GREENSBORO, N.C. -- If you see or hear the term "Onions!" when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, just know it means this:
COUNT IT π₯
β NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 17, 2023
Pitt with a chance for a 4-point play π#MarchMadness @Pitt_MBB pic.twitter.com/jPU6ZEM14J
The term comes from legendary basketball announcer Bill Raftery, who first coined the phrase during a broadcast of the NBA's New Jersey Nets in 1995. Nets guard Kevin Edwards made a shot late in a game against the Orlando Magic, and the word Raftery used was just that:
"Onions!"
While Raftery's since-trademarked phrase is most often used on a big shot in a closer game than in Pitt's 59-41 win over Iowa State Friday inside Greensboro Coliseum, the phrase can undoubtedly be applied to Nike Sibande's corner 3-pointer on which he was fouled, thus putting Pitt ahead 50-30 with 4:47 to play.
Raftery was not on the call for Friday's game, but his Nets broadcast partner of eight years, well-versed play-by-play broadcaster Ian Eagle, was.
As Eagle told ESPN in 2014, as Raftery trademarked the phrases "Onions!" and "With a kiss!":
"I always thought I was pretty good at translating what Raftery was getting at," Eagle said. "So Kevin Edwards hits a shot and he says, "Oh, onions!" We go to break and I say to him, 'What was that? So good you had to cry?' And Bill says to me, 'No, big balls!'"
Sibande showed some ... of that ... as he spotted up in the left corner and was found by a driving Nelly Cummings, who rifled the ball cross-court to the open shooter. Iowa State's Jaren Holmes was late to close out, allowing Sibande to get the shot off, draw the contact, and fall to the ground as the ball swished in for the 49-30 lead.
That shot removed any shade of doubt as to whether No. 11-seed Pitt was going to advance in the NCAA Tournament to face No. 3 Xavier in Sunday's second round at 12:10 p.m. in Greensboro.
Hence, why I motioned to tweet:
Nike Sibande. ONIONS. #Pitt
β Corey Crisan (@cdcrisan) March 17, 2023
"Onions!" is a phrase Raftery uses in order to draw effect and emphasis to the play without stepping on the play-by-play broadcaster's toes, allowing for a big moment in a game to be perpetuated without overcrowding the airwaves with his own voice, and while allowing for the broadcaster to dictate whether they should talk or, in industry terms,"lay out" and allow the roars of the crowd to tell the story of the significance of the shot.
"The short phrases came into being because it was a way to contribute to the commentary, while making sure I wasn't getting in the way of the play-by-play man," Raftery told ESPN in 2014.
Just check out these videos of the calls from Raftery from previous NCAA Tournaments.
"Woo!"
