Exit
SPORTS
style drew fans but also critics.
“With Vitale, as with ABC’s
Howard Cosell, you either love
him or loathe him. But whereas
Cosell can appeal to the intellect,
Vitale only assaults the senses,”
wrote William Taaffe for Sports
Illustrated in 1984, during Vitale’s fifth season at ESPN. “You
either like his act or, find yourself
turning down the volume control
(an L for the VC, no doubt).”
Nearly 30 years later, millennial
fans add a new critique to those
spelled out by Taaffe before many
of them were even “diaper dandies.” To fans who lived their entire lives with ESPN, Vitale’s exuberance and slang can seem like a
too-familiar schtick.
“Many in my generation loved
guys like Dick Vitale and Chris
Berman growing up,” Matt Yoder
of Awful Announcing wrote to
The Huffington Post in an email.
“But when you reach your mid
20’s there’s only so many times
you can be entertained when you
hear about ‘Maalox Mashers,’ ‘diaper dandies,’ and ‘PTPers.’ After
a while, there becomes a disconnect when Dickie V calls members
in Club Trillion ‘AWESOME BABY
WITH A CAPITAL A!’”
If there is any disconnect
between Vitale and segments
of the ESPN audience, his bond
with students on campuses
around the country — and with
fans of all ages on Twitter —
seems as strong as ever.
“We’ve been to, whether it’s
Duke or Kentucky or Syracuse, or
wherever it is, we’ve been there
lots and lots and lots of times, and
every single time it’s like Elvis or
the Beatles have walked into the
building,” Andy Katz of ESPN told
The Huffington Post about the reaction that Vitale receives.
Vitale remains keenly aware of
his critics.
“I have never ever been criticized for knowledge, for my preparation. And that’s one thing I’m
proud of. But, you know, let’s face
it, some people don’t like people
that are up tempo,” Vitale added. “That’s why we have different model cars, different kinds of
wine. We have choices and I can
deal with that. I understand. But
if someone who has worked with
me [doubted] my knowledge, my
preparation, then it would
really tear up my insides.”
PHOTO GALLERY: SWIPE DOWN FOR A GALLERY OF PERFECT MARCH MADNESS MOMENTS.
HUFFINGTON
04.07.13