NCAA Final Four Broadcaster, Archangel of Death, Billy Packer Axed from CBS After 34 Years

Now maybe everybody's least favorite grandpa will age. Jim Nantz will be paired with Clark Kellogg at the Final Four according to the Miami Herald This rumor had been floating around for quite some time and supposedly the final straw was Packer calling the North Carolina-Kansas regional final game over midway through the first half. Advertisers kind of hate when announcers do that. Especially when North Carolina storms back and almost wins the game.

Packer, who had been going year to year with his contract, confirmed through a CBS official Sunday that he no longer will broadcast for the network but is pursuing other projects in basketball. Packer declined to comment further.

Packer's streak of working as the color analyst at every championship game since 1977 (and being a part of every Final Four broadcast since 1975) ranks among the most remarkable in network TV sports history.

Personally ever since Billy Packer took down the St. Joe's number 1 seed in 2004 I've been ready to see him go. Yeah, yeah, that's the pathetic A-10 basketball fan in me, but still, you gotta expect there are some champagne corks popping on Hawk Hill today. I'm not alone in this feeling judging by, and this is not a misprint, the 90.5 percent disapproval that Packer racked up in Deadspin's media approval rating. Ouch, Billy, ouch.

CBS Set To Replace Packer [Miami Herald]
After 34 years, Billy Packer has called his last Final Four for CBS [Awful Announcing]
Media Approval Ratings: Billy Packer [Deadspin]

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