Latest sign the apocalypse is upon us

[BigWayne]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8917568/espn-dick-vitale-work-first-final-four-34-year-career

[gwlaw99]

This will be my only consolation if we don't make it. I won't have to listen to Vitale.

[1999ballboy]

Isn't this just the international version of ESPN? I believe that those of us in the States still be able to watch the Final 4 on CBS as per usual.

[ricks68]

Better than me having to listen to Brent Musburger mispronounce Tony Barone's name all night as the announcer within the stadium of the FF in College Park in 1966. What a jerk. I have disliked him intensely ever since------about 46 going on 47 years. It's not pronounced like "Barown", but like "Baroney". Like, isn't the announcer for the FF supposed to know those things? I mean, if I had to pay a whole 7 bucks for that particular semi-final game, shouldn't I have gotten my money's worth. Sheesh!:mad:

ricks

(I seriously really do dislike his shallow understanding of a lot of the sports programming he supervises, not to mention his arrogance while going about it. At least Vitale understands college bball)

[BigWayne]

Isn't this just the international version of ESPN? I believe that those of us in the States still be able to watch the Final 4 on CBS as per usual.
I think you're right, but it is an opportunity to rag on good ole Dickie V.

[OldPhiKap]

Better than me having to listen to Brent Musburger mispronounce Tony Barone's name all night as the announcer within the stadium of the FF in College Park in 1966. What a jerk. I have disliked him intensely ever since------about 46 going on 47 years. It's not pronounced like "Barown", but like "Baroney". Like, isn't the announcer for the FF supposed to know those things? I mean, if I had to pay a whole 7 bucks for that particular semi-final game, shouldn't I have gotten my money's worth. Sheesh!:mad:

ricks

(I seriously really do dislike his shallow understanding of a lot of the sports programming he supervises, not to mention his arrogance while going about it. At least Vitale understands college bball)

But is his girlfriend hot?

I really hate how the Cheeseburger calls our arena "The Cameron"

[sagegrouse]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8917568/espn-dick-vitale-work-first-final-four-34-year-career

Dick Vitale doing the Final Four on ESPN International. OMG! Oh, the burdens John Kerry is assuming as Secretary of State! This will be an international incident. Do you think Romney upset the Brits with his comments before the Olympics? Vitale will prompt a full reexamination of relations with the US. Even in China, where there will be a translation service, the booming voice in the background will lead the Chinese to remove English from the public schools. Canada may request that the border be moved south 100 kms. or so, to provide further insulation. Except around Detroit, of course, where Vitale coached in college and the NBA -- there they will want the border moved north and will be happy to give up the turf.

sagegrouse

[loran16]

Isn't this just the international version of ESPN? I believe that those of us in the States still be able to watch the Final 4 on CBS as per usual.

So the international people get Dickie V's enthusiasm, while us Americans get Jim Nantz's "enthusiasm."

There is such a thing as a happy medium, broadcast companies. Please find it.

[miramar]

How are people outside the US supposed to understand Dick Vitale?

Even if he manages to slow down for an international audience, I can still imagine a Frenchman turning to a Dutchman and asking, "What does peeteepeeyuh mean in English?"

[loran16]

How are people outside the US supposed to understand Dick Vitale?

Even if he manages to slow down for an international audience, I can still imagine a Frenchman turning to a Dutchman and asking, "What does peeteepeeyuh mean in English?"

Actually, I disagree. Think about it: how many Americans are used to hearing the spanish broadcasts of futball for the goal calls (GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!) Vitale will sound like the american equivalent really.

[hurleyfor3]

People are acting here as if cbs and Clark Kellogg are the ne plus ultra of ncaa tournament broadcasting, which confuses me.

[oldnavy]

Seriously, I have been muting most games for a couple of years now (exceptions are if Bilas or Knight are doing color). You do not miss anything because it is rare if the announcers actually make a pertinent point.

My wife cannot do it even though she dislikes most of the announcers as well. I wanted to watch the UNC/Wake game with her, but had to go to the bedroom after Lenny Elmore said that James Michael McAdoo was playing well enough to be considered as ACC POY... or words to that affect.

Boy they get a talking point and they won't let it go...

