KU-UNC call Packer's last straw?
Somewhere Billy Packer lost his bearings on "The Road to the Final Four" and found himself blustering on "The Road to Perdition." CBS cut its lead basketball analyst loose Monday. Packer, once a relatively non-descript player, made his bones as a college basketball analyst at NBC and CBS because he was smart, quick-witted and informative. As the years passed, however, he grew overbearing, arrogant, condescending, dismissive and petulant. One theory being advanced Monday was that Packer finally went too far during this year's Kansas-North Carolina NCAA semifinal when he declared the game over in the first half. It wasn't viewers he offended, it was network suits. Sure Kansas was up 38-12 at the time; but advertisers, and by extension, network executives don't take kindly to broadcasters who tell viewers there is no reason to watch anymore. Packer should have known better. But he thought he knew better than anyone.
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Marlina Moreno
Jessica White

Comments (74) Add A Comment
Billy Packer is king of the ****. I am hopeful that his career is OVAH.
raneking22
Charlotte, NC
Total Comments (1)
He should've been gone LONG before that incident ever occurred. He had gotten to the point where he thought he was bigger than the games he was supposed to be calling.
Hopefully, nobody will be dumb enought ot hire that windbag after this.
realcrusader
Total Comments (192)
Good for Packer for calling the Kansas game at half time the game was over ...... the network suits wanted viewers to continue to watch a game that had already been lost --- scuw them
Larry B
Total Comments (5271)
At least they did not replace him with that gasbag Raftery!
Lunatic Fringe
Total Comments (1)
Larry B, he may have made the right call. Still, you don't bite the hand that feeds you. The man came to believe that he mattered when he didn't. I won't miss him.
Stranger
Pearl City , HI
Total Comments (19)
Stranger -- you are probably right. The announcer who did game 5 in the NBA finals made the same mistake when he called the game for the lakers in the first helf when they led boston by 20 --- only to have the Celtics come back and win the game that turned the entire playoffs in Boston;s favor, and let them win in 6.
Larry B
Total Comments (5271)
Who's worse, Billy Packer or Larry Merchant?
Hessler
Elkhart , IN
Total Comments (5)
And the Mid-Major schools celebrated with songs, and carbonated non-alcoholic beverages, and with much rejoicing. No longer would they be forced into the shadows, hidden from the world by the 9th best ACC team come tournament time. The Evil One was leaving.
Jefferybeene
Richmond , VA
Total Comments (1)
At least Billy was Billy....not some goofball riding a 30 year old schtick to death. Why couldn't Vitale be the one to get "T.O. BABY" ?
RightasRain
Wilmington , NC
Total Comments (4)
The fact that the team he hates with a passion, UNC, had some small part in him getting fired is sweet justice!
jjinnc
Durham , NC
Total Comments (9)
But he was right... it was over.
FootballGuru
Total Comments (822)
Every school felt he hated them...that was Billy. But as far as calling the game...the guy had insight. No one else offers that. So if you want to mindlessly rah, rah your team, congratulations you're now down to fluff and hype. For those of us who might have been interested in unabashed candor, defensive schemes and coaching strategies...prepare for a dumbed down version of the game....fluff and hype.
Rah, rah Go team go!
RightasRain
Wilmington , NC
Total Comments (4)
This is a long time over due, He has been very negative towards the ACC and even more so against UNC. I wish him well in his 'retirement' and hope that his departure from CBS includes all games with Jefferson Pilot as well.
NC_RedSox_Fan
Fletcher , NC
Total Comments (2)
Who cares?
Gino Cimoli
Omaha , NE
Total Comments (6)
Who cares? This is no story. Find something else to write about.
Gino Cimoli
Omaha , NE
Total Comments (6)
Thank You God!
DrewVT6
Avon , NY
Total Comments (19)
I can't believe some of you ACC fans are actually saying he was negative toward your teams. That is so far from the truth. One of the biggest problems people had with him is his bias toward the ACC and Duke and Carolina. If you talk to Duke fans they will tell you he loved UNC and vice versa.
Packer always thought he knew more than everyone else. When your in the position he was in, even if you think that, you cant let others know you think that way.
I'm glad Packer is gone, I just dont know how good Clark Kellogg will be. Jim Nantz is money though.
jayhawkfan11
Jayhawkville, KS
Total Comments (163)
RightasRain, no-one disputes the man had insight. Most people had problems with him when he stopped analyzing games and started acting like collage basketball deity.
Stranger
Pearl City , HI
Total Comments (19)
Gus Johnson should announce everything in life.
Weapon X
Cherry Hill, NJ
Total Comments (2996)
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