Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Why is Billy Packer such a hoser?


I'm sorry but there's not much to talk about in sports, and I need to vent. If this topic is overdone, please tell me and I'll shut up about it. But...

Is anyone else just about ready to see Billy Packer retire? Watching the national championship game with him calling it, yet again, was enough to send me over the edge. I've had it.

One can point to any number of things about the way he calls sports--how much of a big-conference homer he is, the fact that he's always negative and (increasingly) often wrong, etc. But let's put all that aside for just a moment. I wouldn't have nearly as much of a problem with him if he weren't so downright mean.

The same guy who once called Allen Iverson a "tough monkey", said "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?" to two ticket-taking students at Cameron Indoor, and had that ridiculous cat fight with St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli on the air, recently said this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aefXpjJ6AE

Um, wow. Is it possible you can behave like this and continue to call major sporting events on a major television network? Visit this link (and many others) to see a funnier rant by someone who, like many of us, also thinks this guy is an absolute hosehound and a half. Can we send him to permanent time-out? Is it possible that this campaign could help to unseat him?

Which brings me to my next question: Who would be your pick to call the big games in Billy's place?

Answer this question, post your thoughts on BP, post favorite YouTube clips of him being himself, etc. I'm reinstating Hoser of the Week and adamantly supporting his candidacy.

Oh, by the way, Billy Packer hates sports.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author only.

(Photo courtesy of sportsillustrated.cnn.com)

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Billy Raftery should call every big college basketball game on every big network until all the years of drinking Guinness finally get to his liver and he croaks.

SEND IT IN BIG FELLA...WITH THE KISSS!!!!!!!

-- M.Z.

Billy Packer is a terrible person.

Stanimal said...

I personally love Billy Packer and think he's wonderful for the game.

Packer has been calling game since the mid-70s. He is not a BS suck-up like most announcers, he just calls it how he sees it. I have tremendous respect for that. He is unfairly treated by the rest of the media and by the majority of fan bases.

As far as this "big-conference homer" business, Seamus will freely admit himself that he is a mid-major homer, as evidenced by his arguments regarding Drexel without really paying tribute to Syracuse's hosing as well. For the most part, big-conference games are the best to watch. He's watched a lot more basketball than all of us combined. Don't you think he can probably tell talent by now when he sees it?

I wouldn't replace Jim Nantz or Billy Packer for anyone. They are a staple of tournament time, and they definitely help make the moment.

*I'm playing devil's advocate because I'm bored*

Bobby O'Shea said...

The fact that you defend Jim Nantz really invalidates everything else you said defending Billy Packer. One hoser at a time Stanimal, one hoser at a time.

Douglas James said...

I can't believe i am agreeing w/ Anonymous but Billy Raftery is the most fun guy to listen announce games. I don't mind Packer that much usually cause i distract myself w/ booze. Its the things he says before and after games that annoys me. Nantz is solid but incredibly boring and about as un-hip as humanely possible. Ian Eagle (pretty regional NY guy) is my fav play by play out there.

Anonymous said...

I hope you're joking about Raftery. He's the most annoying announcer in college basketball (only possible exception is Vitale).

Anonymous said...

Douglas James -- Dr. MZ posted about Raftery, not Captain Anonymous.

Dr. MZ ain't afraid to attach his names to his posts -- he just doesn't have a Blogger account.

-- MZ

Woody said...

This is purely for fun, but how about David Feherty, the golf announcer? Yes, he's a golfer, yes, he probably doesn't know too much about college basketball, but by god, he's Irish and has probably drank more Guiness then all of us combined.

Besides, his quips would be a nice change. Such as, “The shortest distance between two points -- a flat hook.” --Dave Feherty on a (Fred) Couples tee shot

Bobby O'Shea said...

Ian Eagle is terrible as well Douglas James. If you're going to be an east region homer, go with Gus Johnson; Ian Eagle is unwatchable. He was terrible on the Fan (AM 660 WFAN) and now he is now terrible doing both the NCAA and he NFL for CBS.

Stanimal said...

Larry Munson. Enough Said.

Anonymous said...

From David Feherty's Wikipedia entry:

"Feherty has had a long struggle with depression and alcoholism, which he publicly addressed in 2006. In an interview with Golf Magazine about his problems, Feherty said that his therapy for depression was instrumental with him getting off the bottle, saying that "I used alcohol to mask my inner demons". The outspoken columnist then took a shot at actor and noted Scientologist Tom Cruise, who has said that therapy and drugs are useless and that depression can be cured by physical exercise: "Actually, some sort of exercise would have helped me. If I kicked the shit out of Tom Cruise, I'd feel a lot better about myself."

Seamus O'Toole said...

Syracuse did get hosed. Sorry if that was ever neglected.

"He is not a BS suck-up like most announcers, he just calls it how he sees it." --Stanimal

Have you ever, ever, in all of your days of watching him call games, seen Billy Packer NOT basically cheer for the team that is winning? Also, does anyone recall how he bashed Illinois throughout the entire Final Four a few years back and then gushed over them out on the court after the game when they had won despite his expectations? Yeah, he would never suck up to anyone.

"Don't you think he can probably tell talent by now when he sees it?" --Stanimal

No. That is part of why I don't want him calling games. He bashed Indiana State's #1 seeding the year Larry Bird took them to the final game against Magic Johnson's Mich. St. team. He bashed St. Joe's #1 seeding the year they lost by 2 to OK St. in the Elite Eight. He bashed the MVC and CAA at-large bids last year, when George Mason made the Final Four.

All of this aside, he's just not a nice man. He's negative, offensive, and bad for the game.

Douglas James said...

1st Ian was good on the WFAN....better at least the "the Sweater and the Scmooz"....2nd Ian is or at least was an unabashed Jets and Syracuse homer which makes him a-ok in my book.

Stanimal said...

I can't win. Billy Packer is a douche.

Anonymous said...

American Idol is not just a douche...it's a douche-BAG!!