Knight Offers Tourney Picks Via Web Site
March 14 -- Former basketball coach Bobby Knight won three NCAA championships, and one Web site is banking on that expertise to promote its annual online NCAA Tournament contest.
Sandbox.com, a Web site specializing in sports contests, trivia and casino games, reportedly has paid Knight about $50,000 to post his picks in this year's men's college basketball tournament on the site.
This combination of Knight, money and a tournament popularly associated with wagering has raised more than a few eyebrows.
NCAA ‘Disappointed’ by Partnership
Sandbox.com implores visitors to the site to follow Knight's example and select tournament winners, too. "Coach Bob Knight has joined the Sandbox!" the site says. "So you better register right now and start picking this year's winners." The site is offering hundreds of prizes and $10 million to the person who correctly predicts every winning team.
When Knight was asked during a Monday conference call whether the online games were gambling in disguise, Sandbox.com Executive Vice President Bill Carey interjected: "It's not considered gambling because it's an absolutely free site," The Associated Press reported.
Knight's arrangement with the Web site is considered legal because users do not have to pay money to play, but the NCAA is less than thrilled by the partnership — particularly as rumors fly Knight will be hired next week as the new head coach of Texas Tech.
"We're disappointed that he's participating in this given his strong support, as a coach, of sports wagering on a program the NCAA conducts," NCAA spokeswoman Jane Jankowski told ABCNEWS.com. "If he were currently a coach at an NCAA institution, there's no doubt that we would be having a conversation with the athletics director and perhaps with Coach Knight to discuss his involvement."
Knight Picks Stanford to Win It All
Knight, who was fired by Indiana University in September after a string of complaints about his fiery temper and behavior, is watching the NCAA Tournament as an observer — not a coach — for the first time in three decades. He picked Stanford to win the championship this year.
