THE SHOWDOWN

Today we're evaluating the two most high-profile, volatile, love-em or hate-em announcers in basketball, Bill Walton and Dick Vitale.

Catch- phrases
WALTON:
"That's horrible!"
"Throw it down, big fella!"
"C'mon, make a play!"
"That was the worst pass in franchise history."

VITALE:
"He's awesome, baby!"
"He's a diaper-dandy!"
"He's a PTPer!"
"He's Super Scintilating Sensational!"
"Look at the Cameron Crazies- what an atmosphere!"

Key Personality traits
WALTON: Charmingly optimistic. Espouses ideals of 1970s hippie culture. Often quotes lyrics of Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan.

VITALE: Boundless excitement about absolutely everyone involved in college basketball.

Analyst Skills
WALTON: Gives sharp criticism when warranted. Tends to exaggerate. Appreciates fundamental basketball skills such as the lost art of passing the ball. Provides intriuging player perspective.

VITALE: Is essentially a fan with a microphone. Brings excitement and energy to every broadcast. Likes to create nicknames and catch-phrases for whoever happens to be playing well (e.g. "Everybody Loves" Raymond Felton). Ceaselessly praises every coach in the game, regardless of whether his team is playing.

ESPN.com web column
WALTON: Attempts to be humorous in posting his random musings on random NBA happenings. Interspersed with song lyrics.

VITALE: Not much content. Offers short lists of who he loves this particular week. Features ugly yellow background.

Miscellaneous
WALTON: Has own surreal reality series "Bill Walton's Long Strange Trip." Has deep appreciation for former coach John Wooden. Plays piano. Teeth are so bleached it's blinding.

VITALE: Is blind in one eye. Self depricating with respect to own intellectual prowess. Advocate of college players staying in school. Crowd surfs before big games (see, 1999 Stanford vs. UConn, Maples Pavillion).

Overall Grades:
WALTON: B+
VITALE: C