Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale Argue

[lmb]

While I didn't hear the Bilas/Vitale exchange, I did sense a lot of tension between Mike Patrick and Vitale while they "called" the game today. It was very noticeable that Patrick was getting a little tired of Vitale. Has everyone had their fill of Vitale? I know I have.

[RainingThrees]

While I didn't hear the Bilas/Vitale exchange, I did sense a lot of tension between Mike Patrick and Vitale while they "called" the game today. It was very noticeable that Patrick was getting a little tired of Vitale. Has everyone had their fill of Vitale? I know I have.

The act is getting old. I think Packer leaving has put much of the analyst hatred on Vitale too.

[Sgt. Dingleberry]

It was very noticeable that Patrick was getting a little tired of Vitale.

He was probably really hungover and couldn't get anything to drink because it was Sunday morning when he had to get to work...

Patrick seriously sounds like he drinks during games, his speech becomes slurred and he miscalls things frequently...

For whatever it's worth...I know a guy who delivered some furniture to Vitale at his house in FL. The guy is a happy go-lucky type of guy and starting hamming it up to Dicky V...Saying stuff like "Call a T-O Baby!", stuff like that...He said Vitale didn't even crack a smile, was not amused, walked out of the room and kind of came across as a jerk and definitely very different than his TV alterego...

[Cameron]

I was commenting during the game today that I wondered how much longer it would be before ESPN does to Vitale what CBS did to Packer..

Vitale is a Hall-of-Famer, so I'm not sure if ESPN will get rid of him anytime soon, but you never know.

As for Bilas being smug? Really? Never would have noticed..

[KenTankerous]

Dicky V needs to realize his full potential - as a charactuer voice-over cartoon announcer on a sports' themed episode of sponge bob square pants.

Don't get me wrong, I loved him as coach and when he first broke out calling games. But his shtick is old, like Bobcat Goldthwait, it just gets more annoying. And he really adds nothing anymore.

Sorry Dicky V. Retire. Or become a parody of yourself. How many of us have that choice? Good on ya!

But still retire.

Really

[rthomas]

I agree. I like Coach Vitale, but he was not prepared to get into this argument with Jay Bilas. This was Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks.

Coach Vitale. lol. I don't even know what to say. Speechless. But I guess I can say. Don't call Dick Coach.

[Wander]

Dickie V was completely right in this one. To be completely honest, I was a little bit embarrassed to call Bilas a Duke alum during those few minutes.

[KrazyKfan]

Jay Bilas reads and posts on this board. If you disagree with him, say so - but don't type anything you would not actually say to the man's face. Internet courage is amusing.

If I saw Jay Bilas and Seth Davis today, I would call them traitors. Jay Bilas especially, because he played in a national championship as a player and won two as an assistant coach. Now, we have a great team that can beat everyone except UNC (ugh, I hate saying that) and we're not even going to get by Texas or Minnesota in Jay's eyes. Jay, I know you're trying to be objective, but when Hubert Davis think Duke is going to do better and Carolina do worse than you do, you're on the wrong side if it all.

Although was that a hint of loyalty when he asked what Hubert was smiling about?

[365Duke]

I didnt see the cat fight, I'll have to go prowl youtube later this evening.

http://espn.go.com/

click on "debating the 65" video with dick v.'s pic

[jipops]

While I didn't hear the Bilas/Vitale exchange, I did sense a lot of tension between Mike Patrick and Vitale while they "called" the game today. It was very noticeable that Patrick was getting a little tired of Vitale. Has everyone had their fill of Vitale? I know I have.

Seriously? I had my fill of Vitale back in the 80's. At this point I pretty much go numb when I hear his voice.

[GoingFor#5]

I enjoy Vitale. He's fun and loves basketball. We have enough know-it-all PhD Hoopsologists that I'd rather watch a guy who is just having fun and showing heart. All the so-called hoop experts are like stock pickers anyways...not exactly the most accurate prognosticators.

[jipops]

For whatever it's worth...I know a guy who delivered some furniture to Vitale at his house in FL. The guy is a happy go-lucky type of guy and starting hamming it up to Dicky V...Saying stuff like "Call a T-O Baby!", stuff like that...He said Vitale didn't even crack a smile, was not amused, walked out of the room and kind of came across as a jerk and definitely very different than his TV alterego...

I've heard many stories to the contrary that Vitale is a genuinely nice guy. I would think having some guy mock your shtick for the millionth time would be a bit annoying. However, I still think he's not very good at his job, or atleast what we would like his actual job to be.

