RIP Billy Packer

[richard levy]

grew up listening to the ACC game of the week, Jim Thacker/Billy Packer. Different era, only the ACC tourney winner went to NCAA

 

[orange79]

I am pretty sure that was a Big East vs the World all star game of graduating seniors. That's one of the first sporting events I remember going to as a kid. It was at Manley. Sean Kerins and Gene Waldron played on the Big East team. I still have the program from the game and came across it a few years ago and I remember Billy's picture in the program.

Yep. I was there, too. Al McGuire was the other coach.

RIP, Billy

 

[81South]

He liked to call our alley oop dunks goal tending…’the ball is in the cyclinder’…which drove me crazy.

And I will never forget….’nobody stopped the clock…nobody stopped the clock’….

 

[xc84]

He liked to call our alley oop dunks goal tending…’the ball is in the cyclinder’…which drove me crazy.

And I will never forget….’nobody stopped the clock…nobody stopped the clock’….

He was always trying to tell us what should happen ...usually some obscure thing...and then when it didn't, he would say it "They should've ... " He was iconic but annoyed the hell out of me.

 

[Charbroil]

The Billy Packer memory that stands out most to me was when he proclaimed a final four game over midway through the first half. That was Kansas and UNC in 2008 I believe.

I can’t imagine the network was happy with him essentially telling people to turn off their TV in such a huge game with so much time remaining.

 

[Frozen]

“It’s not how tall, it’s how long”

 

[xc84]

“It’s not how tall, it’s how long”

that's what she said?

 

[81South]

“It’s not how tall, it’s how long”

What about girth?

 

[OttoMets]

Wow, I never would have guessed Billy was from upstate NY. Wellsville is west of Elmira, just a little north of the Pennsylvania border.

I spent a lot of time disliking Billy. Respecting him but disliking him.

I was, as so many on the board were, a huge fan of the Big East and it seemed to me as though Billy was always overly effusive in his love for the ACC. He was reluctant to accept that the ACC had been eclipsed and it seemed to me as though he never quite gave Syracuse or Jim Boeheim the respect they deserved.

That said, he was a great announcer. I learned more about basketball listening to him do games than from anyone else. There is a lot that goes on within a game in basketball; individual matchups teams are looking to exploit; certain strategies to attack a defense, get a star player in foul trouble, etc.

He was exceptional at analyzing what was going on in a game and what it would lead to. 'Watch the matchup between player X and opposing player Y. Coach Z thinks he can exploit this situation and will go to player X whenever possible.' 'Pearl is too much for Jackson; Louie is going to have to switch him off or go to a zone now'. Things like that.

When he started, the standard names for the people doing the broadcast were the play by play and the color guys. Where the color guy was literally expected to provide colorful stories, tidbits like player nicknames, jokes about the appearance of players, etc.

Billy was the first guy in this role I remember who was clearly different. He was an analyst and what he provided was much more valuable and interesting, at least to me. I think he played a big role in changing how sports broadcasts were done, and this is his lasting impact on basketball and even other sports. It wasn't long after he became a voice of college basketball that he rightly started getting called an analyst. As an aside, I think Al was brought in specifically because the directors were afraid to replace the color role with an analyst and wanted someone else on the broadcast to fill the color role. Al brought some analysis too but he certainly was also good bringing color to broadcasts...

To this day, whenever I listen to a broadcast of a basketball game, I hold the analyst to the standards that Billy established. I expect the analyst to provide thought insights and great observations. A lot of analysts today would do well to look at some of Billy's old broadcasts and take notes on how to do the job the right way.

I am also a big fan of his son Mark. Good family. My condolences to him and the rest of the Packer family.

Great summary, Tom. Ditto.

 

[sweetpea]

Yep. I was there, too. Al McGuire was the other coach.

RIP, Billy

I was there as well as a teenager. I think the world won, but I do remember that Otis Thorpe was unstoppable for the Big East. It was on some sort of television because Bobby Knight was there doing commentary. Afterwards, we were in line on the floor getting autographs and just as I was going to get Knight's autograph the guy in front of me accidentally knocked over Knight's coffee cup on to his lap. I thought all hell might break loose, but Knight just slid over a chair and kept signing. I also remember people telling Knight that he better pick Pearl for the olympic team. That was a long time ago.

