Billy Packer Doesn't Regret Saying "It's Over!"

If you were watching Kansas take North Carolina behind the woodshed during the first half on Saturday night, you're surely familiar with this particular moment.

Despite Kansas's best efforts, Billy Packer avoided the ignominy of having such a bold prediction come back to haunt him. Michael Hiestand of USA Today spoke to him after the game to see if he regretted making a call that may have sent some viewers in search of other Saturday night entertainment instead of continuing to watch the game.

"My job is to say what I see, not have some kind of subconscious feelings about offending anybody," he says, adding that on-air partner Jim Nantz "grabbed my arm" after his game-over line. "It probably annoyed some people, but I don't concern myself with having some agenda that's contrary to what I'm seeing."
Besides, he says, "the integrity of the sport is more important than any promotion for television."

Other than the self-serving integrity business at the end, I agree with him. I said exactly the same thing when Brandon Rush's shot went down. North Carolina had given no reason to believe that they could make themselves a factor in the game's outcome and what Packer said reflected that with great clarity. And, for those of us who stuck with the game until the end, the comment added a compelling storyline to the ultimately futile comeback.