Winnipeg, Manitoba - Okay, so ESPN asks me to keep an online diary during the making of SEASON ON THE BRINK. I'm not really sure what they expect or you, the reader, expects. Nevertheless, here goes.

I've been queried many times in recent weeks as to why I would entertain portraying Bobby Knight. Why? Because he's a fascinating, complex, larger than life character. He is at once both brilliant and foolish, nurturing and destructive, fearless and terribly insecure. It's that quixotic combination that makes him so riveting. He is both Jekyll and Hyde, but at the very same time.

Why else? We've got wonderful resources to make a great film. We've got the best selling sports book of all time (John Feinstein's A SEASON ON THE BRINK), a very gifted director (Bob Mandel, who also directed me in FX and PERFECT WITNESS) and a terrific screenplay (by Emmy winner David Rintels). David and I also worked together on the award winning DAY ONE.

Today was our first day of shooting. We began outside. It was really cold.

We had a few snow flurries and they say it was -20° with the wind chill. Could have fooled me. I thought it was colder. I only had one scene today.

It's a moment where I tell a colleague in the administration at the University that i won't agree to a suspension (after I threw the chair in the Purdue game). It worked great, although I fear that my fellow actor may still be thawing out.

After getting that little scene out of the way, I was done. The rest of the shooting day consisted of sequences involving the guys on the team. The actors have literally become their Hoosier counterparts. We have a wonderful group of young actors playing the stars on that '85 team - for Steve Alford, Delray Brooks, Andre Harris and Daryl Thomas.

We have a very conscientious crew in Winnipeg (did I mention that it was really cold?) and they worked hard to get all our scenes done today. They pulled it off. (Always a nice way to start on Day One.) Some are scenes where Bobby is objective and rational. And others are... (you've seen the chair toss)

I look forward to seeing you right here tomorrow. Until then...