BILLY PACKER DOESN’T LIKE REVAMPED NCAA TV COVERAGE! - MIKE IN DA - FEBRUARY 20, 2011



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BILLY PACKER DOESN’T LIKE REVAMPED NCAA TV COVERAGE!

Written by: Mike in DA
Date posted: 2/20/2011

One of the topics covered here over the last several months has been the revamped NCAA men's basketball tournament coverage debuting on CBS and three Turner Broadcasting channels next month, which seems promising; viewers will be able to watch each game in its entirety, as the field expands with new play-in games and Turner's NBA announcers who will bring their own "takes".

In an article written by Michael Hiestand of USAToday.com (Sports Television) on 2/17 entitled, “Billy Packer not enthralled by NCAA tournament's TV format”, Packer who called 34 consecutive TV Final Fours before leaving CBS in 2008, isn't buying into the new format. While crediting CBS Sports with doing a great job in getting Turner to help share the TV rights fees, he said the NCAA was only interested in maximizing its revenues rather than finding a better way to show the tournament. Otherwise, ESPN would have the tournament in its entirety.

ESPN would be better, he says, partly because it has announcers doing college games all season. He compared using NBA announcers to when he used to turn down requests to work NBA action by saying, "I'm not qualified, it's a different sport." He also said ESPN would have better NCAA promotion: "I don't believe I was in a promo for CBS college basketball in 25 years", he said.


Packer says he likes watching truTV, one of the Turner channels carrying NCAA games. "And people who watch it aren't going to be happy they're missing their cops and robbers shows. If truTV viewers liked basketball, they'd already be watching ESPN."

Hey Billy, with CBS' old regionalized coverage now gone, isn't it good for viewers who want to see a specific NCAA game to not have to worry about missing it because they're in the wrong local TV market? "What percentage of the total audience does that represent," said Packer. "Has all this been changed for the .01% of viewers who really want a specific game?"

Packer also said that viewers will miss the old system of being switched to the hottest action. Recalling working regional sites where "none of the games were really good," he said the old way "enabled the product to never have to show them widely by going to exciting buzzer-beaters instead."

Packer went on to say that expanding the field to 68 teams gives a few more bubble teams a chance to dance, but it's all about money and political correctness, not tournament quality. “Are those new play-in games going to be better than what you can watch on ESPN tonight? No. Why play them?”, he said.

Not surprisingly, Packer isn't looking to get back his old CBS headset. "The game has regressed incredibly in the last 10 years, at all levels and the coaches know it. … It's a different world and to do a good job you'd have to buy into it. That's why I couldn't do it anymore." And, it's fair to say, CBS wouldn't ask him to do it again.

From the interview, it’s no surprise that Packer does not endorse the new NCAA Tournament broadcast setup. It's slightly confusing, but to basically sum it up, all games will now be broadcast on one of four channels (CBS, TNT, TBS, truTV) at a more spaced-out time to avoid multiple games ending at once. For hoop fans that used the combo TV/streaming computer option the last couple of years to absorb as much of the tournament as possible, this new setup sounds very good. And now that I know that Packer doesn't like it, I'm now more sure then ever that I'll enjoy it.

One of Packer's other beefs from the article about the revamped tourney deals with the inclusion of NBA broadcasters calling NCAA action. This I can understand. It will be interesting having guys that have largely been absent from calling NCAA basketball in their careers call what will be at the time the most pivotal games of these teams' seasons. But when you hear that quality announcers like Marv Albert and Steve Kerr are the ones slotted to call the action and not those of Reggie Miller's ability, I see no problem here. Plus, the addition of the always excellent TNT studio team can only be a good thing. And since we’re not subjected to Packer again, I think college basketball fans will be all happy with this.


The highlight of the article is Packer insisting that fans of truTV will be upset that their "cops and robbers" shows will be not shown because of the NCAA Tournament. Most people have never heard of the channel before this deal and even if they did, I’m sure they didn’t spend too much time watching that channel. One evening this past week, truTV was in the middle of a “World's Dumbest Criminals” marathon. Having coverage of one of the most watched sporting events of the year will definitely increase truTV's ratings. Plus, truTV coverage only consists of the opening weekend of the tournament. So, loyal fans of truTV will be able to enjoy their "cops and robbers" shows the other 51 weeks of the year.

Packer even had a comment insisting that the level of play has regressed over the years. It may have, especially with many of the best players leaving after a year or two in college, but I can definitely say that the Final Four announcing has improved since Clark Kellogg replaced Packer as the Final Four analyst.

I guess Billy is still pissed off about being dumped by CBS and is carrying a grudge against CBS, but I have to agree with him that ESPN announcers would be better. But then again, with the exception of Dick Vitale, most of the better ESPN announcers/analysts are hired by CBS during the tournament.

And as far as pre-empting truTV’s regular programming, CBS has pre-empted its regular programming (daytime soap operas and evening shows) for years to show NCAA games, and I never heard Packer say he was sorry that some people were missing their favorite shows because of the tournament.

I don't agree with much of what Packer said, but especially the idea of switching to "the hottest action" when the game I am watching isn't good in his opinion. Maybe I am different than most fans, but I would rather watch the team I’m rooting for blow someone out than watch two teams I don't care about regardless of how close the game is. And if all of the games are on somewhere then I can switch, if I want to, so that I am not forced to watch what the producers think is a more exciting game. And you can always DVR games in their entirety and click through them, if you're out of the house when games you have interest in are on.

I will probably watch more of the tournament this year than ever before, as fans want the option of picking the game they want to watch, not what CBS wants us to watch. I can't wait for this year's madness, even if it's just to see how this new TV format will work out.


MIKE IN DA

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