Dickie V, Bill Walton or Other? | The Boneyard

Dickie V, Bill Walton or Other?

Whom would you prefer to hear as a game color commentator?

  • Dickie V

    Votes: 19 14.3%
  • Bill Walton

    Votes: 34 25.6%
  • Other

    Votes: 80 60.2%

  • Total voters
    133
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After having to listen to Dickie V last evening during the two Jimmy V Classic games, I started to question if I had a choice, perhaps listening to Bill Walton would be better!?

Whom does the yard prefer? I prefer "Other" in Bill Raftery.

Btw, I am happy that Dickie V was able to survive his medical ordeal.
 
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Dickie V, he has a lot of broadcasting cred (i.e. legendary), is genuinely passionate and loves college basketball. Sure he's hard to listen to and often annoying, but when he's gone I will miss him in a weird way.
 
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Raff had a big gaff last game I remember, but he’s good.
 
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Can’t we just go back to Bilas, McDonough, Raftery and Burke?

Those old school big East tourney commentator groups were insane.

Bilas WAS really good, the best. Sorry but he's somewhat insufferable these days. Still a good basketball guy but he's gotten away from what made him so good from what I listen to as of late. But agree, the good ol days, groups were the best.

I miss Clark Kellogg always enjoyed any game he did as much as any of the good ones, maybe more. Kellogg and Gorman excellent in the early Big East days.
 
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Bilas WAS really good. Sorry but he's somewhat insufferable these days. Still a good basketball guy but he's gotten away from what made him so good from what I listen to as of late. But agree, the good ol days, groups were the best.
Bilas needs to stick to the games. I agree. He seems to have become an opinionated commentator vs. an objective one.

I do think as you mentioned, groups are everything. Tough to get chemistry with the constant switching of personalities. Like as mentioned above, I really enjoy Bill Walton & Dickie V. But, if they don’t have the right PBP guy with them, it’s a free for all of word vomiting which leads to a muted TV.
 

borninansonia

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Dickie V taught me how much better college bball games were with the sound muted.
Bill Walton continues to remind me to mute the babble.
Bill R I listen to.
 
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Bilas WAS really good, the best. Sorry but he's somewhat insufferable these days. Still a good basketball guy but he's gotten away from what made him so good from what I listen to as of late. ...
What has he gotten away from that made him so good?
 

RayIsTheGOAT

Sticks, to the rafters
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Dickie V is a treasure. The passion and nostalgia makes up for maybe the lack of in depth game analysis.

The Gus Johnson/Bill Raftery combo is great. I’m guessing we’ll get multiple games with those 2 in Big East play.
 

August_West

Universal remote, put it down on docking station.
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After having to listen to Dickie V last evening during the two Jimmy V Classic games, I started to question if I had a choice, perhaps listening to Bill Walton would be better!?

Whom does the yard prefer? I prefer "Other" in Bill Raftery.

Btw, I am happy that Dickie V was able to survive his medical ordeal.


How would you feel about a game with @BigErnMcCracken on play by play with Vitale and Walton as the two color guys?
 
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Walton’s babble was cut out for commercials on several occasions and he was rude and overbearing at times. Made it all about him and his glory days, which nobody cares to recall.
 

Icehawk

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I haven't heard a Vitale call in a long time but he has a place in my heart from back when I used to watch games with my dad back in HS.

Bill... I like him for one anecdote and then it gets a bit much. I'll admit by the 3rd game he "called" I may have started to suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.

Seems like folks don't like him here but I love Donny.
 
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Walton is horrible and makes a mockery of a broadcast. Raft is hands down the best. Vitale was instrumental years ago in college basketball and making it fun - the Lee Corso of basketball. Tough to say a bad work about Vitale.

Glad to see Nantz is leaving college basketball - hopefully the Bird takes over for him calling the final four.
 
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Always liked Raftery, Kellogg and Bilas, and now Donny.

Walton is worth putting up with now because he's so big on UConn and sings the praises of the team and DH. He probably boosted us a few spots in the polls in fact. Outside that his act is tiresome, especially the "conference of champions" bit.

Vitale was fine and fun to listen to when ESPN first went all in on CBB. Everybody likes to hear their team is great, and he endeared himself to fans by praising every team and every player, but he's been unlistenable for more than a decade. Let me count the ways:
-always repeats what he just said;
-his stated role is the analyst but you never hear him talk about defenses and what a team needs to do to turn the game around. Just acts like the PBP guy by shouting out his calls on dunks, etc.
-obvious "homer" for Duke, Kansas, Michigan St., and ND and
finds ways to hype teams and coaches he loves during the game he's doing even though they're not in it;
-proves why he's a former coach by overlooking, for example, a great lead pass in traffic while going wild with his "dunk a roo" routine for a dunk by a 6'8" player. Highlights the obvious but misses the opportunity for a "teaching moment" for kids of all ages.
 
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I thought Raff and Johnson did a really good job in the OSU game. They provided some great stories, but also kept up with the action and actually let you know who the fouls were on. Something that seems to be a lost art in broadcasting now adays. I will take them any day, but I am really growing on Donny. But then I am an admitted UCONN homer. If I never hear Walton or Vitale again it would be great.
 
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Anyone but those two. Dickie V has long been my least favorite announcer, followed by Bill Walton. I like actual analysis and information added; thats why Donny has been a great addition to the color commentary the past few years. Give me Donny, Raftery,, Kellogg, Fraschilla and im happy
 

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