Dick Vitale
Dick Vitale
Richard John "Dick" Vitale, also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well known as a college basketball broadcaster for ESPN. He is known for catchphrases such as "baby" and "diaper dandy", as well as enthusiastic and colorful remarks he makes during games, and has authored nine books and appeared in several movies...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSportscaster
Date of Birth9 June 1939
CityPassaic, NJ
CountryUnited States of America
The courtside seats belong to the kids.
What has happened with underclassmen declaring for the NBA draft? It is absolutely wacky, baby!
What has happened at Indiana, every game becomes a final exam. You are judged by your most recent performance, and that makes it tough for everybody in the program. It's tough enough to try to win without having that kind of pressure.
The only way we are going to stop this disease is to raise money. Jimmy would go absolutely bananas to know how much money has been raised. We can't just sit back. This disease affects all of us.
It was tough getting fired by the NBA. I really didn't know where I was going, until [ESPN] called me. I said, "Hey, 'ESPN?' Never heard of it. It sounds like a disease." Now I have that same disease as a sports fanatic. All this sports madness we didn't have years ago, now I'm very blessed and fortunate to be part of it.
Looking back, I remember telling my daughters that we didn't have money, pizzazz and a lot of the things we have today, but we had so much love and we lived like millionaires.
People that don't know me think that basketball is my life 24/7. Trust me, there is much more to my life. My number one priority in my life is my family.
My perfect day is to wake up with all kinds of energy and enthusiasm for the day, have a list of what I want to achieve, and at the end of the day look in the mirror and think man, this has been perfect. Everything I planned became a reality.
My childhood was epitomized by my parents who were uneducated but had a doctorate in love. My dad pressed coats and through my mom and dad I learned about love, family and respecting people. They never went to high school but they had within them every element that makes a great American. They had pride and a great work ethic and they knew how to do things the right way.
When I was growing up, I wanted to be a coach. I had people telling me you can't do this, you're not a great player. Be realistic. When I got rejection letters from colleges where I wanted to coach, my mom would say, "You are going to make it someday. You have something special within you and that is your spirit for life which will help you get to the top."
My parents were my heroes and my role models. So I thought long and hard over decisions that I would make because I never wanted to disappoint them and break their hearts.
Life is simple. Make good decisions and good things happen. Make bad decisions and bad things happen.
An All-American is an ordinary person with an extraordinary desire to excel. You don't get to the top of the mountain by just dreaming. It's nice to dream. But it's the work ethic and pride that makes you get to that mountain top and that level of success.
It's the greatest achievement I've ever witnessed in all my years of being a coach and a television personality. I really, absolutely have been blown away.