Packer Will Not Be Missed

News came this week that Billy Packer will no longer be the lead color analyst for CBS college basketball or the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four.

I hate to say it, but Packer will not be missed. He seemed to be out of touch with the trends in the college game for a long time and has worn out his welcome.

A former player at Wake Forest, Packer has long been seen as an announcer that favored teams from the ACC. Quite frankly, that criticism has been very untrue and unfair. But he has been very critical of mid-major teams that received bids to the tournament. His criticism came across as boorish and elitist. He was very critical of St. Joe receiving a No. 1 seed in 2004. More importantly his comments were often inaccurate and damaged his credibility.

CBS will replace Packer with former college and NBA player, Clark Kellogg. Kellogg is a popular studio analysts working alongside Gregg Gumbel during the tournament. CBS will not miss a beat.

Kellogg approaches the game with a refreshing perspective. Coaches like him, players like him fans like him and he knows the game. This is a move that was long overdue.
Frank Giardina