OT: Dick Vitale to be Game Analyst for Final Four [EDIT: For international TV]
Yes, you read it right, folks. Everybody's favorite color commentator will be calling his first Final Four this April, thus continuing his quest to announce every big Michigan basketball game and annoy every Wolverine fan to death. It's gonna be awesome, baby!
And if that wasn't fantastic news already, Jay Bilas will be doing the OTHER semifinal game.
/Smacks head against brick wall
EDIT: This will only be for International TV as it turns out. Sorry to all Michigan Fans in Canada.
February 6th, 2013 at 5:46 PM ^
As Tirico said last night, have to go to Canada to hear him
February 6th, 2013 at 5:51 PM ^
or argentina.
February 6th, 2013 at 6:38 PM ^
Every poster here will be on excellent behavior so they do not have to listen from Bolivia...
February 6th, 2013 at 5:52 PM ^
He was killin' me last night.
February 6th, 2013 at 8:43 PM ^
No no no. I live in Canada and we don't get ESPN international. Instead we have TSN, which has its own panel in studio and carries the cbs/tru/tnt/tbs feed, or we can watch it on CBS.
February 6th, 2013 at 9:33 PM ^
Didn't know you guys got CBS in Canada? Do you get NBC and ABC too?
February 7th, 2013 at 9:31 AM ^
Yes, most people get them all ota and every cable/sat company has them all. Often the Detroit stations, too.
February 6th, 2013 at 5:50 PM ^
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Edit: Overseas coverage. Still horrifying!
February 6th, 2013 at 5:49 PM ^
This is incorrect, unless you're outside of 'MERICA.
February 6th, 2013 at 5:50 PM ^
Cannot adequately express how happy I am that I will be in the U.S. for the tourney
February 6th, 2013 at 5:51 PM ^
I do not think this is how you expand the game globally
February 6th, 2013 at 5:51 PM ^
I will not care at all who is announcing the Michigan game in the final four because that would mean that we are in the final four
February 6th, 2013 at 5:56 PM ^
Pam Ward is smiling in her lair.
February 6th, 2013 at 5:58 PM ^
Agreed. If we make the final four, I'm going to the final four. Don't care if Pam Ward + Vitale are a team with Terrelle Pryor as their sideline reporter.
February 6th, 2013 at 5:59 PM ^
I wanted to slit my wrists, VERTICALLY, last night listening to those two clowns. Samantha Steel...ERRR, Ponder was the only one worth listening to, and for obvious reasons.
February 6th, 2013 at 6:02 PM ^
The guy is straight up horrible. I just don't understand why he has the job he does. He's awful, I don't even know how many times I said "fuck you Vitale" last night.
February 6th, 2013 at 6:02 PM ^
Imagine the take in tolls as everyone in Canada hurries across the border....
February 6th, 2013 at 8:45 PM ^
Ahhh Windsor. Miss home
February 6th, 2013 at 6:09 PM ^
Jay Bilas has always been complementary to Michigan once he got over his snit for Amaker being fired. He's also pretty good on the call.
February 6th, 2013 at 6:10 PM ^
I actually like Vitale. He seems like a guy who genuinely loves basketball and that is all he cares about. He gets excited about storylines, big plays, and doesn't appear to have any school biases. Analysts who try to sound smart are a dime a dozen and often are reciting typical talking points with mainstream biases. Vitale is different in that all he cares about is having fun. I completely understand why some people don't like him or find him annoying, but you can count me as one of the few who enjoy it when he calls games.
Every announcer sucks when Michigan is losing though.
February 6th, 2013 at 6:16 PM ^
I like Vitale too, but last night Craft was made out to be a god in that he shut Burke down defensively. Trey had a really terrible night with 16 points and 8 assists. /s
February 6th, 2013 at 6:46 PM ^
I don't like Vitale, but Craft was not responsible for a LOT of those points and assists. Many of them came in transition that Craft was not responsible for or on switches where he was not on Burke (because he had to shift over to cover for other Buckeyes in the wrong place).
Also, like, Burke is the best player in America. Doing a reasonable job on him is a huge accomplishment. Proof that Craft is a beast can be found when he made Stauskas look like an absolute bum the one time he was on-ball defending him.
February 6th, 2013 at 6:59 PM ^
Vitale was great last night until he started mentioning Indiana during every pause in action. I muted him and did not regret it.
February 6th, 2013 at 6:10 PM ^
I imagine he'd be more insufferable than usual at a final four game.
And here's a terrifying thought. What if Duke is playing in the final four? That's like Dick Vitale multiplied by ten.
February 6th, 2013 at 6:16 PM ^
Doesn't the rest of the world hate America enough already?
February 6th, 2013 at 6:19 PM ^
Female Kentucky fans around the globe will be very happy.
Since, you know...
February 6th, 2013 at 6:23 PM ^
First Guantanamo. Next Iraq. Then drone attacks. Now this. Doesn't the world hate us enough?
February 6th, 2013 at 6:28 PM ^
is AWFUL.
February 6th, 2013 at 6:47 PM ^
Relief that it is only overseas.
Was I the only one laughing at OSU when Dickie 'signed' that LOI?
February 6th, 2013 at 8:42 PM ^
""Fans around the world will now experience his passion and enthusiasm for life and the game." - ESPN VP John Wildhack, on Dick Vitale's assignment
Well, as long as they allow Vitale to bring his entourage....
February 6th, 2013 at 7:03 PM ^
If he'll tell his "I'm just a jock who was given a mic" story yet again.
February 6th, 2013 at 7:10 PM ^
I feel bad for Stauskas' parents.
February 6th, 2013 at 7:32 PM ^
is hurting my eyes.
February 6th, 2013 at 8:28 PM ^
I live in Korea. Missing Taco Bell and American pizza was bad enough. Now this?
February 6th, 2013 at 9:04 PM ^
It's a good thing "Duke" translates well. I wonder if "Ohio State" does too.
February 6th, 2013 at 10:31 PM ^
i'm sure espn has numbers regarding DV's popularity but they must realize his broadcast at best can be described as annoying and uninformative.
February 6th, 2013 at 11:55 PM ^
ESPN loves Dick! They will take Dick deep into anything! It's awwwwwwesome baby! Did you see Dick's nose? Dick hit a plate glass window! Ouch! I dislike Dick.
February 7th, 2013 at 12:12 AM ^
When it comes to passion for the game, homerism and quality announcing. If he was as crazy as Ufer he would never be on espn. I don't get why people don't like him.
February 7th, 2013 at 12:59 AM ^
Only did Michigan games. As a Michigan fan your comparison is blasphemy.
February 8th, 2013 at 2:47 AM ^
I'm just saying that people on here are bashing Dickie V for his sight slappyness for Duke. He is great for college basketball. Ufer was great for Michigan Football. The only difference is that Ufer was over the top.
February 7th, 2013 at 9:32 AM ^
He is terrible and Bob wasn't. The Malibu is the Ferrari of the Chevy line up.....pause......pause.......pause....... NOT!
February 7th, 2013 at 10:32 AM ^
He lost me at about the point he signed a LOI to play football at Ohio State on our home floor. Ok it was probably before that but it was a Dick move!