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Jarhead
02-07-2008, 05:14 PM
When I turned on the game last night, I had it on ESPN HD. No signal, so I switched to WRAL HD, and got the picture and background noise only. No play by play at all. It was working for me, because we got the loudspeaker announcements clearly. The missus was annoyed a bit, but I was enjoying it. Did not have to listen to Vitale. It stayed that way until the first TV time out when I decided I was lacking some game info. I went to get a radio for Bob Harris, but by the time I set it up Packer was talking. I went ahead with the radio. The missus didn't like the audio lag, so I listened to Packer. He had a few gaffs, but I was pleased not to have Vitale. So, how did Vitale turn out? I hope his recovery is OK, but did he change his techniques in any way?

crimsonandblue
02-07-2008, 06:01 PM
When I turned on the game last night, I had it on ESPN HD. No signal, so I switched to WRAL HD, and got the picture and background noise only. No play by play at all. It was working for me, because we got the loudspeaker announcements clearly. The missus was annoyed a bit, but I was enjoying it. Did not have to listen to Vitale. It stayed that way until the first TV time out when I decided I was lacking some game info. I went to get a radio for Bob Harris, but by the time I set it up Packer was talking. I went ahead with the radio. The missus didn't like the audio lag, so I listened to Packer. He had a few gaffs, but I was pleased not to have Vitale. So, how did Vitale turn out? I hope his recovery is OK, but did he change his techniques in any way?

Vitale was Vitale. Same schtick. No improvement. No decline. It was almost comforting to partake of his tired hyperbole.

Unfortunately, Patrick was also Patrick. Every layup a monumental moment in college basketball history. Each timeout, a brilliantly employed strategic triumph over clock and time. Each rebound directly to a player, an exhausting effort of unbridled enthusiasm and tremendous hustle. All made shots other than free throws, miracle "runners."

ESPN apparently knows I won't turn away and is taunting me by encouraging Patrick to be even more melodramatic than even the game before. And he's ever so informative. Did you know that turnovers were "exactly what Duke was looking for" and that uncontested layups are "just what North Carolina wants out of their offense"? Apparently, it's true.

3rd Dukie
02-07-2008, 06:20 PM
He was awful, as usual. Patrick may have been worse. I think they went almost the entire final seconds without talking about the game.
Just dreadful!!

rthomas
02-07-2008, 06:30 PM
Patrick was terrible with many many missed calls. Blatant misses.

You can check it out on ESPN360. I watched part of it again at work today. It's worth watching again even if it is Vitale and Patrick.

One good thing was the sideline reporter. I can't remember her name but she was quite nice.

weezie
02-07-2008, 06:39 PM
One good thing was the sideline reporter. I can't remember her name but she was quite nice.


Let's all write her fan letters and encourage her to occasionally give us a foul count.

rthomas
02-07-2008, 06:44 PM
Let's all write her fan letters and encourage her to occasionally give us a foul count.

word. Patrick never will.

But when I said nice, I wasn't talking about what she said.

weezie
02-07-2008, 06:46 PM
OK, wink-wink.
You dog you!

3rd Dukie
02-07-2008, 06:50 PM
He was awful, as usual. Patrick may have been worse. I think they went almost the entire final seconds without talking about the game.
Just dreadful!!

I meant to say 60 seconds.

Lavabe
02-07-2008, 06:56 PM
Vitale's performance: It was great!

PLEASE NOTE: I live in Atlanta where I had to watch Billy Packer. On the metaphysical scale of horrible in which Vern Lundquist is 0 (awful, but tolerable) and 10 is HORRIBLE (i.e., torture), Packer was a 10. Elmore is 9.

Seriously, is Packer physically okay? I actually got a little worried about him when they showed him last night.

The complaints here seem to be geared to Patrick, rather than Vitale. Call Vitale what you will, but he will never have the word curmudgeon placed next to his name.

Create a Poll Cheers,
Lavabe

3rd Dukie
02-07-2008, 07:04 PM
Vitale's performance: It was great!

PLEASE NOTE: I live in Atlanta where I had to watch Billy Packer. On the metaphysical scale of horrible in which Vern Lundquist is 0 (awful, but tolerable) and 10 is HORRIBLE (i.e., torture), Packer was a 10. Elmore is 9.

Seriously, is Packer physically okay? I actually got a little worried about him when they showed him last night.

