Nolan And Billy…Together Again

The first thing I thought about when I saw the list of the 2008 inductees to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame was, “Good for Nolan.  A well deserved honor.”

Then I noticed one of his fellow classmates is going to be our old buddy, Billy Packer.  Somebody at the Hall of Fame must have a sense of humor.

Richardson’s famous “Hell, Billy…even a blind man could see that!” comment after the Hogs disposed of Arizona in the 1994 NCAA Tournament semi-finals remains one of the best jabs in recent sports history.

Packer didn’t respond at the moment, but later tried to save face in an April, 5, 1994 New York Times article:

Packer said yesterday that Richardson was firing away at him off the air before the interview.  “He’s saying: ‘I’m tired of you giving credit to Michelangelo and the General, but you never give credit to black coaches,’ ” Packer said, referring to nicknames used by ESPN’s Dick Vitale for Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski and Indiana Coach Bob Knight, respectively.  “At that point, I realized it was an agenda,” Packer said.  “Nolan can take tapes of everything I’ve ever said about black coaches, and he won’t see what he’s saying.  This just became his forum to vent.”

So get your tickets now for the November 23rd ceremony in Kansas City…it should be a good one.  No word yet on whether the bout will be on HBO or pay-per-view.  We’ll keep you posted.

Missouri Preview: Anderson Returns…Nolan Too?

In the strange world we live in, Missouri football dominates the discussion in Columbia these days.  Meanwhile, former Hog assistant coach and current Missouri head coach Mike Anderson has his team flying under the radar as they roll into Fayetteville for a mid-week Big 12 vs. SEC clash.

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