The controversy over Billy Packer‘s ill-conceived remark on The Charlie Rose Show continues to grow. Bloggers have called for his suspension and/or firing, based on this statement:
When Packer told host Rose that “you always fag out”, one automatically assumes that he meant it as a homophobic slur. AOL Fanhouse blogger Michael David Smith believes that Packer meant ‘fag’ in the least offensive way possible.
Even if that is the case, one would expect that Packer has enough common sense not to use a term that is so synonymous with homophobia and best known as a slur.
College basketball fans are calling for Packer to be fired — not because of his comments, per se, but because his of arrogant, joyless, generally unpleasant style of analysis. His comment is simply an excuse to fire him.
“The latest furor over Billy Packer’s ‘fag out’ comment seems as much about the hope that this is the chance to finally have Packer fired.“
Obviously, no matter how Packer meant his statement, it sounds ignorant at best. Because of his decades of work at CBS, it is unlikely he will be fired, and any suspension would have no real impact on the immediate future (considering that the college basketball season just ended). It is not unprecedented or unusual for a play-by-play or color analyst to be disciplined (ESPN baseball analyst Rick Sutcliffe was suspended for appearing drunk on the air, while FOX baseball analyst Steve Lyons was fired for a perceived slur against Hispanics last year).
Should Packer be suspended by CBS, it will likely go unnoticed by the national media. Even if he is suspended for his next assignment, that would not come until December — and even then most people would not notice, as the game would be a regular season tilt in the middle of college football and NFL season.
In other words, any punishment would receive very little public attention. His seniority (and the subjectivity of his comment, addressed by CBS spokeswoman LeslieAnne Wade) makes him virtually untouchable.
That hasn’t stopped the cacophony of bloggers calling for Packer’s firing and/or suspension. In addition to the blogosphere, Around the Horn panelist Jay Mariotti voiced his opinion on the matter, saying that “CBS would make a good stand here by suspending Packer.“
While many observers are hoping that this will be the nail in the coffin that removes Packer from future NCAA Tournament assignments, that hope is essentially futile — and Packer will likely be in the booth until he decides to retire (or until he has a Michael Richards-type meltdown).
*YouTube video of Jimmy Kimmel Live (featuring Packer’s comment) found via AOL Fanhouse.
