Energetic college basketball color commentator Dick Vitale is taking a leave of absence from his work on ESPN and ABC to deal with a throat ailment that has been giving him problems for some time.

Dick had this to say in an open letter to fans on ESPN:

During the past month and a half, I have had a very difficult time with discomfort in my throat. Personally, I want to apologize to all of the fans and all of the beautiful people at ESPN who have been fantastic to me during my 29 years working at the network.

The past six weeks have been very emotional me and for my family as we’ve visited some of the most outstanding throat specialists. Fortunately, I am currently under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Deems in Sarasota, FL and he is an outstanding ear, nose and throat specialist. Dr. Deems strongly recommended that I visit Dr. Steven Zeitels, who is recognized as one of the premier throat and voice specialists in the nation.

Dr. Zeitels serves as the director for the Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. After an examination, it was determined that I had lesions on my left vocal cord and that they should be surgically removed. Dr. Zeitels said his goal is to have me back sitting at courtside in early February.

Get well Dick and make a speedy recovery!  Watching college basketball games wouldn’t be the same no matter if you are or aren’t a fan of Dickie V.