News

Bob Knight, Indiana’s Combustible Coaching Giant, Dies At Age 83

Published

1 year ago

2023-11-02

Kiara Grace

BLOOMFIELD, Ind. – Bob Knight, the brilliant and volatile coach who won three NCAA championships at Indiana and was the scowling face of collegiate basketball for many years, has died. He was 83.

On Wednesday night, Knight’s family made the revelation on social media. He was hospitalized in April due to an illness and had been in poor health for several years.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family,” the statement said. “We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored.”

Knight was one of the sport’s most successful and divisive coaches, concluding his career with 902 victories in 42 seasons at Army, Indiana, and Texas Tech while training some of America’s top coaches. He also coached the United States Olympic team to gold in 1984.

The Hall of Famer didn’t care what others thought of him and chose Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” to celebrate his 880th win in 2007, which was then a Division I men’s basketball record.

He was dubbed “The General,” and his fiery temper cost him his job in Indiana in 2000. He was accused of hitting a police officer in Puerto Rico, throwing a chair across the court, and wrapping his hands around a player’s neck.

His actions were widely condemned, but his supporters were numerous. There was another side to Knight: he was proud of his players’ great graduation rates, and even during a rule-breaking era, he was never accused of a serious NCAA violation.

He insisted at Indiana that his base wage not be higher than that of other academics. He used to give up his salary at Texas Tech because he didn’t believe he deserved it.

Bob Knight, Indiana’s Combustible Coaching Giant, Dies At Age 83

On and off the court, Knight expected his players to outperform their peers. He followed NCAA standards even when he disagreed with them, never backed down from a fight, and swore to take his old-school values to the grave.

While many of his players adored him, his demeanor and antics occasionally masked his tremendous record, tactical understanding, invention, and passion for the game, leaving behind a one-of-a-kind resume.

“He changed basketball in this state, the way you compete, the way you win,” said Steve Alford, the coach of Knight’s final national championship squad in 1987. “It started in Indiana, but he changed college basketball forever.” Look at the motion offense; it was employed everywhere.”

Long admired his approach and frequently questioned his methods. Knight delighted in building his best teams with overachievers. He adhered to iron beliefs as a difficult-to-please motivator, and at 6-foot-5, he was an imposing figure for anyone who dared to cross him.

Knight retired in 2008 with four national championships (one as a player at Ohio State) and the Division I men’s win record. From Mike Krzyzewski to Isiah Thomas to Michael Jordan, he coached them all. Among others in his coaching tree wered Krzyzewski, who shattered Knight’s win record; Alford; Lawrence Frank, Keith Smart, Randy Wittman, and Mike Woodson, Indiana’s current coach.

Bob Knight, Indiana’s Combustible Coaching Giant, Dies At Age 83

“We lost one of the greatest coaches in the history of basketball today,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “He was clearly one of a kind. He hired me, coached me, mentored me, and had a significant impact on my career and life. This is a huge loss for our sport, and our family is devastated.”

Robert Montgomery Knight was born in Massillon, Ohio, on October 25, 1940. His mother was a schoolteacher, and his father worked for the railway, which Knight cited as his early influence.

Hazel Knight appeared to grasp her son’s personality. When Indiana was scheduled to play Kentucky on television, two of Knight’s high school classmates approached her in a grocery store and inquired if she was enthusiastic about the game, according to his memoir, “Knight: My Story.”

“I just hope he behaves,” said his mother.

He attended Ohio State and was a reserve on three Final Four teams (1960-62). He was a member of the 1960 championship team that included future Hall of Famers Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek.

Knight joined the Tates Locke staff at West Point after a year as a high school assistant. At 24, he took over as head coach in 1965. His teams won 102 games in six seasons, coaching the likes of Krzyzewski and Mike Silliman, and he was off to Indiana in 1971.

Knight swiftly revived the Hoosiers’ basketball tradition with a novel offense and a defense that was almost entirely man-to-man. Most opponents struggled against his early Indiana teams, which went 125-20 and won four Big Ten Conference championships in his first five seasons.

Bob Knight, Indiana’s Combustible Coaching Giant, Dies At Age 83

Indiana won their first national championship in 23 years at the end of the run. That 32-0 club in 1975-76 ended a two-year streak in which the Hoosiers were 63-1 and won back-to-back Big Ten championships with 18-0 records. It is still the last time a major collegiate men’s team finished undefeated. In 2013, the US Basketball Writers Association named that team the greatest in college basketball history.

“One of the things he said to our 1976 team, which I was fortunate enough to be a part of, was that you may never see another team like this again,” said Quinn Buckner, chair of the Indiana Board of Trustees. “Well, I don’t know that we will ever see another coach like him again.”

Knight won his second championship in 1981, defeating Dean Smith’s North Carolina team after NCAA officials opted to play the game hours after President Ronald Reagan was shot and injured earlier that day. Smart won his third title at Indiana in 1987, when he beat Syracuse with a baseline jumper in the last seconds, one of the most iconic shots in tournament history.

Knight also appeared in Adam Sandler’s 2003 film “Anger Management” as a cameo. In 2006, he appeared on ESPN’s “Knight School,” a reality show where 16 Texas Tech students competed to walk on to his squad the following season.

Knight, who frequently yelled at reporters, joined ESPN as a guest studio commentator during the 2008 NCAA Tournament a month after leaving Tech. He expanded his job as a color commentator the following season. Knight left the network in 2015.

He returned to public prominence in 2016, campaigning for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and maintained a fairly low profile until returning to the school where he became a household name and the state where his death was revealed in retail stores Wednesday night.

“I was standing there, and he was coach Knight,” Wittman recalled Knight’s pregame speech in February 2020. “It was as if he had never left that locker room.” His comments to the players before they stepped out on the pitch were fantastic.”

Karen, his wife, and their sons Tim and Pat are survivors.

SOURCE – (AP)

News

Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.

Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”

The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”

Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.

Lawless protestors run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest.

The Prime Minister dances.

This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.

Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved. pic.twitter.com/PVJvR6gtmf

— Don Stewart (@donstewartmp) November 23, 2024

“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.

On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”

Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.

Pro-Palestinian protests

Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.

Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.

Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.

On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

News

Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla

Published

2 days ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

The zookeeper's negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla

The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.

The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.

The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.

“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”

According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.

Calgary Zoo Questioned

It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.

An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.

Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.

“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.

The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.

“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.

“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.

While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”

Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.

Beluga Whales Dies at Canada’s Marineland

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News

Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M

Published

2 days ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.

Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.

The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.

While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.

Lotto Max History

Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.

The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.

Let’s have a look at the rules:

Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
Numbers cannot be repeated
Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
Each play buys 3 lines
Each play costs $5

Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)