T1B

I watched an ESPN Classic game the other night, IU vs. Illinois from 1989. Dick Vitale was a freaking great announcer. (quick side bar, his partner was whoa nelly Keith Jackson, forget he used to do hoops) Anyway, it made me remember how good Vitale was before he turned into a caricature of himself and became the loud, obnoxious fuck he is today. As if needed, a point of reference:


http://www.cardchronicle.com/story/2007/1/23/51024/3678

I'd argue against a couple of those but the point is well illustrated. I think it's time to either

A- retire
B- be a FT studio analyst

I'm sure he said that McCullum has the toughest job in America. Dude's a broken record and someone hasn't shut the power off to the phono.

Shine wrote: Anyway, it made me remember how good Vitale was before he turned into a caricature of himself and became the loud, obnoxious fuck he is today.

i totally agree. when used to call the Big East and Sun Belt (fucking Sun Belt) conference in the mid 80's.....he was great. we used to skip high school to watch the first 2 days of the tournament back when it was kind of a secret that it was the best sport event ever.

he's cartoon character the last decade.

Shine wrote:B- be a FT studio analyst

He gets to do that during the tournament, along with pimp small schools that pull upsets and act like he's been blowing their horn all season when, in fact, he hasn't uttered one fucking word about them between the nonstop ACC slurping.

I will say, as annoying as Vitale is, I would much rather have him doing a caricature of himself than have to listen to that arrogant fuck Billy Packer. He's like a Vitale with negative energy, and it gets exponentially worse during the tournament. Goddamn I hate him.

I haven't listened to a TV broadcast of a championship game since '98, and only because I was at work. Thank God for Westwood One. I know it's kind of a strange concept these days, but at least the radio guys actually call the game.

bill rafferty is the man


"Man to man"

"a kiss off the glass"


guy is a great color guy. he is highly underrated, and under used.

ONIONS!!!!


Yes, Rafftery is the absolute best announcer in college basketball. He's not a homer. He isn't a douche. He gives great insight. And he's entertaining. Get rid of Fudge Packer and and make Rafftery the #1 color guy for the NCAA tournament.

it's a crime Packer calls the Final Four.

Vitale devolving into what he is today IS sad.

Billy Packer can suck a horse cock but nothing's changed about that in the last 2 decades.

Adelpiero wrote:bill rafferty is the man


"Man to man"

"a kiss off the glass"


guy is a great color guy. he is highly underrated, and under used.

raftery is an annoying piece of shit. i'd rather have one of the female espn bitches, like doris burke, call bball games i watch.

-Mgo

Despite Vitale being over the top at times... ok all the time, I still respect his passion and love for the game. Give the guy a break, already.

Agreed on Rafftery, though. Dude is a pleasure to listen to, and the best kept secret for way too long.

If Dick Vitale really loved the game, he’d do what’s best for it and quit. Dude sucks out loud.

Vitale is just another over the top TV personality and ESPN is littered with them. He's become a brand name as much as anything.

Shine wrote:Billy Packer can suck a horse cock but nothing's changed about that in the last 2 decades.

Actually, it's Jim Nance who likes to verbally suck Billy Packer's cock during their epic "calls" of tournament games.

I.e., before every KU win in 2003:

This Kansas team just isn't itself, is it, Billy?

or, during North Carolina's run, in 2005:

Is this the type of team Roy Williams has had before, Billy?

Fucking idiocy.

Packer is bad enough, but it's when Nance asks idiotic questions of Packer's uninformed opinions ... hell encourages/gleefully enables Packer to spout off absolute nonsense because Nance is truly a stupid fucking excuse for a "commentator" ... Fuck, it's beyond horrid.