The world’s best known shrieking basketball analyst was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame yesterday, and event which ESPN is understandbly hyping to no end. I’ve written before about how Vitale is, in my opinion, one of the very worst color commentators in the business, so you might be wondering “What do you think about this yowling idiot being in the Hall of Fame?”
I’m perfectly fine with it, actually. It’s a well-deserved honor– as much as I dislike listening to him, and think that any useful insight he may once have had to offer has long since sunk into a sea of shtick, there’s no denying that he has been tremendously important to the game of college basketball. Casual fans who couldn’t name a single coach in this year’s Final Four nevertheless know Vitale, and he’s played a big part in making the game as popular as it is.
So, congratulations to him. It’s probably too much to hope that he’ll take this as a cue to ride off into the sunset, but he’s earned the honor.