A long time fixture of college basketball in this area, BIlly Packer, has been dropped by CBS. Packer, a former Wake Forest star, began his broadcast career in this area with the C.D. Chesley network. He and Jim Thacker were fixtures for many years. National network executives appreciated Packer’s brutal honesty, and moved him on to eventually being the face of CBS’ basketball coverage. Packer covered ACC games during the week on the regional network, and a national game each week of the season. As the Final Four approached, viewers got more exposure to Packer.

Billy Packer has been an abrasive figure. From calling an active, black guard a “little monkey” one time, to questioning Cameron Indoor Stadium security with the “don’t you know who I am” excuse for not carrying his credentials, Packer has been more and more comfortable with his opinions. After chastising the NCAA selection committee this past season, as TBJ reports , he responded with,”I could care less what somebody thinks.” (shouldn’t that be “could not “?).

About ten years ago Packer was the face man for a local loan shark named “Mr. Cash”. During a period of about two years, local residents suffered through Packer’s second-rate sell-out ads, leaving many wondering how CBS could allow the face of one of their biggest operations to stoop so low.

With more time on his hands, Packer is bound to find himself back on our local airwaves in one way or another. Possibly ESPN will pick Packer up or, more likely, Raycom will use his game call more in this region.