Published: Dec. 21, 2020, 10:30 a.m.
Robert Abbott is a six-time Emmy award winner and the director of \u201cThe Last Days of Knight,\u201d the behind-the-scenes documentary of legendary coach Bobby Knight, and the events that led to his termination from Indiana University. In this episode, Robert takes us through his investigative journey,\xa0which revealed\xa0cautionary tales of\xa0a winning at all costs environment\u2014how pain often gets left in the wake of unchecked anger, ego, and perfectionism. Robert reflects on Knight\u2019s legacy and extracts lessons in self-awareness and accountability\xa0that\xa0can\xa0be applied\xa0to ensure\xa0history doesn\u2019t repeat itself.
We discuss:
- Robert\u2019s career covering sports and interesting athletes (2:30);
- Robert\u2019s early impression of Bobby Knight\u2019s controversial persona (10:15);
- The journalistic work that uniquely prepared Robert for his Bobby Knight story (13:30);
- The cost of excellence in sports\u2014cautionary tales of \u2018greatness at any cost\u2019 (19:15);
- Knight\u2019s coaching style, waning success in the 90s, and what put him on Robert\u2019s radar (25:30);
- Three alarming accounts from a former player (Neil Reed) that launched Robert\u2019s investigation into Bobby Knight (35:15);
- The\xa0\u201cwin-first\u201d\xa0environment at Indiana that provided cover for Knight\u2019s toxic behavior (44:45);
- Knight\u2019s ego swells\u2014a shift from team-first to \u201cI\u201d and \u201cme\u201d (53:00);
- How patience, honesty, and gaining trust with his sources paid off in his reporting on Bobby Knight (1:01:30);
- The vicious cycle and anger and shame, and why Bobby Knight is so interesting to Peter (1:08:00);
- Releasing the choking tape\u2014Breaking open the Knight story, vindicating his earlier reporting, and the most powerful moment Robert has ever witnessed in his journalistic career (1:20:00);
- The bittersweet story of Neil Reed\u2014triumph, PTSD, and breaking the cycle of pain (1:43:15);
- Examining Bobby Knight's legacy, and how society can avoid a repeat of similar devastating situations (1:57:30);
- Final thoughts on Bobby Knight and the pain left in his wake (2:08:00); and
- More.
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