This morning on Mike & Mike in the Morning and then reading around several places on the internet it looks like Billy Packer is done at CBS doing the NCAA Tournament. From this article from ESPN (one of many that talks about this subject) the point is clear:
On Monday, CBS announced that Clark Kellogg would replace Packer after 27 years as the network's lead college basketball analyst. Including his earlier years at NBC, Packer had done every Final Four since 1975, an unparalleled run for a national sports championship.
A lot of people believe that this cut was due to the comment "The game is over" Billy Packer made during the Kansas/UNC national semi finals game with the Jayhawks up by 26 points in the first half. A game that the Heels would then turn around and cut to 4 points before finally losing.
I know that after the comment a line was drawn and not many people stepped on Packer's side. I know I didn't, but I won't take that into consideration as I am a Tar Heel. But in the twenty-seven seasons he did broadcasting this wasn't his only statement that he would regret saying. There were many of them, it is just weird that this one is the that sank him. But, if you read around some more, it might not have been the comment, since Packer does say that this "parting of the ways" was in the works way before March Madness ever took place.
And while I haven't been a Packer supporter for most of my life, so the why he is gone isn't going to be one thing I wonder too much about, but just happy he is going, I am going to say that CBS' replacement for Packer isn't much better than Packer himself. Yes, I have to say that with plenty of time before the college season to begin, with well over half a year before March Madness, brining in Clark Kellogg to replace Billy Packer makes no sense whatsoever. None! Zero! Sorry, but I just do not see how this is right. You are not handing over a small position to Kellogg, you are putting him on the biggest stage of the college world of sport.
I think that CBS could have looked around a bit more and found someone that had been in the broadcasting seat already. I guess this is just one more thing that will make the road to March Madness interesting!
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According to Wikipedia, Special K has been a broadcaster since 1990:
ESPN
In 1990, he joined ESPN as a basketball analyst. He also worked for the Big East Network and Prime Sports. Kellogg also began working as a television analyst for the Indiana Pacers.
WTTV/FSN-Indiana
Kellogg serves as a color analyst for the Indiana Pacers road games.
]CBS Sports
From 1993-94, Kellogg served as a game analyst for the CBS Sports coverage of the NCAA Tournament. From 1994-97, he served as a studio co-host for the early round coverage of the NCAA Tournament. In 1997, Kellogg joined CBS Sports full-time as a studio/game analyst for college basketball coverage, and continues to be one of three in-studio hosts for March Madness along with Greg Gumbel and Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis. He still works part time as the color commentator for the Indiana Pacers. He is known for using the phrase "spurtability" as a reference to a players ability. Kellogg will replace Billy Packer as CBS lead basketball announcer for the 2008-2009 college basketball season and will call the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
By all means I am not saying he doesn't have the experience, I think that there is a lot better out there. The reality of it all is in the business of broadcasting it isn't the yrs you have, but how good you are.
I think that there is at least 4-5 better people for such a stage.
AEM
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