Billy Packer, unplugged

Come on, admit it. Isn't there a little piece of you that will miss the dulcet, albeit cranky, tones of Billy Packer's voice during this year's NCAA Tournament?

As we all know, CBS shelved the long-time basketball announcer to make room for Clark Kellogg. On the eve of this season’s NCAA tournament, Packer, 69, spoke with The Charlotte Observer’s David Scott about his time as one
of the sport’s most recognizable figures and his newest project, a tournament-focused show on Fox Sports he co-hosts with Bob Knight called “Survive And Advance.”

Predictably, Packer was contrary and refreshingly blunt in his conversation with Scott.

Q: What do you miss most about your broadcasting gig?

Packer: I don’t live my life missing things. I never had a goal to be a broadcaster and I never trained for it. I worked with great people over all those years, but when it came time to do other things, I don’t look back. I’ve never been that kind of a person. My last day as a player (for Wake Forest) was in the Final Four against UCLA. We lost. I went into the locker room and took my uniform off and didn’t look back. I’ve talked to some of my teammates who still day dream about those days, but I don’t.

Q: Is there anything about the atmosphere of college basketball games that you miss?

Packer: That was never part of my thing. I loved to prepare for the games. Duke’s a great place. But I’d prepare, go in the back door, then leave out the same door when the game was over. That’s the only thing I didn’t enjoy with what Dick (Enberg), Al (McGuire) and I did (on NBC). I never wanted to part of the game. I just wanted to broadcast it.

Q: What was special about the tournament?

Packer: Today (the first day of the tournament) was always the most difficult. You really had to prepare and be ready for it.”

Q: Have you been watching games from home?

Packer:  I’ve never watched a lot of games on television. I’ll select a game to watch for a reason, but for maybe five minutes. One example was the Butler-Davidson game this season. I wanted to watch those teams because they’re well coached and I wanted to see the athleticism of Davidson against Butler. So I watched half of that game.

Q: Any game stand out to you from this season?

Packer: I turned on the Syracuse-UConn (which went six overtimes) with about eight minutes left. But obviously I ended up watching a lot more than I thought I would. That game reminded me a lot of the 1974 UCLA-N.C. State (national semifinal) game, although there wasn’t as much at stake. But to see the players and coaches exhaust themselves and compete like that was really something.”

Q: What struck you most about this season?

Packer: The story of this year was the Big East. It’s been an incredible year for that conference. Because of the number of teams they have, there’s always going to be a lot of high-quality team at the top. But this year they had the depth of quality. A good example is the quarterfinals of their tournament. That’s an example of the greatest collection of college teams on one floor ever. That’s showed up with three No..1 seeds in the NCAA tournament.”

Q: How about locally?

Packer: (North Carolina’s) Ty Lawson is an incredible key -- although, I would not have voted him (ACC) player of the year. I think they can’t afford to have Tyler Hansbrough sit down. But if you say to me, Lawson is 100 percent, they’re a Final Four team. If he’s 90 percent, it could be a struggle. If he’s not (healthy), they don’t play in the Final Four.”

Q: Anybody else?

Packer: (Duke’s) Mike Krzyzewski, like all great coaches over a period of time, has come to the conclusion that the object is to win the game. It doesn’t matter if it’s beautiful or to set records. All the great ones – like Bob Knight, Al McGuire, Dean Smith – eventually get that. Mike has gotten his kids to understand how the clock is a teammate. They utilize the clock when they get a lead, use it like a sixth man. But I don’t think Duke has the balance to get to the Final Four.”

Q: Your Final Four?

Packer: North Carolina, if it’s healthy. Pitt can be there, it’s the best team. Louisville can be there. UConn has by far the most difficult region, so Memphis and Missouri have a chance. So it could be like last year and have four No. 1s there. But I think there’s a really good separation between the top five and the rest of the field.”

Q: Talk a little about “Survive And Advance.”

Packer: We’re doing something in a new venue with new people. Our first show had some of coach Knight’s best point guards – Quinn Buckner and Isiah Thomas – give insight about having been there and done that, in regard to winning national championships. These are great champions. Next we’re going to have Bill Russell, David Thompson and Denny Crum. If you want to talk about major shot blockers, you talk to Russell. Talk to somebody about being able to elevate and shoot jumpers, it’s David Thompson. And a coach who knows how to win championships, it’s Denny Crum. Each is involved in winning titles, at least that’s the theory.”