With weekend TV viewing set to be dominated again by the NFL, ESPN plans an unnecessary gimmick Saturday night to glitz up a strong women's basketball game.Specifically, Hall of Fame analyst Dick Vitale will work with Dan Shulman and Doris Burke covering No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 UConn, which begins at 9 p.m. It's a great matchup of two of the best teams in the nation -- a game worthy of some attention -- but the Vitale move takes some focus of the game itself and probably will not drive any extra viewers.
Vitale, 70, cites the assignment as an exciting opportunity, and ESPN certainly gets some PR mileage from the move. For any women's basketball purists (OK, an admittedly small group), though, the move might be an affront.
It's just doubtful Vitale can add much cogent insight during the one and only game he'll work this season. Now, the assignment should add some on-site spice -- look for all kinds of signs and a bit more energy in the areana -- and his presence makes any game an A-List happening. So it that manner it legitimizes the game and quality of play a bit.
Still, women's basketball (especially Notre Dame at UConn) is far beyond needing legitimacy. With Vitale working -- and, to be clear, he deserves his accolades and Hall of Fame status for all he's done for college basketball -- this weekend's women's game just becomes a bit more about hype and what-ifs (comparing men's and women's basketball) than analysis and insights.