Good riddance.
Billy Packer, 68, lead color analyst for CBS’ coverage of NCAA basketball will leave the network after 28 years to pursue “other projects in basketball,” according to The Miami Herald.
Uh huh. He’s probably got a bigger gig lined up somewhere, right?
CBS will replace Packer with studio analyst Clark Kellogg joining stalwart Jim Nantz on its lead announcing team.
From the mundane to the mundaner.
Speculation of Packer's exit was fueled amid widespread criticism during this year's tournament.
Also, with the emergence of ‘mid-major’ teams as year-to-year national contenders, Packer’s refusal to acknowledge the shift in the traditional power structure is looked on as too conservative and grumpy for a new generation of NCAA basketball fans, excited by teams like Memphis, Gonzaga and Southern Illinois.
It’s a shame that a great sportscaster like Nantz will forever have his reputation tarnished for agreeing with Packer’s ‘old-timer’ attitude toward the inclusion of these mid-majors in the Tournament.
Long live the Clark Kellogg era!
Now, if only another Packer would go away forever…
