Chuck Crabb: A Talk With A Hoosier Legend

Chuck also remembers a specific instance that really hit home. “Coach was always one to lean down, and say something.  I remember the Iranian hostage situation. The day of Ronald Reagan’s inauguration, was the release of the hostages.”  Obviously the daily television was dominated by the inauguration and the announcement of the hostage release. “As I was getting ready to start the announcements, coach had been down to the other end of the bench,  talking with the visiting coach. Walking back he leaned down to me, ‘Hey Chuck, say something about the hostages and let’s be patriotic.'”

Something memorable soon followed. “I can’t even begin to tell you what I said. I just remember some phrases and such, about tying a yellow ribbon, the euphoria about Americans being returned unharmed from Iran, and I think maybe I said ‘God bless America’  and there were cheers. Then we played the national anthem, and one of those where everyone in the house sang, and it just really excited people.”

Apr 5, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz (left) interviews Indiana Hoosiers former head coach Bob Knight during the 75 years of March madness press conference in preparation for the Final Four of the 2013 NCAA basketball tournament at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Chuck remembered Knight for not only what he did on the court, but for how much he shared of who he knew. “You never knew with coach who was going to be at the game.  I remember once going into the locker room. I’d been summoned back, and he was like, ‘Now before you start asking anything, why don’t you say hello to Roger Maris.'” Needless to say, that left quite an impression. “Coach would do things like that. Any number of people who would be a part of his life, he was always one who shared. He shared with the people in Bloomington and Indiana University the involvement he had with an unbelievably diverse number of people. I met any number of baseball stars. It was always, ‘Sit down and talk with them.'”  It was obvious that Chuck had quite an admiration for the man who roamed those same sidelines with him for the better part of 26 seasons.