Nov. 18, 2003

Contact: Lisa Eitner, Oread Books, (785) 864-4431.

ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale to sign books at KU's Oread Books

LAWRENCE -- ESPN network broadcaster Dick Vitale will sign copies of his new memoir from noon to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, at Oread Books, Level 2 in the Kansas Union at the University of Kansas.

The event is free and open to the public.

Vitale's memoir, "Living a Dream: Reflections on 25 Years Sitting in the Best Seat in the House," was written with sportswriter Dick Weiss, and the book's foreword is by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Weiss, of the New York Daily News, previously teamed with Vitale to write "Time Out, Baby!" "Holding Court: Reflections on the Game I Love" and "Campus Chaos: Why the Game I Love Is Breaking My Heart."

In Vitale's memoir, he reveals details about his start at ESPN and shares feelings about important people in the basketball world. He also writes about current issues such as the breakup of the Big East Conference. He discusses the price coaches and players have to pay to be the best, the problems that beset the sport today and his projections for basketball's future.

Vitale joined ESPN in 1979 following a successful high school, college and professional basketball coaching career. He has called close to 1,000 games and recently extended his contract with the network through 2006. At 64, he has become the senior spokesman for college hoops while remaining a vibrant voice for having fun on the job. Vitale has been inducted into seven halls of fame for outstanding contributions to basketball. In 1998 he received the Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award. Among numerous other prestigious awards are the Black Coaches Association award for dedication to youth and the National Association of Basketball Coaches Cliff Wells Appreciation Award for outstanding service to college basketball.