Bill Raftery

Approval Rate: 86%

86%Approval ratio

Reviews 35

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  • by

    louiethe20th

    Thu Nov 05 2009

    Tickle the nylon! A little kiss! Send it in! Onnnnionnnns!!!

  • by

    genghisthehun

    Thu Mar 13 2008

    This guy has the experience to back up what he is saying.

  • by

    trebon1038

    Wed Mar 12 2008

    He has a little more life than some

  • by

    ryesman

    Tue Apr 03 2007

    He's awful. Seriously, does he have Tourette Syndrome or something? Every time he goes off on one of his unintelligible descriptions of a play I picture him foaming at the mouth.

  • by

    jason482

    Mon Jan 08 2007

    He's a horrible announcer. His expressions are distracting from the game; a sin in his profession.

  • by

    bigonions

    Thu Dec 21 2006

    When clutch plays are made, he exclaims the name of a vegetable to imply how big the play-maker's testicles are... it can't get better than that, folks. Raftery and Walton should call every basketball game on TV.

  • by

    onions

    Thu Mar 30 2006

    ONIONS!!!! Raftery is the best in the business. When is CBS going to realize that Packer is horrible, and that Raftery should be doing the Final Four. I find myself watching games just because he is announcing them. He is the most fun to watch and his enthusiasm for the game sets him apart from the rest. "The Kiss", "Man to man!", "Send it in!", "a little string music", and "Onions!" are classic phrases that make him the best in the game. Packer can take a seat, let Raftery "take it to the tin".

  • by

    the_kiss

    Thu Mar 30 2006

    Raftery is the best in the game. When will CBS replace Packer with Raftery for the Final Four? Packer is horrible. I'll go for some "Onions","Man-to-Man", and "String Music" anytime. Raftery's exciting and comical play calling makes him the most fun to watch. Onions!!! He was on fire during the Mason-Uconn game. I'll put CBS on mute and listen to the radio this weekend

  • by

    mosesan1

    Thu Mar 30 2006

    CBS, When will Bill be in the Final Four and Championship game? He can easily "send it in"

  • by

    weimert20

    Thu Mar 30 2006

    syracuse opens up in a 2-3 zone with "man-to-man" principles......love raft

  • by

    nashville_buckeye

    Fri Mar 17 2006

    Simply the best. He realizes that the game is not about him (Vitale) and isn't a condescending know-it-all (Packer) or a brown noser to the big name coaches (Vitale and Packer).

  • by

    stuffysfamous

    Thu Mar 09 2006

    Good: Send it in, big fella! Great: ONIONS! God-awful: And (insert team name) comes out mantaman!

  • by

    daedalus

    Mon Feb 06 2006

    The much better of the two common college basketball color announcers. His joy for the game is genuine and not over the top. He has a language that is all his own and does not try to explain too much while doing his job.

  • by

    gomdterps

    Sat Jan 28 2006

    ONIONS - THIS GUYS IS THE BEST IN THE BIZ... HE SHOWS NO FAVORITISM .. BUT IF YUR TEAM IS GETTING KILLED U MIGHT NOR LIKE HIM

  • by

    ellis7e4

    Fri Apr 01 2005

    Enberg, Raftery, Vitale; wouldn't that be an enjoyable and fun Final Four?

  • by

    dheilman

    Fri Apr 01 2005

    I would like to comment on Bill Raftery's comentary during the NIT Championship Game. Did he graduate from St. Joe's? Give me a freaking break! All I heard was WOW this and WOW that for everything St. Joe's did. If they missed a lay up it was, where is the foul? Not once did I hear a compliment for the Gamecocks. How about this Bill, Wow on the three pointer that Tarence Kinsey made in your beloved St. Joe's eye to win the game. Or Wow to all the heart that Carlos Powell has shown as he finished his senior year in style. I realize that this email will get logged with all the rest that bitch about announcers, but Raftery was unbelievable, we were forced to turn off the broadcast and listed to the radio like it was 1920. I'm sure Raftery is a popular choice for Northeast broadcasts due to his unwavering favoritism towards that area, but as far as I'm concerned he's unprofessional and unwatchable.

