For those of you who don’t know, sports broadcaster Dick Vitale was voted into the college basketball hall of fame earlier this year as a broadcaster.

FOX Sports Columnist Mark Kriegel takes exception to this in his latest column:

Dick Vitale wasn’t a player. His coaching career — culminating with a 34-60 record for the Detroit Pistons — was a failure. And while the Hall recognizes media members with its Curt Gowdy Award (a distinction Vitale has already won), one cannot be enshrined as a mere broadcaster. So, again, how the hell did he get in?

Is he insightful? Thoughtful? Provocative? Courageous?

No, no, no and no. He’s loud. He’s a salesman. In fact, the very same qualities that served him so well on television have made him the perfect shill for Hooters. Also, he’s relentless. As people in the basketball business know too well, Vitale has been lobbying for entry into the Hall for years. The movement, such as it was, was spearheaded by influential letter writers campaigning on his behalf, most of them famous coaches whose butts he’s kissed for years. Foremost among them was Bobby Knight, the media-basher now cashing ESPN’s checks. Vitale has been on air since 1979; the next tough word he has for Bobby Knight will be his first.

I have to say I agree with a lot of what he says. Putting aside my personal feelings about Vitale, I will agree that he’s done nothing that indicates he should be in the hall of fame. But it just proves that this, like a lot of things in life, is about who you know and how you play the game rather than any merit or value you may add.