Hard one to stomach, baby
Posted: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 6:04 PM
Filed Under:
Commentators
The next few months will be a little quieter during college basketball games. And it’s not a good thing.
ESPN’s Dick Vitale will have throat surgery to remove lesions from his left vocal cord and will be out until at least February. (If you want to send a “get well” message to Dickie V, click here.) Jay Bilas will take over the main analysis duties in Vitale’s absence.
It’d be easy to make a snide comment or two, whether it’s about his volume or manner of speaking. There’s plenty of dislike for Vitale out there and has been for a long time. I wouldn’t call myself a fan, either.
Still, this isn’t good for college basketball.
Vitale’s an institution. He’s synonymous with the college game, both for his demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge of the game’s history, coaches and players. And nobody matches his sheer enthusiasm and optimistic outlook (which some would call pandering).
So when the game loses one of its institutions and best-known advocate for an extended period of time, it takes away that extra attention the game could use. And how does one take joy in someone else’s ill health?
You don’t. Get well, Dickie V.