  • by

    timbo61

    Tue Mar 08 2005

    Has to be my favorite college basketball color analyst. Very good at noticing in-game trends. He is genuinely excited about the game of college basketball; like Dickie V. only without the crazy. Doesn't show bias toward a particular team. It's been said before, but I'll say it again, Onions!!.

  • by

    balty387

    Tue Jan 11 2005

    Always has tremendous insight. I particularily enjoy his golf commentary.

  • by

    haywood_jablowme

    Mon Dec 27 2004

    He's so old....give it up already your glory days are over.

  • by

    wavebacker

    Sun Dec 19 2004

    A great announcer for College Basketball. I like how he says - so-and-so comes out in...Man to man, and some of his other catch phrases. He knows what he's saying and some of his old Big East stories are nice.

  • by

    jpern24

    Mon Nov 29 2004

    with a little kiss and the call of the defense at the start of each game man to man love the intensity he brings to a game, fun to listen to

  • by

    jrf29201

    Thu Oct 21 2004

    Does spirit and passion for college basketball and sports get any better?

  • by

    maxra2ef

    Thu Apr 15 2004

    My favorite for basketball. Always genial and entertaining, good analysis, brings in backstory without boring.

  • by

    roachc2a

    Tue Apr 06 2004

    A great color guy, he is one of my favorties. He comes up with some fun things.

  • by

    tigo41ae

    Mon Mar 29 2004

    How a mature, knowledgeable man can talk so much like a teenager is beyond me. His hurry up guttural expressions are extremely annoying. Be a gentleman! Please...

  • by

    davegatewood70

    Sun Mar 28 2004

    His announcing style of calling exciting plays is so distracting that I often turn the game off if he is the announcer. Which is unfortunate as he is one of the most knowledgable announcers about the game. If only he would just cool it a little bit!

  • by

    slickb

    Wed Dec 31 2003

    How bout ONIONS!!! a shot so sweet it makes you cry. Bill is the man. It doesn't matter who is playing as long as he is calling the game.

  • by

    golderbj

    Wed Apr 09 2003

    Send it in big fella! My favorite all-time Raf moment was in 2003 Elite Eight, someone slammed it home and Raf exclaimed, "Send it in, medium-sized fella."

  • by

    jayhawkshead

    Fri Mar 14 2003

    Bill's the best in the business. I could listen to him do any game, even if I don't know anything about the teams. He always has something interesting and relevant to say about strategy and matchups, plus, of course, the signature lines (fave: 'With authority!!'). If I had the choice between listening to a game on the radio that Raf is doing, and a game on TV with Vitale or (God help us) Packer, it's radio, hands down.

  • by

    burrellfan1

    Thu Jan 23 2003

    Best analyst on ESPN. Nothing beats him saying "Man-to-Man."

  • by

    njordan72

    Mon Jan 20 2003

    Easily the best college hoops analyst.

  • by

    davis21wylie

    Thu Jun 20 2002

    "SEND IT IN BIG FELLA!" "WITH THE KISS!" Raftery is a unique and very entertaining announcer.

  • by

    upchuck

    Wed Apr 05 2000

    Very good announcer, doesn't get the recognition he should...straight forward, never biased...he does "tell it like it is"

  • by

    magellan

    Wed Apr 05 2000

    And Providence comes out "MAN TO MAN!". Probably my favorite college basketball announcer. Always pleasant (as opposed to Packer) and passionate without being a wacko (unlike Vitale). I'd like to see Rafterey get some more big time exposure.

  • by

    munson

    Tue Apr 04 2000

    Raf is my favorite college hoops analyst. He offers great insight and his signature expressions are among the best and not nearly as overused as Dicky V's. Very entertaining.

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