Matt Murschel: Raftery discusses NCAA Tournament.
Bill Raftery tends to shies away from filling out an NCAA Tournament bracket.
“I used to, but I was tired of my kids laughing,” Raftery said with a chuckle. “The kids used to fill out brackets and they stopped asking me.
“It’s almost like horse racing, you know, the jockey telling you he’s got a real good shot and he comes in last. He knows the horse pretty good, but it doesn’t matter.”
At 74, Raftery is as synonymous with college basketball and March Madness this time of year. For the fourth consecutive year, he’ll team with Jim Nantz,
Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson to call the Final Four in San Antonio for TBS.
Raftery talked with the Orlando Sentinel during the American Athletic Conference Tournament played at Amway Center, discussing his preparation for the NCAA Tournament and his thoughts on a sprawling federal investigation that has hit college basketball. Orlando Sentinel: What sort of preparation do you do to prepare to call the NCAA tournament? Raftery: “The whole year is preparation. [I’m] doing all the games; almost 50 games in different conferences and that helps you. And also looking at tape of teams playing other teams that even though you don’t have them you watch them. And then of course, once we find out Sunday night, like everybody else, every school finds out, we find out a little later where we’re going and then we have the mad rush to find out about the eight teams and you pray you know a couple of them real well. So it’s really a labor of love come Sunday night, all day Monday and Tuesday and then get to your site. So it’s a hustle, but it’s a hustle that everybody loves doing.”
OS: Do you still get that adrenaline rush, that excitement when it gets to be March and the NCAA Tournament?
Raftery: “Oh, yeah … If you don’t get excited, you shouldn’t be doing it. I think that that’s probably why people turn out in all these arenas because it’s the unexpected that’s liable to occur.”
OS: You’re teaming up with Jim Nantz and Grant Hill again to call games this year. What’s it been like working with them?
Raftery: “The nice thing is when Jim first started, I was fortunate enough in ’85 or ’86 to do his first couple of games and then I did his first studio [appearance]. So we’ve been connected in a lot of ways since then, maybe not on the air, but you know, his career blossoming and taking off. Our friendship, although we didn’t see each other as much, has never waned. I was very fortunate enough to cover Grant’s games, including some of the championships, on radio in those days. Just the type of kid he was … he hasn’t changed at all with all the success. It’s just nice easy relationships where we enjoy one another and I think hopefully that shows on the air.” OS: Is there a team you think can make a strong run in this tournament? Raftery: “You know I think of all the years, this is the one year that there are so many teams that have an opportunity. … I think it all boils down to sometimes this week — championship week — where a team finds itself and puts it together. Whoever does that — the old term is get hot — there’s ample numbers of teams throughout the country that could just get going and win this thing.”
OS: Will the FBI investigation into several teams in college basketball cast a shadow over this tournament?
Raftery: “You know, it’s interesting with all that’s been going on the question that’s been asked to me more is: Should [college athletes] get paid or what are we going to do about the one-and-done? The public
[hasn’t] said much about it. If anything I think it’s going to be healthier because of it and something good is going to come out of it.
“It’s a concern that something unattractive like that could happen but I think the game is just bigger than nicks and bruises and unattractive things. It’s just unfortunate that there are unscrupulous people much like in everybody’s life, but I do think the flavor and the popularity just seems to continue to grow. It’s all about these kids who are playing and hopefully people take care of this. I think the Condoleezza Ricechaired committee is going to make some really strong recommendations, which will only help. I have no idea what they are, but I think there’ll be some changes from what we’re used to and they will be implemented in the fall.” OS: If you could offer up a suggestion for change, what would it be?
Raftery: “I’m sort of, not ambivalent but conflicted, because I know the value of the scholarship that I got, even though it cost nothing compared to today, and I do think there has to be something done to help kids whether it’s during their four years or after. I don’t know what the answer is.
“I would love to see if they can’t pay kids, which is what some people advocate, if they could do something with the money sent to schools that’s put in a trust for them that can only be touched in an emergency. The other end of it too is there is money for kids who have financial shortcomings.
“They have a Pell Grant and they also have a factored-in amount of money. The other problem is I don’t know what happens with all the other sports? How can any school afford to pay their 30 sports for men and women? So I think there’s no simple answer.”