The Greatest Game Ever Played

At the behest of one of my friends, I recently began reading the 2007 edition of \”The Best American Sports Writing,\” edited by my boy David Maraniss.  For the first time last year, one of the selections actually came from a blog – and I loved it.  Read here about the Greatest Baseball Game Ever Played, and how Bugs Bunny played a large role in it.

In Maraniss\’ introduction to the book, he also has an interesting anecdote Wisconsin fans will enjoy.  When talking about his father, who was an editor at the Capital Times newspaper here in Madison, he says:

\”He took pride in the fact that one of his reporters at the Madison Capital Times broke a story that Bob Knight was leaving West Point to coach at the University of Wisconsin, and that Knight got so upset by the scoop – it was supposed to be kept secret for two days – that he backed away from the deal.\”

So apparently Bob Knight was that close to coaching at the UW, instead of Indiana.  Can you imagine how the history of college basketball would be different?  Maraniss goes on to mention how poorly Knight would have fit in in Madison, which is true.  But if The General were to have brought home three national championships, somehow I think the folks in Madtown would find a way to have accepted him.