Dick Vitale demoted - Not doing NC/Duke game.

[Cheeky]

For the first time in 36 years Vitale will not be doing this game (Wednesday).

So, how you feel about it?

While I respect his dedication and enthusiasm, I have disliked the guy's style for over 30 years, and I have not actually had the volume on in a game he was doing for at least 20 years. Nice guy, great representative of the sport, and all that, but I'm happy he's done. Put him in the pasture with Billy Packer and let Packer's incessant negative nay saying and Vitale's non-stop Pollyanna puke drive the cows insane.

Enjoy your soon to be retirement DV (if he ends up needing incontinence protection, I hope that a buddy is there to chide him about being a diaper dandy - it would only be fitting).

 

[W Coast UCONN]

O000hhhhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhhhhhhhh! - Dick Vitale's thoughts on the demotion

 

[Matrim55]

Vitale is one of the nicest people I've met in sports at any level (met him a bunch when I covered UConn for the Daily Campus). Just a genuinely decent guy, via my own personal experience and almost every anecdotal account.

That said, he's an unlistenable homer. Thank god they're finally phasing him out.

 

[BUConn10]

O000hhhhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhhhhhhhh! - Dick Vitale's thoughts on the demotion

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

 

[Stainmaster]

Outstanding human being, unbearably awful broadcaster.

 

[BUConn10]

In a way, Dick Vitale's downfall from a decent analyst of the game to the parody/schtick he has become is a representation of modern day sports media, or all media at that matter. Dick went from providing good analysis of the game at hand, to becoming a "hype" vessel with his catchphrases like "diaper dandy" and his incessant homerism of the top flight programs of the game, namely the blue bloods. Vitale basically began catering to the largest common denominator, which is obviously done by catering to the biggest fanbases, and most often those are of the most successful schools historically. He accomplished this by incessantly bringing up the top programs while covering games that had nothing to do with them, and really pushing the top recruits that come into these programs.

That said, cant say Im sad to see him go.

 

[Fishy]

You're all cynical lunatics. I'll take Vitale every day of the year compared to some of the humorless, colorless lumps out there.

Yes, he was too enamored with some of his favorites, but he slobbered over UConn often enough.

He's 75 - they were bound to move him down at some point. (He's doing a UK game this week, so they're not exactly retiring the guy.)

 

[CTBasketball]

Ohhhhhh Quinn Cook! He's sensational baby! He's super scintillating sensational! He's awesome baby with a capital A!

I'll pass. I prefer Bilas's color commentary.

 

[2Infinity]

Jay Bilas is light years ahead of Vitale...and has been for a long time too! Dickie V is no longer an "analyst"...nor has he been. He's a 24/7 hype machine for his favorites. Unfortunately, there is really VERY little he adds to a broadcast anymore.

As for his upcoming Kentucky broadcast...geez! The inevitable slobbering he's bound to get into for the Squid is enough to make sure I don't go near the game. That is just not what watching college bb is supposed to be all about!

 

[stick]

You're all cynical lunatics. I'll take Vitale every day of the year compared to some of the humorless, colorless lumps out there.

Yes, he was too enamored with some of his favorites, but he slobbered over UConn often enough.

He's 75 - they were bound to move him down at some point. (He's doing a UK game this week, so they're not exactly retiring the guy.)

I'll take the humorless, colorless lumps any day over Dickie V. I found him annoying even when he was slobbering over UConn.

 

[champs99and04]

Dick Vitale is one of those guys who annoys the hell out of you, but then when he's gone - whether retired or working lower-tier games - you begin to miss him. I'll grant you he wasn't the best at his job, but his presence in your living room is what's really important - when Duke or Kentucky is winning, he's unbearable, but that's a good thing in a roundabout way because he distracts you from their success. I'd rather talk about Dickie V being annoying than Duke being an awesome basketball program.

I'm also unclear on why some of you think Bilas is some breath of fresh air. He's good at his job, but the rest of the shtick I could do without - he's always complaining about something and drilling home the same talking points.

 

[Matrim55]

Dick Vitale is one of those guys who annoys the hell out of you, but then when he's gone - whether retired or working lower-tier games - you begin to miss him. I'll grant you he wasn't the best at his job, but his presence in your living room is what's really important - when Duke or Kentucky is winning, he's unbearable, but that's a good thing in a roundabout way because he distracts you from their success. I'd rather talk about Dickie V being annoying than Duke being an awesome basketball program.

