I do not consider the issue as a free pass. The media has been talking about this to infinitum. We are even talking about this and I do not recall when other less successful coaches did similar things that we even talked about it. This suggests to me that the media and many people who will never like Knight will always bring things like this to the forefront of all issues that need to be discussed in our society. This is not much different than what happens to Bonds or Sammy Sosa. You cannot get them on what the record shows, so you create a story and start talking about right and wrong, but you have no evidence to nail them to the wall. Just like Bonds, he has never failed a test or never had a smoking gun found directly at his feet, but we have speculated and want to take action based on what we "think" happen. The same thing is with Knight. The player did not have a problem with the action nor did his parents that saw the play live and in the arena. But the self-righteous media (who never played much of anything in most cases on that level) want to start telling all of us what is right and wrong and what should or should not happen.

Let me let the people who never played sports in on a little secret. Stop comparing what would happen in a classroom to what happens in an athletic event. Since I cannot recall that I have ever heard much foul language in a classroom (there might have been a teacher or two, but I do not remember for sure) but I hear foul and abusive language all the time from the participants and fans all the time at sporting events. But instead of getting outraged about this, we get upset at Coach Knight.

Peace

JMO, but striking a subordinate is almost always wrong. Striking one's student (unless the teacher is being attacked) is always wrong. Always. The very nature of the relationship discourages the subordinate from making any kind of grievance. Knight is a bully, in my opinion. He probably shouldn't be fired for this particular incident of striking a student; but then, I never would've hired him in the first place.

Please. Don't tell me you can't see the difference here. You're saying there is no distinction between a grabbed chin and statutory rape combined with sexual abuse.

Are you suggesting this was an assault?

If you don't think that Coach K has ever grabbed a player to jerk him into position in practice or popped a kid under the jaw or in the forehead to get him to look at him than you are living in a dream world.

Then there are thousands of coaches all across this country at every level that are thugs. I've seen this done by coaches all the time at all levels and in every sport. If the kid isin't looking at you when you are talking then you pop em under the chin or you pop em in the forhead or you grab the facemask and jerk their head up. Coaches have been doing this forever and they will keep doing it. And again, if you think that Coach K, Roy Williams, Dean Smith or any other succesful college coach hasn't done the same thing before then you are living in a dream world.

Surethehellam.

Come on out to these parts Mr. Jimgolf...let me jack you one under the chin("grab" mya$$)...see if you get pi$$ed!

If you hit your boss like Knight hit that kid...or better yet your boss hit you like Knight hit that kid...do you think there would be any repercussions?

What if you, as an official, hit a player like that? Or you hit a Coach like that...you know, to get his attention?

Jimgolf...I think I might know a little about what an assault is. In mine line of work I need to know these things and have taken many law enforcement classes to give me a good idea of "use of force" guidelines.

You wanna pop your kid in the chin...go ahead...but, don't even try it with mine.

P.S. Hey JRut...if an LA police officer came up and jacked you one under the chin, because you weren't looking at him, do you think you might have a case against him?

Wow, another displaced analogy.

Rodney King got his tale kicked and they were acquitted from any wrong doing. So you tell me. ;)

Peace

Then you wouldn't send your kid to be coached by Knight. These parents did, knew what to expect, and accept that their son might be disciplined in the customary Knight manner.

As for assault, it is defined as "an act done with intent to cause another injury or imminent fear of injury. The act may be direct (hitting someone with a fist) or indirect (putting something in their drink). "

There clearly was no intent to commit injury, nor fear of injury, therefore no assault.

Displaced analogy...I didn't see this kid resisting anything...he was passive.
RK was fighting back, he got is A$$ kicked. (Oh yeah, and a lot of money);)

You know it's time to lock the thread when the posts start wandering into "maybe Rodney King had it coming to him" territory.

Mods, do your work.

Well, my friend...a good lawyer might just debate with you weather or not this kid was in fear.

A good lawyer will debate anything. Even the weather. Whether or not they have a leg to stand on. ;)

True...and good catch!:D

Wanna discuss O.J. and his new book instead?:D

That one will go longer than the baseball thread.

Well, he did say IF he did it, and according to cnn he actually cried during the interview.