UK and Bob Knight: Let’s Just Say They’re Not Gonna Start Dating [VIDEO]

I was planning on saving this for the weekend, but why put off until tomorrow what you can do today. And, besides, I just saw Gregg Doyel's blog on CBSSports.com yesterday and couldn't wait to weigh in. It's more of an opinion piece, but it's actually an opinion I've developed over the course of this college basketball season. In the past, former Indiana head coach Bob Knight--a living legend, let's be honest--has made no secret of his distaste for UK head coach John Calipari. He's even made public statements against Kentucky that aren't true. AND, he's actually backtracked. But this season, I'm not so sure there's any backtracking happening.  Doyel's piece brings to light something I've noticed this year. With the Kentucky Wildcats having an extraordinary year and being at the top of the polls for most of it, Knight hasn't said two words about the 'Cats. During the ESPN games for which he's provided color commentary, a discussion of the best basketball teams is rare. In my personal opinion--FWIW--Knight just doesn't want to go there. But when pressed, very recently, to name a top five, he said Syracuse, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and Missouri--in some order, but those were the five. Hey, if that's his personal opinion, that's his personal opinion. I couldn't care less and I'm getting to that.

It just seems a little interesting in light of past comments about Coach Cal and the Kentucky program. Doyel's blog also mentions Knight's failure (maybe the wrong word) to mention UK freshman phenom Anthony Davis when asked his opinion about the best players in the country. Again, interesting. Hey, it's Bob Knight. And the reason I'm writing this thing is because...it cracks me up! It just does. See, I'm not a UK fan that most UK fans would EVER understand. I'm a big supporter of all Kentucky teams. Big Blue Nation simply wouldn't be able to wrap it's brain around me screaming at the TV when Louisville lost by 1 to #2 Syracuse at the Yum! Center the other night. Yeah, I'm a big Louisville supporter, too. While we're at it, I'm lovin' every minute of Murray State's 1-loss-to-date season. And, of course, I went to Western, so that's ingrained. So, no, I'm not your typical UK fan.

I like Bob Knight. Always have. Lousy temper, three-point shot attempts using chairs, screaming at players. I just like him. And, so did his players. And, I like him, mainly, because he has strong opinions and doesn't care who knows them. He speaks his mind. He creates great atmosphere in his sport. Bob Knight disses Kentucky. Kentucky fans seethe and climb the walls and load up the message boards. And, that, my friends, is GREAT theatre! So, why, you might be asking, do I believe it doesn't matter if Bob Knight doesn't like Kentucky? Because...it DOESN'T matter if Bob Knight doesn't like Kentucky. And it never will. A friend of mine hates chocolate, but, you know what? Chocolate's still good.