 

[MSOrange]

I was there as well as a teenager. I think the world won, but I do remember that Otis Thorpe was unstoppable for the Big East. It was on some sort of television because Bobby Knight was there doing commentary. Afterwards, we were in line on the floor getting autographs and just as I was going to get Knight's autograph the guy in front of me accidentally knocked over Knight's coffee cup on to his lap. I thought all hell might break loose, but Knight just slid over a chair and kept signing. I also remember people telling Knight that he better pick Pearl for the olympic team. That was a long time ago.

Yep I remember Otis Thorpe and I am pretty sure Sam Perkins played for the World team.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Cheriehoop]

Yep I remember Otis Thorpe and I am pretty sure Sam Perkins played for the World team.

This is all I could find via google.

Big East Seniors In All-Star Game (Published 1983)

www.nytimes.com

 

[SWC75]

I saw Billy Packer playing point guard for Wake Forest his senior season. It was a memorable performance and I have never forgotten what he did that night. The broadcasting of weekend college basketball on network tv was in its early stages when he started doing games for NBC in 1974. When he hooked up with Al McGuire and Dick Enberg on the broadcasts a few years later, college hoops exploded in popularity to heights previously unimaginable. Packer was the voice of the NCAA Tournament for three decades and is the most influential college basketball broadcaster in history.

They are all gone now but the echoes of their broadcasts remain in our collective heads:

I agree with Tomcat that Packer was the game's greatest analyst, breaking down what was going on in the game, which is what I want to know. McGuire provided the color without going over-the-top Vitale-style and Enberg a calm, agreeable play-by-play.

That said, I have never forgiven Packer for shouting at the refs "This isn't the NBA! There's no continuation!!!" at the end of the 1978 Western Kentucky game in the NCAAs. He convinced them to take Marty Byrnes' basket off the board and turn an 'and one' into a one and one and we lost by one. Marty had been hacked going up for a lay-up and somehow managed to flip the ball in off the backboard before going out of bounds.

 

[RF2044]

Wow, I never would have guessed Billy was from upstate NY. Wellsville is west of Elmira, just a little north of the Pennsylvania border.

I spent a lot of time disliking Billy. Respecting him but disliking him.

I was, as so many on the board were, a huge fan of the Big East and it seemed to me as though Billy was always overly effusive in his love for the ACC. He was reluctant to accept that the ACC had been eclipsed and it seemed to me as though he never quite gave Syracuse or Jim Boeheim the respect they deserved.

That said, he was a great announcer. I learned more about basketball listening to him do games than from anyone else. There is a lot that goes on within a game in basketball; individual matchups teams are looking to exploit; certain strategies to attack a defense, get a star player in foul trouble, etc.

He was exceptional at analyzing what was going on in a game and what it would lead to. 'Watch the matchup between player X and opposing player Y. Coach Z thinks he can exploit this situation and will go to player X whenever possible.' 'Pearl is too much for Jackson; Louie is going to have to switch him off or go to a zone now'. Things like that.

When he started, the standard names for the people doing the broadcast were the play by play and the color guys. Where the color guy was literally expected to provide colorful stories, tidbits like player nicknames, jokes about the appearance of players, etc.

Billy was the first guy in this role I remember who was clearly different. He was an analyst and what he provided was much more valuable and interesting, at least to me. I think he played a big role in changing how sports broadcasts were done, and this is his lasting impact on basketball and even other sports. It wasn't long after he became a voice of college basketball that he rightly started getting called an analyst. As an aside, I think Al was brought in specifically because the directors were afraid to replace the color role with an analyst and wanted someone else on the broadcast to fill the color role. Al brought some analysis too but he certainly was also good bringing color to broadcasts...

To this day, whenever I listen to a broadcast of a basketball game, I hold the analyst to the standards that Billy established. I expect the analyst to provide thought insights and great observations. A lot of analysts today would do well to look at some of Billy's old broadcasts and take notes on how to do the job the right way.

I am also a big fan of his son Mark. Good family. My condolences to him and the rest of the Packer family.

Good post, Tomcast. He was a great announcer, but annoying.

He called [with Brent Musburger] one of my all-time favorite games for Syracuse -- the 1989 season finale against Georgetown, which was Sherman Douglas's last game at the Dome. We were down by close to 20 in the second half, until the good guys mounted a furious comeback -- I've never heard the Dome so loud.

Game ended up going to overtime, and was close down to the wire. Syracuse had a 2 point edge with about 20 seconds to go, and Georgetown held the ball for the final shot. After stalling [shot clock was 45 seconds back then], supervillain John Thompson signaled in a play to his team, prompting Packer to exclaim:

"John Thompson signals in his play -- Brent, he's going for the win! He's going for the win or the tie!"

