Tech's Knight criticizes SMU's fans & Admin.

NT80 · December 5, 2003

Tech's Knight criticizes SMU's fans

11:50 PM CST on Thursday, December 4, 2003

By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News

LUBBOCK – SMU students packed the lower half of Moody Coliseum on Monday and spent the night screaming at Bob Knight. On Thursday, the Texas Tech men's basketball coach fired back.

Knight ripped SMU's fans and school administration during his weekly radio interview on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310). The 63-year-old said the remarks directed at the Tech bench were the worst he has encountered in 37-plus years of coaching.

"This was just garbage, filthy garbage," Knight said. "If that's what SMU produces, then they really ought to be proud of it."

SMU athletic director Jim Copeland said there is no place for profanity. However, if the crowd was too boisterous, "that's just life on the road," he said.

Knight held up the game briefly during the first half to talk with a game official and a SMU police officer, who was stationed at the end of Tech's bench. But Knight did not comment about the situation during the post-game news conference.

Tech lost the game, 62-59, in front of 6,213 fans. Moody Coliseum holds 8,988.

"An administration at SMU, if there is an administration there, ought to be embarrassed to have people sit in their arena like those people did," Knight told the station.

"I went over and told the policeman and said, 'The next person that comes by there and calls us any one of three really rotten names, and I gave him the names, I'm going over to the stands and I'll put him right in your lap. Then you can do whatever you want to do with him.'

"I'm used to being harassed, and rarely have I ever done anything," he continued. "But I've never heard such garbage come out of the stands before as I did the SMU stands. I thought today about writing a letter to the president of SMU, but I'm sure that wouldn't do any good. That must happen at every game, and he must condone that kind of thing."

Copeland, who said he has not heard from any Tech official, left his seat during the first half to see what the commotion was all about. The officer told Copeland that no students had left their seats, he said.

When asked if the officer mentioned anything about profanity, Copeland said: "The officer said nothing like that."

The Red Raiders (5-2) play at New Mexico at 2 p.m. Saturday. The game is at The Pit, an arena known as one of the loudest in college basketball. Tech is tentatively scheduled to play SMU next season at United Spirit Arena.

MustangFan05 · December 6, 2003

No offense to Texas Tech, but this is Bobby Knight's way of taking the heat off of an (embarassing to him) loss to SMU. I was at the game, and was in the section where the cop had to "confront" some other students. The cops admitted they heard no profanities and laughed when they went to confront the students. AD Jim Copeland came over to check out the situation and dismissed it as just what you should expect from students at an away game. People were shouting "Bobby sucks" "Texas Tech sucks" "Lubbock Sucks" ... and a sign was held up at the end of the game that said "We thought about going to Tech, but then our dad's got jobs." Rude, yes? The worst he has ever heard? Well, Bobby Knight must have been wearing ear plugs up until this game.

The other etiquette-impaired universities that belong with us according to BK: Northwestern, Duke, and UCONN

Not a bad group to be apart of. For him to lash out this much against some rowdy fans that the extremely intolerant SMU PD did not feel the need to deal with shows he's scared he's lost his game. Evidently he has if he lost to us. What better way to shovel off the publicity of not performing so well by smacktalking an opposing teams students... and diggin on the administration? C'mon ... get a grip Knight. I think it's great we finally got into the head of the coach and team at a game and gave Moody a home-court advantage. Hopefully, it's something that won't stop and we can avenge our football season on the court.

Latest t-shirt idea: "I made Bobby Knight cry on 12-01-03 and all I got was this crummy T-shirt"

Best of luck in hoops!

Go Mustangs!!