About 1.7 million HHs tuned in Tuesday night from 7:00-
8:00pm ET for ESPN's exclusive interview with former IN
Univ. men's basketball coach Bobby Knight, according to USA
TODAY's Don Cronin, who notes that the network generated a
cable rating of 2.16, which is 204% higher than what it has
averaged in that time slot on weekdays over the past month.
The interview was the top-ranked show in the Indianapolis
market, as ratings were about 18% higher than ABC's "Who
Wants to be a Millionaire" (USA TODAY, 9/14).
JEREMY SPOKE IN...: In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley writes
that TV interviews "don't get any better" than Tuesday
night's, as ESPN's Jeremy Schaap "was prepared, and he
didn't appear flustered by Knight's intimidating presence"
(MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/14). HoopsTV.com's Dan
Wetzel wrote that Schaap "conducted a strong interview"
(HoopsTV.com, 9/13). FSN's Jim Rome said Knight was "more
interested in bullying and intimidating than he was in
answering any questions." Rome also said Knight's comment
comparing the younger Schaap to his father "was totally
uncalled for. It was petty and it was mean- spirited."
Author John Feinstein: "I thought Jeremy did a terrific job
of trying to get him to stay on the subject and answer the
questions. In fact, Knight paid him a huge compliment with
that comment [about Schaap's father] because what he was
saying was, 'Kid, you didn't roll over for me and I'm really
annoyed about it.' And I guarantee you, Dick Schaap, as
good a friend as he is with Bob Knight, is really angry with
him today" ("Last Word," FSN, 9/13).
THE KID'S VIEW: Jeremy Schaap tells Chuck Finder of the
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE that the interview "went about as
well as I could have hoped. My goal going in was to elicit
as much information as possible. Bob tried to stall. ... I
think I got as much out of him as I could. I hope I did."
Schaap, on interrupting Knight during the interview: "He's
extremely vague, and he likes to go around in circles." On
the comment about his father: "I knew he was going to do
something with the father stuff. It was only a matter of
time. It wasn't like I was prepared specifically with a
clever rejoinder or response" (PITT. POST-GAZETTE, 9/14).
MONEY TALKS: In Indianapolis, John Masson reports that
IN Univ. (IU) "has promised to pay" Knight his $170,000
annual salary for the next two years. However, a
"previously undisclosed portion" of his contract means IU
will pay Knight an additional $1.3M over ten years. The
deferred-compensation payments "are on top" of Knight's
regular retirement package (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 9/14).
A MONSTER? 49ers GM Bill Walsh, on Knight: "His
behavior has become so bizarre that he's a monster. ... I
assume (Knight) needs major help. And I don't even know if
that will get the job done" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 9/14).
