Dick Vitale to have throat surgery

[Russ Smith]

Sounds like he could miss the bulk of the college season, they're saying the goal is for him to be back by mid February but he's got lesions on his left vocal cord so they're not certain how quickly he'll recover from the surgery.

 

[abomb]

Best to DV, but is anyone outside Durham upset about him missing time?

 

[Trey]

Best to DV, but is anyone outside Durham upset about him missing time?

No. He's the freaking Rachel Ray of sports broadcasting.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Bummer... Dickie V to me will always be associated with College Hoops... I love the guy, in all his quirky, kookiness...
I loved how he called games. I loved how he would portary what a coach was thinking...
I loved the respect and pure love he exuded for the game...
And most of all, I love how he befriended and honored Jimmy V. Jimmy V's last speech, given at 1993 ESPY Awards will forever be one of the most inspiring and emotional events I have ever witnessed. And Dickie V was a big part of it...

Anyway, if sports (college or Pro) had more Dickie V's floaring around, the games, the kids and the fans would be much better off!

Best wishes Dickie V!

 

[MigratingOsprey]

the guy can be commended for his passion - but he's painful to listen to (and I am a duke fan)

i wish him the best though - does this now mean more billy packer?!

 

[Southpaw]

Best to DV, but is anyone outside Durham upset about him missing time?

Hopefully he recovers completely( and I really mean it ) and then retires his sorry ass to Fort Myers Beach, FL. I hate his style and personality. I have gotten to the point where I will either mute the sound or switch channels.

 

[Renz]

I wish him the best though - does this now mean more Billy Packer?!

Wow, I hope not! Packer is the worst!!!

 

[Rivercard]

Wow, I hope not! Packer is the worst!!!

How that guy keeps the gig is beyond me.

 

[Skkorpion]

Vitale gags me. Packer gags me more.

Wouldn't it be nice if they were forced to move in together and share an assisted-living apartment in Jacksonville, Florida? They could both talk non-stop at each other, blissfully ignoring the other, meanwhile saving us from having to listen to them.

 

[spikecop02]

Vitale is the best! i hope he gets better and back asap

 

[Russ Smith]

Vitale gags me. Packer gags me more.

Wouldn't it be nice if they were forced to move in together and share an assisted-living apartment in Jacksonville, Florida? They could both talk non-stop at each other, blissfully ignoring the other, meanwhile saving us from having to listen to them.

I don't wish throat surgery on anybody but I agree here completely.

My problem with Vitale is that he forgets the reason we turned on the tv was to watch the game. He doesn't seem to get that there are people who will watch a game with Marquette and Siena(example) and for that 2 hours plus that's their focus, they don't want to hear about Coach K, or Kevin Love and OJ Mayo or his all airport team etc. It just boggles my mind how many times during a game Vitale is talking about something completely unrelated to the
game he's working.

I like Packer better but I've always had some issues with him. First he's well known as a primadonna the stories about the way he treats "underlings" are legendary. But the thing that drove me nuts for years with him was his obsession with making catching a basketball sound like splitting the atom. he was constantly yelling "what a catch", it just drove me nuts with all the amazing things todays players can do why he obsessed on that just baffled me. He seems to have finally stopped that.

I guess Lavin is the guy ESPN is touting now but after watching him work an entire SIU/USC game and never once grasp that USC was playing a triangle and two, I realized he's even worse than I thought as a coach. The memphis/USC game the entire focus was that defense but he never realized they'd played it a few days earlier despite working the game.

 

[Southpaw]

I don't wish throat surgery on anybody but I agree here completely.

My problem with Vitale is that he forgets the reason we turned on the tv was to watch the game. He doesn't seem to get that there are people who will watch a game with Marquette and Siena(example) and for that 2 hours plus that's their focus, they don't want to hear about Coach K, or Kevin Love and OJ Mayo or his all airport team etc. It just boggles my mind how many times during a game Vitale is talking about something completely unrelated to the
game he's working.

I like Packer better but I've always had some issues with him. First he's well known as a primadonna the stories about the way he treats "underlings" are legendary. But the thing that drove me nuts for years with him was his obsession with making catching a basketball sound like splitting the atom. he was constantly yelling "what a catch", it just drove me nuts with all the amazing things todays players can do why he obsessed on that just baffled me. He seems to have finally stopped that.

I guess Lavin is the guy ESPN is touting now but after watching him work an entire SIU/USC game and never once grasp that USC was playing a triangle and two, I realized he's even worse than I thought as a coach. The memphis/USC game the entire focus was that defense but he never realized they'd played it a few days earlier despite working the game.

I couldn't have said it better. He detracts from the game. I hope it is not Jay Bilas as a replacement although I could tolerate him much easier.