When a Duke Basketball player hits a big three and gets back on defense and slaps the floor obnoxiously it’s called, according to Dick Vitale, passion. When a UK basketball player hits a big three and throws up the three goggles over his eye as he is getting back on defense, it’s showboating. When a Duke or North Carolina basketball player dunks the ball and flexes or yells, it’s called passion according to Dick Vitale, but when a University of Kentucky player does it, it’s showboating and there is “no room for it.” I honestly believe Dicky V loves Kentucky and it’s fans, but come on.
This has been bugging me over the past couple of days. During the Kansas game there were some moments when the UK players went a little over the top. When Marquis Teague hit a huge three in the second half he did the three goggles and was mouthing towards Kansas’ bench. That’s a little over the top and is behavior that deserves to be called out. Dick Vitale seemed to have something wrong with the three goggles, and Terrence Jones flexing after a big dunk…Really?
I’m sorry but flexing and showboating is a part of the game. These student-athletes are out there on the biggest stage at this level to play basketball, at the University of Kentucky, and they can’t show boat and have a little fun? I can understand if it gets to where it’s taunting the other team, but I don’t see Dickie V’s point in calling Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones out for flashing the three goggles, it’s just sad that there it goes both ways. Next week if you see a Duke player do it, Dickie V would rave about the passion of the game. It’s not right. This is not a me hating Duke thing or a UK vs. Duke thing, it’s just facts.
I don’t think Vitale does it on purpose. I really don’t, I think it’s a self conscious thing that when he sees it he just thinks of Kentucky players as “the playground” guys and he holds Duke to a higher slandered, that’s fine , he can do that. When a UK player does that sort of thing, it gets them amped, it gets the crowd excited and if he isn’t up in the face of another student-athlete then it’s perfectly legal.
This is one hot-button topic that makes me mad because when I was in high school I had no camera on me when I was playing. I was an emotional player and when I got hot from three, you better believe I was yelling and slapping my chest. Is it because I was show boating? No, I was showing my passion for the game the best I could. I felt good, I was shooting well. That’s the difference, this isn’t showboating, Vitale, its KIDS showing their PASSION for the game. So before Dick says “there is no need for that” he needs to step back and look at what he’s preaching, which is passion and the love for the game. I love Vitale’s energy, but maybe the game has passed him up, maybe he’s gotten too old to call the sport.
Now, if you are one of those people who say that these players are showboating and there is no need for it, I’ll tell you something right now. You either never played the game, or you didn’t have any fun when you played it and you’re too old to have an opinion about this stuff, because quite frankly it’s where the game is. There isn’t any 20-14 wins now in basketball, it’s high scoring, high offense and a fun game to watch, there’s no sense in complaining over kids having fun.
My rant is done.