Bill Raftery
College Basketball Analyst
Ask any college basketball fan what makes the NCAA Tournament such a special event, and chances are you’d get a variety of answers. There are the upsets that take place and Cinderella teams that make deep runs. There are the game-winning shots that propel teams into the next round and dash the hopes of others, and, of course, there is the idea that in any game, and any time, something remarkable can happen, which is why the tournament is referred to as “March Madness.”
But what else makes the NCAA Tournament so special is the individuals who call the games, those who use their words, their emotions and their crafty catchphrases to perfectly describe a given moment in time.
FOX Sports college basketball analyst Bill Raftery has been calling college basketball games for more than 40 years, and throughout his time as an analyst, he has developed some of the most unique and memorable sayings in the history of the sport.
With the Big Dance set to tip off Thursday, we caught up with Raftery and asked him about the story behind some of those iconic calls.
Here is Bill Raftery’s official guide to March Madness lingo:
[MORE: 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket here]
Onions!
What it means: This phrase is used to describe a clutch, game-winning shot that seals the deal. It has to fit the moment.
The origin story: Ian Eagle and I were doing a New Jersey Nets-Orlando Magic game. Kevin Edwards, who played at DePaul, made a jumper to win the game at the buzzer for New Jersey. The Nets were not having a great year, so we weren’t used to winning. That just popped out. It just aptly described the moment.
With a little kiss!
What it means: This is used to describe a shot that goes in off the backboard.
The origin story: I started using that phrase because, to me, a bank shot is not really descriptive enough. The shot has a lot of touch to it, and a kiss fits. It’s a soft, easy, touch shot. I had never heard it before. It just kind of came in my head.
Send it in, big fella!
What it means: This phrase is used when a big man powers home a dunk.
The origin story: This was used to describe Jerome Lane’s dunk during a game in 1988 that is still replayed today because he tore the backboard down. It’s a way of describing someone who just brings the kitchen sink.
A little nickle-and-dimer
What it means: This phrase is used to describe a soft foul that doesn’t warrant the call. No harm, no foul.
The origin story: The five-and-dime store was something that was around when I was a kid, so that saying came from there. When there’s a touch foul, I knew the rule was you’re not supposed to have your hands on a player, but I always feel like it sort of takes away from the flow of the game. It’s my way of saying something with distain without being over the top.
A little lingerie on the deck
What it means: This phrase is used when an offensive player makes a move that sends his defender to the ground.
The origin story: I knew that if I ever said “jock” on the air, my mom, God bless her, would have killed me. This was my way of saying you were faked out of your underwear. I used that one early on because I remember hearing the term “you put him on skates,” where the defender loses his balance. This was my version.
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