Clarion Content

The guy who should
have gotten the job,
Gus Johnson


Or good riddance, goodbye!

Suffice it to say the Clarion isn't sorry to hear that caustic jerk and lead CBS NCAA basketball announcer Billy Packer is retiring. Packer denies being pushed out the door but The Sporting News Reports, Packer resigned with "six or seven more years" remaining on his contract.

Packer has broadcast the last 34 Final Fours. He will be replaced by the wooden and cautious Clark Kellogg. Clearly, in picking Kellogg CBS is trying to go for the anti-Packer. Kellogg, whose best feature, his good looks, won't be visible during play-by-play, rarely says anything with the slightest bit of controversy. He loves to parrot the NCAA line.

The Clarion had disliked Packer's bombastic know-it-all style for ages, but the incident that sent us over the top occurred several years at Duke when Packer accosted two female undergraduates, who not recognizing him were slow to allow him admission to Cameron Arena. Hey, big time, these are kids! Why don't you take it easy! What are you DMX?

Packer's comments at the time (allegedly) "Since when do we let women control who gets into a men's basketball game? Why don't you go find a women's game to let people into?"

Labels: college basketball, Duke, sports