Dick Vitale Biography - Coaches At All Levels, Soars With Cable Network, Chronology, Lebron James Controversy, Vitale's Impact
espn sports college basketball
1939-
American sportscaster
ESPN's "mouth that roars," Dick Vitale, is more than a college basketball announcer. He is a cult figure, showman, power broker, author, columnist,
Dick Vitale
cameo actor, motivational speaker and frequent lightning rod for controversy. Players, coaches, fans and media respect his wisdom and influence; some mimic his "V-Speak," his self-styled vocabulary; others cringe at his shtick. Vitale and ESPN have ridden each other's coattails since the all-sports cable network's launch in 1979.
Some critics say Vitale's appearance on ESPN's telecasts of high school games involving prized recruit LeBron James of Akron, Ohio, reflects a maddening overhype of scholastic sports. Others say Vitale spares coaches, some of whom are his closest friends, when he addresses the ills of college basketball. And still others say Vitale and the network encourage carnival barking to the detriment of the game.
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Vitale joined ESPN for the 1979-80 season, shortly after the Bristol, Connecticut-based network went on air. He worked its first college basketball telecast, DePaul's 90-77 victory over Wisconsin in Chicago. His stock rose as the network's did. ESPN in the early-to-mid 1980s carried the early rounds of the NCAA tournament, thus widening Vitale's exposure. (CBS got exclusive ri…
Skeptics, however, say Vitale's act serves to encourage the very showboating he says he disdains. And, his over-the-top style clearly does not appeal to everyone. "Over the last 20 years, Vitale has established himself as a leading expert in college basketball. His knowledge of the game rivals that of Peter Gammons in baseball. He has quick facts and stats at his fingertips, and is a…
Some critics say Vitale represents over-the-top showmanship in broadcasting. "I'm taking up a collection to bribe Dicky V into doing one entire game without raving about some stupid dunk," wrote Bob Ryan, longtime Boston Globe basketball columnist. "The man is a sweetheart human being, but he has no idea how much harm he causes by encouraging on-court nonsense." …
Ashburner, Steve. "NBA Insider: Sad Case of LeBron James." Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com, (December 15, 2002). "Dick Vitale Bio." ESPN.com, http://www.espn.go.com/dickvitale/vfile/index.html (January 17, 2003). Douchant, Mike. "A Look at How All the Madness Has Evolved." CBS Sports Line, http://live.sportsline.com/u/page/covers/basketball/mar98/…
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