Bill Raftery is well-known for his ‘onions’ catchphrase. The question is, what does it mean and where did it originate?
The Birth of ‘Onions’
Ian Eagle, who worked alongside Raftery for eight years calling play-by-play for the New Jersey Nets, revealed the first time Raftery used ‘onions’. It happened during a Nets-Orlando Magic game on November 8th, 1995.
According to Eagle in an interview, after the moment, he asked Raftery, “What was that?”. Raftery responded, “No, big .”.
The Meaning of ‘Onions’
Raftery has since softened the meaning of the phrase. He said, “It’s like a nice way of describing the toughness of a person. It could go in other directions, which some people sort of do.”
Raftery’s ‘onions’ is used when a player hits a clutch shot late in the game.
He even trademarked the saying in 2014.
‘Onions’ and March Madness
Bill Raftery is a March Madness broadcasting staple.
There will be a lot of onions coming up in March Madness.