Dookie V. Returns: Welcome Back, Dick Vitale

Remember those days?  Just after Dick Vitale disappeared from the booth? 

Nothing was better than watching college basketball without having to hear him lament his love for Dook and Coach Krzyzewski.

No matter who was playing—Gonzaga vs. St. Mary's, Maryland vs. Clemson—he would manage to insert about 20 Duke-oriented compliments per game.  

Hence the nickname: Dookie V.  

Hearing guys like Len Elmore doing color instead of Vitale was so refreshing.  I thought ESPN must have finally done the right thing and let him go, or perhaps he just retired quietly.

Little did I know. 

I picked up my local paper to read why Vitale had been missing from the scene, and well, it wasn’t pleasant.
 
For those of you who didn't know, Vitale had major throat surgery to deal with ulcers in his esophagus, which were leading to strained vocal cords.  To think the one man I despised most on ESPN should suffer this most ungracious exit kind of bothered me.  

Part of it, I guess, is that the loss of such a rival really diminishes the fun of rooting against Duke.  Nothing was more enjoyable than yelling at the TV when Dick Vitale would say Duke was great, chanting “Ra!  Ra!  Ra!”

Hate the man or not, he is still the face of college sports.  Sure, his amateurish rants and catch phrases were annoying, but this really was a part of watching ESPN.  I mean, he’s largely responsible for my mega-loathing of Duke, and that says something about his influence.

So in conclusion, while it’s clear you’ll never ditch your annoying commentary and obnoxious Duke praise, it was also a little exciting to have you back in the booth with wingman Mike Patrick.

I still hope to see you exit sooner rather than later, but with class.  For now, welcome back, Dookie V.

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