Bobby Knight ran another reporter out of a Hoosier practice to express displeasure with some of the reporter's previous commentaries. NDSU coach Erv Inneger took some heat for his part in the incident. Coaches, myself included, love to read fawning articles about ourselves, our programs and our players. We invariably feel that such articles are well-written and thoughtful. The sporting world has, at its core, an authoritarian structure.
Many coaches run their teams with dictatorial authority.
These coaches also have a habit of carrying that thinking into their dealings with fans and the press. Either support us or shut up. This authoritarian mindset is sometimes successful in terms of producing wins. But it is seldom fruitful in training young people to be critical thinkers, willing to challenge that which they feel is wrong or stupid. When this authoritarian mentality tries to survive and flourish on our college campuses, the place in our society where the virtue of public debate and questioning is supposed to be most cherished, there should be conflict.