Billy Packer is out
Posted by kj on Monday, July 14th, 2008
Apparently, the executives at CBS finally got around to reading the Big Ten Wonk’s treatise on how maddening Billy Packer is to us college basketball junkies. The Miami Herald is reporting that Packer is being relieved of his lead announcing duties and will be replaced by Clark Kellogg (hat tip to Spartan Dan, and Awful Announcing, in the comments section).
Kellogg is the epitome of what a college basketball analyst should be, balancing shrewd insight with a healthy enthusiasm for the game. I would say, though, that it’d be nice to give Bill Raftery–who has a similar blend of insight and enthusiasm and a longer track record–a couple years as the color guy for the NCAA championship game. (And Verne Lundquist beats Jim Nantz as a basketball play-by-play guy in my book.)
Now, if ESPN will just announce that Steve Lavin is replacing Dick Vitale as their lead analyst, all will be right in the world of college basketball television coverage.
Update: Rush the Court runs down the major Packer-generated controversies through the years.
Filed in links
Spartalyticalon 14 Jul 2008 at 11:13 am 1How he lasted a thousand years, I’ll never know. Kellogg will be great. I also agree on Nantz. He’s a jack of all trades, but doesn’t have the depth or personality to make any of them interesting.
I know this doesn’t belong here, but I thought I’d share. Looks like our favorite Gator of yesteryear is still just as classy as ever. Keep the stories coming, Teddy.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....fdl0QkybQF
DMPon 14 Jul 2008 at 12:59 pm 2With no more Al Michaels calling NBA finals games on ABC anymore, Nantz was definitely next on the list of annoying-straight-laced-sanitized-personality-guys who needed to be removed from basketball announcing.
Nice hair, Dupay. What a sleezeball. I’m still waiting for a ref to eject him from the 2000 game.
Moothekowon 14 Jul 2008 at 2:08 pm 3Oh happy day. Best sports-related news I’ve heard in a long time.