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“I’m the boss. You listen to me,” Kerry Packer told Mark Nicholas

More priceless words from the roaring voice of Kerry Packer, detailed in a new book by former English cricketer.

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Well this is just too good not to share…

Former UK cricketer Mark Nicholas has detailed in his new book A Beautiful Game: My Love Affair With Cricket a colourful exchange he had with Nine mogul Kerry Packer in 2005.

Nicholas was anchoring a one-day international between the Aussies and Pakistan in Hobart when a call came from Sydney.

News,com.au details excerpts from the book:

“Son, it’s Kerry Packer,” said the gravelly voice on the other end of the line. “Son, stop bagging the f***ing game.”

“Pardon, Mr Packer? I’m sorry, I missed that,” replied Nicholas, as he battled with a bad connection.

Packer: “I said stop bagging the f***ing game, son. Celebrate the game, talk it up.”

Nicholas: “But Mr Packer, people tell me I’m too busy talking the game up and that I should toughen …”

Packer (with raised voice): “I’m not people, son, I’m the boss. You listen to me.”

Nicholas: “I’m trying, Mr Packer. It’s not a great line. I think it’s better here. I think I’ll hear you better now.”

Packer: “Son, stop telling us how f***ing cold it is in Hobart and how the fielders’ are wringing their hands and how people are wrapped in anoraks and having a s*** time. The only people having a s*** time are those of us at home who have to sit here f***ing listening to you. And son, we’re a commercial network. We sell the game. It’s not over till it’s over. I don’t care how far in front the Aussies are, it’s never over. Our business is numbers, son, eyeballs. And another thing, when you’re next in Sydney, come and see me. Ring my secretary and make an appointment.”

Nicholas: “Yes, Mr Packer, when should I …”

Packer: “Are you f***ing deaf, son? I said come and see me when you are next in Sydney. And son, bring those two other young blokes, (Mark) Taylor and (Ian) Healy, with you.”

After that David Gyngell rang Nicholas to tell him the only way to earn respect from the great KP was to call him back and tell him he was talking shit. Truly.

You can read the rest of that at news.com.au

6 Responses

  1. If only Nine had someone there to run the cricket coverage that wasn’t mates or part of the boys club that is the commentary team. It desperately needs someone to tell them to knock it off with the ‘favourite pizza toppings/are you thirsty’ BS that is dumped upon us currently.

  2. Kerry Packer certainly called a spade a bloody shovel. I remember when Doug Mulray’s “Naughtiest Home Videos” ceased abruptly mid-screening when KP rang the control room and said something along the lines of ‘Get the s**t off my station.” There were a few bosses like him around in those days. In radio once I was told to “Get that crap off the air” by a manager who hated Lee Marvin’s “Wanderin’ Star”. Nowadays a boss like that would have to yell at a computer playout system!

  3. Packer was a mogul of a time that didn’t have committees and dispersed responsibilities. Not like now where u have to run everything past a committee or board. There is no gut instinct in tv anymore. Although i find it hard to believe that Packer would have respect for a person who talked back toi him specially an employee recruited from england.

  4. Did anyone else have Billy Birmingham/The Twelfth Man’s impressions of Packer and Nicholas (Austin Powers) in their head when they were reading this?

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