It's Not Awesome Baby!

[Rumpleforeskin]

http://espn.go.com/dickvitale/071218lettertofans.html

To: My favorite people, all of the fans that make college basketball special!
From: **** Vitale
During the past month and a half, I have had a very difficult time with discomfort in my throat. Personally, I want to apologize to all of the fans and all of the beautiful people at ESPN who have been fantastic to me during my 29 years working at the network.

I have been blessed to have the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people, especially my current teammates, Dan Shulman, Doris Burke, coordinating producer Dan Steir and director Doug Holmes, who have all been so understanding and supportive.

The past six weeks have been very emotional me and for my family as we've visited some of the most outstanding throat specialists. Fortunately, I am currently under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Deems in Sarasota, FL and he is an outstanding ear, nose and throat specialist. Dr. Deems strongly recommended that I visit Dr. Steven Zeitels, who is recognized as one of the premier throat and voice specialists in the nation.

Dr. Zeitels serves as the director for the Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. After an examination, it was determined that I had lesions on my left vocal cord and that they should be surgically removed. Dr. Zeitels said his goal is to have me back sitting at courtside in early February.

There is nothing professionally that I love better than sharing insights about the players and coaches that make college basketball so unique. I can't wait to get back with all my colleagues at ESPN. Visiting college campuses and interacting with the fans has kept me so young and energized. I can't wait to get back out there, having a blast with all of you, who are so vital to our game.

I am so proud to have started at ESPN back in 1979, where I have met so many beautiful people who have been so kind and fair to me and my family. Now more than ever, I have seen how special the people at ESPN are, starting with president George Bodenheimer, as they have genuinely been fantastic to me in dealing with this little bump in the road.

Once again, happy holidays to each and every one of you. Thanks so much for your tremendous support during my tenure with ESPN. I will be updating my Web site with basketball tidbits concerning the various teams, players and coaches during my rehabilitation process. This is already a dynamite hoop season and I cannot wait for March Madness.

I guess all those years of screaming really got to him.

 

[Ace]

Best of luck, ****.

Whatever you think of his schtick, he is a genuinely nice guy who is good to the media everywhere.

 

[alleyallen]

He's a bit over the top, but the man's passion and love of basketball is genuine and enjoyable.

 

[ondeadline]

I strongly dislike listening to his yelling and sucking up to coaches, but strongly hope that things work out health-wise for Vitale.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Aw, goddammit it.
Bilas and Digger?
Get well soon, crazy person.

 

[User 1019]

Aw, goddammit it.
Bilas and Digger?
Get well soon, crazy person.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Hurry home, ****.

 

[ondeadline]

I'll take Bilas over Vitale any day. As for Digger, well, that's a different story.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

I'll take Bilas over Vitale any day. As for Digger, well, that's a different story.

Has Jay Bilas ever been funny? I mean, in his life? In any context?

 

[ondeadline]

I doubt Bilas has been funny other than when he was trying to play center for Duke, but at least he provides commentary that is actually balanced.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

I don't want commentary that's "balanced" as much as I want commentary that tells me something I can't figure out for myself, and that entertains me. Digger fails at the latter. So does Bilas. Vitale fails at the former but not at the latter. I'll take that any day.

 

[ondeadline]

At least when I hear Bilas praise a coach, I know that he'd also criticize the same coach if a stupid move was made.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

At least when I hear Bilas praise a coach, I know that he'd also criticize the same coach if a stupid move was made.

Good for you.

 

[spnited]

Hopefully, this is nothing more than a minor setback and nothing really serious for one of my favorite people in all of sports.
I've known **** Vitale since I was in high school and he was coaching in a little town in New Jersey. His passion for basketball is the same now as it was when I first met him -- and a bunch of my buddies played for him -- in 1964.
The schtick might have gone a little over the top through the years, but the love of the game and his caring for people is genuine.

Hurryback, Dickie V.

 

[flopflipper]

Vitale wrote the letter himself. He even writes long-winded.

With that said, college basketball wouldn't be where it is today without his many contributions. For better or worse, I'm not sure ESPN would be close to what it is today without Vitale's early efforts.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

We might still have Aussie Rules, though.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Vitale wrote the letter himself. He even writes long-winded.

With that said, college basketball wouldn't be where it is today without his many contributions. For better or worse, I'm not sure ESPN would be close to what it is today without Vitale's early efforts.

I was flipping around a few weekends ago and caught an old college hoops game on ESPN Classic, I think it was an ACC Championship Game from the 80s, and I was amazed at how much Vitale's style has changed in the last 20+ years.

There was no screaming, no hype. Yeah, he got excited about things but he was more of an analyst than a showman. And he was better than anybody you can find now. Including himself.

I'm not trying to rip the guy, even though it looks like it. I've met him a couple of times and he comes across as a generally nice guy. It was just nice, and sad at the same time, to hear him just call a game.

 

[Hammer Pants]

As much as Vitale's on-screen antics sometimes annoy the hell out of me, the man has been nothing but absolute class every time I've met him. I remember being a student paper reporter and getting the chance to sit down and shoot the breeze with him before a game, and he couldn't have been more cordial and willing to tell funny stories.

Best of luck, ****, and hurry back. One thing's for sure, college basketball isn't the same without you (though you could take it down a notch sometimes).

 

[broadway joe]

I don't want commentary that's "balanced" as much as I want commentary that tells me something I can't figure out for myself, and that entertains me. Digger fails at the latter. So does Bilas. Vitale fails at the former but not at the latter. I'll take that any day.

I'll go along with most of that, but strongly disagree on Bilas. The guy gets points for not having a hey-look-at-me shtick, and he actually talks basketball -- on the floor x's and o's. Ever seen his pieces where he breaks down offenses of the Final Four teams, taking five players onto a court to walk through it? Very good stuff. He's one of the few analysts who doesn't just spout the obvious.

 

[Shaggy]

I will third that **** Vitale is an awesome guy to the little guys in the journalism business.

Funny story, though I haven't experienced this directly: A guy at the last stop I was at was friends with Vitale, and would occasionally use him to get a quote or two. He'd often call Vitale's cell phone and leave a message saying he was interested in hearing ****'s thoughts on Joe Blow the point guard.

Vitale would call back and if my buddy didn't answer, he would bellow a 45-second Vitale rant onto his voice mail about how awesome Joe Blow was.

I will also tell you this: He's pretty much the same guy off camera that he is on camera. So much energy.

 

[playthrough]

Jeez, the man has season tickets to the Rays and actually uses them. He has suffered enough.