A 415 Media Urgent Request

Dear Readers:

In order to maintain a blog that you've come to appreciate; the stories you look forward to; the raw and honest takes you will NOT get anywhere else, I need funding to keep 415 Media fluid.

I'll be blunt:

I need your donations. Some of you have already donated, some of you, multiple times and while I appreciate all your support, it's not enough.

415 Media is an independent 24/7 blog that is NOT beholden to advertisers and allows me, its author, its creator, its producer, the financial means to put out fresh content DAILY. If you come here and like what you read and see, for the most part, I NEED YOUR HELP. I need DONATIONS, any amount is helpful. Just a tiny fraction of the literally thousands of you that come here daily make a donation, would guarantee 415 Media long term stability and END pledge breaks. I know you hate them but I need them to live and breathe.

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Mark Ibanez and Bill Martin Feud at KTVU; More New Reporters at KPIX; Miller May Not Be Back in '19 for Giants' Broadcasts; Schulman Hot Air; Sunday Morsels

WHILE FRANK SOMERVILLE AND JULIE HAENER seem quite lovey-dovey (they are, as friends) the same can't be said for those guys on the opposite ends (how fitting) for weatherman, Bill Martin, and veteran sports anchor, Mark Ibanez can't stand one another at KTVU.

Martin is still fuming over Ibanez' mass irritation that Martin leaves the studio quite religiously after most of his early-evening weather reports to have dinner with his family in Lafayette. Complicating matters recently was when Haener confronted Ibanez over Martin's activity; it was during a commercial and Ibanez said he wasn't the culprit. Everyone else thought otherwise.

Martin comes in and does his gig. He hasn't talked to Ibanez in months. It's not war but it ain't warm and fuzzy either.

*YET EVEN MORE NEW reporters at KPIX which seems to be from management the belief that the old crop is lousy and by adding new faces will rev up the newscasts only those new faces are not familiar with the Bay Area and look plain dorky. If they did a little homework and got to know the area and mixed with a few people that would be nice. Cuz the Bay Area ain't Fresno.

*I wouldn't be shocked to see Jon Miller retire from his Giants' broadcast duties next year. No, there's no rumor nor any gossip but Miller's abundant days off (or "on assignment" BS) indicates he's more tired than you think. And Larry Baer is growing more annoyed by the frequent absences of his star broadcaster.

*I never said Greg Papa was automatically going to Las Vegas when the Raiders begin play in 2020; I said he could go if he wanted to because he was anointed by Al Davis as a "Raider for life"; an unofficial contract that placed Papa in the organization eternal. It was assumed that Papa would broadcast in Vegas only two things. One, Papa doesn't want to go to Vegas, and two, as I said Saturday, Papa and Mark Davis are fire and ice. Davis has no use for Papa and Papa thinks Davis is an utter fool. Papa, the great wild boor, isn't alone on Davis.

*Henry Schulman is the epitome of asininity-- the Chronicle's beat writer for the Giants is so full of himself he'd scare off Karen Carpenter.

*Between Schulman and Ray Ratto, more hot air than a Clovis whore house.

*Breaking News at GITMO: condemned prisoners in solitary confinement face new torture: having to listen to "KNBR Tonight" every night into the new year.

Now it appears Greg Papa is not going to Vegas with the Raiders; A lot on his Plate; Saturday Deli

GREG PAPA apparently doesn't want to go to Vegas with the Raiders as their radio play-by-play guy --word on the street is that Papa, whom the late Al Davis registered a "Raider for life" (if he wanted it) is content to stay in the Bay Area. That's good news for Al's son, the bozo Mark Davis, who is the managing partner and owner with the worst haircut in the modern world. Davis detests Papa and vice versa so now everybody is one, big happy family and the Raiders are supposedly looking for a new national voice.

Greg Papa

Mark Davis

Papa is dealing with plenty on his plate; a divorce with an ex-Raiderette, Angela Garay-- he's put his Danville house up for sale; a medical condition dealing with vertigo which is hampering his everyday life. He's also having to deal with workplace issues at NBC Bay Area with fellow mate, Dave Feldman, who battles the Pop over #1-status at the sports cable outpost on Third Street.

How a Benign Fake Story of 'Theft' and 'Race' Ruined Mike Shumann's Livelihood; Warriors and KGO in Cross Hairs; Lazy Sports Journalism Trumps Common Sense; 415 Media Special Report

OF ALL the most heinous things coming out of the Mike Shumann/Warriors affair involving an alleged "stolen" jacket that was never stolen in the first place involves certain sports media players quick to condemn but never making attempts to talk to the accused.

And then driving the "story"into a racial matter when race had absolutely no play and was inserted as cover for some overzealous people including some Warriors players and lazy sports media members.

Shumann was accused of stealing a jacket from a Warriors' team security guard (who has recently left the organization) the initial story was reported by The Athletic; did its reporter make an attempt to ask Shumann for comment? Get his explanation? Surely someone with 25 years at his employer deserves that but there was no attempt made by the reporter.

Crappy journalism.

Monte Poole, a veteran sports columnist and Warriors' Insider for the local NBC Sports Bay Area cable outlet who is African-American, wrote a column about some Warriors' players who injected race into the matter even though Shumann has never had any issues with Bay Area sports teams, let alone issues involving racial matters. I bring this up because Shumann went out of his way to return the jacket to its owner that night in San Antonio; unable to get it to the security guard, Shumann gave it to a prominent Warriors' PR person. This is verified.

There was no theft. There was, conspicuously, a video that showed Shumann taking the jacket and looking around for its owner. Should Shumann have left it there as is? You can say it might have been the best thing to do in retrospect but Shumann had no ill intentions and only wanted to get it the security guard as quickly as possible.

