For me he'll always be the voice of college basketball. Longtime Final Four analyst Packer dies at 82
That he was for quite a long time. My condolences to his family, friends and fans. As for myself, I gotta admit I've got a soft spot for Dick Vitale. Back in 2011 he trashed the Selection Committee for putting my alma mater VCU in the Big Dance, and after we made it all the way to the Final Four we rubbed his nose in it: Of all the announcers who said we didn't belong, he was the only one who came to Richmond and patched things up with us, and we love Dickie V for it. He's a class act: At 83 he's a couple of years older than Billy was, so we've only got a few more years to enjoy his play calling and love for the game. He's one of the people who makes college basketball the best sport in America.
I find Vitale entertaining, but I also think his emphasis on individuals ("diaper dandies", etc.) pushes the game in the wrong direction. That is in contrast to Packer, who was an unabashed proponent of the team game. I confess that I'm an old school Hoosier with a particular view of how the game should be played.
It's all good. A friend of mine went to her first college basketball game last week and now she's hooked. Ya gotta love college basketball - the game, the fans, the spirit. No other sport compares. And the conference tournaments and Big Dance will be here before we know it. So you're an Indiana fan?
Hoosier? You're a Hoosier? Ah, JH..., explains so much. Thanks for keeping Ky from falling into TN, ha~!