That's how I feel about Raftery. Not Dickie V or Billy Packer.

I'm also unclear on why some of you think Bilas is some breath of fresh air. He's good at his job, but the rest of the shtick I could do without - he's always complaining about something and drilling home the same talking points.

Gonna register a strong disagreement here. Bilas is honest, insightful and often funny.

 

[zyron]

Dick Vitale is one of those guys who annoys the hell out of you, but then when he's gone - whether retired or working lower-tier games - you begin to miss him.

Uhh, no. He has made every single basketball game I have watched unbearable. Why in the world would I miss him.

 

[champs99and04]

That's how I feel about Raftery. Not Dickie V or Billy Packer.


Gonna register a strong disagreement here. Bilas is honest, insightful and often funny.

I like Bilas, don't get me wrong. He's one of the smartest guys in the game. I even like his whole twitter persona. I just think that between his constant complaints about the refs, NCAA, general state of the game, etc. grow a little stale. That's not to say he doesn't have a legit gripe on a lot of the issues, just that I personally find it a bit repetitive at times.

 

[mauconnfan]

Just don't get how people don't have a spot, even the tiniest one for Dicky V. His enthusiasm for the game we all share can't be measured and although he has some favorites, he's been nothing but gracious to Storrs CT all of his career and especially the JC years. As Fishy said with some of the lump of craps out there, I will take his passion anytime.

 

[Milo65]

He's the Flavor Flav of basketball analysts. Brings little substance, can't stand alone, all about the hype, plays to the crowd...all that being said, I enjoy the show. Sorry to see him not at the big games.

 

[Kitaman]

The guy was a promoter/salesman of college basketball. I feel his enthusiasm was genuine. If you recognized his limitations and appreciate what he brings (cheerleading/hype) then he's not so bothersome. He helped many posters here become more enamored with college basketball than would care to admit. Do you think dook would be posted so much on this board (including this thread) if not for him?

He's a HOFer baby!

 

[Palatine]

If Vitale had shilled and over the air recruited for UConn instead of Duke, Calhoun would have won ten titles.

 

[ThetaZoo]

For the first time in 36 years Vitale will not be doing this game (Wednesday).

So, how you feel about it?

While I respect his dedication and enthusiasm, I have disliked the guy's style for over 30 years, and I have not actually had the volume on in a game he was doing for at least 20 years. Nice guy, great representative of the sport, and all that, but I'm happy he's done. Put him in the pasture with Billy Packer and let Packer's incessant negative nay saying and Vitale's non-stop Pollyanna puke drive the cows insane.

Enjoy your soon to be retirement DV (if he ends up needing incontinence protection, I hope that a buddy is there to chide him about being a diaper dandy - it would only be fitting).

Never cared for Vitale's shtick but I understand why ESPN thought he'd make a great partner in their early days of college bball broadcasting. I thought the game was good enough to stand on its own...even Army vs Iona. With the hype surrounding all of sports today I guess I'm in the minority.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

rather take him over doris burke, seth greenburg or about any other announcer that has been doing the AAC games. Guy actually has life to him.

 

[Cheeky]

rather take him over doris burke,

I love Doris Burke. She really knows the game, she doesn't over or under emphasize things, she stays focused on the action on the court . . .
Does anybody else dislike her?

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

I like DickieV. I remember in the 90's him calling Uconn vs Cuse and Gtown, good times. Always complimented Gampel crowd at one time calling it the Cameron Indoor of the north.

 

[Mr. French]

I love Doris Burke. She really knows the game, she doesn't over or under emphasize things, she stays focused on the action on the court . . .
Does anybody else dislike her?

LOVE Doris, she's great. People have their own opinions but I'm unclear how one could dislike her.

 

[dtrumpet]

I'm going to echo some comments above. Yes he's loud and sometime obnoxious, but I always felt his enthusiasm and passion was genuine, a louder version of John Madden, with added homerism.

 

[KembaStepback]

As a kid, I used to love Dickie V. "Oh Mr. Allen! The elevator man! The diaper dandy!"

But I could never stand listening to him as an adult. There will be 2 mins left in a 1 possession game and he'll be all...

"The V foundation is having a dinner to honor Robert Montgomery Knight. I'm going to be there, Pat Summit will be there...."

Hey Dickie - you know, there is a game on, right? Can you actually talk about that?