[dukeofcalabash]

Better than me having to listen to Brent Musburger mispronounce Tony Barone's name all night as the announcer within the stadium of the FF in College Park in 1966. What a jerk. I have disliked him intensely ever since------about 46 going on 47 years. It's not pronounced like "Barown", but like "Baroney". Like, isn't the announcer for the FF supposed to know those things? I mean, if I had to pay a whole 7 bucks for that particular semi-final game, shouldn't I have gotten my money's worth. Sheesh!:mad:

ricks

(I seriously really do dislike his shallow understanding of a lot of the sports programming he supervises, not to mention his arrogance while going about it. At least Vitale understands college bball)

Wow, that's a long time to hold a little grudge for mispronouncing a name isn't it? BTW, what is YOUR last name? :D

[ChillinDuke]

Seriously, I have been muting most games for a couple of years now (exceptions are if Bilas or Knight are doing color). You do not miss anything because it is rare if the announcers actually make a pertinent point.

My wife cannot do it even though she dislikes most of the announcers as well. I wanted to watch the UNC/Wake game with her, but had to go to the bedroom after Lenny Elmore said that James Michael McAdoo was playing well enough to be considered as ACC POY... or words to that affect.

Boy they get a talking point and they won't let it go...

Serious question - how do people like Len come up with this stuff? Is it the networks feeding them talking points? Is it seriously their own inability to actually dissect players/situations/games? Is it an attempt to take up air time? A lack of understanding of the game? Limited knowledge across too many teams? A bias? A combination of all this?

In all honesty it's incredible to me (and a testament to many here) that people on this board provide so much more in-depth and on-point analysis of players, situations, and games than almost all of the highly compensated broadcasters, analysts, commentators, etc. Really and truly. I know that we mainly focus on Duke, so it's much easier. But give me a couple hundred thousand a year (or more) and you better believe I will be up on Xavier's back-up PG, San Jose St's recruiting class, and Rider's new coach (no idea if any of those things are actual talking points). Let alone the perennial powers that get so much air time and so much focus.

- Chillin

[hurleyfor3]

Seriously, I have been muting most games for a couple of years now (exceptions are if Bilas or Knight are doing color).

BTW, the positive way to look at this announcement is that Bilas will be covering the Final Four. Only one semifinal, and presumably the crappy early game, but it's progress.

[ricks68]

Wow, that's a long time to hold a little grudge for mispronouncing a name isn't it? BTW, what is YOUR last name? :D

Kerzhewzoooiskey;)

[Cameron]

"I will deliver the same enthusiasm, energy, excitement and respect as I do with every game I work." -Dick Vitale

Oh lord. Thank god I do not live in Yemen.

[Acymetric]

Seriously, I have been muting most games for a couple of years now (exceptions are if Bilas or Knight are doing color). You do not miss anything because it is rare if the announcers actually make a pertinent point.

My wife cannot do it even though she dislikes most of the announcers as well. I wanted to watch the UNC/Wake game with her, but had to go to the bedroom after Lenny Elmore said that James Michael McAdoo was playing well enough to be considered as ACC POY... or words to that affect.

Boy they get a talking point and they won't let it go...

Maybe its just me, but I just have a much harder time getting into the game with no audio. I would much rather listen to idiotic announcers than lose the ambient sounds of the game (squeaking sneakers, thuds from collisions and falls, ball bouncing, ball going through the net or off the rim, buzzers and whistles, etc).

[DukieInKansas]

Maybe its just me, but I just have a much harder time getting into the game with no audio. I would much rather listen to idiotic announcers than lose the ambient sounds of the game (squeaking sneakers, thuds from collisions and falls, ball bouncing, ball going through the net or off the rim, buzzers and whistles, etc).

Didn't ESPN air one game on several of their channels - 1 channel was the game with announcers and one was just the sounds in the gym so you really heard the sneakers etc. Of course, that might have been a quiet night in the Dean Dome. :-)

[throatybeard]

I want to say someone here a few years ago figured out a means of separating the audio signal through their receiver, such that they got all the ambient sound but not the announcers. Considering most college basketball announcers are really annoying, this sounds like a major upgrade to me.

[Acymetric]

I want to say someone here a few years ago figured out a means of separating the audio signal through their receiver, such that they got all the ambient sound but not the announcers. Considering most college basketball announcers are really annoying, this sounds like a major upgrade to me.

I'll be honest, having an idea how those signals our transmitted I doubt that is possible. Of course I'm no expert on it either so I could be wrong. Either way I would absolutely love that.


Didn't ESPN air one game on several of their channels - 1 channel was the game with announcers and one was just the sounds in the gym so you really heard the sneakers etc. Of course, that might have been a quiet night in the Dean Dome. :-)

I'm bummed I missed that. The only thing I would really miss about announcers (except for a few who actually add to the experience) is explanations about unclear calls or long stoppages. Updates on injuries as well I suppose.

