Dickie V

Richard J. Vitale is up as a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame this year. This is pretty difficult issue to write about but I think it is a very debatable topic. Should Dick Vitale be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame? As much as Vitale has been such a huge part of the excitement in college basketball since ESPN had him do the first live game for the network in 1979, I don't see how he is a Hall of Famer. His coaching career which includes eight years in college assisting at Rutgers U. for two of them and heading the University of Detroit for the remainder. As well as coaching in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons for a season and a quarter. But, let's face it, the reason for him being picked as a finalist for the Hall of Fame is because of him as a color commentator for college basketball games for more than a quarter of a century. Everywhere Dickie V goes for the big game he is mobbed by the student body of the home team, as been this way for years. His catchphrases will last forever and his enthusiam for this great game is special. That being said the biggest question I see in this debate is, "Would have college basketball been fine without him?". And, the only answer I keep coming up with is, yes! Yes, he was missed by his peers and die-hard fans earlier this year when he was out, but I really don't know if his impact for the game is worthy of a trip to Springfield, Mass. I am not at all a Vitale hater nor am I a huge fan of his. I did miss his voice earlier in the season at the big games on ESPN at night, but his antics have really gone overboard the last 5 to 10 years. I could really care less either way if he gets in or not. I guess that you can kind of in a way look at it as John Madden's impact on the NFL off the sidelines. Madden was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame a few years ago but I would have to side with Madden's situation having won a Super Bowl as a coach before becoming a video game god and commentating genius. Dick Vitale has been with ESPN for 28 years and just recently signed an extension through the 2012-13 season. At least this shows that ESPN really enjoys his company and think that he is too valuable to lose. Either way you look at it for or against Dickie V for the Hall, you can't deny his passion and love for the game. I just don't see Dick Vitale when I think of college basketball, but some I guess do.