Motivation Speech Won’t Be Jam-Packed

It appears that Saint Joseph’s Coach Phil Martelli will not use Billy Packer and his unflattering comments about the Hawks as a way to motivate his players for tonight’s game against Wake Forest.

Here’s what Martelli told his players at practice: “So that you all know, Billy Packer is doing this game. And again, he ain’t playing the game, so he has nothing to do with the outcome.”

Martelli told his players to treat Packer in a professional manner, adding, “It’s a non-issue in terms of us preparing for this game.”

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Trivia time: Packer worked only the opening round of the 1974 NCAA tournament for NBC, but the next year, when John Wooden retired after winning his 10th NCAA title, Packer was NBC’s main commentator. Who was his play-by-play partner?

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A savvy coach: On Packer’s assignment by CBS to work the Saint Joseph’s-Wake Forest game, Martelli said, “The first thing I did was laugh out loud. Then I silently applauded CBS because they get it. This makes a good story above and beyond the game.”

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Billy who? Of Packer, Saint Joseph’s senior guard Tyrone Barley said, “None of the guys on the team knew who he was. I was watching ESPN Classic and he was doing one of the games. It was like, ‘Is he still doing games?’ ”

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What about 1961? Much has been made of the NCAA tournament game involving Wake Forest and Saint Joseph’s in 1962, when Packer, a guard for Wake Forest, helped the Demon Deacons win in overtime.

Reader Harry Doyle, an alumnus of Saint Joseph’s, points out that in the 1961 East Regional final, Saint Joseph’s defeated Wake Forest, 96-86, in a game in which Packer fouled out and scored only four points.

“I guess it was too much to ask Billy to retort with a reference to that game,” Doyle said in an e-mail.

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Clean escape: The late Al McGuire once said of Packer: “Call him ‘Washroom Billy.’ When the check comes, Billy is always in the washroom.”

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Touchy, touchy: A caption in Monday’s Times under a photo of Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium being imploded read: “Hey, Just Like the Eagles in the Playoffs.”

Retorted the Philadelphia Inquirer: “Yo, Times: Get back to us when Los Angeles has an NFL team, OK? Until then, enjoy that empty antique dust-collector, the Coliseum.”

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Looking back: On this date in 1972, sophomore Bill Walton scored 24 points to lead UCLA to an 81-76 victory over Florida State in the NCAA championship game. The Bruins finished the season 30-0, extending their winning streak to 45 games.

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Trivia answer: Curt Gowdy.

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And finally: “The Philadelphia Eagles signed wide receiver Terrell Owens despite his reputation as a clubhouse cancer,” says KFWB’s Bret Lewis. “A few days later, the home of the Eagles, Veterans Stadium, implodes. Connect the dots, people.”

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.