There was one thing Billy Packer made clear the past several college basketball seasons: When the time came for him to leave, he was not going to make a big announcement about it. He was just going to go.

And so, he's left.

CBS announced Monday that Clark Kellogg will become the network's lead game analyst with Jim Nantz and that Packer will leave after 27 years and another seven for NBC before that.

The news release says much more about Kellogg's appointment than Packer's departure, but that doesn't mean there was any animosity between Packer and CBS. In fact, attached to the release were two full pages of quotes extolling Packer's career and character.

The truth of the matter, according to a source familiar with the situation, is that Packer, 68, had told the network he didn't want to be doing game analysis into his 70s and so for the past few seasons had been working on a series of one-year contracts. That way, Packer told CBS, if he wanted out, he could leave quickly and quietly; or if the network had someone they wanted to put in his spot, they could.

About a year ago, the source said CBS told Packer they wanted to put Kellogg in the analyst position. Packer asked to have one last season and CBS agreed, but had to keep quiet about the situation for the entire year because the one thing Packer did not want was a farewell tour.

Packer will continue to be involved in college basketball. Sports Business Daily said he "will work with unnamed partners in an effort to advance the sport."

In recent years, Packer has been criticized for some of his comments, perceived biases and for an attitude that has come to be perhaps the very definition of "curmudgeon." He has been seen as the polar opposite of ESPN's Dick Vitale and the two have had a recurring feud over the years.

It's interesting to remember that at NBC, Packer worked with someone who also had impulsive tendencies: Al McGuire.

"When Al McGuire joined our NBC team in 1978, it was Billy who served as the perfect foil for Al's off-the-wall remarks," said Dick Enberg, who was play-by-play man and ringmaster for McGuire's and Packer's circus. "I feel Packer never received due credit for McGuire's success. Al always knew that no matter what he said, critical or crazy, Billy's preparation and knowledge would be there to cover for him. That was a key ingredient in our broadcast team's seamless success."

Enberg said there was more to Packer than meet the camera's eye.

"What the television audience never sees is Billy's soft side. His commentary is rigid, correct and unemotional, but in private, Billy can't talk about basketball, its coaches and players, without getting tearfully emotional.

"Hopefully, he'll always have a position in basketball so that we never lose his rare insight and love for the game. Of one thing I am absolutely certain, Billy's successful career is not ego-driven. His personal drive is only to make the game right. And that's how he announces it."

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And now, a few glances at the week just past, transitioning from Billy Packer to the Green Bay Packers:

n Brett Favre drove the Packers to a fork in the road last week and, to paraphrase Yogi Berra, they took it.

When Favre backed down from his retirement announcement/pledge/promise, the Packers were put in a tough situation. From a practical standpoint, they're ready to move on and see where Aaron Rodgers takes them. From an emotional standpoint, it's difficult to turn Favre away or even to say he can only be a backup.

No matter what the Packers say, they have to go with Favre this season until he gives them a reason (injury, lack of performance, his family holding him hostage in Mississippi) not to. They can't release him or trade him without it blowing up in their faces. They really can't even put him on their bench without a revolt from their fans or their own players.

Favre's in control here whether the Packers know it or not.

n The All-Star break's here and for some teams it comes not a moment too soon. For others it comes at the worst possible time.

The Tampa Bay Rays fall into the first category. They've been on such an emotional high for the entire first half of the season, but they go into the break having fallen out of first place in the American League East with a seven-game losing streak. Whether or not their fairy-tale year has a happy ending depends on how they start the second half.

The New York Mets fall into the second category. They were miserable for most of the first half, leading to the firing of manager Willie Randolph. Now they've won nine in a row and are just a half-game behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. They'll be under pressure to keep thing going after the break.

n CC Sabathia's hitting may be more fun to watch than his pitching. Anyone who remembers his 440-foot home run at Dodger Stadium last month as a member of the Cleveland Indians knew it would be only a matter of time before he hit one for his new team, the Milwaukee Brewers.

He homered Sunday against Cincinnati, making him first pitcher to hit home runs in both leagues in one season since Earl Wilson did it in 1970 for Detroit and San Diego.

By the way, Sabathia dropping the periods in "C.C." is just really annoying to those of us who actually appreciate English and punctuation and other really boring things like that.

— Jim Carlisle is a staff writer for The Star. E-mail address: jcarlisle@VenturaCountyStar.com. For more, please see his blog at blogs.VenturaCountyStar.com/carlisle.