Media Reports: Packer Out at CBS Sports

The news is making the rounds quickly Monday morning that Billy Packer's run at CBS Sports calling college basketball has come to an end. Reports of Packer's departure are making the rounds on ESPN, Fox Sports and The Sporting News websites that Packer will depart CBS and bring an end to 34 years of calling the Final Four.

The Miami Herald reports Packer, 68, will be replaced with Clark Kellogg who has been a fixture in the studio for CBS coverage of college basketball.

The Herald says Packers isn't done with basketball, but will pursue other projects in basketball.

College basketball has been unique from the standpoint that you have two commentators who carry massive weight with their opinions on the sport. ESPN's WSPA Vitale and Packer had very different styles of calling a game.

Vitale has his booming, enthusiastic and frankly annoying to many delivery (along with a hypocritical view of they're "just kids" seconds after touting a high school star as the next great thing) vs. Packer's more studious approach where he dissected each coaching move to player twitch as if that was the changing point of the game.

I preferred Packer, but I wouldn't work too hard to convince you that I was right. They probably both rank equally high and low with sports fans tastes. I've also gathered that the rivalry that many fans believe exists between Packer and Vitale is a big load of nothing.

Packer wound up working 27 college basketball seasons for CBS, but it was his far briefer time at NBC with WSPA Enberg and Al McGuire that I'll always remember. McGuire and Packer would go at it and it was always entertaining.

My favorite moment was on a Super Bowl Sunday afternoon in 1981 when NBC showed a Virginia-Ohio State basketball game prior to the Eagles-Raiders showdown. Ralph Sampson was Virginia's star and he put on - as I recall - a 40 point/17 rebound effort that just overwhelmed the Buckeyes. At one point of the game, Packer made this statement (pretty much, it was 28 years ago):

Billy: Al, you can't physically block Ralph Sampson's shot without it being goaltending because his release is above the rim. The ball is headed down from the moment he shoots it."
McGuire: "Billy, what the h--- are you talking about? You've gone ACC crazy!"

CBS did hook that trio up again for a stuntcasting enticement to watch a regular season NCAA game, before McGuire passed away.

I really don't recognize college basketball anymore. Tales from the recruiting trail make me feel like I need to take a shower after watching a game. AAU basketball means more to many of today's high school players than their school. One-and-done college players are the norm in college hoops where coaches grumble about the rent-a-star system, while knowing they can't win big without having one or two on their team.

Packer reminded me of the days when someone set a screen and players didn't look at defense like it was make-it-take-it. And whatever you think of him as a broadcaster, seeing his exit from the big stage is a little disappointing.