As he walked through airports, CBS basketball analyst Bill Raftery said he would find it strange when people would approach him and yell out "with a kiss!” or "mantoman.”
Advertisement
"I'd say what the heck's wrong with that guy,” he said. "Then I found out that was me.”
After coaching stints with Fairleigh Dickinson and Seton Hall, the New Jersey native has found his niche as a college basketball analyst known for his colorful sayings that sometimes are hard to decipher. In his 26th season with CBS, he has the enthusiasm for basketball of Dick Vitale without his corniness.
"You get a great seat and people say hello,” said Raftery, who had a 154-141 record at Seton Hall. "When I coached, I got a great seat, but after the game, very few people said hello. That's why I got into television. There are no losses.”
Raftery, who will be the analyst for Oklahoma's game against St. Joseph's tonight — one of four games from Birmingham, Ala., he is broadcasting today with Verne Lundquist — said some of his expressions evolved from his desire to talk fast and get out of the way of the play-by-play announcer. He explained a few of his trademark sayings:
•"Mantoman” — "I'd identify the defense and say it real fast.”
• "Send it in” — Started as "Send it in, Jerome” after Pitt star Jerome Lane shattered a backboard with a dunk in 1988. "Now, it's ‘Send it in, big fella.' Now even the guards can dunk, so I even have, ‘Send it in, little fella.'”
•"Onions” — "Having guts or being tough-minded” as in making a big shot or a free throw. "It could have been another vegetable, but that one came to mind.”
•"With a kiss!” — "Nice soft touch” by a shooter.
•"With a dagger!” — "Having coached when you're down three and you needed a stop and a kid would put it in and you'd go ‘Oh!' That's in putting you away.”
•"With a blow by” — Players showing great speed
•"Nylon” or "nothing but nylon” — Great shooting. "Oklahoma fans hope there's a lot of nylon Friday night.”
Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.
Leave a comment.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).
Nothing wrong with me pinko floyd, I know enough about the game that I don't need some idiot to pump it up for me. If you can't enjoy the game for what it is you ought to be watching cartoons. Thats a real fantasy for you.
You guys kill me. CBS has some of the best college basketball announcers of anyone and you turn the sound off? These guys are great. They put "oomph" into the gams, make them even more fun to watch. It's called "passion". I swear, every morning I log on this site just to see how many miserable people with bad attitudes are going to post today. Dickie V is a friggin icon and you turn him off. Sumpin wrong with you buddy. Try enjoying the game, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy the opinions and the voices. Geeez....
Bill Raftery CBS basketball analyst is known for his colorful sayings. He'll be the analyst for OU's game tonight.
Related to this story
Articles
Raftery has way with words CBS analyst's colorful... 03/21/2008 As he walked through airports, CBS basketball analyst Bill Raftery said he would find it strange when people would approach him and yell out "with a kiss!”...
What to watch 03/21/2008 • Men's basketball: KWTV-9 will carry four games and portions of other games today from the NCAA Tournament: 11:25 a.m., Davidson vs. Gonzaga (Jim Nantz...
Notebook: Hornets launch Chris Paul Web site 03/21/2008 • Busy day for Web site: "NCAA March Madness on Demand” at ncaasports.com featured heavy traffic Thursday during the first day of its coverage of all...
Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.