Bob Hammel - My Story

     September 10, 2000 is a date I'll never forget.  That was the day when Bob Knight was fired from Indiana University.  I was devastated.  My idol and hero was no longer the basketball coach for the team and university I grew to love.  The coaching legend, a god in the state of basketball-crazed Indiana, was dismissed by an egocentric bureaucrat looking to make a name for himself.  IU President Myles Brand was intent on becoming Bloomington's new sheriff in town by taking the reins away from the man who had held that title for 29 years.  Think of the western movie without John Wayne or Mount Rushmore without Thomas Jefferson.   Or about Rock & Roll without Elvis or The Beatles.  Think about the paintbrush being taken out of Michelangelo's hand before he had finished his work as an artist.  This was the significance of Coach Knight being ousted from a program synonymous with college basketball greatness.  The coach who oft-quoted Abraham Lincoln was now taken out by a man synonymous with John Wilkes Booth. The man who was my inspiration for coaching basketball myself no longer had a home.  Without him coaching, I felt a bit homeless myself.

     The media had a field day when Coach was fired.  Or more accurately, a field month.  It wasn't just the sports sections of newspapers across the country, or ESPN and sports television opining about it.  Everyone on nearly every platform felt the need to express their opinion, from women's talk shows to political radio.  Anyone with a keyboard or microphone, regardless of their knowledge of basketball, sports, or the accuracy of the circumstances sounded off.  Of course, sensationalized soundbites and videoclips of Coach Knight over the years - overwhelmingly portrayed in negative fashion - were used as talking points to agree with Knight's firing.  Coach often quoted author Dale Carnegie: "Any fool can criticize, and most do."  That line repeated through my mind each time I read or listened to some self-righteous mouthpiece applaud and delight over the decision to fire Knight.

     My local newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts was no different.  A published editorial listed the typical anti-Knight talking points, completely devoid of context and any serious investigative reporting.  It was obvious this local sports reporter knew very little about the circumstances involved in Coach's firing, and less about Knight himself.  He certainly didn't know about Coach Knight what I knew about him.  And he knew very little about basketball or coaching as a whole.  He was the Boston Red Sox beat reporter and also dabbled in local politics.  So when I read his hit piece on Knight, layered in self-righteous indignation, I had had enough.  I wrote my own response editorial and mailed it into The Springfield Republican newspaper.  A few days later the paper notified me that they planned on publishing it in the upcoming Sunday edition.  My letter to the editor to this modest-sized newspaper turned out to be the most consequential thing I ever wrote down on paper (or computer).  With apologies to Humphrey Bogart, I had no idea that doing this would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

     Somehow, someway, my editorial made its way to Coach Knight's eyes.  Before the world wide web and online news became the norm for viewing everything, this was nothing short of miraculous.  Coach was named the new Texas Tech University coach in March of 2001.  A short time afterward, I received a message from the secretary of our athletic department where I was coaching high school lacrosse and basketball at the time. Coach Knight's long-time secretary, Mary Ann Davis, had called and left her number for me to contact her.

     "Coach Knight wanted me to call you and let you know how much he enjoyed and appreciated what you wrote in your article", she told me.  We chatted for a brief moment, and I hung up the phone in euphoric disbelief.  Is this for real?  Did this actually happen? Coach Knight read about how I admired him as a coach and teacher, and now I hear back how he appreciates me?  My real-life hero actually acknowledged me as more than an anonymous fan.  I thought, it doesn't get any better than this.  Until it does...  What I didn't realize at that time, was that my editorial would lead to a personal friendship with Coach Knight that would go on for about ten years.  

     Mary Ann called me in October of that year and asked if I could pick Coach up at the airport near Hartford, Connecticut and drive him to his hotel in Springfield.  He was presenting Mike Krzyzewski for Hall of Fame induction the upcoming weekend.  Whoa...seriously? Can it get any better than this?  As it turns out, once again...yes it can.  Sooo much better.  Arriving at the Marriot Hotel in Springfield after the airport pick-up, Coach pulls out special VIP tickets for all of the Hall of Fame ceremonial events and hands them to me. I was not only Coach's guest for the induction ceremony, but his personal guest for the HOF dinner the night before and the HOF afterparty.  Here I was, this insignificant high school basketball coach, having lunches, dinners, and rubbing elbows with basketball greats:  Coach K, Pete Newell, John Chaney, John Havlicek, Chuck Daley, Julius Erving, Clyde Drexler.  It doesn't get much better than that.  Unless...over the next ten years you become a welcomed guest and friend to your basketball hero.  Which includes: attending basketball games at Texas Tech, going to practices, hanging out in the coaches' locker room, watching game film of upcoming opponents, going out to eat, and meeting Hall of Famers.  When Coach Knight joined ESPN in 2008 after his retirement, I was again summoned as his chauffer from the airport.  As his special guest again, ESPN Studios and another Hall of Fame visit were parts of my itinerary.                   