The complaints here seem to be geared to Patrick, rather than Vitale. Call Vitale what you will, but he will never have the word curmudgeon placed next to his name.

Create a Poll Cheers,
Lavabe

Vitale was a 12.

Oh Canada
02-07-2008, 07:52 PM
Give me a break! Sometimes the posts on this site are unbelievable. I may not be a Vitale fan but without him and some of the enthusiasm of many other commentators (Patrick) the fan base and viewer support may not be where it is.
And guess what??? Without viewers, you won't get to watch any games on tv. If you're so against Vitale, Packer, Patrick, etc. watch it with no sound. I mean you still get to see the game.
As for Vitale, other than talking about the Super Bowl with around 30 seconds left I thought he did a pretty good job. He was even critical of a call by the zebras at one point which I thought was nice to hear.
Please stop all these ridiculous threads...makes many of you look like a bunch of whiners with nothing better to do than complain about things out of your control.

rthomas
02-07-2008, 09:51 PM
...makes many of you look like a bunch of whiners with nothing better to do than complain about things out of your control.

What's your point?

CrazyCat
02-07-2008, 10:43 PM
I actually enjoyed seeing Vitale back. He is a huge Duke supporter. Yes, I agree he can get a "little over excited", but I think the guy should be cut some slack. He has been sick as crap.

msdukie
02-07-2008, 10:43 PM
That would be Stacey Dales, who you will recall knocked Duke out of the 2002 Final Four. So then Alana knocked her out of her job playing for the Mystics as payback....

elvis14
02-07-2008, 10:54 PM
I was really bummed to have missed Dickie V's return due to the local blackout. College Hoops just isn't right without him. I know he has lots of haters and I understand and respect your opinion. And yes I do wish he'd stay on topic more. But the man loves the game like no other and his enthusiasm is just great. He's unique and I like it. He's kinda like Keith Jackson was to College football...the unique voice that everyone knows (although I am aware that Kieth was more widely liked and less annoying!).

Elvis

Jumbo
02-07-2008, 11:22 PM
All made shots other than free throws, miracle "runners."

I'm glad someone else picked up on that -- it annoys me to no end.


Did you know that turnovers were "exactly what Duke was looking for" and that uncontested layups are "just what North Carolina wants out of their offense"? Apparently, it's true.

Patrick also said something to the effect of "Lawson can't move laterally, which would affect his defense." Stunning analysis of an injury,

3rd Dukie
02-08-2008, 12:54 AM
Give me a break! Sometimes the posts on this site are unbelievable. I may not be a Vitale fan but without him and some of the enthusiasm of many other commentators (Patrick) the fan base and viewer support may not be where it is.
And guess what??? Without viewers, you won't get to watch any games on tv. If you're so against Vitale, Packer, Patrick, etc. watch it with no sound. I mean you still get to see the game.
As for Vitale, other than talking about the Super Bowl with around 30 seconds left I thought he did a pretty good job. He was even critical of a call by the zebras at one point which I thought was nice to hear.
Please stop all these ridiculous threads...makes many of you look like a bunch of whiners with nothing better to do than complain about things out of your control.

Nope. Not kidding even one little bit!
My opinion is that he is an immature buffoon who spoils the game. I happen to like the crowd noise and choose not to mute the game. Do folks get to have opinions in Canada? They do here, and that is mine. Don't like it, don't read it. Real simple.
Do you really think Vitale and Patrick are why there are viewers? Get serious, yourself. There are viewers in spite of those two clowns.

Oh Canada
02-08-2008, 08:00 AM
I kind of thought that by posting I was actually expressing an opinion. You see in Canada, we are polite and subtle about our responses. Probably why the world likes us so much. If you want to slam me go ahead but my position hasn't changed because of it. Vitale may be over the top but he is great for college basketball. I do think that his enthusiasm is what young viewers need. When a kid is watching the NBA on tv there is little enthusiasm. I love the fact that college commentators try to make things entertaining.

Lavabe
02-08-2008, 08:04 AM
I kind of thought that by posting I was actually expressing an opinion. You see in Canada, we are polite and subtle about our responses.

Two words:

DON CHERRY

:D

Cheers,
Lavabe

Lavabe
02-08-2008, 08:26 AM
Vitale may be over the top but he is great for college basketball. I do think that his enthusiasm is what young viewers need.

I don't dispute the substance of your point, much. Where I lose it with Vitale is when the conversation strays into 3-minute long discussions of baseball (Derek Jeter) that occur when you want to know more about, oh, the actual basketball game (like fouls, points, etc...).

Packer, on the other hand, is a curmudgeon. In essence, in a typical five minute segment, the number of positives he offers can be counted on one or two fingers. You may also forget his surly comments (http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2000/03/03/UndefinedSection/Billy.Packer.Derided.Women.At.St.Johns.Game-1451446.shtml)to a female Duke u'grad as he went into CIS. Over time, he has been known for this sort of 'tude... definitely not high on most of our lists.

Cheers,
Lavabe

Oh Canada
02-08-2008, 09:08 AM
I completely agree with you. As I said in my first post, I didn't appreciate the Super Bowl comment with 30 seconds left and things were still tight. Other then that, I thought he was much more behaved.

As for Packer, he' another story. I've been a Duke freak since '89 and have always found him to be in search of negative criticism of Duke. Besides, he doesn't have the enthusiasm I was referring to.

Don Cherry???? In Canada, he can only be tolerated for his 5 minute segments on Saturday nights!

3rd Dukie
02-08-2008, 12:01 PM
I kind of thought that by posting I was actually expressing an opinion. You see in Canada, we are polite and subtle about our responses. Probably why the world likes us so much. If you want to slam me go ahead but my position hasn't changed because of it. Vitale may be over the top but he is great for college basketball. I do think that his enthusiasm is what young viewers need. When a kid is watching the NBA on tv there is little enthusiasm. I love the fact that college commentators try to make things entertaining.

If we are going to talk about Canada's standing in the world, I'm afraid MUST recuse my self from this discussion. Failing to do so would cause me to incur a well-deserved lifetime ban. :):) Nice sarcasm on your part however.

Olympic Fan
02-08-2008, 12:30 PM
Count me among Dick Vitale's fans.

Yeah, I know he goes over the top and at times his comments wander off the game at hand. Coach K addressed that earlier this week. He was asked about Vitale's return and after raving about what a great ambassador he is for college basketball and how it's a crime he's not in the Hall of Fame yet, he said (this is a paraphrase, not a direct quote):

"He's like a fan watching the game. I know he sometimes talks about things other than the game in front of him, but fans do that too."

To me, the difference between Vitale and Packer is that Vitale really loves college basketball. If you ever get to deal with him away from the cameras, you'd know that his enthusiasm is real. He LOVES the game and he loves doing what he does. And it comes across on camera.

Packer is quite knowledgeable, but he always comes across as someone who hates what he's doing. He's constantly negative and he spends most of the telecast second-guessing officials. I don't know why he remains in the business -- it's obvious he hates college basketball and he hates what he does. To me, it's painful to listen to him.

PS He is very anti-Duke and there's a reason for it. Growing up in Pennsylvania, he idolized Dick Groat and dreamed of playing for Duke. When Coach Hal Bradley offered his last scholarship to another guard, Packer was very bitter. He committed to Wake Forest without visiting them because he knew they played Duke twice a year. He wanted to stick it to Duke ... and he still does.

wumhenry
02-08-2008, 12:39 PM
I was really bummed to have missed Dickie V's return due to the local blackout. College Hoops just isn't right without him. I know he has lots of haters and I understand and respect your opinion. And yes I do wish he'd stay on topic more. But the man loves the game like no other and his enthusiasm is just great. He's unique and I like it. He's kinda like Keith Jackson was to College football...the unique voice that everyone knows (although I am aware that Kieth was more widely liked and less annoying!).

Elvis
I like Vitale better than I liked Keith Jackson, who was as bland as cream of wheat with skim milk.

allenmurray
02-08-2008, 12:41 PM
But the man loves the game like no other

He loves the game in general. As for specific games, from listeining him do the color commentary I usually can't tell if he is watching.

calltheobvious
02-08-2008, 12:48 PM
I like Vitale better than I liked Keith Jackson, who was as bland as cream of wheat with skim milk.

Keith Jackson was bland?????????? Wow. Have you ever cared about college football? Because I have never ever heard a true college football fan describe Keith Jackson that way.

alteran
02-08-2008, 12:57 PM
You see in Canada, we are polite and subtle about our responses. Probably why the world likes us so much.

Uhm.... you're calling your original post (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showpost.php?p=99051&postcount=11) polite and subtle?

