RIP Billy Packer
- Thread starter LeatherHelmets
- Start date
In the 90s Billy also hustled in the event industry where he interacted closely with one of the senior executives of the sports agency I used to work for. I did meet him a number of times and discussed Wake hoops as my sister was a grad and they were (and still are) my adopted favorite college hoops team. In real life he wasn't that different than on tv...a little gruff but smart and genuine.
One of his sons was involved with his efforts too- mostly pitching ideas and trolling for corporate sponsors. I did not realize that his family had shortened their surname after he was born until I read his obituary.
May he RIP
One of his sons was involved with his efforts too- mostly pitching ideas and trolling for corporate sponsors. I did not realize that his family had shortened their surname after he was born until I read his obituary.
May he RIP
Well, for good or bad, he's one of the four announcers with whom I'll always associate March Madness, long with Dick Enberg, Al McGuire and Jim Nantz. It's always sad when you lose a voice that you associate with a lot of great moments in sports, like a Vin Scully. I guess because every baseball, football, basketball and hockey game is on TV now, most of the new announcers just seem to be vanilla compared to the classic ones.
Agreed. There was some jocularity between Packer and Al McGuire but Bill was pretty much business. He announced the game, gave you some insight and let the game be the entertainment. Many of these sports shows have simply become clown car shows. I simply cannot stand the NFL pre-game shows. I don't care about Terry Bradshaw's money and when Stephen A Smith rants about a player's GF, skip bayless no longer loves Dak Prescot or Dick Vitale yelling "prime time playa baby!".
I agree about the NFL pregame shows, which now have casts about as large as a football team. Pretty soon, they won't even be able to fit everybody on the screen at the same time. I mean, how many now are on the Fox Pregame show, 6 or 7, and that doesn't even count Jay Glazer, who usually is on another platform. The CBS Pregame Show isn't much better. The ESPN daily talking head shows jumped the shark a long time ago, and that Skip Bayless-Shannon Sharpe show is a joke, but I think that ESPN's Sunday Pregame Show still is good.
...and ugh...sadly, this reminds me we are about to hit the "dead zone" of sports. February sucks.
- NBA/NHL seasons drone along with many mid-season meaningless games
- Every team with a pulse makes the college march madness so their games are meaningless and one-and-done has created teams with cardboard cutouts as players because as soon as they make a name for themselves, they are off to the NBA. No character to college BB teams anymore
- Football has one game left, the Super Bowl, that ends up being so over-hyped that it is anti-climactic
- Baseball season hasn't started but you do get some movement for spring training
- I end up watching downhill skiing, which I know nothing about, or bobsledding.
With the weather in the northern half of the USA, this is the time when sports would be most appreciated and it is void. We need to invent a fun game for winter that we can all watch.
Last edited:
Hockey and college football are my two favorite sports and I also love baseball. At least I have the NHL to watch now. I'm also thankful that my nephew plays travel hockey and I try to attend most of his games, so that helps me pass these long winter months.
Speaking about baseball, my nephew plays on a high school team with three sons of the President of the Pirates. One perk is that his team is going down to Bradenton in the third week of March for "spring training." They're going to get to work out with the Pirates one day, attend a spring training game, and play two preseason games, one of which is against IMG Academy's B team, which probably still will have a few kids on it who can be drafted. As a junior last season, my nephew finished as one of the top hitters in the WPIAL, and it will be good for him to play against some really good competition to see where he stands possibly for the next level. This should be a fun way to end winter.
Last edited:
Billy Packer was a product of his times. White players were very smart and Black players were terrific athletes.
How about Bill Rafferty's ridiculous "man to man" or whatever he says at the beginning. You have no idea what he says as it just comes out as a garbled mess. The play by play guy has to then say it.
Awesome experience for your nephew. Hopefully he avoids getting too close to any of the Pirates save McCutchen. Would not want to see his skills erode at such a young age!
That's funny. I had a feeling that someone would post something like that. Unfortunately, it's mostly the truth.
Related to the good McCutchen years from 2013 to 2015, my nephew had a chance to meet Neal Walker when he was on those teams and Neal gave him the wrist bands that he wore for that particular game, and my nephew still wears them in games.
Last edited:
Let's look at the bright side! Perhaps a 12-year-old's exuberance and work ethic will rub off on the Pirates. Maybe he can teach them how to execute a sacrifice bunt, how to take the extra base, and how to hit the cutoff man. Maybe just leave your mobile phone in the dugout? Too much to ask?
Last edited:
As a lifelong Pirates fan who is completely embarrassed at how the owner runs this team, I'm hopeful that McCutchen will provide some much needed leadership and guidance so that things like the cell phone and Hayes eating sunflower seeds while guys are running around the bases won't happen again. If he wants, I could see McCutchen becoming a coach on the Pirates and maybe even their manager one day.Lets look at the bright side! Perhaps a 12 year old's exuberance and work ethic will rub off on the Pirates. Maybe he can teach them how to execute a sacrifice bunt, how to take the extra base and how to hit the cutoff man. Maybe just to leave you mobile phone in the dugout.
Last edited:
Always enjoyed the NCAA broadcasts with the old school broadcast teams. I remember Packer as knowledgeable and that he picked his spots, versus some of the motor mouths that believe they get paid by the word that seem everywhere on air today.
That’s part of the schtick - he used to enunciate it and has gradually altered it to be almost unintelligible. Raftery is great - if you’ve met him, you’d love him. Friendly, classic Irish gift of gab. And one of the greatest calls in BBall history
Yeah that was a great call. Recently I did notice his signature "man to man" was unintelligible. I think he was also saying something else because it went on for 5 or 6 seconds and just sounded ridic. The play by play guy had to interpret afterwards, kind of awkward. He seems quite jolly and I bet he could talk your ear off.
Jolly is a great term for his demeanor. I was with my boss (college summer job). He had gone to Lasalle with Raftery and we met at this Irish bar. Me and 2 other college guys just sat there and listened to those guys BS. It was awesome
