anti-Quin, if you will. It can never be said that Snyder runs the tightest of ships. Knight, on the other hand, does. You better fucking believe he does. If anyone can clean up the mess in Columbia, it's Knight.
Knight has proven very recently that he can turn a program around. His Red Raiders are now a perennial top-25 caliber team. And I'm sure he could do the same in Columbia.
If (and I'm trying to remember that this is a huge if) Bob Knight comes to Mizzou, cleaning up the slew of recruiting violations and NCAA sanctions that Snyder will have left in his wake will be job number one. Installing an actual "system" involving an "offense," "set plays" and "defenses" (all of these terms appear to be foreign to the players currently on Mizzou's roster) will be job number two. Third, of course, will be recruiting. If anyone will be able to rebuild the Tiger's troubled program, it's Knight.
I love the annual "Busch Braggin' Rights" game. (They sell freaking shots of jager in the stands during the game, for Christ's sake. How can you not love that?) But considering the fact that it seems as if Illinois has won the last 78 or so contests between the schools, if there is another year of the game being ridiculously uncompetitive (like last December's 32-point blow out win by the Illini) the game will begin to lose a lot more than it's luster.
It will lose it's status as an actual rivalry game and become "that game every year when Illinois dominates Missouri and all of the Illini faithful get drunk and taunt the Mizzou fans."
No way does Bob Knight let that happen if he's in charge of the Tigers. No way in hell.
"Bobby Knight may be the next head coach at the University of Missouri. And I am not making that up. Maybe someone else is, but I am not."
As the rumor goes, Knight recently purchased a home in Columbia, MO, sparking speculation that "The General" may be taking over the Mizzou hoops program next season. It actually makes perfect sense. Knight is a Mid-Western guy who enjoys hunting and fishing in Northern Missouri, and his good friend Tony LaRussa is only a short drive down I-70. Other than the fact that he is under contract with Texas Tech until the end of the 2008-09 season, I can't think of a single reason why this would (and should) not happen. Knight would probably have no problem getting out of said contract with Texas Tech (I'm not sure why they still have contracts in sports anymore...it seems as if no one actually fulfills them) and would hand the Red Raider program over to his son, Pat Knight, who has been waiting in his father's wings to run the program for quite some time.
Bobby Knight roaming the sidelines in Columbia. I can see it now. And it looks glorious.
"The General" coaching the Mizzou Tigers makes me excited for one reason, and one reason only: I am an Illinois fan.
And the Tuesday night before Christmas is one of my favorite days of the year. "Busch Braggin' Rights" day.
The Illinois-Mizzou rivalry should be the stuff of legends (I've written enough about it already) but under the watchful eye of Quin "That's one 'n' in Quin, guys" Snyder, the Mizzou basketball program has become lackluster and mediocre at best; and an all out orgy of drugs, bad hair, and recruitment violations at worst. I have not heard, nor could I ever imagine hearing, any Mizzou backer pleading the case that Snyder should be brought back into the program for next year.
Enter Bob Knight. The Anti-Quin, if you will. It can never be said that Snyder runs the tightest of ships. Knight, on the other hand, does. You better fucking believe he does. If anyone can clean up the mess in Columbia, it's Knight.
Knight has proven very recently that he can turn a program around. His Red Raiders are now a perennial top-25 caliber team. And I'm sure he could do the same in Columbia.
If (and I'm trying to remember that this is a huge if) Bob Knight comes to Mizzou, cleaning up the slew of recruiting violations and NCAA sanctions that Snyder will have left in his wake will be job number one. Installing an actual "system" involving an "offense," "set plays" and "defenses" (all of these terms appear to be foreign to the players currently on Mizzou's roster) will be job number two. Third, of course, will be recruiting. If anyone will be able to rebuild the Tiger's troubled program, it's Knight.
I love the annual "Busch Braggin' Rights" game. (They sell freaking shots of jager in the stands during the game, for Christ's sake. How can you not love that?) But considering the fact that it seems as if Illinois has won the last 78 or so contests between the schools, if there is another year of the game being ridiculously uncompetitive (like last December's 32-point blow out win by the Illini) the game will begin to lose a lot more than it's luster.
It will lose it's status as an actual rivalry game and become "that game every year when Illinois dominates Missouri and all of the Illini faithful get drunk and taunt the Mizzou fans."
No way does Bob Knight let that happen if he's in charge of the Tigers. No way in hell.
Comments:
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As a current student at Mizzou and huge basketball fan, I must say the current situation is extremely frustrating. Bringing Knight here would instill a whole new attitude (for the team, alumni, fans, and opponents). I would go to every game if nothing else to watch him coach.
# posted by 
: 1:30 PM
: 1:30 PM
Word.
My soul hurts. I have gone from listening on edge to every game (radio or tv) as a kid thru my time at MU...to not giving a flying f if we are even playing on a given night or not. I almost hope we lose by a ton of points these days b/c that's the only enjoyment I get from these games.
Quinn is so "c'd up" walking the sidelines that it has become a huge joke. His days playing the game "just the tip" with the golden girls is about to come to a crashing end...and I can't wait. We have become a national joke.
-Nathan B
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My soul hurts. I have gone from listening on edge to every game (radio or tv) as a kid thru my time at MU...to not giving a flying f if we are even playing on a given night or not. I almost hope we lose by a ton of points these days b/c that's the only enjoyment I get from these games.
Quinn is so "c'd up" walking the sidelines that it has become a huge joke. His days playing the game "just the tip" with the golden girls is about to come to a crashing end...and I can't wait. We have become a national joke.
-Nathan B
# posted by : 9:51 PM
: 9:51 PM << Home
