Latest sign of the appocolypse

[Cambridge]

I am currently stocking a bunker and preparing for the rapture...

espn.go.com/dickvitale/index2.html

[jackdog74]

Did he reference the Hoyas as having "Three Diaper Dandies?" This is a good thing.

One other thing about Vitale. He obviously loves Duke, but the GU/Duke game at Cameron a couple years back even he was talking about the officiating re: Sweets and that Duke better hope to God they do not run into the Hoyas on a neutral floor. I think he would love for GU to be back because it would be great for college basketball. Certain sports need certain teams to be good for interest. College football and the BCS would be helped if ND were dominant, baseball made a resurgence because the Yanks made a resurgence, the NBA was doing better because of the Lake-Show (Writer's Note: Sac-town lost to LA a couple of years ago because of Dick Bavetta). If GU were to be the powerhouse of the BE again, it would be great for ESPN -- we'd be the bad guy. And quite frankly, it's more fun to be the villain.

[SaxaCD]

When GU was good, Vitale always raved about the Hoyas. He's not a Hoya-hater, he's a front-runner.

[HoyaNCCT]

I've always hated Dick Vitale's phrased - until now... THREE DIAPER DANDIES... love it.

[Hoya50]

the real sign will be when th hoyas make that stupid bracketology list.

[jerseyhoya34]

I find Vitale as annoying as the next guy, but I think people misread him. Sure, he is an ACC homer to the core, but he is more than that. He genuinely likes programs that are clean operations and offer something extra to the college basketball world in terms of quality people. This is why he loves Duke and Wake so much within the ACC and why he loved us under the JT2 years.

[Hoya50]

i met vitale once. super nice guy. he's enthusiastic about what he does. can't blame him. which one if us wouldn't give our (fill in the blank) to watch the best games in the country and get paid for it?

[jerseyhoya34]

Hoya50 said:

i met vitale once. super nice guy. he's enthusiastic about what he does. can't blame him. which one if us wouldn't give our (fill in the blank) to watch the best games in the country and get paid for it?

That's the thing. Vitale is a show, but he is a genuine show. Not any 60 year old just shows up to crowd surf with college students. I can't fault him for his love of the game and the spirit that he brings to the broadcasts.

[HoyaSox04]

I completely agree - I've found no basketball experience (in terms of announcing) as painful as the GU game at Duke 2 years ago, with Vitale hugging his partner in the rafters of Cameron...

BUT, the man really does passionately care about the game itself. Yes, he does love the ACC, but he loves the programs that make basketball the institution it is on and off the floor (Duke, UNC, Wake, etc). As much as I hate Duke, I cant fault them for having perhaps the cleanest and best run program in the nation, and consistently producing good players and people not just on the court. Dickie V respects the game for what it is, and doesn't suck up to the worst parts, people like Bob Huggins, Jim O'Brien, etc.

[Gold Coast Hoya]

My son, Angus, and I met Vitale at a number of the Final Fours in the 80s and early 90s and he was never too busy to spend a few minuting chatting hoops. My impression was that he liked the GU program and especially the student sections during the Ewing and Rejection Row days. My guess is that he will be on the bandwagon as soon as we earn some national respect. A win over UCONN would move us from pretender to contender status. GO HOYAS!!!

[Jack]

Vitale has 3 major faults:

1. He does not add any analysis to the game, he just screams. This was not always the case- watch ESPN classic and find a Vitale telecast from the 80's and you will still hear some of his catchphrases, but you also hear him make coaching points. He does not have the ability to step out of the Dickie V. persona for 2 minutes to do that any more. He does not really do the hardcore research to know little things about teams he does not see very often.

2. He believes that the microphone gives him a soapbox to talk about anything he wants to talk about and he strays far afield into matters no one wants to hear his thoughts about. He will comment ad nauseam on matters like Ron Zook and Ty Willingham's firing when he has zero qualifications to talk about football. He will scream every time the alternate possession arrow is used about it punishing the defense, even when he is completely wrong. He will cry for mid majors, his latest pet cause, without showing any reasoning behind it. No one should have to listen to so much nonsense just to watch a couple of good teams play.

3. He loves coaches too much. Many former coaches are guilty of this, but he is the high priest of the cult of the fraternity of coaches. Coaches get credit for everything and blamed for nothing. What a great play designed by Coack K! These kids play so hard for Pitino! Why won't they just leave poor Quin Snyder alone! You really have to feel for Roy Williams here! Enough, already.

Other than that, he is a guy whose enthusiasm has surely helped to popularize college basketball. He deserves credit for that, but I just want to hear from someone else now.

[jerseyhoya34]

Good points there, Jack. I have always preferred Raftery to anyone else because he adds some humor (i.e. kiss off the glass) to the broadcast while he covers the game itself. To me, Vitale does a lot to bring energy and enthusiasm, but, as you said, he doesn't cover the game always. Nonetheless, I think he has a place in the broadcasting world and like his opinion and commentary every once in a while.

[Hoya50]

jack - completely agree. raf & others give the analysis that you like to see from a color guy. i just know when watching a game covered by vitale that i won't be getting the greatest insight to the game.

[the_way]

I think Bill Raftery is one of the best in the business when it comes to analyzing college basketball, particularly Big East basketball. Why ESPN stuck Bilas with him and McDonough is beyond reason. I love Raftery at the beginning of every game the defense is: Man to Man! or the famous "Send it in Big Fella!

[Hilltopper]

Favorite Raf line, after a blocked shot by our own Cheikh Dia, "Ya-Ya says na-na!"

[the_way]

Good One! ;D I remember that one.

[Deleted]

One of the most fun single moments of my basketball-watching childhood came from Raftery on Jerome Lane's backboard-shattering dunk back in the late 80s (1988 maybe?):

SEND IT IN, JEROME!

Good times.

[Boz]

Hilltopper said:

Favorite Raf line, after a blocked shot by our own Cheikh Dia, "Ya-Ya says na-na!"

My favorite Raf line is...well, its kind of fuzzy. See, it was about 2 a.m. , the drinks were flowing freely at The Tombs and 'slurred speech' doesn't even begin to describe the mode of conversation. . .on both sides. The only more inebriated discussion I ever had with a celebrity was with Andre Agassi (who I proudly directed to Ma & Pa's as the ONLY place to get some good food at 4 in the morning).

Is Brad Daugherty doing games for ESPN this year? He always seemed to have that good "old Vitale" combo of analysis and really getting excited about the game. (I also agree that Matt Doherty did a good job the other night, but of the two "D'Ohs", I like listening to the taller one).

[the_way]

Yeah, Brad Daugherty is good too. I don't mind Jay Bilas, although his ACC bias comes out of his analyses every now and then.