[JG Nothing]

http://espn.go.com/

click on "debating the 65" video with dick v.'s pic

Thanks for the link. After watching the exchange, I'm not sure what the big deal is. They had a disagreement that I would not even call heated. Bilas was not smug and Vitale's defensiveness towards the end was pretty mild. It's not like anyone raised their voice or walked off the set.

[feldspar]

It appeared that Jay is tired of arguing with a guy who barely watches the games he is announcing, much less watching anyone else. Jay is a hoophead who has command of what's going on around the country. Vitale can't even cover the games he is assigned to. If it's that obvious to us, it is even more obvious to his fellow analysts. Jay could have come across better, but Vitale has become such a cartoon character (and Phelps is even worse) that it's difficult to take anything he says seriously.

dukemsu

Well, it's not just that. It's that Vitale goes with his heart and Jay goes with his head. Vitale, yes, is most times a loopy old man, but he really does love these kids who play the game, and it just breaks his heart to see teams like St. Mary's get their hearts broken.

I thought Doug Gottleib made Vitale's argument much better than Vitale did. Jay was wrong when he said St. Mary's didn't make an effort to go out and play good teams. They did make the effort, it just turns out that the teams they chose happened to have down years.

[rthomas]

I enjoy Vitale. He's fun and loves basketball. We have enough know-it-all PhD Hoopsologists that I'd rather watch a guy who is just having fun and showing heart. All the so-called hoop experts are like stock pickers anyways...not exactly the most accurate prognosticators.

You must like the sound of finger nails scratching on the black board.

[JG Nothing]

I think Knight did say something like that about women. If that's what he meant, hilarious. You could see the guys in studio not knowing how to react. Not quite sure of his point.

If I had to guess, I think he meant that these tournment committee people dont necessarily watch men;s basketball exclusively and are therefore not experts or qualified. Some watch women's, some men's, but none are experts. I think he was trying to say men's experts should pick men's brackets and women's experts should pick women's brackets.

Love the awkwardness on the PC espn network though!

I'm not sure why sexism is hilarious. The problem is not PC; it's grown adults not having the guts to tell a coddled anachronism that he is wrong and a jerk.

[godukerocks]

You must like the sound of finger nails scratching on the black board.

If I heard Vitale for every game of the season, then that would definitly have a direct coorelation with fingernails on the black board. But spread out, I love listening to him.

[dukemsu]

Well, it's not just that. It's that Vitale goes with his heart and Jay goes with his head. Vitale, yes, is most times a loopy old man, but he really does love these kids who play the game, and it just breaks his heart to see teams like St. Mary's get their hearts broken.

I thought Doug Gottleib made Vitale's argument much better than Vitale did. Jay was wrong when he said St. Mary's didn't make an effort to go out and play good teams. They did make the effort, it just turns out that the teams they chose happened to have down years.

I hear you, but this is along the lines of Vitale loving every coach, thinking no coach should ever get fired, every team should get in, on and on. I guess every analyst team needs a bleeding heart for the little guy, but I am so disgusted with Vitale's overall work that I have a hard time with his gushing love for everyone.

The guy used to actually be good. I watched an old IU/OSU game on one of the classic networks and couldn't believe my ears. He broke down zone presses vs. man presses. He wouldn't even think of doing that now, though he did recognize Duke playing zone today. I almost fell off my chair. The guy obviously does no game prep whatsoever and almost refuses to talk about the game that is actually going on in front of him.

dukemsu

[rthomas]

At the very end of the ESPN video (linked above) Digger is stabbing his finger at Jay - Is that mocking Vitale? Or what?

[feldspar]

I hear you, but this is along the lines of Vitale loving every coach, thinking no coach should ever get fired, every team should get in, on and on. I guess every analyst team needs a bleeding heart for the little guy, but I am so disgusted with Vitale's overall work that I have a hard time with his gushing love for everyone.

The guy used to actually be good. I watched an old IU/OSU game on one of the classic networks and couldn't believe my ears. He broke down zone presses vs. man presses. He wouldn't even think of doing that now, though he did recognize Duke playing zone today. I almost fell off my chair. The guy obviously does no game prep whatsoever and almost refuses to talk about the game that is actually going on in front of him.

dukemsu

Oh I agree. I think ultimately, Jay was right, but I can see where Vitale is coming from.