Packer and Knight: They got a team right here, its name ... will rhyme with beer

The big hoop-de-do announcement that Billy Packer and Bob Knight had from Wynn Las Vegas Race & Sports Book on Monday had to do with hosting a show for Fox Sports Net called "Survive and Advance," which are five one-hour shows that analyze the 2009 men's basketball tournament.

Funny, because usually FSN folks would be the ones announcing such a compelling program first. But that didn't happen.

Packer, 68, who left CBS as its main college basketball commentator after 34 Final Fours in July, and Knight, the former Indiana and Texas Tech coach who quit last February and joined up with ESPN as a game and studio analyst, are supposed to also be developing an interative web platofmr that has games, news, analysis, blogs ... a lot of original content from their blatherings.

Even though the show originates from a sports book in Vegas, Packer says it won't get into the gambling aspect of the event. Let us know how that works for 'em.

"Why Vegas is because Bob and I, and a lot of people, want to really experience what this is really like because we do think, next to being center court, this is the place to be," Packer said.

True, it's quite a buzz. Mostly because of the gambling aspect.

"I remember a few years ago I said to myself, 'Hey Billy, you know this has to stop sometime. And what are going to be the keys for you to not broadcast anymore if I have 100 percent control?" said Packer. "There's only so much time you have in life to do things you want to do, and so this Vegas idea and putting this stuff together ... that's stuff I'd like to do."

The programs are expected to begin March 15, with a noon taping for either live or same-day airing. The first show airs after the teams are seeded, then after the early rounds and then before and after the Final Four.

Knight says this won't conflict with his role with ESPN. ESPN, however, declined a request to explain his involvement in this show.

This wreaks of slime now matter how you look at it. But we won't judge a show by its promos. Not yet.

Maybe the best photo to use with this posting isn't of two kids trying to pull off a scene from "Guys and Dolls," but how we really envision it to look like: