Billy Packer passes away

[stever20]

didn't think saw it on here but Billy Packer passed away Thursday. One of the best game callers IMO.

And how about this. He passes away on Jan 26. When did Al McGuire pass away? That's right, Jan 26. To quote Dick Enberg, Oh My!!!!!

[MUPanther]

Worked 34 straight Final Fours. That's mind blowing.

[stever20]

Worked 34 straight Final Fours. That's mind blowing.

CBS did a real nice piece on him today.

Heard yesterday that Jim Nantz actually got to talk with him on Wednsday the day before he passed. Hopefully Nantz will say something during the football broadcast tomorrow night.

[billyjack]

Sorry to hear he passed away.

Honestly, i wasn't a fan of his announcing. I just remember him as a surly, curmudgeon-type, grumpy dude. And it's like, who wants to listen to this wet blanket? Seems like there are other people who tend to agree.

From his obituary in the NY Times:

"... “The poor guy is so serious about basketball that he can’t have any fun with it,” Mr. McGuire once said. “It’s all life or death. There’s no in-between with Billy. If it’s on his mind, it jumps out of his mouth. But bless his heart, his mind is just as fast as his mouth.”

In 2004, Mr. Packer excoriated St. Joseph’s University as a No. 1 seed in its region in the N.C.A.A. tournament. The next year, he criticized N.C.A.A. officials for choosing some mid-major conference teams for the tournament while excluding teams from larger conferences that he deemed better..."

... and i found this on the web, which to me is accurate also:

"... The thing about Billy Packer is that he was horrible. I mean, sure, he knew the game. But I’ve never seen an announcer express less joy out of a game than Packer. He hated everything. Every change was bad. Innovations were for communists. Women being around the game was an abomination. March Madness was terrible because it gave small schools chances. And this was the expression of Packer on the floor, game after game. That he had so many huge games is an abomination. Giving those games to the wonderful Bill Raftery, for instance, might actually get people excited about what they were watching. Billy Packer did excite I suppose, in the sense that yelling at the TV about how horrible he was is the one thing that might connect, say, UNC, Duke, and Kentucky fans..."

For me, i just remember that as a kid, in remembering the Enberg- McGuire- Packer threesome, that:

... Enberg was excellent and knew his sh-t, and would speak in terms of positives...

... and McGuire was a genius and he was fun and i learned the game by listeni g to his commentary...

... and Packer was just a grump who was wrong all the time while McGuire would eat Packer's lunch regarding game strategies, etc.

Problem is that starting in 1982 on CBS, Packer was alone and free to make dumb statements, and McGuire wasn't around anymore to correct him for the viewers.

In today's TV telecasts, that's why Walton is great-- because he loves the game and it's a pleasure to watch with him... and that's why i like Dickie Simpkins, cuz for all the faults people find in him (not me), he's enjoying himself and it's a fun listen.

[Savannah Jay]

Sorry to hear he passed away.

Honestly, i wasn't a fan of his announcing. I just remember him as a surly, curmudgeon-type, grumpy dude. And it's like, who wants to listen to this wet blanket? Seems like there are other people who tend to agree.

From his obituary in the NY Times:

"... “The poor guy is so serious about basketball that he can’t have any fun with it,” Mr. McGuire once said. “It’s all life or death. There’s no in-between with Billy. If it’s on his mind, it jumps out of his mouth. But bless his heart, his mind is just as fast as his mouth.”

In 2004, Mr. Packer excoriated St. Joseph’s University as a No. 1 seed in its region in the N.C.A.A. tournament. The next year, he criticized N.C.A.A. officials for choosing some mid-major conference teams for the tournament while excluding teams from larger conferences that he deemed better..."

... and i found this on the web, which to me is accurate also:

"... The thing about Billy Packer is that he was horrible. I mean, sure, he knew the game. But I’ve never seen an announcer express less joy out of a game than Packer. He hated everything. Every change was bad. Innovations were for communists. Women being around the game was an abomination. March Madness was terrible because it gave small schools chances. And this was the expression of Packer on the floor, game after game. That he had so many huge games is an abomination. Giving those games to the wonderful Bill Raftery, for instance, might actually get people excited about what they were watching. Billy Packer did excite I suppose, in the sense that yelling at the TV about how horrible he was is the one thing that might connect, say, UNC, Duke, and Kentucky fans..."

For me, i just remember that as a kid, in remembering the Enberg- McGuire- Packer threesome, that:

... Enberg was excellent and knew his sh-t, and would speak in terms of positives...

... and McGuire was a genius and he was fun and i learned the game by listeni g to his commentary...

... and Packer was just a grump who was wrong all the time while McGuire would eat Packer's lunch regarding game strategies, etc.

Problem is that starting in 1982 on CBS, Packer was alone and free to make dumb statements, and McGuire wasn't around anymore to correct him for the viewers.

In today's TV telecasts, that's why Walton is great-- because he loves the game and it's a pleasure to watch with him... and that's why i like Dickie Simpkins, cuz for all the faults people find in him (not me), he's enjoying himself and it's a fun listen.

I originally thought Packer was playing a role with Enberg and McGuire...they wanted a grumpy dude to balance positivity and strategy you mention. Then McGuire left and it's...nope, that's who he is behind a microphone.

I had the opportunity to hear Packer speak at some business luncheon in the early 90s. He was completely different than that grumpy bastard on TV. He had great stories that he told with humor and, dare I say, positivity. It was almost hard to believe it was the same guy on TV.

[billyjack]

Sorry to hear he passed away.

Honestly, i wasn't a fan of his announcing. I just remember him as a surly, curmudgeon-type, grumpy dude. And it's like, who wants to listen to this wet blanket? Seems like there are other people who tend to agree.

From his obituary in the NY Times:

"... “The poor guy is so serious about basketball that he can’t have any fun with it,” Mr. McGuire once said. “It’s all life or death. There’s no in-between with Billy. If it’s on his mind, it jumps out of his mouth. But bless his heart, his mind is just as fast as his mouth.”

In 2004, Mr. Packer excoriated St. Joseph’s University as a No. 1 seed in its region in the N.C.A.A. tournament. The next year, he criticized N.C.A.A. officials for choosing some mid-major conference teams for the tournament while excluding teams from larger conferences that he deemed better..."

... and i found this on the web, which to me is accurate also:

"... The thing about Billy Packer is that he was horrible. I mean, sure, he knew the game. But I’ve never seen an announcer express less joy out of a game than Packer. He hated everything. Every change was bad. Innovations were for communists. Women being around the game was an abomination. March Madness was terrible because it gave small schools chances. And this was the expression of Packer on the floor, game after game. That he had so many huge games is an abomination. Giving those games to the wonderful Bill Raftery, for instance, might actually get people excited about what they were watching. Billy Packer did excite I suppose, in the sense that yelling at the TV about how horrible he was is the one thing that might connect, say, UNC, Duke, and Kentucky fans..."

For me, i just remember that as a kid, in remembering the Enberg- McGuire- Packer threesome, that:

... Enberg was excellent and knew his sh-t, and would speak in terms of positives...

... and McGuire was a genius and he was fun and i learned the game by listeni g to his commentary...

... and Packer was just a grump who was wrong all the time while McGuire would eat Packer's lunch regarding game strategies, etc.

Problem is that starting in 1982 on CBS, Packer was alone and free to make dumb statements, and McGuire wasn't around anymore to correct him for the viewers.

In today's TV telecasts, that's why Walton is great-- because he loves the game and it's a pleasure to watch with him... and that's why i like Dickie Simpkins, cuz for all the faults people find in him (not me), he's enjoying himself and it's a fun listen.

I originally thought Packer was playing a role with Enberg and McGuire...they wanted a grumpy dude to balance positivity and strategy you mention. Then McGuire left and it's...nope, that's who he is behind a microphone.

I had the opportunity to hear Packer speak at some business luncheon in the early 90s. He was completely different than that grumpy bastard on TV. He had great stories that he told with humor and, dare I say, positivity. It was almost hard to believe it was the same guy on TV.

That's great to hear Savannah. Also, funny about him originally being thought of as a deliberate pessimist to counter DE and AM.

[DanofXav76]

Sorry to hear he passed away.

Honestly, i wasn't a fan of his announcing. I just remember him as a surly, curmudgeon-type, grumpy dude. And it's like, who wants to listen to this wet blanket? Seems like there are other people who tend to agree.

From his obituary in the NY Times:

"... “The poor guy is so serious about basketball that he can’t have any fun with it,” Mr. McGuire once said. “It’s all life or death. There’s no in-between with Billy. If it’s on his mind, it jumps out of his mouth. But bless his heart, his mind is just as fast as his mouth.”

In 2004, Mr. Packer excoriated St. Joseph’s University as a No. 1 seed in its region in the N.C.A.A. tournament. The next year, he criticized N.C.A.A. officials for choosing some mid-major conference teams for the tournament while excluding teams from larger conferences that he deemed better..."

