ESPN's Roy Firestone and Digger Phelps conducted a live
interview last night with IN Univ. (IU) men's basketball
coach Bobby Knight Knight's first TV appearance since his
suspension and fine by the university over his conduct.
Prior to the show, Firestone told USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke
the interview would be a "no-holds barred" format and there
would be "no restrictions of any kind" (USA TODAY, 5/30).
Knight, when asked whether the media coverage of him has
been "fair": "Fair in whose eyes? Fair in the eyes of the
press, perhaps? Fair in my eyes?" During the interview,
Firestone asked Knight about the videotape of him seemingly
choking former player Neil Reed: "We've all seen the tape,
although you haven't seen the tape." Knight asked Firestone
if he had seen the tape, to which Firestone replied, "I have
not actually seen the tape, ironically enough. I've seen,
obviously, freeze frames of it" (ESPN, 5/30). FSN's Keith
Olbermann: "Conveniently, there was no monitor set up where
the two of them could watch the Neil Reed tape for the first
time. Oops!" ("TNSR," FSN, 5/30). In Chicago, Ed Sherman,
on Firestone: "How do you prepare for an interview like this
one without seeing the tape?" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/31). In
N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes that ESPN "failed viewers" by
not showing Knight the Reed tape. Sandomir: "ESPN said it
planned to show Knight the tape, but five minutes before air
time an Indiana official called to say that the university
believed the tape would not be aired. ... Why did ESPN give
in? It is reasoned, rather lamely, that it had used the
tape to introduce the show." ESPN spokesperson Josh
Krulewitz said had ESPN defied IU and aired the Reed tape,
Knight "could have walked out" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/31).
REAX: In Indianapolis, Marc Allan: "As interviews go,
this wasn't ESPN's finest hour, and it was far from
illuminating television." Allan writes Firestone was
"somewhat nervous" and "treated the situation a little too
much like the sports equivalent of a Barbara Walters
interview, as if he expected Knight to break down and
confess." But Firestone's "biggest mistake" was "to
relinquish the microphone" to Phelps, "whose meandering
questions and mangled syntax turned the interview into
parody" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/31). Also in Indianapolis,
Bill Benner writes that Firestone and Phelps, "although
hardly objective interrogators -- [did] ask some difficult
questions" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/31). In St. Paul, Tom
Powers calls the interview "uninteresting" (ST. PAUL PIONEER
PRESS, 5/31). In Orlando, Jerry Greene writes under the
header, "Playing Softball With Knight" (ORLANDO SENTINEL,
5/31). In Wichita, Bob Lutz: "The production was snappy;
the interview full of holes. Where is Mike Wallace when you
need him? ... I understand that interviewing Knight would be
a daunting, intimidating task. Still, questions that needed
to be asked simply weren't" (WICHITA EAGLE, 5/31). In
Nashville, Bob McClellan writes that Firestone "clearly was
not up to the challenge," as his questions were "neither
pointed nor probing" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 5/31). In
Boston, Howard Manly writes that Firestone and Phelps "were
successful in making Bobby Knight a sympathetic figure.
They were combative, curt and almost rude, cutting off
Knight's answers" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/31).
THUMBS UP: USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke gives "kudos" to
Firestone and Phelps for "tough questions" (USA TODAY,
5/31). In Detroit, Terry Foster writes that Firestone and
Phelps "took control of the situation and took the control
switch away from Knight." Foster: "They did not bait
Knight into confrontation. They simply would not allow him
to take control as he usually does during media sessions.
Because of it, we are all winners" (DETROIT NEWS, 5/31).
