Presumably ESPN is marketing tonight’s clash between Duke and North Carolina as the first big game of the season, with the thinking that most casual sports fans are only now checking into hoops now that the Super Bowl is out of the way. That’s all fine and well, but there have been other big games already (Memphis-Georgetown and UCLA-Wazzu come to mind), and plenty of interesting storylines at this point in the season (not the least of which is the Bob Knight weirdness).
Photo Credit: www.charlottecritic.com
So we come to Duke-Carolina, the mere uttering of which either conjures up images of the college rivalry upon which all others are measured, or projectile vomitus from the rest of the country. No matter your position, everyone still watches. In 2006, ESPN received its highest college hoops ratings in four years for this game, and there’s no reason to believe this year, with the #2 and #3 teams in the AP and Coaches polls sparring, will be any different. There’s also the curious backstory of whether Tyler Hansbrough will greet Gerald Henderson with a friendly pat on the behind or feed him his own teeth after what the Duke forward did to Psycho T’s face last year.
But what we’re most excited about tonight is the triumphant return of Dookie V. from an operation on his vocal cords (yes, we know), who has no doubt earned that moniker over the years with his unabashed slurping of the Duke program and Coach K in particular. But what maybe much of the Duke-hating public doesn’t also realize is that Vitale was a Dean Smith promisekeeper long before he became reborn as a Coach K disciple. Roy Williams, as Deano’s former right (and left) hand man, is just as much a part of Vitale’s nightly prayer routine as Krzyzewski ever was. What we’re trying to say here is that when Dickie V. envisions heaven, it surely involves an eternal game of “class and sportsmanship” exhibited by the “true student-athletes” at the “fine institutions” of Duke and North Carolina. Blue heaven, indeed.
Photo Credit: www.dickvitaleonline.com
We have to admit, though, that we’ve actually missed the guy this season. As much as we tend to view him these days as an unprepared clown and shill for the big boys, we know that he deeply cares about the status and sanctity of the game itself, and his boyish enthusiasm for it surely rubs off on kids today the same way it did when we were watching him gush on about Pearl Washington and Rex Chapman back in ’87. The guy really cares about the game and its personalities, and for that much, we salute him and welcome him back as a true ambassador to continue carrying on the spirit of college basketball (as opposed to, say, Billy Packer, who along with Dick Cheney, hates everyone and should be excommunicated to some bunker together). With that, we say…
Welcome back, Dick!
View Comments (7)
Vitale's TV persona certainly is that of a shill, but I'm not clear why you think he should be personally judged on that criterion. You do realize he's paid by ESPN/ABC to have that persona. The execs believe it helps ratings, which probably has a marginal degree of relationship with the truth. Much, if not most, of sports on TV has been packaged in production meetings before it goes on video (with the exception of the actual games of course). Your scorn of "Dookie V" needs to be redirected at the networks, or better yet the attention span starved viewers who continue to watch only what they immediately love or hate.
Vitale knows the hypocrisy of college sports is well ensconced at both of these schools. I think if you were to have a sympathetic conversation with him he'd admit there is little difference between their tactics and everyone else's. Winning justifies almost anything.
Good point lostthefight, but at the same time, let's remember that DV goes above and beyond in his pronouncements of his love for Duke. Announcers are supposed to at least attempt to display impartiality towards the teams playing in the games they call. We all know how every NFL commentator and play-by-play guy fawns over Brett Favre and Tom Brady, but they don't go to the extreme of actively rooting for one team over the other during a game they are calling. Dicky V. goes far beyond what most people would consider an acceptable level of bias in his open displays of affection for Duke.
We all know that announcers have favorite teams (usually ones they have past affiliations with), but these allegiances are supposed to be repressed for the benefit of all - so that we can receive arguably objective analysis of the teams and the game. Vitale fails in this regard, and it is why many people, including, I assume, Rush The Court, disparage him to such an extent (and count me in with those folks).
Thanks Kiff -
LTF: We were fairly clear in the last paragraph that we actually had missed Vitale's presence and what he brings to the sport DESPITE being a shill and constantly slurping Duke and North Carolina. We love Vitale's enthusiasm and his passion for the game - we just wish he'd tone down the autoeroticism when it comes to Tobacco Road.
RTC
kiff -
Your comments indicate you are an idealist. I used to be one.
LTF,
My comments belie me, then, because I am one of the most jaded folks out there. I actually agree with your comments completely - it's just that Vitale fails to even put forth a modicum of effort to veil his love. I don't watch any pre-game for any sport anymore, as it is all fluff and "packaged" crap - and Vitale is just another version of that crap. The problem for me is in-game comments, when I have to listen to him - or any other blowhard on the air who is sucking up to the NCAA (or any other league) as much as he can. Enjoy March Madness....
kiff,
Vitale gets graded on his in-game comments too. But anyway, I guess I don't understand why packaged stuff would bother you if you know its packaged. To wit, I enjoy ESPN's formulaic material and I think they do it much better than other networks, especially Fox. I'll even watch them interviewing their own people with the sound off just to see how the facial expressions have been coached. Same with interviews of high-profile athletes - the raised eyebrows which indicate surprise ("Well if that's what he's says...), the nonplussed look, the head swerve (african-american). It's all quite entertaining to me. Also it's great to watch the hand gestures when they do a medium shot. Always with the two hands about 6 inches apart moving forward and backward like they are holding a mini-basketball or small globe. Intention of course is to magnify the importance of whatever point they are trying to make. If you tried that in a casual conversation people would think you were a fool, but on TV it works.
Ha ha ha - wow, now that's dedication to the cause. Now I know what I'm looking for when watching this stuff - especially with the sound off. That will be particularly helpful in Vegas in March where they don't have the sound on for 3 of the 4 games - perfect trial balloon...
Oh yeah, I can't agree with you more re the auto-play feature (your post on the other post). rtmsf has had the problem before, and managed to get them to all stop doing that - it seems that a new video is causing more problems. Are you using Internet Explorer? I am, and it seems to happen more on IE than on Firefox, from what I've been told.