... and i found this on the web, which to me is accurate also:

"... The thing about Billy Packer is that he was horrible. I mean, sure, he knew the game. But I’ve never seen an announcer express less joy out of a game than Packer. He hated everything. Every change was bad. Innovations were for communists. Women being around the game was an abomination. March Madness was terrible because it gave small schools chances. And this was the expression of Packer on the floor, game after game. That he had so many huge games is an abomination. Giving those games to the wonderful Bill Raftery, for instance, might actually get people excited about what they were watching. Billy Packer did excite I suppose, in the sense that yelling at the TV about how horrible he was is the one thing that might connect, say, UNC, Duke, and Kentucky fans..."

For me, i just remember that as a kid, in remembering the Enberg- McGuire- Packer threesome, that:

... Enberg was excellent and knew his sh-t, and would speak in terms of positives...

... and McGuire was a genius and he was fun and i learned the game by listeni g to his commentary...

... and Packer was just a grump who was wrong all the time while McGuire would eat Packer's lunch regarding game strategies, etc.

Problem is that starting in 1982 on CBS, Packer was alone and free to make dumb statements, and McGuire wasn't around anymore to correct him for the viewers.

In today's TV telecasts, that's why Walton is great-- because he loves the game and it's a pleasure to watch with him... and that's why i like Dickie Simpkins, cuz for all the faults people find in him (not me), he's enjoying himself and it's a fun listen.

My Man, Billy Jack, once again on the money with his comments. I was surprised ( well maybe just a little) that the last Packer live game he attended, was also the last one he telecasted. I think he stayed about ten tears too long, seemed like a bitter man. My only add on for Al is I thought he had that 6th sense or "feeling" when a game was going one way or the other while it was happening. He kind of told you what was coming rather than telling you what you were already watching.

[billyjack]

Sorry to hear he passed away.

Honestly, i wasn't a fan of his announcing. I just remember him as a surly, curmudgeon-type, grumpy dude. And it's like, who wants to listen to this wet blanket? Seems like there are other people who tend to agree.

From his obituary in the NY Times:

"... “The poor guy is so serious about basketball that he can’t have any fun with it,” Mr. McGuire once said. “It’s all life or death. There’s no in-between with Billy. If it’s on his mind, it jumps out of his mouth. But bless his heart, his mind is just as fast as his mouth.”

In 2004, Mr. Packer excoriated St. Joseph’s University as a No. 1 seed in its region in the N.C.A.A. tournament. The next year, he criticized N.C.A.A. officials for choosing some mid-major conference teams for the tournament while excluding teams from larger conferences that he deemed better..."

... and i found this on the web, which to me is accurate also:

"... The thing about Billy Packer is that he was horrible. I mean, sure, he knew the game. But I’ve never seen an announcer express less joy out of a game than Packer. He hated everything. Every change was bad. Innovations were for communists. Women being around the game was an abomination. March Madness was terrible because it gave small schools chances. And this was the expression of Packer on the floor, game after game. That he had so many huge games is an abomination. Giving those games to the wonderful Bill Raftery, for instance, might actually get people excited about what they were watching. Billy Packer did excite I suppose, in the sense that yelling at the TV about how horrible he was is the one thing that might connect, say, UNC, Duke, and Kentucky fans..."

For me, i just remember that as a kid, in remembering the Enberg- McGuire- Packer threesome, that:

... Enberg was excellent and knew his sh-t, and would speak in terms of positives...

... and McGuire was a genius and he was fun and i learned the game by listeni g to his commentary...

... and Packer was just a grump who was wrong all the time while McGuire would eat Packer's lunch regarding game strategies, etc.

Problem is that starting in 1982 on CBS, Packer was alone and free to make dumb statements, and McGuire wasn't around anymore to correct him for the viewers.

In today's TV telecasts, that's why Walton is great-- because he loves the game and it's a pleasure to watch with him... and that's why i like Dickie Simpkins, cuz for all the faults people find in him (not me), he's enjoying himself and it's a fun listen.

My Man, Billy Jack, once again on the money with his comments. I was surprised ( well maybe just a little) that the last Packer TV game he saw was also the last one he telecasted. My only add on for Al is I thought he had that 6th sense or "feeling" when a game was going one way or the other while it was happening. He kind of told you what was coming rather than telling you what you were already watching.

Hey, thanks Dan, very much appreciated.

[Omaha1]

Packer was in his hey day when the Jays were in the MVC. He would always piss all over the mid majors so I learned to dislike him. And as much as Dickie Simpkins might be having fun on the broadcast, I find him horrible to listen to.

[Jasper67]

Here’s an article about Billy and Al that I read decades ago. It really gives a feel for the two men. I love the part where they unexpectedly bump into each other in church. I should add that being from Brooklyn, I always had a special warm feeling for Al. We come from the same background and my wife and I met in his family’s bar/restaurant in Rockaway.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/03/16/basketballs-odd-couple/00825f59-b50d-46a5-998d-8ccf7ec60c45/