Donovan Strikes Gold

by BlueBloodedCatfan on Jul 11, 2008 5:45 AM EDT

I know this has been talked about at length on this site, but this article came out yesterday. Dick Vitale is amazing

He can flat-out recruit … he's a salesman deluxe, baby! You'd better believe his reputation helps as players have an incredible desire to compete for him. It is a great asset in the recruiting wars.

While I won't argue against that statement, this is what got me riled up

Recently he received a verbal commitment from Doc Rivers' son, Austin, to attend Florida. That's right, the same Doc Rivers who stood tall with the gold trophy as the Celtics responded from a disastrous season in 2006-07 to capture the NBA championship in 2007-08! Austin, at age 15, is a future PTPer.

He goes on to say

It is a win-win situation for the Gators, the Rivers family, and a young man who gets to play for a coach that relates well to the modern-day athlete.

Here is what he had to say about Avery

I'll tell you what is next. We are going to have some coach looking at a great athlete who just produced a child. The coach can go to the nursery, check out a true diaper dandy, look at the size of his feet and offer him a scholarship! Yes, I am just kidding, but you have to wonder to what lengths people will go to recruit!

Think about what can happen for an eighth grader between now and college. It is five years, but the kid has lock city with a firm offer of a scholarship. Gillispie made the offer, but I don't think it is healthy and good for college basketball.

And concludes with this

Kentucky got a lot of headlines out of the Avery story. The bottom line is that this is not good for the game.

Once again, another biased article at ESPN. Didn't that NABC ask coaches not to do this? A little less than 2 weeks later, Billy Donovan spits in their eye. wasn't it just a few weeks ago Kentucky caught so much grief after accepting a commitment from a 15 year old Michael Avery? A little Biased here don't you think? Serious, why is Gillispie the sinful one that is now making the NCAA thinking about changing the rules, and the other Billy praised as the golden child?

7 recs | Comment 18 comments

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Comments

Amazing... yet unsurprising

Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."

by chirop1 on Jul 11, 2008 7:02 AM EDT 0 recs

Dukie V

Not, apparently, has him some Billy Donnovan man-love.

by btcoop71 on Jul 11, 2008 8:25 AM EDT 0 recs

Not=Now

by btcoop71 on Jul 11, 2008 8:41 AM EDT up 0 recs

Wildcat fan don't need him around anyhow

People are forgetting how he threw us under the bus when OTS left. If you’ll notice his favorites are becoming those that he has easy access to down in Florida or those that write big checks to his foundation. All that aside he is a hugh self poromoter, very sensitive, loud and irritating to listen to. Wasn’t it pleasant when he had to shut up for most of last year? I don’t at all look forward to his “insights” this year. To each his own, but if I never saw or heard him again I think my basketball watching life would be enhanced. Particularly now with this HOF thing, I think he has gotten way to big for himself. If he ever had any credibility it is just about gone and your good article helps point that out.

by Slim Wagers on Jul 11, 2008 8:34 AM EDT 0 recs

Vitale

I’ve never minded the guy too much. I like his enthusiasm, even though it does get annoying sometimes. Yes, he’s always been a big ACC guy, but it seems like most college b-ball analysts are. But this gets me a fired up. BlueBloodedCatfan has done a superb job of finding and presenting this hypocrisy.

by Acdixon on Jul 11, 2008 9:10 AM EDT 0 recs

This is ...

... one of the worst examples of a double-standard I have ever seen out of a national commentator. I just can’t believe this guy. He either doesn’t realize both kids are the same age, or doesn’t care. With Vitale, it’s just hard to figure out which.

You can bet there will be repercussions, at least from this website. Nice find.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Jul 11, 2008 10:34 AM EDT 0 recs

Spreading the word

On a couple of websites I frequent that are not Kentucky specific, I linked BlueBlooded’s post and his arguments. The reaction I’ve seen so far this morning is what you would expect… they all agree that it is the definition of hypocracy, but that it is nothing exceptional out of ESPN.

