Interesting article on Knight/Valentine incident in 1998
 

Valentine was very disappointed that his partners (Hightower and O'neill) didn't help him out and they almost came to blows at halftime.

Knight should be ashamed for his antics towards officials (which continues to this day, via the broadcast booth). I'm also disappointed that the Big Ten suspended Valentine for giving Knight what was a well deserved ejection.

http://www.referee.com/sampleArticle...knightext.html

Since I'm here today at 26YearGap's behest, I'll add a brief story. (I apologize in advance if it sounds like I'm name-dropping.) When I was at an officials' meeting before the start of this season, a bunch of us were hanging out in the hotel restaurant. Several people were standing around a table near mine. Who's sitting at the table but Ted Valentine!

So when the crowd thins a bit, I go over and introduce myself. I said, "I was at Ronnie Nunn's camp a few years ago. You helped me a lot, and I just wanted to say thanks."

(I posted about the camp here: http://forum.officiating.com/showthread.php?p=96959 )

I shook his hand and one of the other guys at the table said, "Well, what do you know? Ted. . . You actually helped somebody???"

It was a really fun moment.

the article was published 7 years ago.

Actually 8 years ago. Does that make it irrelevant?

My link says that the article was published in the magazine in November 1999, which is 9 years, 3 months ago - which is even longer! Time flies!

It's not irrelevant. Often it's worthwhile to look back at history to see how it unfolded.

However old the article is, I enjoyed it simply because I hadn't ever heard Valentine himself tell his version of the story.

Enjoyed the story...thanks for sharing.

Every time I see Hightower and O'Neill, I'm reminded of this incident, which I saw as it happened on my DirecTV package while I was living in New Orleans (1998). I couldn't believe how buddy-buddy Hightower was with Knight considering his partner was getting it so good from Knight at the time. If I were Valentine, I would've been trying to figure out how to have the knife removed from my back.

It's hard to believe it was 11 years ago now, though.

I've read before that TV and EH weren't the best of friends. Is that true and was some of it because EH was buddy with Knight?

I was about to bring up a Gettysburg Address analogy........:D

I remember back in 1980. I was in the locker room changing in a racquetball club, located in Albuquerque. It was owned by Norm Ellenberger, a buddy of Knight's. Knight was there playing racquetball with Ellenberger. I was about 29 then and found myself sitting almost next to the legend himself(in his birthday suit). I was awestruck and i guess i did stare. But he went off on me to mind my own business and leave him alone.

I thought at the time....JERK!!!!

Dude was naked and thought you were staring. I'd have done the same thing in his shoes. :)

That's kind of funny someone posted this. I read it as I was covering the Indiana-Illinois game and TV was one of the officials.

Funny...Crean said in his postgame press conference he thought the officiating was excellent. Guess that goes to show how times have changed here at IU.

Thanks,great article, I never read this.

I was looking at his face!!! the point is he was and is a jerk!!

I can't dispute your point. I used to think his tirades at reporters were funny; of course, that was when I was young and thought Al Franken was funny.

First time for me reading the article also. But I had already heard many of these details 2nd-hand from a friend of TV.

For the record, Hightower and Valentine worked together this year in the Big Ten. I am not sure if it was the only time, but it did happen.

That being said, I think the two are professionals and if they still do not like each other, they probably have respect for each other's career (I would hope).

Peace

Video?
 

Is there video out there anywhere of this incident. I remember watching it when it happened, but would like to see it again.

Great read!! I can know sleep peacefully at knight:D knowing that Mr. Valentine did what he thought was appropriate at the time.

Franken is still funny. He'll be laughing all the way to the Senate in a couple weeks.

Keep away from pets and small children.
 

I also got a suit for my birthday. It's a Calvin Klein Three-Button, Blue Tic Side-Vented Suit. You would definitely be awestruck, and stare, if you saw me in my new suit, because I look pretty snazzy in it, if I do say so myself.

He may be on his way to the Senate (I'm staying out of political discussion here), but he hasn't been funny since Stewart Smalley retired.

If anybody was wondering, Hightower and Valentine are indeed together working Michigan State-Purdue tonight with Jim Burr. Sounds like a tournament crew.

Everytime I hear or read the name Jim Burr I feel cold.

I read this article today then also saw that, found it pretty funny.

I find it shocking that Valentine didn't issue the first T to Knight a lot sooner. Would you EVER let a coach talk to you like that? I mean, what is the F-bomb limit in college basketball? Is college that much different from high school? If so, why?