Interestingly, I actually wish there was more "announcing" live in basketball stadiums in a similar way to football stadiums. The officials tell the crowd what the call was/what they're reviewing so you don't have to sit and guess while the officials stare at the monitor for 5 minutes.

[cptnflash]

Thankfully it's only international viewers who will be subjected to Vitale during the Final Four. The rest of us will have CBS like always.

Now if we could just convince them to bring back Gus Johnson...

[uh_no]

I'll be honest, having an idea how those signals our transmitted I doubt that is possible. Of course I'm no expert on it either so I could be wrong. Either way I would absolutely love that.



Stations already do it with SAP....multiplexing the spanish and english audio tracks on the same channel....there is no reason they couldn't do the same thing except with gym sounds

[nocilla]

Didn't ESPN air one game on several of their channels - 1 channel was the game with announcers and one was just the sounds in the gym so you really heard the sneakers etc. Of course, that might have been a quiet night in the Dean Dome. :-)

There was a game in 2010 I believe where they aired an alternate camera view of a Duke game on espn3. The announcers were the same, but in between play you saw and heard just stadium noise, the band, and that sort of stuff because there were no commercials. This may be what you are remembering.

[daveyro]

I'll be honest, having an idea how those signals our transmitted I doubt that is possible. Of course I'm no expert on it either so I could be wrong. Either way I would absolutely love that.



I'm bummed I missed that. The only thing I would really miss about announcers (except for a few who actually add to the experience) is explanations about unclear calls or long stoppages. Updates on injuries as well I suppose.

Interestingly, I actually wish there was more "announcing" live in basketball stadiums in a similar way to football stadiums. The officials tell the crowd what the call was/what they're reviewing so you don't have to sit and guess while the officials stare at the monitor for 5 minutes.


I am not sure I agree with football type announcing being useful (Vitale doesn't even belong in the conversation because he rarely talks about the game. He likes to talk about what high school programs people come from, who they played with, how great players on other teams are with no reference to the action at hand. And he knows one adjective: "special)". But I love a color commentator who teaches me things I don't know - the best seem to be in football when they show you how a player got free (or didn't) on a particular play. Phil S, Moose Johnson, for example. Outside of football, the best are Bobby Knight and John McEnroe. Bobby Knight "The weak side help was late because the ball fake to the shooting guard pulled a defender 2 feet past where he should have stayed." John McEnroe "Nadal's topspin to Federers backhand places the ball a bit too high for him to get his legs in place for a stronger return". Odd how few college hoops commentators who played/coached can't teach over the air.

[Olympic Fan]

Well, I guess I'm in the minority.

I LOVE Dick Vitale.

I do enjoy a game with Bob Knight doing color, but only in small doses.

Vitale is so much better than tyhe bulk of the announcing crews -- the Len Elmores of tyhe world -- that it's not funny. And anyb ody who would prfer Clark Kellog (the CBS color(less) man) to Vitale just doesn't like college basletball.

I wonder where I can I get the ESPN overseas feed and listen to that rather than Nantz-Kellog.

[daveyro]

Well, I guess I'm in the minority.

I LOVE Dick Vitale.

I do enjoy a game with Bob Knight doing color, but only in small doses.

Vitale is so much better than tyhe bulk of the announcing crews -- the Len Elmores of tyhe world -- that it's not funny. And anyb ody who would prfer Clark Kellog (the CBS color(less) man) to Vitale just doesn't like college basletball.

I wonder where I can I get the ESPN overseas feed and listen to that rather than Nantz-Kellog.


a little extreme to say someone preferring Clark Kellog to Vitale doesn't like college basketball. I don't need a carnival barker to get me pumped up about watching Devils for over 30 years, or any good team. The game is great on it's merits. I want someone to tell me what I miss having never coached or played at that level - the games within the game being played. pro's and con's of going over vs under a high screen; how Croft from Ohio can be defensive POY when he is not as fast as his assignment (Clark Kellogg explained why on a pre-game show); why ball movement on the perimeter worked in the first half but not the second - what adjustments were made? Why some Duke line-ups overplay the lanes and other ine-ups don't. Vitale went on and on about how "special" Zoubs was without pointing out that in his junior year he learned to keep the ball above his head and send it to the perimeter on an offensive rebound to creatae a new possession. etc.