I also took the liberty of sending his arguments on in an email to all the espn radio shows that I enjoy listening to. I doubt any of them will pick it up and talk about it, I mean come on… those third place Yankees have fans wearing moustaches! We have to cover the important stories!

Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."

by chirop1 on Jul 11, 2008 10:52 AM EDT up 0 recs

I am doing the same thing

I sent an email to Bryan the Intern and Matt Jones Linking to this sight and also made a post on Kentuckyink about it

by BlueBloodedCatfan on Jul 11, 2008 11:01 AM EDT up 0 recs

SoS

Is anyone really shocked?Same ole story.Not only does Vitale not call him out,but he goes on to blow smoke up his,well you get the picture.Very predictable.Let BG go after another 15 year old and ESPN will issue a SPECIAL REPORT,lol.

by -Zoso- on Jul 11, 2008 11:56 AM EDT 0 recs

Yes, Zoso, really,

how incredibly predictable and par for the course, isn’t it? Has Vitale gone mad, he should be absolutely embarrassed by this "piece of work?"

Quite frankly, lately, unless it is the rare occasion that he is talking about Kentucky, I have been known to mute the television when he is speaking. I actually find him very insufferable, what with the ridiculous rants and the fact that he goes on and on and on and on about things—honestly, after a while, I forget what the original topic was and his point is completely lost. To me he is just an incredibly super-silly sports analyst. (Does he actually have that title, "analyst", hmm?)

Regarding the hypocritical nature of this latest article (good presentation of the articles BlueBloodedCatFan) I am inclined to think that Slim Wagers (in above post) has a point. Maybe, just maybe, this has more to do with his precious V Foundation (and getting those nice big donations - although, I do believe that charity is always a worthy cause, even if he does go overboard in promoting it every chance he gets) than old Dick trying to stick it to Kentucky. I mean, he did actually have some rather flattering things to say about Coach Gillispie last season. I also wonder - if the young Florida commit didn’t just happen to belong to a high-profile family, would DV have even taken the time to write the article in the first place?

I admit that this contradictory article of his should probably disturb me a bit more than it does, but really, for me to be upset about Dick Vitale would require that I took him the least bit seriously and that I actually respected his work to begin with.

by BigSkyCat on Jul 11, 2008 4:04 PM EDT up 0 recs

Great moves..

in linking other web sites. While I am sure most people will just gloss over it, one has to think it will do some good in shining a light on vitale as be a hypocrite.

by wldcatsfreak on Jul 11, 2008 1:23 PM EDT 0 recs

Check it out

I sent this link to Chris Diggs over at the CJ and he did a write up on it

by BlueBloodedCatfan on Jul 11, 2008 1:42 PM EDT 0 recs

OOP

http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/catsfan/blog.html

by BlueBloodedCatfan on Jul 11, 2008 1:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

Very nice

Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."

by chirop1 on Jul 11, 2008 2:10 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'm ...

... sorry I have bee out of it all day on this, guys and gals. This is a hot, hot story that deserves front page treatment, and it is going to get it in a very few minutes.

I finally got on top of my day job, and now I can take care of the blogging.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Jul 11, 2008 3:40 PM EDT 0 recs

Hipocrisy Reigns

Sadly I am not surprised. I just hope someone who has his ear calls him out on this obvious double standard. I had already grown tired of his act and now this comes up!

by SevenRings on Jul 11, 2008 3:54 PM EDT 0 recs

(In My Best "Wizard Of Oz" Voice)

Pay no attention to that man with one eye and no hair (Vitale) behind the curtain.

I think colleges should only accept commitments from 16 year olds and up.

by FortyYearCatFan on Jul 11, 2008 4:15 PM EDT 0 recs

Speaking of Hypocrisy

I seem to recall Dickie V making a few derogatory comments about Billy D’s credibility during the Orlando Magic coaching debacle (when he thought his mic was off) while doing a radio show out of his home town in Siesta Key, Florida. Does anyone else remember that? Seems that the two have more than just kissed and made up, doesn’t it?

by tooblue on Jul 11, 2008 4:52 PM EDT 0 recs