Vitale's Inadvertent Remark Could Affect Team's Chemistry

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Vitale's Inadvertent Remark Could Affect Team's Chemistry

http://www.tbo.com/sports/MGBLQIAVNYE.html

GAINESVILLE - When you agree to a live radio interview, make sure you know when you're on the air. ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale learned that the hard way Monday, and his words may end up harming the University of Florida basketball team's chemistry.

Vitale tried to do his scheduled interview with WNML-FM in Knoxville, Tenn., while dining at The Broken Egg in Siesta Key. He didn't realize he was on the air with hosts Mike Griffith and John Adams when he revealed an off-the-record conversation he had - or didn't have; more on that later - with Gators coach Billy Donovan concerning the draftability of Gators F Joakim Noah and C Al Horford.

Here's the transcript as taken from an audio file on the Knoxville News-Sentinel Web site.

Griffith: Dickie V!

Vitale: They're bored.

Griffith: Dick, are you there?

Vitale: There's no excuse to lose to LSU. No excuse.

Griffith: Hey, Dick.

Vitale: LSU without Davis? No way.

Griffith: Hey, Dick.

Vitale: This is interesting. [Taurean] Green and [Lee] Humphrey [Vitale's line is cut off].

Griffith: Hmm. Not sure what happened with Dickie V. there.

Adams: That was an interesting commentary. Did he know he was on-air?

Griffith: I don't think he did.

Adams: He said there was no excuse for Florida to lose to LSU.

Griffith: There's no excuse to lose to LSU. I think that's true. I don't have a problem with that.

Adams: How does LSU win that game?

Griffith: OK. [Vitale's line is open again.]

Vitale: Right now, I talked to some NBA guys who have a little doubt about [Noah]. I mean, he's still going to get drafted top six or seven, but [he has] no shot. No shot. I'm going to tell you what. I'd take Horford over him. You know who told me that in confidence? Billy Donovan grabbed me all alone and said the pro scouts are making a mistake. He said there's no way I would take Noah over - he said he would never say that publicly - over Horford.

Griffith: Hey, Dick.

Vitale called into the show again after receiving a phone call from someone at Florida. He recanted, saying the conversation with Donovan never happened. He also said he was joking.

"This is a non-story," Vitale told the hosts. "It's absurd."

Asked about Vitale's revelation on the Southeastern Conference coaches' teleconference, Donovan claimed he never made the statement.

"I'm not going to comment," Donovan said, "on something I didn't say."

What Donovan did or didn't tell Vitale isn't news. Anyone who has watched Florida this season can see Horford's skills have progressed. Noah knows this, and he probably would acknowledge it.

But Noah probably doesn't want to hear about his coach telling media members who he'd prefer to draft. The other problem is the breach of trust. Vitale, a genuinely nice guy who always tries to stay positive publicly, may have burned a source by revealing an off-the-record conversation in a crowded restaurant.

Off-the-record is off-the-record. As juicy as the nugget may be, you have to be careful whom you tell. The world might learn something meant for your ears only.