So Dick Vitale was demoted ?

[CuseHulk]

Why ?

 

[dasher]

Why ?

1. his health 2. his act is tired

 

[OburgOrange]

1. his health 2. his act is tired

1. His act is tired 2. His health

 

[CuseHulk]

1. his health 2. his act is tired

So what does his game schedule look like this year ? Is he being phased out ?

I like the PT Crew of Shulman/Bilas.

 

[Pat Kelly]

He sounds so much different

 

[Cheriehoop]

It's his health. Throat issues including surgery a number of years ago, he's had issues with it for years. He certainly doesn't protect it. The guy is 75 now.

 

[cuseguy]

Health and age.

He'll be doing less traveling.

 

[jec1521]

He sounds so much different

It was 35 years ago. He should sound different.

His act may be a bit tired, but it's sad seeing him age. He has contributed a lot to college hoops.

 

[longislandcuse]

I'm a big fan of Vitale but I never get his jokes and at least we don't have to hear about the jump ball rule every game.

 

[OrangeDW]

It was 35 years ago. He should sound different.

His act may be a bit tired, but it's sad seeing him age. He has contributed a lot to college hoops.

I've gone back and forth many times on how I feel about Vitale as a commentator but I generally was a fan up until the complete Duke lovefest that really kicked into gear in the late 90's through the mid 00's. Just unbearable in those years. Maybe it's nostalgia for the glory years of college hoops (SU hoops too) but I've kinda come back around to liking him again though in recent years. I will miss him when he's no longer commentating.

 

[heresjohnny88]

Most people hate on Vitale for the Duke love. But let the record show, he loves ALL the powerhouses, including Cuse. I think his act has certainly grown old, but he's good for the sport.

 

[RF2044]

I've gone back and forth many times on how I feel about Vitale as a commentator but I generally was a fan up until the complete Duke lovefest that really kicked into gear in the late 90's through the mid 00's. Just unbearable in those years. Maybe it's nostalgia for the glory years of college hoops (SU hoops too) but I've kinda come back around to liking him again though in recent years. I will miss him when he's no longer commentating.

That about sums it up for me. He's an institution, but I came to dislike his schtick early on [the same way that I used to enjoy but then got tired of Chris Berman's schtick in the early 90s]. It was cool for awhile, but then Vitale became a caricature of himself--often commentating as though he were a blithering imbecile. Now that he's nearly gone, I can look back and say that he has been good for the game, but that doesn't change how painful it was to listen to games that he commentated along the way.

 

[Nicknack]

No one comes close to Vitale for the time he talks about other teams and players than the one's actually on the court. I'm going to miss that... uh, not really. That all being said... even though I don't care for his act, he has been great for the game.

What I would like to see is Bobby Knight back in action. Not the most exciting, but I always learned at least one thing through his commentary. Over all the years, I don't think I learned a single thing from Vitale, other than who the diaper dandy's are from year to year.

 

[OttoMets]

I've gone back and forth many times on how I feel about Vitale as a commentator but I generally was a fan up until the complete Duke lovefest that really kicked into gear in the late 90's through the mid 00's. Just unbearable in those years. Maybe it's nostalgia for the glory years of college hoops (SU hoops too) but I've kinda come back around to liking him again though in recent years. I will miss him when he's no longer commentating.

That about sums it up for me. He's an institution, but I came to dislike his schtick early on [the same way that I used to enjoy but then got tired of Chris Berman's schtick in the early 90s]. It was cool for awhile, but then Vitale became a caricature of himself--often commentating as though he were a blithering imbecile. Now that he's nearly gone, I can look back and say that he has been good for the game, but that doesn't change how painful it was to listen to games that he commentated along the way.

Vitale's frontrunner shtick was difficult to listen to during that Duke decade, and it was worse when we were on the losing end of a game he called (anyone remember our drubbing in Los Angeles in 1999? you'd have thought Baron Davis was one of his family members).

But few things enhance a big SU win than having Vitale on the call. The Connecticut game in 2000 was one of my favorite Dome games of all time, and it was that much more fun to watch the taped broadcast later. Vitale sounded like he'd need hospitalization.

 

[reedny]

I think Vitale's best contributions are early in the season when he can talk about new players and what they bring to the table. He gets reallly excited about that and I think that's where he's at his best. As the season wears on, his lack of analytical skills becomes a liability.