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View Full Version : Instead of chairs, Bobby Knight's throwing cash...



Aurelias Kazaar
Mar 10th, 2003, 10:49:25 PM
From ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2003/0310/1521422.html

Knight says he didn't earn pay, gives year's salary back

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Associated Press


LUBBOCK, Texas -- Bob Knight told Texas Tech he wouldn't accept his $250,000 coaching salary this year because his team failed to live up to his expectations -- and so did he.


"He has standards,'' Texas Tech men's basketball spokesman Randy Farley said Monday. "He just didn't meet his standards, and so he said, 'I don't think I should be paid for that.'''


Tech (16-11, 6-10 Big 12) is the No. 7 seed in the Big 12 conference tournament in Dallas and plays Baylor on Thursday night.


"I'm just not at all satisfied with what transpired with our team in terms of our fundamental execution,'' Knight told The Dallas Morning News for its online edition. "I don't think it's anybody's fault but mine.


"You heard me talk after games all season long about missed opportunities and how we didn't see things. Those are things that have got to be taught. Learning those things is just as much a responsibility of the teacher as the ones learning those things,'' he was quoted as saying.


Last season, Knight led the team to a 23-9 record and to the NCAA tournament. Before his arrival in March 2001, Tech hadn't had a winning season in four years.


This year could be Knight's first without 20 wins since 1995, when Indiana went 19-12.


Tech will probably need to win the conference tournament to make the NCAA field for the second straight year. Knight has said his team would accept an NIT bid if offered.


In his 29 years at Indiana, Knight won three NCAA national championships and had just seven seasons in which his teams failed to win 20 games.


His five-year contract is worth $4.5 million. He makes $250,000 in base pay, $150,000 in deferred annual income and $500,000 in guaranteed outside income through May 2006.


Knight told Tech athletic director Gerald Myers last week he was planning on giving up his salary this season.


Myers said he tried to dissuade Knight, "But he was set. This is what he made up his mind to do.''


"I think he's too hard on himself,'' Myers said. "I think he's done a great job these last two years, all the things he's done for this program, this university. There's no question that he earns his salary and more every day.''


Myers said it has not yet been determined what will be done with the money.


"I think he's too hard on himself,'' Myers said. "I think he's done a great job these last two years, all the things he's done for this program, this university. There's no question that he earns his salary and more every day.''

Diego Van Derveld
Mar 10th, 2003, 10:57:32 PM
All checks made payable to Charles Jackson Hicks :D

JonathanLB
Mar 10th, 2003, 11:06:42 PM
Wow, that is actually admirable! Amazing. I didn't have much respect for that guy because of previous antics, besides the fact he is a winner, true, but that's quite a gesture.

Evil Hobgoblin
Mar 10th, 2003, 11:14:32 PM
I think it would be cool if they took the funds and cycled them into various special athletics charities, or back into the school system.

Honestly, I am of the opinion that we spend an awful lot on professional sports that could be better spent elsewhere. But that is just me.

JonathanLB
Mar 11th, 2003, 01:48:39 AM
What do you mean by that?

How do we spend money on pro sports that should be spent elsewhere? Do you mean people should not enjoy sports and should not support the leagues by attending games or watching games on TV?

If that's what you mean, that seems like a rather silly statement. People enjoy sports for entertainment, why would they want to give that up for no reason? If people didn't spend $100 to go see the Blazers, or the Knicks, or the Lakers play a game of basketball, you don't really think they'd send it to UNICEF or The Red Cross do you? They'd just buy a few DVDs instead, or maybe save money for that new HDTV they want, or whatever else.

I happen to enjoy movies and Star Wars, so I have spent probably $20,000 at the very least on those two passions of mine, but there wouldn't be any better use for the money. Those hobbies or in the case of film, studies, interest me greatly and therefore my money is well spent.

Sports can be exhilirating and can bring people together, help you make new friends (like Juan and I down at LMU, we still talk a lot), and provide something to look forward to. What's wrong with that? Nothing, that's the answer.

jjwr
Mar 11th, 2003, 06:51:19 AM
Geez Jon, why don't you over-react a little more?

The comment he made was a good one, some schools funnell all of their money into a few athletic programs in hopes of raking cash back come tourney time while ignoring a lot of other programs.

As for Knight giving the salary back, its admirable but my guess is he's set for life and has no real need for this $$$, it makes it really easy to step out on a limb when its only a 1 foot drop.