Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Welcome Back, Dicke V

I've never professed to be a Dick Vitale fan. As a broadcaster, he can just be tough to listen to. But his passion is amazing, and I have heard that he is a remarkably nice man. I respect all of that.

Oh, he's also a Yankees fan. Not that that makes or breaks him.

Dickie V returned to ESPN tonight after having surgery to remove lesions from his vocal cords. Thankfully those lesions proved to be benign. Vitale is on the call of tonight's Duke-North Carolina game in Chapel Hill with Mike Patrick, and having watched the first half, I have to hit the cliché machine!

It's awesome, BABY!

For you Connecticut sports fans, the game features one of "our" own - Dave McClure from Ridgefield, who attended Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford. I got to call a few of McClure's games on WGCH - including a brutal state championship loss and a thrilling one-point win at Greenwich, on a lay-in at the buzzer by McClure.

Sticking in college hoops, I have great respect for the hard-as-nails coach. You know who I'm talking about - Parcells, Lombardi, and yes, Robert Montgomery Knight. Here's hoping that Coach Knight either enjoys retirement, or returns soon in a situation that works for him. For all of his "issues", he's a winner with very old-fashioned values. Those are the types that I always responded the best to, perhaps because they put the fear of God in me. I have all the respect in the world for the man at the other end of the spectrum - the Wizard of Westwood, Mr. John Wooden (noted Yankees fan, I might add).

Oh, how about some high school hoops? Who's the giant killer in the state of Connecticut right now? I'll give you a hint - I call some of their games on WGCH! Earlier in the season, the Cardinals of Greenwich knocked off Harding. Then last Friday they shocked Trinity Catholic. Last night, they not only beat St. Joseph, but they won by 11 (and you heard it on WGCH). Next comes Bridgeport Central. No easy task.

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