Dick Vitale - Dick Vitales Living a Dream: Reflections on 25 Years Sitting in the Best Seat in the House

R EFLECTIONS ON 30 Y EARS S ITTING IN
THE B EST S EAT IN THE H OUSE

DICK VITALE

WITH

DICK WEISS

F OREWORD BY M IKE K RZYZEWSKI

Copyright 2003, 2006, 2012 by Dick Vitale and Dick Weiss

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. ISBN: 978-1-61321-065-9

Printed in the United States of America

Where do I start to share my feelings about the importance of Howie Schwab to me throughout my career at ESPN and ABC? Howie is Mr. Dedication. He eats, sleeps, and drinks sports. Believe me, he has been responsible for many of the ideas that Ive utilized during my telecasts throughout the years. His research and knowledge have provided me with plenty of information that I have shared with the fans. Much of the data Ive used on camera, over the radio waves, through the Internet on ESPN.com, in ESPN the Magazine, and in various other capacities has been imparted to me by Howie. I dedicate this book to Howie Schwab for being so special. He has been invaluable to me in providing any information that I ever request. His quick response to any question I have involving the game of basketball has been remarkable. Yes, Howie Schwab, to put it in Vitalese, you are Awesome, baby, with a capital A. You are without a doubt a three-S mansuper, scintillating, and sensational. I thank you so much for all the time and energy you have extended to me throughout my tenure at ESPN.

Dick Vitale

To Hayden, Madison, Delaney and Griffin Schenker, Hunter Whitlock and Abigail Menear, who keep Joan and me young.

Dick Weiss

Friend. It is the most appropriate word I can think of to describe Dick Vitale. And though I do have a personal relationship with Dick, I mean friend in the larger sense of the word.

A 16-year coaching veteran of all levels of the game and one of the most popularand genuinetelevision personalities of our generation, Dick has been one of the great assets for basketball, particularly the college game. His impact on our sport has been significant, and through the years, it has spread from coaching to broadcasting. One of college basketballs biggest proponents, Dick has touched millions of lives through the years. The message has alwaysI repeat alwaysbeen positive regarding basketball. He truly has the best interest of the sport in mind, largely because hes been involved in the game in so many different ways.

As a coach, he touched lives in junior high school, high school, college and at the professional level. Not surprisingly, his resume is impressive. Dick led his alma mater, East Rutherford High School in New Jersey, to four sectional and two state championships in the 1960s. From there, he moved on to the college level, first as an assistant at Rutgers and then as the head coach at Detroit University, where he won 78 games, losing just 30 times. He then became head coach of the Detroit Pistons. His love of teaching basketball is still evident in his work. I dont know if Dick has ever really stopped coaching, even though hes not on the sidelines anymore. One thing is certainhe is a friend to all he coached.

Following his successful coaching career, he joined an upstart television initiative called ESPN in 1979 and was actually part of the first college basketball game ever aired by the network. Twenty-five years later, Dick has broadcast more than a thousand games, including many of ours at Duke, and has become a household name for his colorful style and antics, all done because he has a passion for what he does and for whom he reaches. Dick Vitale, simply put, is about peoplepeople from all walks of life, from all levels and all facets of our game. Whether it is his extensive work with charitable causes, touting the next PTPer or Diaper Dandy on the air, or greeting admiring fans before a game, Dicks exuberance for people is a cornerstone of success in everything he does. He will tell anyone how he feels, on or off the air, and he will mean it. To everyone he touches, he is a friend.

Not only does Dick give us his best on the air every week, he also finds the time to work for so many others through charityThe V. Foundation for Cancer Research and the Boys and Girls Club being the most prominent examples. Dick spends countless hours and devotes so much of his time to great causes such as these, and he does so with the same passion he exudes on your television screen every week. Basketball has given him the opportunity to help others, and he has taken full advantage of that avenue. Again, Dick touches lives. Hes a true friend.

His accomplishments are too many to list here. Among the highlights are his election into seven Halls of Fame and earning multiple national media distinctions and awards, including the 2003 National Pathfinder Award, which is given to a person who has demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of Americas youth. Although he has been honored in nearly every way, I still believe the greatest recognition Dick receives is that of a friend.

Dick has been a great friend to some, but he has never stopped being a friend to many. Mainly, he has been the best friend to the game. To me, that is his impact and legacy in the sport.

Mike Krzyzewski

Duke University

Before I pay tribute to those at ESPN and ABC who have been vital to my career, I must share a word about the most precious people ever in my lifemy mom and dad. My mother and father never had a formal education, but they each had a doctorate of love. They constantly inspired me to always pursue my dreams. I was fortunate to grow up in a home filled with love, which I shared with my mom and dad, my sister Terry and my brother John.

Now that I am beginning to celebrate my Silver Anniversary at ESPN, I want to acknowledge all of the following individuals for the generosity, support, and direction they have given me and a career that has filled me with so much happiness.

My beautiful family, who mean everything to memy loving wife Lorraine, my daughters Terri and Sherri, my sons-in-law Chris Sforzo and Thomas Krug, and my grandchildren Sydney, Connor and Jake.

In the early days, Scotty Connal believed in me and gave me a golden opportunity. Chet Simmons, our president, put the initial stamp of approval on Scottys recommendation to use me. And while Ive been at ESPN, many former executives such as Bill Grimes, Bill Fitts, and Ellen Beckwith have been essential to my growth. How could I ever not be indebted to Ellen Beckwith, who provided me with all of my assignments.