Billy Packer is a humorless, trouble-making curmudgeon. That pretty much sums it up right there. Packer loves to get involved in a story a little too much. He's been doing his shtick since the 1970's and believes that he has become an essential and beloved part of the college basketball landscape, when really, he's become an unoccupied, run-down, bankrupt Orange Julius store on that landscape...laughable, unessential, and way beyond it's time. This doesn't stop Billy Packer from his own unique type of journalism. Now there is "Gonzo" journalism, popularized by Hunter S. Thompson, where the writer essentially becomes part of the story as fact and fiction become blurred, style triumphs over content, and emotions provide context. I believe that there is now "Packer" journalism, popularized (or maybe epitomized) by the crabby Mr. packer himself. Packer journalism, which I fully expect to be taught at universities sometime soon, would include the following: presenting a dissenting opinion at any time (even after it has been proven wrong), mistaking being stubborn for being resolute - and coming back by being even more stubborn, learning how to make yourself the story - even and especially in the midst of a huge story, being old, having the inability to admit when one was wrong, & a 400-level course in not understanding the concept of irony. Here is a brief list of Mr. Billy Packer's past exploits:
- In 1996, Packer calls Allen Iverson a "tough monkey" during a Georgetown game. Packer did apologize and neither Iverson nor Georgetown head coach John Thompson said they were offended by the remark.
- Packer mocked the 1979 Indiana State team's credentials as they were given a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Um, that Indiana State team was led by a white guy from French Lick named Larry Bird and they went to the Championship game that year.
- In 2000, Packer had to apologize again...this time for making sexist comments before a game at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. When students asked Billy to show them his press pass, Packer says: "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?"
- Much like his self-righteous bashing of Indiana State, Packer had problems with St. Joseph's #1 seed in 2004. (St. Joseph's went undefeated until their Conference Championship game that season and made it to the Elite Eight) This resulted in an on-air spat between Packer and St. Joseph's coach, Phil Martelli.
- Packer has this amazing ability to blast the inclusion of mid-major teams year after year, even after multiple mid-major teams make the sweet sixteen, or in the case of George Mason in 2006, make the final four.
- "Fagging Out" - enough said.
Now Billy Packer is not pure evil. He actually knows the sport of basketball rather well. And he's pretty good with the history of the game pre-1992. My point is that he's had his moment in the sun and it's time to move on and open the door for others.
I can't properly do an Anti-Billy Packer column, because the truth is that Bill Simmons already did it. Please check out his piece on The Curse of Billy Packer. If Bill Simmons ever comes across this blog and reads it...do I win a prize? Seriously though...his column on this is really on the ball and really well done.
Here it is Phil...the Anti-Billy Packer Column. I'd love to know your thoughts on the ageless announcer and instigator.
what a great post! first of all, i'm pleased that i actually got a label on this at the bottom. second, perhaps the best thing about this post is the photo. and third, you did a decently good job of capturing why i hate billy packer. i also read bill simmons's article and thought that was pretty accurate as well. i would say that it's not packer's sexism and racism that are most offensive to me. that's too easy. it's his stubborn, repetitive, misinformed, obnoxious comments that litter his color commentating on any given day. the best way for me to describe this would be to actually make a list of these comments during a game (or watch a game with you and point them out). another way to put this is that he turns basketball commentary into a politics...where rhetoric and unyielding opinion is often dressed up with an appeal to expertise and facts (although Packer frequently gets these wrong). instead, i think basketball commentary is more of an art, which is why simmons is right to point out packer's humorlessness (among other flaws).
ReplyDeletei see now that i actually have a few posts with my own label. and one with an exclusive label. what an honor.
ReplyDeletei also see that not only simmons but also you point out that packer is humorless.
i regret the errors.
i completely agree phil. it's not packer's sexism and racism that turns me off to him (that stuff is almost cliche and endearing with an older white man now-a-days), it's his refusal to change from an uninformed, pre-determined opinion. for instance...at the beginning of any game, packer will ascribe to some random, antiquated, or outlandish opinion, then drive that thought home over and over again throughout the game. EVEN after his point/thought has been proven incorrect over and over again. it's gotten to the point where he takes away from the viewing/listening experience. we should keep track of "Packer Journalism" this March, make a list of his comments that drive us crazy.
ReplyDeletei'm a little hurt that you think the picture is the best part of this post...never mind the hours I slaved away to write it. but you'll continue to get labels none-the-less. i figure if i can't give props to my friends...why do this blog?