Billy Packer

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Billy Packer (born February 25, 1940 in Wellsville, New York) is an American sportscaster for CBS Sports.

For more than three decades, Packer has served as a color commentator on network television broadcasts of college basketball. He has covered every NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, including the Final Four, since 1974. His broadcast teammates have been Dick Enberg, Al McGuire, Gary Bender, Brent Musburger, and (since 1991) Jim Nantz.

He has two sons in the sports media. Mark Packer is a sports radio host for WFNZ, the all-sports radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. His syndicated show, "Primetime with the Packman", is the most popular sports radio program in the south. The show is produced by Daniel Norwood of Charlotte, who has gained a national reputation for booking amazing guests on the program. Brandt Packer produces golf telecasts for ABC Sports.

On April 4, 1983, after Lorenzo Charles made a game-winning slam dunk as North Carolina State upset Houston to win the NCAA title, Packer blurted, "They won it...on the dunk!"

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[edit] Early life

Packer is a graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina from 1958 to 1962 and played guard on the school's basketball team for his last three years (in his day, freshmen were not eligible for varsity sports), leading Wake to three ACC titles and the 1962 Final Four.

After graduation, he had a brief stint as an assistant coach for his alma mater, then began his broadcasting career on regional ACC telecasts in 1972.


[edit] Controversy

In the past few years, Packer has become a somewhat controversial figure among college basketball fans and media. Much of the ire towards him has more to do with comments on certain players or schools that he has often been critical of during this timeframe.

[edit] Iverson comment

In 1996, during an on-air broadcast of a game between Georgetown and Villanova, Packer described the Hoyas star guard Allen Iverson as a "tough monkey". Packer later apologized, insisting he was actually trying to praise Iverson's relentless play. Neither Iverson nor Georgetown coach John Thompson were offended by the remark. Thompson told USA Today he doesn't "have to explain to anybody about Billy being a racist because he's not."

[edit] Apology to Duke students

In 2000, Packer publicly apologized to two Duke University students for allegedly sexist comments he made before a men's basketball game in Cameron Indoor Stadium. According to published reports, when the students asked Packer to show his press pass, he responded, "Since when do we let women control who gets into a men's basketball game? Why don't you go find a women's game to let people into?" Packer apologized after the comments were published in Duke University's student-run newspaper, The Chronicle.

[edit] Martelli feud

In 2004, he was involved in an on-air spat with Saint Joseph's University head coach Phil Martelli, when he questioned the #1 seed that St. Joe's was given by the NCAA committee. The Hawks ended up being defeated one game short of the Final Four. This is similar to his criticism of Larry Bird's undefeated Indiana State University team getting ranked #1 in the media polls and a #1 seed in the 1979 tournament. Indiana State eventually made the final game, losing to a Michigan State team led by Magic Johnson.

[edit] 2006 comments on mid-majors

In 2006, Packer again hit sports headlines after blasting the inclusion of mid-major teams in the NCAA tournament, when larger conference teams like University of Cincinnati and Florida State University were left out altogether. [1] His comments caused a backlash among fans of mid-major conferences such as the Missouri Valley Conference and Colonial Athletic Association, both of whom have ended up having successful tournament showings (Bradley University and Wichita State University making it to the Sweet Sixteen and George Mason University advancing to the Final Four). Packer complained on Selection Sunday that teams from these two conferences had won just one game between them in the past three year's tournaments, despite committee chairman Craig Littlepage repeatedly telling Packer and his colleague Jim Nantz that past tournament performance was not a factor in determining the field.

Nantz even cut off Littlepage as he was making his final statement to again criticize the selection of George Mason. Later, Littlepage publicly reprimanded the two and said that in the future, the relationship between Nantz and Packer and the committee would have to improve or the pair would be denied the interview. Throughout the tournament, Nantz and Packer were conspicuous in remaining silent about the issue after the success of the mid-majors and especialy after George Mason, an 11 seed, made the final four. Nantz even went as far to say, on several occasions, that "some" doubted the schools, not mentioning that he and Packer were the most prominent, and most vocal, to do so.

[edit] History and awards

Since the mid-1970s Packer has been a fixture on national telecasts, first with NBC (1974-1981) and then CBS (1982-present). He won a Sports Emmy Award in 1993.

[edit] External links

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