Billy Packer returns to TV

FROM KEITH GROLLER

I mentioned this in a newspaper column last week, but Bethlehem native Billy Packer -- who again delivered a memorable eulogy for his friend Al Senavitis last fall during Al's beautiful memorial service at DeSales -- will be back on TV talking about college sports.

But no, he's not going to be analyzing the Final Four, as he did for many years.

Packer is going to be on a special edition of HBO's "Real Sports" participating in a panel discusssion on what is wrong with college athletics.

And, to me, there's plenty.

Hey, I will watch the games tonight like most other basketball fans, and I will be rooting for Jimmer and the boys from BYU.

In case you haven't heard, he was a past MVP of the Stellar Construction tournament at Cedar Beach while playing for Glens Falls, N.Y. As MC of the post-tournament awards tournament, I actually got to introduce him. He was special back then, but who knew he'd be this big four years later?

But while there's plenty of excitement with March Madness, there's plenty of hypocrisy and corruption going on as well, all in the name of education.

Most of us don't care because we just want to be entertained.

However, to me, there's very little difference between college football and basketball and professional sports, except that in the pros, the athletes are well compensated.

It will be interesting to see what's talked about on the upcoming show and to hear what Packer has to say. Trust me, having seen him on past shows, sports columnist Jason Whitlock won't hold back.

I hope Packer is not going to be apologist for all the college coaches who get in trouble, because men's basketball coaches and sleaze seem to go hand-in-hand these days.

Here's the release from HBO:

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL, DEVOTING AN ENTIRE HOUR

TO THE STATE OF COLLEGE SPORTS IN AMERICA AND FEATURING

A ROUNDTABLE PANEL WITH BILLY PACKER, RICH RODRIGUEZ, JASON WHITLOCK AND

JEFF ORLEANS, RETURNS ON A SPECIAL NIGHT AND TIME

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO



Winner of 21 Sports Emmys® in 15 years, REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL departs from its traditional format to present a special hour-long edition dedicated to the state of college sports in America. Presented three days before the men’s NCAA Final Four tip off in Houston, the show will present an entertaining and substantive dialogue on the current state of big-time athletics in college sports, addressing hot-button issues and offering practical solutions to current problems. Available in HDTV, the 168th edition of REAL SPORTS debuts WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO.

HBO On Demand availability: April 2-25

Two long-form segments anchor the program, setting the stage for an extended roundtable panel hosted by Bryant Gumbel and featuring former University of Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez, outspoken college basketball commentator Billy Packer, print journalist Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com and former Ivy League Athletics Commissioner Jeff Orleans. The group will address a host of issues relating to the NCAA and the regulation of its 1,055 member schools.

Segments include:

*The Money Trail. Every year, thousands of talented young student-athletes sign letters of intent and obtain full-ride athletic scholarships (tuition and board) from the biggest, wealthiest programs in America, effectively giving up all rights to revenue generated by their participation, including TV rights fees, merchandising and ticket sales. But with a dramatic increase in revenue from top programs and athletes’ growing awareness of their contribution, many are starting to ask if there should be financial compensation. REAL SPORTS correspondent Bernard Goldberg examines the notion of student-athletes remaining untainted amateurs while generating pro-type revenue for their schools. Are they getting a fair shake?



*Pay to Play. Should athletes at Division I programs be financially compensated? And would that curb the headline-grabbing stories of inappropriate payments and benefits? More and more standout athletes in top programs are seemingly putting their education on the back burner to focus on what’s really important – the money. Those destined for the NBA and NFL face the moral dilemma of dealing with “advisors” and “street agents” who can deliver the funds and material items they desire while in school in exchange for a promise of future reciprocation when they reach the pros. REAL SPORTS correspondent Andrea Kremer delves into the controversial and complex subject of premium college-bound athletes receiving benefits that are prohibited by the NCAA.


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