How can you tell when people's value systems are all screwed up?

When Indiana University Basketball Coach Bob Knight makes the top section of page one of every newspaper across the country day after day after day.

Give me a break, please!

Is Knight really that important?

Not in the least.

He's not the president of the United States, a senator or even a mayor. He's just a coach, a guy making a living by teaching young men how to play a GAME.

He's a long-term employee of a college who has been too physical, too vulgar and out of hand too often, that's true. His actions will not determine the fate of the world, however, or whether or not taxes rise or fall.

If a player feels threatened by Knight, the player has options. The player can leave the university, like Neil Reed did, or sue. And while that will get covered, the story can be saved for the back pages or the sports sections, but not for page one day after day after day.

There is far more important news out in the world which the media should be covering, but doesn't because no one is interested. Or, perhaps, no one is interested because the media doesn't tell them about it.

The university has investigated Knight, served him with guidelines and it's time to move on. There is no need for more stories on Knight's out-of-control behavior. There is no need for stories on how the media covered Bob Knight. There is no need for a story next year on the behavior of Knight one year later.

It gets ridiculous.

Let's move on.

Some people may say that Knight is a public figure and role model. As such, his "story" needs to be told.

OK, fine. He's a public figure. But so are the corrupt political officials who get away with all kinds of shenanigans because all the reporters are investigating Knight. So, too, are the New York police officers who beat a man to death but got away with it because the media fixation is centered around an Indiana coach.

As for Knight being a role model, anyone who picks a basketball coach, basketball players or any athlete or celebrity for a role model needs to get a life.

A role model should be a parent or other relative. A role model should be someone you actually know and respect, not someone whose name is splashed across the covers of Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Weekly.

Of course, America is culturally obsessed with celebrities.

Marry a millionaire on national television, become a celebrity.

Host a game show, become a celebrity.

Sleep with Dennis Rodman or Madonna, become a celebrity.

Find the missing Oscars in a trash bin, become a celebrity.

Pose nude in Playboy or Playgirl, become a celebrity.

Attempt to assassinate a president, become a celebrity.

Kill a dozen people, become a celebrity.

Hopefully by now, you get the picture.

I'm not saying I don't fall in that trap either. I have my favorite celebrities. I find myself watching shows on celebrities and reading articles about celebrities. I often scan the Internet for information on celebrities.

But you know what? I would never consider a celebrity or athlete my role model. If I see a celebrity wearing an article of clothing I like, I might want to buy that article of clothing, but not because that celebrity wore it. I'd want it because I like the article of clothing. That's it.

I watch a lot of movies not because I want to model myself after celebrities, but because I enjoy a good story - the same reason people read books, just in different form.

And I don't base my opinions or act in a certain way because a celebrity acts a certain way or has a certain opinion. I am my own person with my own opinions and I behave in my own way.

Of course, I could rant and rave about the stupidity of the constant Bobby Knight coverage but I don't expect things to change - ever.

Whatever sells is whatever will get on page one of a newspaper or on the covers of magazines or will be the headline story on CNN. After all, they each are businesses and the object of a business is to make money first and foremost.

In other countries, people riot and protest against government corruption, police brutality or environmental calamity. Here in the United States, people get riled up over a sports coach. People get angry when their "beloved" coach is faced with being fired or forced retirement.

For some reason, that makes me ill. I may as well accept the way American culture is, though, as I don't expect it to change anytime soon.

We've all been conditioned to be celebrity-obsessed, much like a dog who has been conditioned to be hungry at the ringing of a bell.

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