RIP Billy Packer - Our Generation's Voice Of The Final Four

News broke last night about Billy Packer passing away at the age of 82. Guy was synonymous with the Final Four and was our generation's voice of it. He was the lead analyst for 34 Final Fours in a row. Absurd. Whether you liked him or not as an analyst doesn't matter. You can't take away the fact his voice is attached to so many legendary moments. The last one being the Kansas/Memphis title game. He was on the call for Bird vs Magic. He was there for Wooden. He even somehow one-upped Jim Nantz with the 1997 Arizona call

I know college basketball is a niche sport. But there are voices that you can hear and picture games immediately. Packer was one of them. Guys like Nantz, Raft, Gus, Dickie V, etc. That's what enhances the sport. Could he be brash and sometimes piss people off? Sure. But that's also what made Billy Packer, Billy Packer. 

Everyone that watched college basketball just knew his voice come Final Four time though. Him and Nantz were what I grew up on in terms of the biggest event in the sport. I didn't know any better until the 2009 Tournament after Packer stepped down. 

Never forget when he called game 13 minutes in: