Reflections, links on Brand's death
Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2009 10:35 AM
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Links roundups
Myles Brand’s death on Wednesday prompted an outpouring of stories and columns reflecting on his time as the NCAA president, his impact in that position and the move that vaulted Brand into the public eye, how he handled and eventually fired Bob Knight at Indiana.
Here’s a roundup from the best I read on the web.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty images |
Myles Brand
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Mike DeCourcy, Sporting News: Brand’s lasting legacy includes a greater focus on athletes’ welfare, more accountability toward academics and an embracing of basketball that was essential to the game’s development.
Andy Katz, ESPN: Brand was always willing to listen. You may not have agreed with him, but he was a good listener and a good soul.
Alexander Wolff, Sports Illustrated: The man who made his reputation by firing Knight cemented it forever as NCAA president when he ended the practice of paying lip service to academic performance.
Dennis Dodd, CBS Sportsline: Brand’s legacy much more than simply firing Knight, though he was right to put Knight in his place.
(It’s interesting to think about the relationship between Brand and Knight. Both valued academics above nearly everything else (the graduation rate of Knight’s players at Indiana was reportedly 98 percent), yet they’ll forever be viewed as polar opposites. Just sayin’.)
Kevin Blackistone, Fanhouse: If anyone epitomized the “speak softly and carry a big stick” mantra, it was Brand.
Christine Brennan, USA Today: The NCAA lost one of its finest leaders and a pragmatic reformer.
Mark Alesia, Indianapolis Star: Brand didn’t have the power of a czar, but he made great use of the bully pulpit.
