Billy Packer, 82, longtime Final Four basketball analyst, dies

[underpants]

He was a big part of my life growing up watching ACC games. I can’t count the number of tips and insights about basketball that I picked up from him over the years.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/35535286/billy-packer-82-long-final-four-basketball-analyst-dies

Mark Packer told The Associated Press that his father had been hospitalized in Charlotte for the past three weeks with several medical issues and ultimately succumbed to kidney failure.

Billy Packer was the lead college basketball analyst for 34 straight Final Fours, first at NBC and then at CBS, while also doing work as an analyst for ACC games on Raycom. He received a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio and Sports Analyst in 1993.

He was the son of longtime basketball coach Anthony Packer, who spent 16 seasons as the head coach at Lehigh. After earning all-state honors as a high schooler in Pennsylvania, Packer attended Wake Forest, where he was named All-ACC in 1961 and 1962. He helped lead the Demon Deacons to three ACC regular-season titles and their first Final Four appearance in 1962, when Packer was named to the all-region team.

[unc70]

1. One of my favorites, too

Very good. Didn't shout at you, even when in a deafening arena. Remember him back in the old days doing ACC broadcasts on Raycom/Jefferson Pilot with Jim Thacker -- the Packer-Thacker show.

Now have the unofficial ACC theme song running through my head. You know the one; the JP theme song, "Sail with the Pilot, ..."

[underpants]

2. Ah yes the sail boat

I remember it well.

He also was involved in trying to get a pro putt putt league going. He was into cycling events too. I think it was related to DuPont - Tour DuPont I think.