Sarasota mayor awards Vitale a key to the city

Tipping off Monday’s Sarasota City Council meeting, Mayor Eric Arroyo honored Lakewood Ranch resident and basketball-TV icon Dick Vitale in honor of his decades of commitment to and fundraising for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota.

The key to the city confers “all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto.” While the nature of those rights and privileges are unclear, the key does unlock the gratitude of the city for long-time college basketball broadcaster’s work in raising financial support for the organization.

In April of 2000, the Boys & Girls Clubs announced that a new building would be named the Dick Vitale Physical Education and Heath Training Center. The following year, he was inducted into the Sarasota Boys & Girls Clubs Hall of Fame.

Vitale, who said he has had a challenging year fighting cancer on two fronts, took the microphone and the opportunity to expound his 83 years of collective wisdom in his own unique style. He spoke of his mother’s support of a young “Richie” pursuing his basketball dreams.

“I lost my eye as a youngster," he said. "My mother would sit me down and she would say, 'Richie, I don't care if you have one eye. You can be what you want to be.'"

A successful high school basketball coach, at age 29 he expressed his desire to coach in the college ranks, much to the discouragement of his friends … and rejection letters.

“I got more rejections than the dean at Harvard gives out,” he said.

Enter Mrs. Vitale.

“She said ‘Richie, listen to me. Don't listen to your friends. Listen to me. You have something that can’t hold you back — your energy, your enthusiasm. Don't give that up. Keep at it and you're going to get your goals and dreams.’ This is a great honor. I’m in 14 hall of fames. I can't run. I can't jump. I can't shoot. I've got a body by linguini. Have a sense of passion in what you do. Have a sense of pride in what you do and just persevere. Whenever things get tough, you get tougher.”

Long career story short, Vitale went on to coach at University of Detroit for four years and, following a brief stint as head coach of the Detroit Pistons, he has spent 41 legendary years courtside behind the microphone.

“Never believe in can’t,” he said. “Don’t let can’t be part of your vocabulary.”