Vitale Having Throat Surgery

[OrangeandBlack74]

...but his doctor's goal is to have him back at courtside in early February.

http://espn.go.com/dickvitale/071218lettertofans.html

[tornado]

Hey....he may not be able to talk, but he can still blog from courtside!!

Like him or not, Dick Vitale has probably been one of the best things for college basketball over the past couple decades.

[TheGreatOne]

On Mike and Mike this morning they read a letter from Dick Vitale and he said he loved the game of basketball, and all the fans that make it what it is. I think he is probably the #1 face for college basketball.

No matter what you personally think about Vitale, he always brings excitement and energy and he gets people up for the game.

I wish him nothing but the best in his recovery.

[Beninator]

On Mike and Mike this morning they read a letter from Dick Vitale and he said he loved the game of basketball, and all the fans that make it what it is. I think he is probably the #1 face for college basketball.

No matter what you personally think about Vitale, he always brings excitement and energy and he gets people up for the game.

I wish him nothing but the best in his recovery.

Well said.

[BradleyBrave]

Hey....he may not be able to talk, but he can still blog from courtside!!

Like him or not, Dick Vitale has probably been one of the best things for college basketball over the past couple decades.

I agree. He gets a lot of crap (some of it well-deserved) for seeming biased towards Duke, but he is a fan of the entire college game, not just the ACC or Big East or BCS. He has spoken at BU before, and has always been very complimentary of the quality of basketball played in the MVC. He may have left Dan Ruffin off of his recent list of best players under 6'0", but I bet if he were called out on it he would amend it. Here's to a speedy recovery!

[it's boogie time]

I like listening to Vitale when I have no rooting interest in the game. However, when I do care about the game, it's irritating to listen to him because he talks so little about what is happening on the court. The game seems secondary to his yellow pad of notes.

Obviously, many national announcers are like this, especially at the end of the season when everybody wants to get their opinions in about seeds and who is in/out.

[ManMythLegend]

I'm personally a fan of Dicki V. and Duke (second to Bradley, always). It probably does get annoying when he gets on his high horse about the Dookies, but you can't deny the guys pure love of college basketball. The thing I like most about him is he shares his passion during his broadcasts and he brings excitement to every game he's calling. Good luck Dickie and I hope for a speedy recovery!

-MML

[BUBraves06]

He's been great for the game, and it's because of people like him that college basketball is so popular. I know he gets on peoples nerves sometimes with his pro-Duke attitude, but his passion for the game is so strong that I just overlook it. I hope he recovers fully and quickly.