CBS Sports Parting Ways With Billy Packer After 27 Years

CBS Not Bringing Packer Back For 28th Season

REAX: On Long Island, Neil Best writes Packer was “famously stubborn and opinionated, but was at his best in breaking down strategy and anticipating its impact.” He also “regularly generated controversies” (NEWSDAY.com, 7/14). In DC, Patrick Stevens writes Packer has an “all-business approach that can come off on television as curmudgeonly or downright grouchy.” However, if Packer is “not on the air in some capacity or another at next year's Final Four in Detroit, it's going to seem very, very strange” (WASHTIMES.com, 7/14). But SPORTINGNEWS.com's Dan Shanoff writes Packer "wasn't just a curmudgeon; he was joyless, which made listening to him excruciating. His ouster is a great day for college hoops fans" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 7/14). AWFUL ANNOUNCING’s Brian Powell writes, “I have to say that today I'm pretty happy with this move. … In all honesty, I can’t believe he lasted this long.” Noting the net selected Gus Johnson to call second-weekend games during last season’s tournament, Powell writes, “For the second year in a row CBS has decided to make an amazingly smart decision for it's March Madness broadcast” (AWFULANNOUNCING.BLOGSPOT.com, 7/14).

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