Jackie Manuel’s Posse

Everyone’s Favorite Announcer is Deaf…

…to his critics, that is.

Roger Van Der Horst tries to portray Billy Packer in a somewhat sympathetic light, but you can’t shine a turd. 

He’s a political junkie who’d just as soon talk about a campaign as he would a season.  

My idea of hell is talking politics with Mr. Cash’s former pitchman.  I’m fairly certain he’s a right wing windbag.   

He collects art, with a particular fondness for Picasso ceramic plates.

From my limited understanding, Picasso was a bald dickhead as well.  But that’s not all he collects.

More than three decades later, in Seattle for the 1995 Final Four, Packer was scrambling to turn junk into jewels. During an open practice session Friday, Oklahoma State’s Bryant “Big Country” Reeves shattered the backboard with a dunk. Packer ran onto the court and started stuffing pieces of glass into his pockets. If the Cowboys went on to win the title, he could envision a $500,000 windfall in Big Country earrings, necklaces, pendants and the like.

That’s just pathetic.

Overall, he still comes across as a bitter old man.  Bitter his father wasn’t recognized as the genius he was.  Bitter that he didn’t become a head coach.  And uninterested that legions of fans despise him.  Still, this weekend’s worst announcing goes to Bob Wenzel during the Duke game; “HE COULD RUN FOR GOVERNOR!!!”.  What have ye wrought, Dickie V?  And by the way, how is Jay Bilas able to work for both CBS/ESPN?