Do these words have some definition in Canada that I am not aware of?

You essentially got a response in kind, than had the audacity to complain about it, and then topped it off with a bunch of ethnocentric gibberish.

Aside from that, good post.

alteran
02-08-2008, 01:02 PM
My complaints about Vitale are mostly about his refusal to comment on the game. He is on the cutting edge of current commentary, which appears to be moving towards discussing the game at hand as little as possible.

I had the Packer commentary, and we frequently were in the dark on how many fouls people had. Frustrating.

My theory is that the networks are trying to appeal to low information watchers. They know those of us that are dedicated will watch no matter how much the commentators stink.

In fact, I'm probably the Billy Packer of commentator victims. I pretty much have complaints about all of them. :D

wumhenry
02-08-2008, 01:05 PM
Keith Jackson was bland?????????? Wow. Have you ever cared about college football? Because I have never ever heard a true college football fan describe Keith Jackson that way.
Ever? Yeah, but not since Staubach left the Academy, after my junior year of HS. Before that I was pretty keen for Navy and also Ohio State back in Hopalong Cassidy's heyday.
Maybe Keith Jackson got snarkier after I quit paying attention.

77devil
02-08-2008, 01:12 PM
In fact, I'm probably the Billy Packer of commentator victims. I pretty much have complaints about all of them. :D

I think G-Man on the Sunday Fox broadcasts is quite good at focusing on the game and avoiding the side commentary.

calltheobvious
02-08-2008, 01:21 PM
Ever? Yeah, but not since Staubach left the Academy, after my junior year of HS. Before that I was pretty keen for Navy and also Ohio State back in Hopalong Cassidy's heyday.
Maybe Keith Jackson got snarkier after I quit paying attention.

Ah. Glad I asked. You missed a lot. I think I'd get widespread agreement that Jackson is the best college football play-by-play guy ever, as well as one of the most colorful. The beauty of Jackson was that he was both passionate and colorful without being obnoxious. Vitale thinks he always has to be Vitale. Keith was just Keith.

Lavabe
02-08-2008, 01:21 PM
Uhm.... you're calling your original post (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showpost.php?p=99051&postcount=11) polite and subtle?

Do these words have some definition in Canada that I am not aware of?

You essentially got a response in kind, than had the audacity to complain about it, and then topped it off with a bunch of ethnocentric gibberish.

Aside from that, good post.

I am just hazarding a guess, Oh Canada, but you haven't really spent much time reading colchar on the Public Policy Board, eh?

crimsonandblue
02-08-2008, 01:33 PM
They've got perpetual scoreboards up in the corners and constantly run bottom lines. Why don't they flash the most recent call across a crawl box in the bottom for 20 seconds after the call or until the next? And then run at least points, rebounds and fouls across the bottom line. Then Vitale and the rest can yammer on endlessly about Pitino's genius of not wanting challenged shots, Jeter's bank account, diaper dandies, super bowls, Notre Dame, et al, and at least we'll know the basics of what's going on and on who exactly Ed Hightower, Karl Hess, Steve Welmer or Ted Valentine just whistled a ridiculous foul.

Lavabe
02-08-2008, 01:46 PM
I am just hazarding a guess, Oh Canada, but you haven't really spent much time reading colchar on the Public Policy Board, eh?

I guess that subtlety thing is why I like Canadians like colchar.;)

I'll admit, the PPB's colchar is a polite fellow, but "subtle?" Funny & charming, yes, but "subtle?" The subtle part doesn't jibe with recent discussions about Fleetwood Mac, religion, and "puck bunnies." The Almost dead HUCK thread seemed anything but subtle.:)

I'm still thinking of Don Cherry.:D

Cheers,
Lavabe

wumhenry
02-08-2008, 03:43 PM
Ah. Glad I asked. You missed a lot. I think I'd get widespread agreement that Jackson is the best college football play-by-play guy ever, as well as one of the most colorful. The beauty of Jackson was that he was both passionate and colorful without being obnoxious. Vitale thinks he always has to be Vitale. Keith was just Keith.
Colorful?!
My alltime favorite sports announcer is the late Bob Prince, who did the Pittsburgh Pirates broadcasts for several decades starting in the late nineteen-fifties. Vitale is a lot like Prince. By comparison with either, Keith Jackson was a cold fish.
Chacun a son gout.