Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

Billy Packer

Billy Packer (born February 25, 1940 in Wellsville, New York) is a former American sportscaster for CBS Sports and a published author.

Biography

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. He was a member of the Delta Nu chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity.

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.

Broadcasting career

Packer first worked at the network level with NBC (1974-1981) and then CBS (1982-2008). He has covered Atlantic Coast Conference basketball games since 1972, and currently covers the league for Raycom 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.

Broadcasting partners

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 Curt Gowdy, Dick Enberg, Al McGuire, Gary Bender, Brent Musburger, and (since 1991) Jim Nantz and Verne Lundquist. When working games for Raycom 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.

On July 14, 2008, CBS Sports announced that Packer would be replaced on CBS broadcasts by Clark Kellogg.

Career timeline

1972-2008: Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Sports (ACC Coverage) Analyst
1974-1981: NBC Sports Lead College Basketball Analyst
1981-2008: CBS Sports Lead College Basketball Analyst

Controversy

Packer is known for his eccentric behavior off camera and sometimes controversial statements. He's been known to play golf courses in reverse, from green to tee. He involved himself in high profile legal cases hiring a psychic to find the weapon in the O.J. Simpson murder case and started a legal defense fund for Richard Jewell. He purchased Picasso ceramics and displays them in makeshift plexiglass and plywood work desk he had created. Packer directed his interest in politics into approaching 123 random women, without identifying himself, asking them if they'd vote for Hillary Clinton.

Iverson comment

In 1996, during an on-air broadcast of a game between Georgetown and Villanova, Packer described Hoyas star guard Allen Iverson as a "tough monkey." Packer later apologized, insisting he was actually trying to praise Iverson's relentless play. Significantly, neither Iverson nor Georgetown coach John Thompson said they 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.

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 committee. The Hawks ended up being defeated one game short of the Final Four (losing on a three pointer by John Lucas III of Oklahoma State with 6 seconds left, 64-62). 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.

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. His comments caused a backlash among fans of mid-major conferences such as the Missouri Valley Conference and Colonial Athletic Association, both of whom 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 years' 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. A week later, Packer tried to defuse the controversy by saying, on CBS airwaves, that he was "often wrong, but never in doubt." (March 19, 2006)

Memorable calls

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."

Family

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.