Brilliant analysis, Billy -- what else is he going to do, go for the loss?

I've rewatched that game 100 times over the years, and it cracks me up every time.

That said, RIP. He was a terrific announcer, even if he wasn't my favorite for the reasons outlined in Tom's post above.

 

[sweetpea]

This is all I could find via google.

Big East Seniors In All-Star Game (Published 1983)

www.nytimes.com

They must have played twice. I just found this. I don't remember the 83 game, but attended in 84.

Charles Jones and Lancaster Gordon of Louisville combined for... - UPI Archives

Charles Jones and Lancaster Gordon of Louisville combined for 25 points to pace the Billy Packer-coached World team to a 100-91 victory over Al McGuire's Big...

www.upi.com

 

[Madbiker]

I saw Billy Packer playing point guard for Wake Forest his senior season. It was a memorable performance and I have never forgotten what he did that night. The broadcasting of weekend college basketball on network tv was in its early stages when he started doing games for NBC in 1974. When he hooked up with Al McGuire and Dick Enberg on the broadcasts a few years later, college hoops exploded in popularity to heights previously unimaginable. Packer was the voice of the NCAA Tournament for three decades and is the most influential college basketball broadcaster in history.

That was a great broadcasting trio that really put college hoops on the map. Packer and McGuire were total opposites and used to argue all the time. It was entertaining.

 

[domestu]

Billy Packer also did a lot of things to promote college hoops that most fans never knew about. Following the Selection Sunday show on CBS, he would spend hours doing phone interviews about the tournament with people around the country. Most of his interviews that night involved major markets outlets like Bob Costas' St Louis radio program at KMOX. But in the days leading up to the start of the tourney, he would do lengthy interviews with little college radio stations and newspapers that were far removed from the big time college sports world. For a lot of people who covered smaller college programs, their first interview with a nationally known figure came when they talked to Billy Packer. And that access was available throughout the season. College basketball has lost one of its greatest ambassadors.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Good post, Tomcast. He was a great announcer, but annoying.

He called [with Brent Musburger] one of my all-time favorite games for Syracuse -- the 1989 season finale against Georgetown, which was Sherman Douglas's last game at the Dome. We were down by close to 20 in the second half, until the good guys mounted a furious comeback -- I've never heard the Dome so loud.

Game ended up going to overtime, and was close down to the wire. Syracuse had a 2 point edge with about 20 seconds to go, and Georgetown held the ball for the final shot. After stalling [shot clock was 45 seconds back then], supervillain John Thompson signaled in a play to his team, prompting Packer to exclaim:

"John Thompson signals in his play -- Brent, he's going for the win! He's going for the win or the tie!"

Brilliant analysis, Billy -- what else is he going to do, go for the loss?

I've rewatched that game 100 times over the years, and it cracks me up every time.

That said, RIP. He was a terrific announcer, even if he wasn't my favorite for the reasons outlined in Tom's post above.

ive seen that game 1x...LIVE.

didnt Sherm sorta end it with a reverse dunk??

 

[KaiserUEO]

I have a funny random Billy Packer story.

Jim Boeheim was getting some award at an NYC event, and Billy was the master of ceremonies. I was standing and talking with someone while Billy was trying to quiet the crowd ... and he loudly berated me and told me to sit down.

He was immediately challenged by Jim who said: "Be careful, Billy, she's my boss."

For once in his life, Billy was speechless.

About 10 people from this forum were at the event. I am sure they remember it. The other thing I remember from that evening is that either UEO or someone almost broke an expensive piece of crystal when he almost hit it with a basketball.

to quote Robert Plant..."well, I might of done it...but I don't remember it."

 

[Chip]

to quote Robert Plant..."well, I might of done it...but I don't remember it."

She has too many almosts in that paragraph for my liking.

I think almost all of us know what probably happened.

 

[OttoMets]

ive seen that game 1x...LIVE.

didnt Sherm sorta end it with a reverse dunk??

Yep.
That Johnson tip slam through to Sherman's dunk...wow.

 

[RF2044]

ive seen that game 1x...LIVE.

didnt Sherm sorta end it with a reverse dunk??

Yessir

 

[jordville]

 

[OrangePA]

I remember meeting him at Grimaldi’s’s before a Georgetown game many years ago when a friend introduced me.

I also remember when he and Al McGuire coached against each other in an all-star game played in Manley.

He was a great basketball broadcaster - probably the best ever.

I’m glad he’s on the soundtrack of our 2003 Championship