I think, then write, “It’s come this far?”
Not sure if he would have chosen it as part of his legacy, but Billy Packer, who died on Thursday at the age of 82, helped remind us that the sports world has gone – And the rest. There is no bottom in sight on which to bottom out.
The selection committee for the 2004 NCAA Tournament, which Packer called in large part on CBS (as a longtime NBC court presence with Dick Enberg and Al McGuire, he followed the tournament on CBS, and the 2008 (He was dumped, replaced as lead analyst by Clark Kellogg) had picked St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia as the No. 1 seed.
St. Joe’s was a very strong team. Led by coach Phil Martelli and guard Delonte West (soon-to-be NBAer-turned-father and drug-addicted, twice-arrested, panhandler), the team finished the regular season 16-0 in the Atlantic 10.
Packer — whose opinion was sought because of his job description, reputation and his cooperative, talkative, utterly persuasive nature — said St. Joe’s, because of its conference and schedule, was a little high. was kept
Packer said Oklahoma State, 14-2 in the Big 12, deserves to be seeded ahead of St. Joe’s. For what it’s worth now — almost nothing — Oklahoma State beat St. Joe’s by two in their regional final.
Well, you might have thought that Packer accused St. Joe’s of rebellion, treason, cruelty, and conspiracy to poison the cheesesteaks. All the dams burst. All hell broke loose then spread north, south and west from the Schuylkill.
In an overreaction to a reasonable, no-big-deal comment, Martelli called Packer “a jackass” several times. The student body and local radio erupted with waves of simmering hatred.
Given that Packer, in 1962, was the star guard on the Wake Forest team that defeated St. Joe’s in the second round of the NCAAs, conspiracy theories against St. Joe’s and Philly were fabricated and spread.
People—college basketball “fans”—became mad over something that ultimately had no meaning, no intrinsic or collegiate educational value beyond a few words that formed an irrelevant, sanctioned opinion.
Not that we needed additional proof, even in 2004, but the Packer-St. Joe episode was and still is memorable as the sports establishment loses its collective minds to declining standards and values.
Born Anthony William Paczkowski and the son of Lehigh’s basketball coach, Packer called 34 NCAA Tournament finals. But he was a weekday businessman, a dealmaker first.
This was the problem. He saw college basketball as an increasingly money-grubbing business, from sneaker company payolas to auctions of TV rights to often poor, fatherless, academically disadvantaged, full-scholarship recruits from colleges. Apparently charged for their education thousands of miles away.
We talked about it often in long phone conversations during which he encouraged me to follow all the dirty money trails, some of which he said.
Still, business — his TV business — prevented him from speaking out publicly, a true advocate with an established national forum, for change, accountability and responsibility. He knew that NBC, then CBS, and the business of college basketball bought — or rented — his weekend soul, would soothe his soul.
Gray calls out hypocrisy for hypocrisy.
Now and then I check the WFAN/CBS Sportsnet simulcast of the “Boomer and Joe” show to hear what “weekend” Boomer Esiason — a transparent, where-am-I-today? phony — and Gregg Giannotti — a pig who confuses himself with prize ham — have risen above cheap, childish, junior high school piss-and-poo “entertainment.”
On Thursday morning, for example, they discussed the vaginas, which 13-year-olds will be sent to the principal’s office.
When the conversation suddenly turned to the latest creator-of-the-worst Jimmy Dolan, he welcomed former WFAN colleague Maggie Gray.
Gray made headlines when he criticized Dolan for his “disgusting hypocrisy” in supporting the complaints of sexually assaulted women despite the Garden’s $11.6 million loss in a sexual harassment lawsuit. – Dolan testified for the defense – of a female executive who alleged abuse by Dolan. Hire Isiah Thomas.
Gray also objected to Dolan’s band’s song, “I Should Know,” a confessional statement about Dolan’s friendship with convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein. Gray said he had traveled long enough on the opposite side of the road to suddenly change direction.
Thursday’s on-air chat with Esiason and Giannotti ended with Gray claiming that she absolutely loved their show.
In that case, she may have remembered all the vaginal talk that happened before, or simply ignored it in return for attention.
As for Giannotti and Esiason, they didn’t mention their disgusting hypocrisy uttered moments before. A couple of champions.
All bugged by bugs
Demon Fool prop bets Sunday include: The number of Fox studio panelists appearing before the 49ers-Eagles game. Last Sunday, before the Cowboys’ Niners, Fox had eight – four more than he needed to create a male chorus to sing Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
While Fox’s Erin Andrews insists, despite evidence to the contrary, that she is a serious broadcast journalist, the reality is that she embraces the subjects of her Fox Sports interviews — Dak Prescott the latest — as serious journalism. There is cancer.
Another reason to enjoy hockey: The action-packed first period of Monday’s Islanders-Maple Leafs game lasted just 29 minutes. TV play-by-play man Brandon Burke: “One commercial break. Usually, there are three.”
Donald Trump is not a white supremacist. However, he is selfish. That’s why last week he won his Florida Golf Club senior championship again — and more — while everyone, caddies to competing members, knew it was hard to beat a guy who’s all Ignores the rules, starting with being a no-show for the first time. round, but posting outstanding scores nonetheless.
That NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has no problem with Oilers star Connor McDavid appearing in a sports gambling commercial alongside suckers-baiting Wayne Gretzky is more evidence of CFOs emerging as the game’s best patrons.
Knicks radio analyst Brandon Brown, who was recently fired by MSG after allegations of verbal abuse, made for a good team with play-by-play man Ed Cohen. Whatever happened, sorry.
The question isn’t why Bethune-Cookman pushed former NFL star DB Ed Reed as head coach after just 25 days, but why the college decided to hire a no-nonsense, no-nonsense, low-key street talker. Made a plan. (Watch the video.) Was the school star killed or just stuck for hire?
Bobby Lewis — who directed thousands of Rangers and Knicks games since the good old days of the MSG Network from 1976 to 2013 — has died at age 74. Everyone in the house loved it when the house looked like home. Mike McCarthy, former executive producer of MSG:
“For 25 years, Bobby was the network’s MVP.”
Last Sunday, with 1:55 left in the first half, the Bills 10 led to a Bengals third-and-4—who’s in, who’s out? — CBS went into formula mode: two crowd shots and a coach watching from the side. Ignoring the big game, the postseason game, the circumstances of the game has become a habit.
Jimmy Dolan threatens to play an entire game without selling alcohol? Will it be a home game?
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