     John Feinstein's Season On The Brink came out in 1987. It was the first book I read, reread, and reread again.  It was a groundbreaker in sports reporting and recording.  Feinstein was given all-access to Indiana University's basketball team for the 1985-86 season.  I had become a fan of IU star player Steve Alford three years earlier, which led to me learning about Coach Knight more than the little bit I did know.  Well before college basketball became all-access, all the time, following a team in the Midwest from the east coast wasn't easy.  I'd watch the occasional televised IU game on ESPN and scour over each Monday edition of USA Today newspaper, which highlighted the NCAA from week to week.

     Feinstein's book became the start of my admiration for Coach.  I saw in him the detail and passion he had for coaching and teaching, something I craved but never received as a high school player. The book also introduced me to Bob Hammel, close friend and confidant of Knight, and sportswriter for the Bloomington (IN.) Herald Times.  "Hamso" is what Knight called him I learned.  Coach Knight had in Hammel a rare friend, in that he was a member of Knight's nemesis team: the sports media.  

      I met Mr. Hammel during my second trip to Lubbock, Texas.  It was in September of 2002 and I was attending Coach Knight's Basketball Coaches' Clinic.  After the first day's session, I met Coach and a few of his friends in a Lubbock hotel lobby prior to going out to dinner.  Hamso was there.  Coach introduced us.  "This is John from Massachusetts, he says to Bob.  The guy I was telling you about".  "It's nice to meet you" Hammel says. "So, who is it that you write for?"

"Who is it that you write for?"

     That question - those seven words - is on my short list of the most memorable and flattering words I've ever heard spoken to me.  It was a question, but it was a statement of recognition as well.  I felt my insides swell with pride.  If heads actually did swell, mine would have doubled in size right there. 

     I chuckled, "No, I don't write for anybody", I tell Bob.  "I'm not a writer or columnist.  That was just an editorial I submitted to my local newspaper."

     "Oh, really? Well, that was excellent", Hammel says. "And I know Coach Knight really liked it."

     Wow.  I knew Coach liked what I had written, he had told me as much. That meant the world to me.  But now one of the best and most accomplished sportswriters of all time assumed I was a sportswriter myself.  What better compliment can you get than that?  I felt like a Little Leaguer being told by Ted Williams that he liked my swing.

  

     "Who is it that you write for?"

     I've never considered myself any type of "writer" in any literary sense, certainly not one of a professional caliber.  Writing anything outside of a school or work assignment was just something I did occasionally for enjoyment, or often, as catharsis. In this case, my anger at all the negative publicity Coach was getting compelled my written response.  I've always appreciated writers and authors I thought were really good at their work, and reading a lot is where I imagine I learned a few of those writing skills.

     Bob co-authored Coach Knight's autobiography Knight: My Story which was published a few months prior to my meeting him.  Of course I bought the book the day of its release, waiting in the parking lot of Barnes & Noble for the doors to open at 9:00 am.  I remember I took the day off of work just to immerse myself in the long-awaited autobiography of my mentor.  By noon that day, only halfway finished, it jumped to first place on my list of favorite sports books, knocking A Season On The Brink to #2.  Twenty-five years and at least twenty-five re-reads later, it still holds that #1 spot.

The Power Of Negative Thinking book signing

     Bob and I met for breakfast the next morning in the hotel restaurant.  We talked about basketball of course, and the current Texas Tech team, but also much more.  He wanted to know all about me:  my work, my family, my coaching (especially lacrosse), and my other interests.  I wanted to know about his work and the decades worth of insight he had about sports and sports figures.  He happily obliged, even though he had probably answered the same mundane questions a million times before.    

     Bob had a wonderfully endearing nature about him.  He made me feel comfortable and at ease, even though he certainly knew I was basketball starstruck all weekend.  Being in his company and in the company of Coach Knight and his inner circle of coaches and friends was basketball heaven to me.  Bob seemed to stamp my exclusive membership card.  He checked all the boxes too: affable, smart, humble, and a terrific sense of humor.

     I had my copy of Knight: My Story with me.  I told him how much I enjoyed the book and how great a job I think he did.  I told him how I can hear Coach Knight's voice speaking in my head as I read it, like I was actually listening to the audiobook version with Coach himself doing the narration.  I mentioned a few particulars and insights about Coach I had no idea about before, which made for great storytelling.  "But... I've got two complaints about the book" I said, continuing my unsolicited review in an attempt to prove my lack of profound bias.  I mentioned one typo and pointed it out to him, page and paragraph. "I'll speak to the editor.", Bob says with a grin.  "And the second..." I say, "Look at these pages, this is awful".  I show him my book and the few pages I had tucked into place because they had separated from the binding, which was noticeably creased and worn.  "They're all falling out."  "Well stop reading so hard!" he says.  We both laughed.  I guessed he thought correctly that this reader had reread the book a bunch of times in only a few short months, causing its structural integrity to wane.  If so, I hoped he took that as a compliment of his writing.  Later that night Bob, Coach Knight, and myself drove to a local steakhouse for dinner and met up with the weekend's entourage for more stories and laughs.

