Like Sands Through the Hourglass...

(February 20, 2006) Hoosier fans have had plenty to read about since Mike Davis made his announcement. This is the most press I've seen surrounding IU basketball since the 2002 Final Four. Truly sad.

But let's face it here. The media, up until now has given Mike Davis an easy ride. There's still a sentiment of sympathy for him. Just read Dick Vitale's latest take on the drama.

I lost a lot of respect for Mike Davis when he lashed out at fans.

"I just don't understand it. People are so focused on making a statement about me, but they never think about how that statement affects my players."

Bingo! Davis never did understand it. He never could understand that fans want to see wins. It seems that it never crossed his mind that fans were pissed because of a 29-29 record and missing the tourney two years in a row.

Even after losing today against Illinois, it seems that Davis doesn't understand that winning is important.

"With all the things that have gone on, I thought today was pretty good," he commented in the post-game press conference.

Pretty good? Since win is losing by double digits pretty good?

I didn't like Mike Davis at IU because his teams lost too many games. I'll admit, I'm one of the old Knight loyalists. But Knight won and that gave me a very good reason to like him. And he embraced Indiana basketball and the Hoosier nation. Mike Davis did not; in fact, he alienated himself from it. Mike Davis was not Indiana. He's admitted that very thing more than once.

Yea, I hated his offensive style. Yes, I hated it everytime he talked up next year's team and how it would be better. I don't even like the new school colors. Fans would have looked beyond all of that, had he just won more games.

Bob Knight wasn't exactly Indiana either when he arrived in Bloomington. He was a born and bred native of Ohio. He proved himself a winner on and off the court. Bob Knight became a part of Indiana by winning. No coach, not Alford, Matta, Barnes...will survive without good, old-fasioned, winning.