Billy Packer
From Hoopedia
Billy Packer (born February 25, 1940 in Wellsville, New York) is an American sportscaster for CBS Sports and a published author.
For more than three decades, Packer has served as a color commentator on network television broadcasts of college basketball. He has covered every NCAA Division I Men's Tournament, including the Final Four, since 1974. His broadcast teammates have been Curt Gowdy, Dick Enberg, Al McGuire, Gary Bender, Brent Musburger, and (since 1991) Jim Nantz and Verne Lundquist. When working games for Lincoln-Financial Sports, Packer's on-air partner is Tim Brant. When Nantz covered the 1992 Winter Olympics for CBS, Packer's on-air partner was Mel Proctor.
Packer is also the author of Hoops, Why We Win, and a number of other basketball books. 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. Brandt Packer produces golf telecasts for ABC Sports.
Packer's eye for detail has earned him grudging respect throughout his career as a basketball analyst, even from his harshest critics. In the 2006 NCAA Tournament, Packer's awareness of substitution patterns led the CBS production truck to post a graphic during the second half of a regional semifinal game between Boston College and Villanova: "Substitutions: Villanova 72, Boston College 7."
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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 two ACC titles and the 1962 Final Four.
After graduation, he had a brief stint as an assistant coach for his alma mater. In 1972, Packer began his career in broadcasting in Raleigh, North Carolina, when he was asked to fill in as an analyst for a regionally televised ACC game. Packer became a regular the next season.
Controversy
In the past few years, Packer has become a controversial figure among college basketball fans and national media. He ia said to be biased in his comments for East Coast teams, especially the ACC. Even though he has never expressed disdain towards the West, some interpret his comments during games to reflect a bias in favor of the East Coast over the West.
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.
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 tournament 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 being given a #1 seed in the 1979 tournament. Indiana State eventually made the final game, losing to a Michigan State team led by Magic Johnson.
An important dimension of this particular controversy is that CBS assigned Packer to cover the 2004 East Rutherford Regional. Saint Joseph's was playing in this regional, and the Hawks' semifinal opponent was none other than Wake Forest, Packer's alma mater. While many fans and media observers were expecting fireworks from Packer in this game, there were never any unpleasant or even remotely controversial moments from the contest, which was won by Saint Joseph's. Packer and Martelli actually shook hands at courtside during practice the day before the Wake Forest-St. Joe's game, and when St. Joe's played Oklahoma State in the regional final two days later, there were no incidents to speak of.
History And Awards
Packer worked first at the network level with NBC (1974-1981) and then CBS (1982-present). He has covered Atlantic Coast Conference basketball games since 1972, and currently covers the league for Lincoln-Financial Sports, a division of Raycom Media. Packer won a Sports Emmy Award in 1993.
In 2005, Packer received the Marvin Francis Award for "notable achievement and service in coverage of the ACC," as reported by the Washington Post.
Quotes
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 said, "They won it...on the dunk!"
After the University of Arizona won the 1997 national title, Arizona star player Miles Simon celebrated on the court. Observing the scene, Packer said, "Simon says... championship."
