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College Basketball

Dick Vitale receives positive news from his doctor, cleared to ‘ring the bell’

Keith Farner

By Keith Farner

Published:

Dick Vitale has waged a very public fight against cancer, and on Thursday, he reported very position news.

Vitale wrote on Twitter that his doctor reported that “after analyzing by bloodwork that I’m clear to RING THE BELL.This is MY (March Madness) CHAMPIONSHIP. THANKS to my medical TEAM.”

The news was also shared on a digital sign by Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.

Vitale, 82, has been public about his treatment for assorted medical issues, including at least two forms of cancer.

Vitale announced in the fall that he was diagnosed with lymphoma, which came months after multiple surgeries to remove melanoma. He’s shared regular updates on social media about his treatments and recovery, as he posted photos of doctor visits and hospital stays and even shared motivational tips recorded before he was put on voice rest.

Vitale has been with ESPN since 1979, the year the network launched. He called ESPN’s first college basketball broadcast.

Vitale recently had recently had surgery to treat dysplasia and ulcerated lesions of the vocal cords, and missed most of the college basketball season from ESPN broadcasts to rest his vocal cords.

One of the most vocal supporters of college basketball, Vitale is also known for raising millions of dollars for childhood cancer research.

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.

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