When you think of announcing catchphrases there are a few that immediately come to mind – Mike Breen’s “BANG!” probably stands alone as the best in the business today. But there are certainly others. Marv Albert had his simple “Yes!” Dick Enberg’s was “Oh my!” And of course a shoutout has to be given to Jim Nantz’s trademark welcome of “Hello, friends.”
For new Final Four voice Ian Eagle, there isn’t one phrase that stands out as his signature go-to call in a big moment. However, the fan favorite has developed his own unique vocabulary and a number of trademark phrases over the years, specifically calling basketball – whether it be college or pro.
So it wasn’t a surprise when he debuted as CBS’s lead NCAA Tournament announcer on Friday that a Bingo game from Twitter user Harrison Vapnek began to be widely spread.
It featured such Eagle favorites as “A man’s jam,” “Rack attack,” and “Denied!”
Second annual Ian Eagle NCAA Tournament BINGO game. Four games.. goal is to complete the board. pic.twitter.com/XJVXudMuws
— Harrison Vapnek (@harrisonvapnek) March 22, 2024
There are a couple here that might be decided based on game circumstances like “Overtime” or ad reads like “AT&T” but this is definitely a solid Bingo card if there ever was one. Although we would have loved to see a shoutout to Bill Raftery and the free square in the middle of the card being given to “Onions!”
Ian Eagle may have thought he finally hit the big time when he became the lead college basketball announcer for CBS, but having your own Bingo card signifies a kind of cultural significance that is truly special.
