Rewind | Scenes From the Past: Interview with Dick Vitale

July 2023—You’ve heard the catch phrases and you certainly know the voice that echoes from the man they call Dickie V. And while that’s “Awesome Baby,” that’s not all there is to this man. Here’s a look back at a few questions from Gus Mollasis’ interview with Dick Vitale in Scene’s May 2012 issue.

Describe your childhood and what the greatest thing that your parents taught you about living a good life.
My childhood was epitomized by my parents who were uneducated but had a doctorate in love. My dad pressed coats and through my mom and dad I learned about love, family and respecting people. They never went to high school but they had within them every element that makes a great American. They had pride and a great work ethic and they knew how to do things the right way. My mom would say, “Richie (she never called me Dick) never ever believe in can’t. Don’t let can’t be part of your life.” When I was growing up, I wanted to be a coach. I had people telling me you can’t do this, you’re not a great player. Be realistic. When I got rejection letters from colleges where I wanted to coach, my mom would say, “You are going to make it someday. You have something special within you and that is your spirit for life which will help you get to the top.” My parents were my heroes and my role models. So I thought long and hard over decisions that I would make because I never wanted to disappoint them and break their hearts. Life is simple. Make good decisions and good things happen. Make bad decisions and bad things happen.

When you were a child, you lost an eye in a tragic accident. How did this impact your attitude in life?
I hardly remember it. But I do remember my mom saying, “Don’t use that as a crutch or an excuse for being successful in life. You can do anything that anyone else does.” Those words really motivated
me. I have my Master’s Degree but I learned more at my dinner table than any class I ever took. My dad would come home from the sweat factory and put the money on the table and say Mea, here is some money for insurance and food and we always had that little extra for Friday night pizza at Barcelona’s. Looking back, I remember telling my daughters that we didn’t have money, pizzazz and a lot of the things we have today, but we had so much love and we lived like millionaires.

To read the full interview, visit scenesarasota.com/pastissues.