From the sidelines
By Marty Gordon
The Virginia Tech ladies are a number one seed and have won 30 games this season, but throughout the NCAA tournament, announcers have dissed the Blacksburg team.
Rodney Dangerfield once said it best in one of his movies, “No respect. They give me no respect.”
The deep end should not be in play, but during the Ohio State contest this past week, the announcers kept singing OSU’s praises and making excuses for why they were losing to the ladies called Hokies, which they kept asking the listeners “What is a Hokie?”
Virginia Tech is doing its best to make everyone in southwest Virginia proud. I guess the NCAA cannot find any neutral announcers that do their research and homework. The tournament has lost its glitter because the broadcasters seem to be one-sided.
Doing our research, there was nothing to be found they were Ohio State alumni. But you would never know it.
This was also true in the previous two games as Rodney could be heard repeating himself over and over.
No one seems to believe in the Hokies except the Hokies and its faithful fans. Maybe, the athletic department can find the color broadcaster’s home addresses and send them a Christmas card.
Of course, all of it could be silent if the ladies can pull off another one or two upsets, as the announcers said.
Upsets. The Hokies might not call them that. It would give them a little national attention. Respect might still be a long way off.
The university will have to continue to prove itself in every sport. Another ACC title and who knows, a national one could cure all of this bad medicine. It might not come this year, but it will somewhere in the near future.
Let’s just hope whatever the tournament is, they can find some neutral voices that care about their profession. National collegiate sports need more ones who can talk sensibly in a neutral environment and maybe sound intelligent. Not this week.
Rodney, we feel you.