     Bob teamed up with Coach Knight again in 2013 to write The Power Of Negative Thinking, a book that was part coaching manual and part motivational life instruction guide.  A how-to in recognizing potential negative outcomes in and outside of basketball in order to avoid those pitfalls.  

     Mr. Hammel died a few weeks ago at the age of 88.  "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die" is a quote attributed to Babe Ruth.  Bob was certainly a legend in the sportswriting field.  A 50-year columnist, Herald Times sports editor for thirty years, sixteen-time Indiana Sportswriter of the Year, U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame, author of a dozen books, and numerous other accolades.  Bob leaves an indelible mark on high school, college, and professional basketball in the state of Indiana. The storied history of Indiana basketball would not be well known without him.  I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to spend some time with such an icon and a great guy.    

     When I read my editorial now, which ultimately led me to meeting Bob, I would grade it as average.  Putting pen to paper or fingertip to keyboard now, is a casual hobby.  I'd like to think I've gotten a little better at writing since my Knight Deserves Credit For Shaping Young Men twenty-five years ago.  I know very little about writing.  I've never taken a course on writing or journalism.  Reading and respecting what I consider good writing is my only instruction.  Bob was one of the best at it, and unbeknownst to him, a writing instructor for me.  All these years later, whenever I finish writing one of my essays, Bob's seven words still come to mind.  I typically get compliments from the few family members and friends I share my essays with, which I truly appreciate.  It validates this occassional pastime of mine.  But no compliment compares to Bob's.

 

"Who is it that you write for?"

     The answer to that is nobody, other than for myself.  If by chance what I've written here ends up being read by anyone in Bob's family, then it is them for whom I have written this.  And if that ever does happen, hopefully they will find this piece worthy of Bob's compliment.  

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Knight deserves credit for shaping young men

(written September, 2000)

     No one will ever accuse me of being unbiased when the topic of Bob Knight comes up. I have been a devout fan of Coach Knight and Indiana basketball for many years, and despite all the criticism he has received over the last three decades, my opinion of him will always be a positive one. You see, unlike the majority of Knight's critics, whose opinions are based primarily on only the negative accounts of his behavior (many of which have been inaccurately portrayed through the years), the mass of Knight supporters will always see much, much more than that.

    
     We see Bob Knight the coach, the educator. We see a guy who is highly principled, honest, loyal, caring, and generous. We see him this way because we've talked to him. We've talked and heard from his former players and other coaches. We've been to his practices. We've seen him and heard of him performing countless acts of kindness and charity on a public and personal level over the years, most of which have gone unnoticed. We've seen him mold teenagers and twenty-year olds into successful men to be admired. And we see him this way, because we've taken the time and put a little effort into learning more about the man from reliable sources. Sources and people that actually know him. Sources other than Sportscenter and self-righteous sportswriters, who seem only interested in sensationalized soundbites and videoclips.

     There is no doubt, that Bob Knight is a great basketball coach. His many records and championships speak for themselves. But, what has always been most important to Knight, is the long lasting, positive effect and influence he has had on his players. Knight's players graduate, and do so while exhibiting well-mannered, respectful, and sportsmanlike behavior on and off the court. And no coach cares, helps, and does more for his players once they graduate than Coach Knight does. Now, if Knight is the horrible monster that's often portrayed in the media, then why is it that the overwhelming majority of his players, past and present, respect and appreciate the man so much? Why is it that good kids and talented players continue to choose to play at IU with their parents blessings? Why were the 12 current players devastated over his firing? Why has there been such an outrage by Knight supporters and IU fans? WE know why, but Knight's critics will never get it.

     If Knight has his foibles, and he certainly does, it only goes to show that he is human, although there are many in the media, that would lead you to believe he is much less than that. I know very few people who could withstand the scrutiny he has been under for almost thirty years. Certainly most of his critics could not. He has been villified by members of the media on almost a daily basis for most of his 29 years at IU, often unfairly. And yet, many of them can't understand why Knight becomes a little bit intolerant with them from time to time. WE do.

     Bob Knight is much more than a basketball coach. He calls himself a teacher and he truly is. I consider myself as much a student of his as Isiah Thomas or Calbert Cheaney. He has shown me what can be achieved with a combination of effort, discipline, and most of all, passion. If I've failed to grasp the lesson, the shortcomings are mine, not his. The ultimate irony is that his demise as coach at IU came about as a result of him doing what he does best and loves the most, teaching a kid a lesson. Stopping and correcting that kid was as natural to Knight as breathing. And he later stated that if the situation ever arose again, he'd do the same thing again, and again. Knight's critics may not understand why. But we do.