Time to turn down the volume on your television. Dick Vitale returns to the airwaves tonight.
Fittingly, college basketball's loudest mouth is back from throat surgery to broadcast his two favorite ACC teams, Duke and North Carolina. Vitale will be paired with Mike Patrick, who is without question the worst play-by-play man in all of sports.
Patrick makes Vitale seem tame by comparison. First of all, Patrick loves Duke. Every good play that Duke makes causes Patrick to erupt with unabashed joy. In fact, he describes each Duke basket as if it is the greatest play in the history of basketball. Listen carefully to him sometime. It's ridiculous.
As for Vitale, you have to admire the guy's passion for the game. He loves basketball, and that translates loud and clear in his commentary. However, Vitale's schtick has just gotten old with me. He's been around the sport a little too long. He has his favorite teams and favorite coaches, and those biases get in the way of any objective analysis.
In addition, his hyperbole is simply out of control. Memo to Dickie: Not every player can be described as being "among the best in America" at something. Not every player is "special." Lay off the superlatives a little, will ya?
Duke vs. North Carolina is obviously a key game: No. 3 in the country visits No. 2. However, I won't be watching. The broadcasting tandem is driving me away.
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