Yet the story had already developed a narrative that Shumann was a thief! and a white thief at that who in addition to his crime, received special treatment. Mind you the fact that Shumann's record of 25 years at KGO was spotless and that there's never been any incident whatsoever to indicate this type of behavior nor racial elements; of course it is far easier to let the story go viral; why ask questions now because that would require heavy lifting and actual reporting; let the facts rush forward and damn any explanation after all it's just a guy that has a quarter-century worth of time at his employer and livelihood on the line.

I don't know Shumann all that well; only occasionally we bumped into one another at various Warriors' games and other Bay Area sporting events. I have no vested interest in his travails here monetarily or otherwise. I believe Shumann at his word that he didn't steal any jacket and that the whole thing was a misunderstanding and that, with the assist by social media, developed a storm of its own with members never bothering to consider the facts. There is nothing to consider otherwise. If Shumann had any incidents in his life to suggest some investigation, OK, he loses the benefit of the doubt. There is no mark.

Shumann had a spotless record and was let go by ABC execs because their relationship with the Warriors involved significant monetary assets which trumped even an innocent employee in the cross hairs of a mostly benign matter that had no business going viral, literal, racial, or otherwise.

Shumann is a devoted family man with a wife and daughter in college; he's had to sell his house and painstakingly reinvent his livelihood and name. "It's a nightmare", he tells me.

I believe him.

NOTE:

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Mike Shumann Talks to 415 Media On The Record; 'My Life Has Been Turned Upside Down'; Former KGO-TV Sports Anchor Fired Over Warriors Jacket 'Theft Laments Social Media Ills; Exclusive

Mike Shumann

415 MEDIA EXCLUSIVE: Shumann, on the record.

I ask Mike Shumann on the phone how's he doing?

"My life has been turned upside down."

"A simple misunderstanding combined with social media run amok' and you have this, " he tells me.

This.

The former KGO-TV sports anchor who was fired after a spotless 25-year career with absolutely nothing on his record even remotely suggesting he's had any issues, professional, personal or otherwise.

I called it "Railroaded" --thrown out to the wolves.

Shumann tells me on the record that life is very different now. He can't talk extensively because the modest severance he got from KGO/ABC contains a confidentiality clause. He understands the decision his bosses made; he also, incredible as it is, has no beef with the Warriors even though he swears his innocence.

"I understand." But he's not bitter and angry, just confused.

He believes the entire episode of him being accused of stealing a team jacket which was caught on video was not only a gross misunderstanding but, with social media, the byproduct of his demise. Surely, someone or some group of people who had the power could have stood up and got all parties together and enabled Shumann to give his side of the story and explain the situation because he deserved that at the very least.

Nobody did. Some who could have, to this day, stood by and did nothing.

Shumann was caught in a deluge of circumstances beyond his control.

"I never would have imagined being here today in this situation and out of work and my life, my livelihood, my sense of being reduced to all this--it's like a nightmare."

Shumann took the jacket and returned it to a Warriors' PR person that night. (I'm not using the name out of protection to the person) but the team had the jacket. Furthermore, Shumann tells me he merely saw the jacket after practice and picked it up out of courtesy to the security guard and all along intended to give it to him. That's it.

Shumann has been in the Bay Area for over 40 years; a football player with the SF 49ers and began at KGO in 1992 as a sports reporter and weekend anchor and fill-in. Again, his record, as verified by this site, is clean. No issues. No warnings. Nothing. Nada.

Shumann is a family man. A devoted husband and father. A wife. A daughter in college. He's never rocked the boat, any boat for that matter.

"People both who know me and don't know me have come up to me and offered support. That's what's keeping me together now."

Railroaded? You betcha.

And more.

#415MEDIA Exclusive

Shumann Piece Coming

I'M HOLDING BACK a few days on writing the Shumann piece.

I talked to one of his reps and have expressed a desire to talk to him directly here and ask his some questions he can answer so we're going that route.

Be patient. I'm working hard on this because so much needs to get out.

Hopefully we will shed new light on the situation and get some information out that has been vacant from the record.

Until now at 415 Media.

Talk soon.

My Two Cents

MY TWO CENTS

*I THOUGHT I was rough until I read some of your comments regarding Pat Thurston. A few of you need to tone down the volume. This is not war and peace; it's a media blog. I welcome and encourage disagreement but don't get all vitriolic and calling names. It's petty and pretty ridiculous and it doesn't belong here.

*Thurston elicited quite a bit of response which means she's at least on the radar. Better that then no response at all. It means she's doing her job. I don't agree with a lot of her politics but she's got me interested enough to where I listen and react one way or another. In the talk radio genre that's good SOP.

I mentioned on Monday that Thurston is a damn good interviewer and I'm not talking about the movie guy. I've heard her one-on-one with some authors and politicians and she doesn't back down. And she and John Rothmann are superb on the weekend. If you're going to lob personal insults that's my department --(said with mild tongue and cheekitus)

*I can't fathom all you armchair psychologists who just automatically diagnose Mike Shumann without even knowing nor even hearing his explanation on the alleged theft incident involving the Warriors' security guy in San Antonio.

I'm going to write later how Shumann was screwed and was kangaroo-courted by a vicious combination of social media, accusation based on hearsay, and a mother of all rush to judgement. Just a few. My blood is boiling over this one.

*That guy that peddles the fake pillows on TV and radio is an ultra right-wing nut job that's a full Trumper and fervent anti-woman's right to choose bozo now more than ever I'll get my pillows somewhere else.

*Just because I credit Lee Hammer for something doesn't mean I'm suddenly one of his boot lickers. I'm not. I've ripped him enough times here that when he occasionally does something good, I'll also give him credit. Its not good blogging to constantly rip for rip sake. Boring as hell too.

See ya later.