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dio programs and provided analysis during the Final Four over the
years, but for the first time in his
34 years calling college basketball
games for ESPN, the 73 year old
will work the live broadcast of the
Final Four in 2013. With CBS holding broadcast rights for almost the
entirety of Vitale’s broadcasting
career, the honor and responsibility of calling the most important
games of the college basketball
season generally fell to announcers like Billy Packer, Jim Nantz and
Brent Musburger. Even this year,
CBS and Turner hold the domestic
television rights. While Nantz and
Clark Kellogg narrate the action for
most viewers, Vitale will make his
Final Four debut with ESPN International, where he will be heard in
150 countries and territories.
“Are they going to understand
me in China and Italy and all? People have a tough enough time understanding me here,” Vitale said
hours after the announcement in
February. He was on the air in Ann
Arbor calling a high-profile Big Ten
tilt between Michigan and Ohio
State when colleague Mike Tirico
brought up the news. “I’m excited
about it. I’ve worked with so many
great guys. You know, I was telling
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