Lightning Rods
Posted November 15, 2006, 6:17 AM ET

In sports, there are a handful of individuals that cause an immediate reaction. It doesn't matter if they are right or wrong. It doesn't matter if the exchange is physical or verbal...these select individuals can light up the sports talk show phone lines and fill up an hour-long SportsCenter with the greatest of ease.

Two of those attractions are in the news this week: Bobby Knight and Steve Spurrier. And, depending on your love or hate of these guys, they are sure to grab your attention and your opinion.

Let's first start with Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight.....

The basketball icon heads into the 2006-07 season in Lubbock by closing in on legendary coach Dean Smith's all-time wins record. There is no question that Knight will surpass Smith this season, and there's no question that he will receive 24/7 media attention in the process.

This week, Knight was under the microscope for "striking" one of his players, Michael Prince. The bombastic coach said he did absolutely nothing wrong in trying to get the player's attention during a timeout. I'm sure by now you've seen the replay at least a thousand times on ESPN.

Knight was quoted as saying, "You'd have to be an idiot to slap a kid under any circumstances." Hey, coach...you're right.

Knight continued by saying, "I've been called a lot of things, but an idiot isn't one of them." Some people would disagree with him on that statement, but let's move on.

Knight also added, "I'm sure there were some cases where I have been wrong, but this isn't one of them." This is the statement where - depending on your point of view on Knight and his tactics - you might have an argument.

Let me go on record by claiming that I am a fan of Bobby Knight, but I also don't care for some of his antics. I could probably make the case that everyone falls into this category.

Personally, I think the entire Knight/Prince episode was completely overblown, especially by ESPN. Do we really need a roundtable of talking hoop heads to give me a point/counterpoint over this issue? I was more irritated having to hear Jay Bilas blabber on for hours, defending Knight on ESPN....if this keeps up, can we bring back Terrell Owens?

Let's face it, Knight is a cantankerous bully...and you know what? I like him that way. What I like about him is that you know exactly what you're going to get with Knight....there should be no surprises, and that includes this episode. Guess what, this won't be the last time Bobby Knight says or does something to rile up the American sports fans, or the hairdos on SportsCenter.

Next case: Steven Orr Spurrier...the head ball coach at the University of South Carolina.

As with Knight, I am a huge fan of Steve Spurrier. I've said many times on my radio show that Spurrier is one of the few coaches I can watch and enjoy whether he's wearing out an opponent by 50, or vice-versa.

I also love the fact that he is incredibly candid. He speaks what is on his mind, and amazingly it ticks people off. I appreciate that character trait. He is honest to a fault. In this country, during this time period, political correctness is screwing us up...and that's why I love Spurrier. He thinks and talks like I do, and I can completely relate to his way of thinking.

On a couple of instances this year, Spurrier has been critical of the referees and the calls made during South Carolina football games. According to the SEC "suits" in Birmingham, Spurrier crossed the line with his comments. Judge for yourself:

Spurrier said, "In the SEC, I know how these guys are. They go out and have a beer with their buddies and they say, 'Man you really stuck it to them last week; you really got Spurrier and them Gamecocks, didn't you?'."

That's classic Spurrier.

Some people were outraged by those comments. How dare a coach allude that the refs are out to get a coach and a team? Give me a break.

I have stated for years on the show that I think it should be mandatory that a coach discusses the refs and their calls after a game. Why are the zebras not held accountable for their actions? Every game I watch, there are bad calls...just like players and coaches make poor decisions, the same goes for the refs. Instead, conferences and leagues protect these guys to the point that they are untouchable....and that's dead wrong.

I love what Spurrier said...and I also appreciated the manner in which he delivered the goods. Brash, straight-forward and in your face....take it or leave it.

Unfortunately for the coach, he later accepted the "Double-Secret Probation" slap on the wrist from Commissioner Slive and stated that "deserved it, and won't comment about the officials".....but we all know that it is only a matter of time until Darth Visor sets his sights on another one.

From my perspective, we had a special week of sports....two of the great sports instigators have been in rare form during the same week. Keep 'em coming, boys. Talking about Knight and Spurrier has been much more entertaining than discussing the boring Carolina Panthers.