Comments on: Why I like Dick Vitale

By: JP

JP — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:21:42 +0000

Dick Vitale knows basketball. And marketing. At Univ of Detroit, he constantly called out U of Michigan for not scheduling his team. At the time UofM was fantastic. UofD had 4 future NBA stars on its roster, former Harlem Globetrotters star Smokey Gains as his assistant and unbelievable funky music that blasted during pregame warmups. (What was that music… who was the artist, it was tremendous!) To gain support for UofD at games, Vitale gave away free tickets to anybody that called and asked for them, allowed fans to go into the locker room like reporters and talk to players and he filled Memorial Field house. This was 35 years ago! He is the same vibrant enthusiastic believer in college basketball and the promoter of the game as a way for players to improve their lot in life while bringing entertainment to us all.

By: David

David — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:33:40 +0000

I cannot stand Dick Vitaleâ€™s style. He talks about everything except the game he is supposed to be analyzing. He goes on and on about where the kid went to high school and his parents. Then itâ€™s the coach and how he stacks up against another coach. Then he talks about how everyone is chasing North Carolina.

He goes on like this and never once and I mean never, mentions the words zone defense or trap or anything that has to do with the strategy of the game being played. He just goes off on a tangent and gets tunnel vision and forgets or ignores the game in progress.

Where is the analysis, where are the Xs and Os. When he does break down a play with the telestrator, it is almost like someone said in his ear is saying, â€œDick we have this expensive gadget and you need to use it once and a while. You can tell he just hates to use it. I donâ€™t get why people love this guy.

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:58:34 +0000

“By the way, do any of you brilliant readers know where I can find the Dick Vitale ESPN commercials from the 90s? Iâ€™m talking about the ones where he had an 80â€™s-style sitcom where his family lived next door to George Gervin and had an alien muppet named Oâ€™Hoolix”

“Hoops Malone”, right? I remember the theme song… “There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’, but there’s definitely a ‘you’!”

Strangely enough, those commercials also pop into my head somewhat regularly, but I’ve never found them anywhere Googling when they have. If you have better luck, let me know… it’s an itch I need to scratch

By: Lyle_S

Lyle_S — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:18:56 +0000

My folks got cable in the late 80’s and Dick Vitale is probably single-handedly responsible for developing my interest in college basketball. His passionate delivery sucked me in and the catch phrases were a part of every neighborhood pick up game (although I had to modify some for my level of ability – “Dipsy-doo, jump-shoteroo!”).

As a ‘grown up’, I don’t have cable so Vitale hasn’t had the opportunity to wear on my nerves but it seems unlikely that I wouldn’t be as entertained as I was 20 years ago.

By: sidd finch

sidd finch — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:50:00 +0000

I like Dickie V, he’s awesome, baby, especially when he’s talking about diaper dandies!

College BB Hall of fame? I wouldn’t have voted for him…

By: KHAZAD

KHAZAD — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:50:52 +0000

Listening to some of you talking about your childhood shows makes me (and Probably Joe as well) feel old.

By: Sven

Sven — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:33:04 +0000

Ok – Vitale can be annoying at times, but over all he’s a plus rather than a minus to the broadcast. In general, announcers are too bland or too homerish and he’s neither.

The trade may are may not work out for the Royals, but calling Coco the worst defensive centerfielder in baseball last year is flat out wrong. The year before he should have won a gold glove. He gets to everything and makes the catch look easy.

By: nomar34

nomar34 — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:21:27 +0000

What I love about Dickie V is the passion he has. Every one had the passion he oozes everyday than the world would be a lot different…a place without Dick Vitale is a place I don’t want to be…

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:03:58 +0000

I love Dickie V, plain and simple. I love the fact that he actually knows who the assorted players on the court are, unlike a certain prominent baseball announcer.

And yeah, Vitale has a definate ACC bias. But he has twice stood and given standing O’s to players during games…do you know who they were? Shaquille O’Neal at LSU and Nick Collison at KU. Don’t tell me this guy isn’t passionate about the game.

By: JeffSol

JeffSol — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:18:38 +0000

Also, Joe, how can you enter the Shazam/Isis Hour but forget Wonder Woman, worth watching just to see Lynda Carter running…