Like It Or Not, Dick Vitale Is Here To Stay
Still Picks Kentucky To Capture SEC
He's been called the "Motormouth from the Motor City", a nickname he picked during his coaching days at the University of Detroit and later with the NBA*s Detroit Pistons.
More recently he's been dubbed the "Bald Bard of Basketball," a moniker he picked up because of his flashy style in announcing college basketball games on ESPN.
Dick Vitale lived up to those names and more last weekend when he was in town as one of the featured speakers at UK coach Eddie Sutton's Coaching Clinic.
His fans say there's finally someone on the other side of the microphone who can entertain them and still put his foot down on issues concerning college basketball.
His detractors say he usually ends up with his foot in his mouth, which is all the better to stop his iritating speaking voice.
Whether you like him or not, you better get used to it. Dick Vitale is here to stay.
Mike Estep
Cats' Pause Columnist
For four months during basketball season you'd better resign yourself to the fact that his smiling mug will be beamed onto your television screen. He'll be right there in living color, giving his views in his unmistakable New Jersey brogue.
"It's something I love." Vitale said of his job calling basketball games at ESPN, and now ABC-TV, as well. "It's absolutely a basketball junkie's delight. To be able to go out to the kind of games that I'm gonna be going out to do and make my living doing it, it's awesome. I'm so lucky."
When asked if he could be coaxed back into coaching. Vitale replied there was no way, not even for the megabucks some college and professional coaches are bringing in today.
"There's not a coaching job in America that I'd give up doing what I'm doing. NBA or collegiate," Vitale said. "I really mean that. No amount of money. I really mean that. I feel I have the best job, for a basketball lover, that one could have. I have so many spinoffs that have happened to me now through ESPN, that has been my base. You know I have a radio show nationally every Sunday. I have a book out. a basketball yearbook, so many things.
"And I'm involved with the game. And I wouldn't give any of that up. Plus I'm with my family more. For four months I'm going bananas, traveling, man. I'm like the Marco Polo traveler. But then for eight months I'm with my family. Where with coaching, it's a twelve-month job. Now if I didn't have any of this, I'd have no choice, I'd go back to coaching. . .if somebody wanted me."
During his nonstop, 90-minute oration Friday night. Vitale became a basketball preacher, spreading the gospel of college basketball from his pulpit:
Vitale on Eddie Sutton: I've got a story about a kid from Kentucky. And this goes to my man Sutton. This guy wanted to play for Kentucky so bad. I mean he could taste it. Wear the Blue and White. Finally his dream was realized, they gave him a scholarship. But unfortunately for him. he got himself in a jam and passed away. He met the guy up at the Pearly Gates and said, "I'm so broken hearted, all my life I wanted to play for Kentucky, and finally my dream was realized."
The other guy says, "Don't worry about a thing, we got a great basketball team here."
Player: "But I was gonna wear No. 14, and I was gonna play at Rupp Arena, and the crowd was gonna be electrifying. When I came down the court against Alabama I was gonna stick the jumper, and I wanted to do it so badly in Rupp Country."
Other guy: "I'm gonna show you a great basketball program right here, don't worry about a thing."
So he takes him to the gym. And the guy sees a player wearing a shirt that says 'PC, and he sees another guy with an 'F'. He says, "What's this, what kind of uniforms are these?"
"Well, 'PC is for point guard, the 'F' is for forward, and 'C is for center. Don't worry about a thing."
Then all of the sudden, he sees this old man come running out into the arena, waving at the crowd.
"Who was that?" the player says. "He had 'ES' on his shirt. What position was that?" "Oh, that was God, he thinks he's Eddie Sutton."
Vitale on Kentucky: I can't believe it. I want to be reincarnated and come back to life as a great high school player and be recruited by Kentucky. That's my dream. Because tonight they meet me at the airport, I get off the plane, "Hi, Mr. Vitale, let me take your bags." Unbelievable. Then they take (UNLV coach Jerry) Tarkanian and I out to dinner at this great restaurant. I looked at Tarkanian and I says, "Jerry, I can't believe it. I'm bald headed, I can't shoot a lick." I says, "Can you imagine if my name was Rex Chapman?"
Vitale on UK this season: I think we're gonna see Rex Chapman become a star in college basketball. And Derrick Miller is a better player that people believe. The big question mark with Kentucky, the way I see it, is will Richard Madison finally live up to all the clippings he received out of Memphis, Tenn.? Or does he make the Dick Vitale All-Mystique team, mystery guy, a guy that becomes an up-and-down player?
If he comes to the front, they're gonna be very good again. I've got them still as my front runner to win the SEC. I really do. They're not Top Five like I had, without Bennett. They've got two common denominators. One, they've got great team defense. They're gonna guard people. That's No. 1. That's a trademark of Sutton's. They're gonna execute offensively and get the good shot. And the second factor is they've got good athletes. And if you check the conference this year, there are a lot of good teams, but none of the great, great super teams that come at you and you say, "Wow, they can't be beat." Who can't they beat? They can beat all those clubs, especially at home.
Vitale on the three-point goal: I think it's great for college basketball. I really do. I think it does several things. One, it creates more motion on the floor. Last year there were a lot of teams that packed it in, zoning, zoning, zoning. Now you've got to extend defensively. And I think it gives the little guy a chance to be a big time factor. A little guard can be as much a factor as a big guy now. And I think that's beautiful.
Basketball Junkie Dick Vitale
I think it favors the better team. That's the only part that worries me. We're taking away the upset. Same thing with the shot clock. I can tell you from coaching in the NBA. you can coach until you're blue in the face, but down the stretch of the game, the 24-second clock favors the better athletes, because it means more possessions in the game. I can't minimize the possessions as I can without the clock. Without the clock I can back the ball out, I can play with it and I can shorten the game.
Vitale on the top teams in the country this year: Based on what they have returning and new players, North Carolina steps up as No. 1. They lose a Brad Daugherty and they recruit a J.R. Reid. They lose a Warren Martin and they recruit a Scott Williams. But they're not a strong No. 1, like Kentucky in '78, or some of the Georgetown teams with Patrick Ewing or Louisville with their great, great teams of the past. They're beatable. Louisville I have No. 2. Louisville's got the great frontcourt, and I think Tony Kimbro and (Kenny) Payne area ready to become good big-time players because they're gonna get playing time. The key is gonna be their point guardcan they get their point guard to give them the kind of basketball it takes to win big.
Vitale on himself: That's my new sexy look (no glasses). Tom Sellick was voted the sexiest man on television last year and my goal is to win that award, and to have Dr. Ruth beat out Linda Evans and then have the two of us stand there as the sexiest people in TV. . .1 think I've got a shot.