Saturday, November 4, 2023 | Boys Town AO | The Oracle | 6 AM | 44 degrees and clear
PAX: Tater Tot, The Big One, Summer Catch, Chowda, Bubbles, Vandelay, Laser Jet, Roll Bar, Slow Pitch, Room Service, Retweet, Gipper, Janakowski, Stitches, Chiclets, and Wait Time.
QIC: Wait Time
Wait Time welcomed the PAX to the gloom. After covering the five principles, mission statement, credo and disclaimer (Including “for the next 45 minutes I am not your friend”), I transformed into an embodiment of Robert Montgomery Knight, the late legendary Indiana University basketball coach. The Big One had his branded rolling start at 6:01 AM, so all the PAX were summarily punished for being late to practice. The price was five burpees. For the remainder of the workout, YHC threw out political correctness, kindness and concern for any and all PAX at the workout. Instead, I used good ‘ol fashion 1980s motivators, because Bobby Knight believed that encouragement only made players “soft and lazy.”
The PAX moseyed to the parking lot south of the field house for Warm-A-Rama.
WARM-A-RAMA:
SSH x 15 IC Chowda did not keep cadence. In fact, I thought someone was holding him down by one of his appendages (not either arms nor legs). Therefore, the entire group were required to do 5 burpees.
Hillbillies x 15 IC Bubbles got mouthy. Five more burpees.
Warm-A-Rama did include some Indiana University and RMK trivia. In the 1990s, RMK starred in “Blue Chips.” Trivia question: In the movie, “Blue Chips,” what basketball star played point guard for the fictitious Indiana University team? ANSWER: BOBBY HURLEY
Bobby Hurleys x 15
Retweet nailed the next two questions. What year did Bobby Knight win his first national championship? ANSWER: 1976 How many games did that team lose in 1976? ANSWER: 0. Finally stumped Retweet on the next question. Who was the MVP of that team? ANSWER: SCOTT MAY.
Burpees x 5
Who did Indiana defeat in the 1981 NCAA Championship game? ANSWER: NORTH CAROLINA.
Burpees x 5
Who was the MVP of the 1981 Final Four? ANSWER: ISAIAH THOMAS
Burpees x 5
What historical event happened on the day of that game, which nearly caused the game to be postponed? ANSWER: RONALD REAGAN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Burpees x 5
PRE-THANG: THE STEINL
Plank x 30 | Chilcutt x 30 | Merkins x 10 | Amazing Spiderman x 10 IC | Merkins x 10 | Plank x 30 | Chilcutt x 30 | Merkins x 10 | Amazing Spiderman x 10 IC | Merkins x 10
PRE-THANG: PLYOMETRICS
PAX lined up on the “baseline” of the parking lot for a 1980s basketball practice staple, Plyometrics:
High Knee | Ass Kickers | Broad Jumps | One Foot Hops | Skip for Height | Skip for Distance | Karaoke | Defensive Slides
PAX did a ladder run across the parking lot basketball floor:
Sprint to half court | Defensive Slide across 10 second line | Sprint to baseline | Defensive Slide across baseline | Sprint to Half Court | Defensive Slide across 10 second line | Sprint to baseline | Defensive Slide across baseline
Sprint to half court | Defensive Slide across 10 second line | Sprint to baseline | Defensive Slide across baseline | Sprint to Half Court | Defensive Slide across 10 second line | Sprint to baseline | Defensive Slide across baseline
THANG: SHOOTING PRACTICE
Like any good Bobby Knight basketball practice, we didn’t actually start using a basketball until half-way through the workout. Each PAX was given an opportunity to shoot a free throw or a lay-up. We quickly learned that the PAX are better with a concrete block than a basketball – BRICK CITY.
For every missed shot, we did 15 DERKINS or 15 DIPS. For every made shot we did 15 step-ups. For horrendous shots by Slow Pitch, we went back to the baseline and ran suicides.
Sprint to half court | Defensive Slide across 10 second line | Sprint to baseline | Defensive Slide across baseline | Sprint to Half Court | Defensive Slide across 10 second line | Sprint to baseline | Defensive Slide across baseline
6MOM: ABCs | AMERICAN HAMMER x 18 (Rancid Style)
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Heartland Hope Service Day – Nov. 18, Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving – Order shirts now.
COT: ROBERT MONTGOMERY KNIGHT – REST IN PEACE
Bobby Knight was a very complex man. He could be incredibly kind and generous. He could also be a really mean, c@&#$uc%>r. God bless you if you were a journalist. At the height of his powers, no one was more powerful in the State of Indiana. I would argue that Bobby Knight was far more powerful in his state than Nebraska’s legendary coach, Tom Osborne. That’s not to diminish Coach Osborne. It is mostly a statement about how Indiana fans and officials tolerated really deplorable behavior in the name of victories and championship banners. It was only when Bobby Knight stopped winning, did we notice his poor behavior.
I have many stories about Bobby Knight’s duality – his kindness and his darkness. I grew up with his son, Pat. We were the same age. I went to basketball camp with Pat on a couple of occasions. Bobby cast a long shadow for Pat. Sitting behind the IU bench, I witnessed Bobby kicking Pat during an IU Game. It was the first time I ever saw a crowd at IU “boo” Coach Knight. He responded with an explicative aimed towards the fans.
Looking back on his life, here some lessons we can learn from his life:
1. Absolute power corrupts leaders. I blame the university for how Bobby Knight behaved before we was fired in 2000. For too many years, Coach Knight’s behavior went unchecked. By the time the university took action, it was too late. Too much damage had been done and they were forced to fire him. Had boundaries been established earlier, I believe Coach Knight might have left with the fanfare he deserved after retiring from Indiana.
2. Grace and graciousness is the key to our relationships in life. After Coach Knight was fired, he remained estranged from the university and many of his fans. He was bitter and angry. Even after the people involved in his firing had moved on – some of them actually died (including University President Myles Brand and IU player, Neil Reed) – Bobby could never forgive and gracefully return to the university – even when IU offered multiple invitations back to campus. Finally, in 2020 Coach Knight returned. By this time, he was suffering from dementia. His former players and the IU fans desperately wanted to honor him and offer some reconciliation. Through his family, former players and fiends this happened 20 years after he was fired.
Twenty years is a long time to be estranged with the people and organizations that matter to us. I would encourage the PAX to think about the places that they need to offer grace. Repair those relationships now. Don’t wait 20 years. Resentment only destroys those who carry it.
God bless Bobby Knight. May he rest in peace.
We ended with a prayer.
Grace & Peace,
Wait Time