How the Greatest Announcing Call Ever (Onions, by Bill Raftery) Was Born

Once upon a time at a now defunct fantasy Web site, I penned a piece that more or less proclaimed Bill Raftery the greatest announcer of all time (he had just won the 2006 Curt Gowdy Media Award) due to his proclivity for generating or reviving amazing catch phrases like: "Man-to-man!", "Send it in!", and, of course, "Onions!"

Now, thanks to Dan Levy speaking with Ian Eagle (via The Dagger) we all know the real truth behind Raftery's catchphrase.

"I remember it vividly. It was my first year and the Nets were playing a game down in Miami. And Kevin Edwards hit a big three from the corner to give the Nets a one-point lead late in the game. I had the call: 'Edwards from the corner, three is GOOD.' And Raf goes, 'OOOOH, ONIONS!!!!'

And I turn to him, and I knew Raf's Raf-to-English translation like the back of my hand. I was able to provide listeners with the track that they needed to follow along. But I had no idea what he was talking about. So I turn to him during the break and say, 'Bill, Raf, I don't get that, what is that? Onions? What, it was so good that you cried?' He said, 'Hey Bird (Raf's nickname for Eagle)...BIG BALLS.' And that was it. That's when ONIONS was born."

It makes total sense -- Raf's usage of the phrase throughout the NCAA season is, dare I say, dead-on-accurate -- but it's interesting to note that the term has also evolved differently by fans of college basketball.

Yes, we still all use it when there's a big shot that required big, um, onions to take, but I think it's also become a more common term for a huge dunk on someone as well. Although, actually, there's probably an onions-to-the-face accuracy there as well.