The Bowling Green men’s basketball team kicked off their season in a civilized way Friday evening.
Instead of bumping into opposing players and building up a sweat, they welcomed author John Feinstein to speak at their annual tip-off dinner.
Feinstein spoke of his times as a sports writer and talked about his relationship with BG head coach Dan Dakich, whom he met in 1985 when he covered the Indiana basketball team while Dakich was an assistant coach.
It was during this time that Feinstein wrote his book, A Season on the Brink. The book is the best-selling sports book of all-time, but not everyone loves it.
Bobby Knight, who coached Indiana at the time is one of the book’s critics.
“Coach Knight was not crazy about the book,” Feinstein said. “At one time he called me a pimp and at another time he called me a whore.”
But Feinstein weathered the storm that came from Knight and developed a sense of humor about the situation. A short time later, in an interview with Ahmad Rashad, he was asked what he thought about Knight’s comments.
“I told him ‘I wish he’d make his mind up so I could know how to dress in the morning,” Feinstein said.
Among the other notable people Feinstein had gotten to know over the years have been Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams, NC State coach Jim Valvano and Duke coach Mike Kryzewski.
He has covered the likes of Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, both of whom he admires, neither of which are his favorite athlete.
That award goes to former Holy Cross point guard Chris Spitler.
Spitler was not recruited out of high school and went to Holy Cross on an academic scholarship. He played on the school’s junior varsity team his freshman year and made the team’s varsity each of the next three. Playing time did not come easy.
“His coach told him ‘if for some reason you find yourself playing, remove yourself, there’s been a mistake,'” Feinstein said.
And to make matters worse, at the time Holy Cross was the worst team in the worst league in Division 1 basketball in the worst conference in the nation. Putting Spitler in a good position to be considered the country’s worst player.
But he persevered.
Each of Spitler’s last three seasons, he found himself starting in the team’s final home game. His last year, he was the only senior on the team and in Holy Cross’ last game, received one of the great ovations Feinstein has seen.
“Sports are not about the guys who have it come easy,” Feinstein said. “That’s why Chris Spitler is a guy I admire.”
Since writing his book about the Indiana basketball team, Feinstein has written 15 books.
Many have been well-received but it wasn’t until his book about Red Auerbach, Let Me Tell You a Story, that Feinstein would please even the toughest of his critics.
As it turned out, Auerbach and Knight are good friends.
Upon finishing the book, Knight to Auerbach he loved the book.
“It took me 18 years and 16 books,” Feinstein said. “But I finally got a good review from Bobby Knight.”