Billy Packer Ticks off His Employer

[tornado]

Execs at CBS are reportedly ticked that Packer pronounced "this game is over" only about 12 minutes into the Kansas/UNC semifinal.
I guess if Packer says it's over, then someone must buy into that, as people reportedly then turned off their TV's, something CBS is very, very angry about, and I guess they blame Billy!

"CBS is paying $6 billion for the right to air the tourney
From a business perspective, telling viewers to turn off the TV is not a great idea
Naming a "winner" with plenty of time left in a game does not sit well with corporations paying top dollar to advertise their products"

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2008/04/19/2008-04-19_billy_packer_cant_dance_around_the_stir_.html

[mportsch]

It's incredible to me that there are people that actually think Billy Packer's advice is worth following. I don't have a problem with a commentator saying that the game is over (obviously he was wrong), but I would certainly like to see Packer hang em up. The Packer/Nantz team is just terrible, and it sucks that I have to listen to them every year in the NCAA tournament.

[mike radigan]

This isn't news. What would be news is him NOT ticking someone off unless, of course, you're BCS.

[pfunk880]

As soon as he said that, I figured that would tick some people off.

[Guinness]

He was only saying what we were all thinking. Kansas thoroughly plowed through UNC. I didn't watch more than the first five minutes, just wasn't entertaining.

[Murph]

I didn't need Billy Packer to tell something I already knew, even though NC made a run they were just too far down to come back against a good team.

[onetuffshot]

Post reply

It's incredible to me that there are people that actually think Billy Packer's advice is worth following. I don't have a problem with a commentator saying that the game is over (obviously he was wrong), but I would certainly like to see Packer hang em up. The Packer/Nantz team is just terrible, and it sucks that I have to listen to them every year in the NCAA tournament.

Use the same button I use when Vitale talks. It's called the MUTE button.

[Bravesfan]

Uhhhhh, I don't think many people turned the tv off because of what Packer said, but many turned the tv off because, hmmm, I don't know....maybe because North Carolina was down by 28 points! I really don't think Packer stating that fact made much of a difference.

[dogsrus]

A play by play or color guy has to call em like he sees em. To think I would turn of my TV becuase BP or ANY announcer told me "the game is over" is crazy.

[Murph]

To think I would turn of my TV becuase BP or ANY announcer told me "the game is over" is crazy.

A lot of the network managers are crazy and stupid and out of touch with their customers.

[thefish7]

I love the way we're actually defending Billy Packer on bradleyfans (though I agree with the idea that the execs' behavior is ridiculous).

[houstontxbrave]

A play by play or color guy has to call em like he sees em. To think I would turn of my TV becuase BP or ANY announcer told me "the game is over" is crazy.

Not everyone is as intune to basketball as most of us are here at Bradleyfans.com. Think of the casual fan who does not watch much basketball and they are sitting there not really intot the game but sitting watching, and Packer says this game is over, then that casual fan instead of watching more, takes the remote and heads off to another channel.

Thats quite possible and rather irritating when money is made when eyes view the commercials that are shown.

You can not have your talent declaring games are over. He should be smart enough that the advertisers pay his bills and even if he thinks the game is over you never make the declariation during a broadcast. You keep as many eyes on the tv as possible for as long as possible.

I do not blame the executives or the advertisers for being upset about his comments. In fact his comments could have cost the network and adverisers lots of money and just that fact should be enough to fire him from their NCAA broadcasts.

[BU_EMT128]

and just that fact should be enough to fire him from their NCAA broadcasts.

We can only hope