Just saw he passed at age 82, the Enberg, Packer, McGuire final 4’s were legendary, all no longer with us, damn I’m getting old lol. Anyways, Billy was opinionated, however, for the most part I always enjoyed his work, no doubt a College hoops legend!
RIp Billy Packer
- Thread starter purduedavie
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Correct, he knew his stuff though, that 3 man announcing team was what I grew up with, that’s when I lived college hoops, the 80’s were awesome!
Sorry to hear of his passing.....prayers to his family.
He did have a different style, and I agree he knew the game and worked at his knowledge. I think what really helped is that early on Dick Enberg (and Curt Gowdy before he retired) were so good and helped Billy Packer establish himself......then later, Bender/Musberger/Nantz took over the play-by-play. The handful with Al McGuire made it work better to me.
RIP, Billy Packer.
He did have a different style, and I agree he knew the game and worked at his knowledge. I think what really helped is that early on Dick Enberg (and Curt Gowdy before he retired) were so good and helped Billy Packer establish himself......then later, Bender/Musberger/Nantz took over the play-by-play. The handful with Al McGuire made it work better to me.
RIP, Billy Packer.
When you had them calling a game, you knew it was a big one. Loved that era of college hoops!Sorry to hear of his passing.....prayers to his family.
He did have a different style, and I agree he knew the game and worked at his knowledge. I think what really helped is that early on Dick Enberg (and Curt Gowdy before he retired) were so good and helped Billy Packer establish himself......then later, Bender/Musberger/Nantz took over the play-by-play. The handful with Al McGuire made it work better to me.
RIP, Billy Packer.
Yep, back in those games we didn’t see many games during the week, like you said, it was a big game if they were doing it.
Not sure how old you are, by chance do you remember how good DePaul was in the late 70’s/early 80’s? I remember WGN bringing their weeknight games, that was possibly all the college hoops I had until the weekends, I think my local PBS (Channel 50) brought some IU and Purdue games, that’s where those great Farm Bureau commercials came from. I miss those days, great era to grow up in!Sorry to hear of his passing.....prayers to his family.
He did have a different style, and I agree he knew the game and worked at his knowledge. I think what really helped is that early on Dick Enberg (and Curt Gowdy before he retired) were so good and helped Billy Packer establish himself......then later, Bender/Musberger/Nantz took over the play-by-play. The handful with Al McGuire made it work better to me.
RIP, Billy Packer.
I'll be 67 in March. I grew up in the Lehigh Valley, where Packer went to H.S. and his dad coached at Lehigh. I was very fortunate enough see most of the televised Phila. college teams that made up the BIG 5 broadcast on Ch 17 out of Philly. LaSalle, Nova, Temple, St. Joe's and even Penn had a great run for 4 yrs. Most of the games were from the Palestra. Saw alot of great games during the week. Also was very fortunate that cable TV was found by John Walson who started Service Electric Cable based in Lehigh Valley.
liked these guys esp McGuire. His Marquette teams always had cool uni's in those daysSorry to hear of his passing.....prayers to his family.
He did have a different style, and I agree he knew the game and worked at his knowledge. I think what really helped is that early on Dick Enberg (and Curt Gowdy before he retired) were so good and helped Billy Packer establish himself......then later, Bender/Musberger/Nantz took over the play-by-play. The handful with Al McGuire made it work better to me.
RIP, Billy Packer.
Ray Meyer had some fantastic teams in those days, and ironically, I think he had a couple that were better than the one that did make it to the Final Four (Aguirre was a frosh), only to lose to Larry Bird and Indiana State in '79. That West Regional Final with UCLA in Tucson was outstanding. It would have been really interesting if DePaul had played Magic and Michigan State.
The '81 team with Aquirre might have been his most talented - #1-seed in '80, '81, and '82 and got knocked out in the Round of 32 each year.....heartache city. Among the players he had
Mark Aguirre
Gary Garland
Clyde Bradshaw
Terry Cummings
Skip Dillard
Tyrone Corbin
Kenny Patterson
Yes - those were the days.....and WE LIKED IT! Oh, btw, I'm pushing six decades, but they can't get rid of me yet.
Ray Meyer had some fantastic teams in those days, and ironically, I think he had a couple that were better than the one that did make it to the Final Four (Aguirre was a frosh), only to lose to Larry Bird and Indiana State in '79. That West Regional Final with UCLA in Tucson was outstanding. It would have been really interesting if DePaul had played Magic and Michigan State.
The '81 team with Aquirre might have been his most talented - #1-seed in '80, '81, and '82 and got knocked out in the Round of 32 each year.....heartache city. Among the players he had
Mark Aguirre
Gary Garland
Clyde Bradshaw
Terry Cummings
Skip Dillard
Tyrone Corbin
Kenny Patterson
Yes - those were the days.....and WE LIKED IT! Oh, btw, I'm pushing six decades, but they can't get rid of me yet.
I remember WGN also carried some Notre Dame basketball games. I think DePaul and ND were both independents at the time.
Lots of good 70’s and early 80’s memories mentioned above…IU and PU games on channel 50 (studio was in the back of Lake Central HS) brought to you by Farm Bureau. DePaul and ND games on Channel 9. Good times, indeed.
I remember seeing Indiana State in 79 on Channel 50 in Northwest Indiana win a game on a half court shot at the buzzer, a player named Reed maybe hit it?Ray Meyer had some fantastic teams in those days, and ironically, I think he had a couple that were better than the one that did make it to the Final Four (Aguirre was a frosh), only to lose to Larry Bird and Indiana State in '79. That West Regional Final with UCLA in Tucson was outstanding. It would have been really interesting if DePaul had played Magic and Michigan State.
The '81 team with Aquirre might have been his most talented - #1-seed in '80, '81, and '82 and got knocked out in the Round of 32 each year.....heartache city. Among the players he had
Mark Aguirre
Gary Garland
Clyde Bradshaw
Terry Cummings
Skip Dillard
Tyrone Corbin
Kenny Patterson
Yes - those were the days.....and WE LIKED IT! Oh, btw, I'm pushing six decades, but they can't get rid of me yet.
Channel 50’s High School football scoreboard was a must see for a sports junkie on a Friday night!
Bob Heaton - against New Mexico to send the game to OT......no three-point shot in those days.
Great find, I remember watching it, the local channel 50 had that game on, Indiana State was an amazing story.
