KNIGHT & DAY
ESPN criticism of former coach tied to his employment
IT STANDS to reason that we never hear about layoffs within what must be TV networks’ most efficient offices, their Departments of Intellectual Dishonesty.
ESPN must devote an entire building to its DOID, the parking spots reserved for the disabled filled by autos dangling blue cards from their rear view mirrors while their drivers rollerblade during lunch.
Last week ESPN announced that it will air a “30-for-30” documentary examining the dubious mental condition of Bobby Knight while he coached Indiana, and the collateral damage it likely had on recruits. Of course, it will. Tracing Knight’s relationship with ESPN, we find that for years, while he was coaching at Indiana and later at Texas Tech, he was presented as he so often appeared and was heard: as a lunatic. ESPN’s “Knight Goes Nuts” action reel held as steady a presence on “Sports-Center” as its ABC cross-promotions of “Dancing With the Stars.”
But despite such ample evidence Knight was poorly wired, when he was done coaching, ESPN jumped to hire him as an analyst.
That day in 2008 is when ESPN’s “Knight Goes Nuts” reel was totally removed from view. If Knight was a mentally and physically abusive bully and nut loaf, well, now he’s our nut loaf.
Six years later, the ESPN-Knight partnership ended and the “Knight Goes Nuts” reel was returned to view.
And now ESPN will present a documentary about how Knight, as ESPN previously demonstrated, likely was as mentally unbalanced as he appeared to be on ESPN — except during those six years when he worked for and on ESPN.
Memo From Bristol: “Sorry, we can present nothing to remind or tell viewers that Coach Knight very likely was a dangerous lunatic until he’s no longer on our payroll.”
Tiger Woods has, since 1996, has been the beneficiary of TV’s intellectual dishonesty.
Recent viewers of golf, especially on NBC-owned Golf Channel, have found the latest overview of Woods to include claims of a “humbler,” “more likeable” and “far friendlier” man.
Wait a second. For 20plus years we were told nothing to the contrary. How could there be room for improvement above being both the greatest golfer and human being in the world? Thus for years, though the transparencies and contradictions were so often self-evident, TV steadily told us lies about Woods.
Can hardly wait for the next installment.
To combat such conspicuous intellectual dishonesty, the NCAA is prepared to surrender its steady lie. It has approved a complete reversal of stated policy, mission and public position:
From now on “studentathletes” will be called “athlete-students.”