Oakland's first bit of hardball with A's; Willie Brown's out-of-touch Chron piece; Tiger; Monday media pulse

Lew Wolff has made it abundantly clear that he wants nothing to do with Oakland as the future long-term home for the A's, who have been in the eastbay city for 42 years.

Wolff and majority owner John Fisher are working feverishly with Major League baseball to secure a downtown site in San Jose, adjacent to HP Pavilion.

Now comes word that Oakland officials, notably Doug Boxer, (son of Sen. Barbara Boxer) a prominent city developer, Mayor Ron Dellums and council pres. Ignacio De La Fuente, have presented a formal letter to MLB, highlighting four possible sites in the city of Oakland.

A little background: A high-level city figure told me first-hand a few weeks ago that Oakland had tried to set up a formal meeting with Wolff; Wolff and his reps essentially told Oakland, "not interested" and in essence, to "go away." The official pleaded with me not to go public with that item because city officials had still held out hope that Wolff and the A's may still play ball.

Good luck.

This latest development, highlighted in Monday's Matier and Ross column in the SF Chronicle is only the beginning.

As I've stated repeatedly, the A's overt San Jose courting is cumbersome for a variety of reasons.

*Although San Jose has the corporate clout of Silicon Valley, along with infrastructure in place, their obstacles to getting the A's are abundant.

*The SF Giants territorial rights. This is perhaps the biggest. The Giants still have a huge mortgage left on AT%T Park, and a good portion of that debt is dependent on their corporate sponsors in the south bay. Nothing short of a massive stimulus check from the A's, (try $100 million or so) will prevent them for PROTECTING those rights.

*Building public stadiums in California is tantamount to selling ice in Alaska. Although the A's have stated their new stadium will be "privately financed", that doesn't include some subsidies from San Jose and other "ancillary costs". Point being, between infrastructure, land issues, street variations, etc, there is no such thing as 100% private financing.

*Anti-trust card--Oakland's got a potential significant 'card. Call it the 'urban renewal card. Besides Boxer, the city's congressional rep, Barbara Lee, (who is also head of the Congressional Black caucus) has stated that the idea of the A's leaving Oakland would disrupt the notion of Oakland as an "enterprise zone", and thus, lose significant jobs, as a result.

Read that as Lee's and Boxer's veiled threat of possibly exploring the idea of taking away baseball's coveted anti-trust exemption should the A's leave Oakland, in spite of the cities attempt to work a deal with Wolff.

**Bottom line: Again, I don't think the A's are going anywhere. At least for five years, anyway. Time is an issue, as are several significant issues all sides have to deal with, not the least of which anyone has any control over.

It's a case of too many obstacles, too many roadblocks, (no pun intended) too much early residential opposition, etc. Would San Jose be the better choice than Oakland in the long run? Perhaps, but that's years down the road.

WILLIE BROWN--PARTY ANIMAL: The ex-Mayor wrote a comical piece in Sunday's Chronicle that the big parties are back. Brown said that the Getty family will have a big-time Christmas party, as will others. "It's good for the economy, too", said Willie.

Brown's out-of-touch scribbling was met with hundreds of cat calls, via the Chron's "comments" section and other sites on the web. It only reinforced his image as an ex-pol who might have clout within the 415/916 political corridor, but who's met with overt scorn in the suburbs.

Indeed, Brown's 49Er's post-game gig with Gary Radnich on Comcast Sports Bay Area, has seen a significant ratings downfall; Brown is simply too much a polarized figure and his "slicker-than-thou" image is anathema for most viewers. He's not well-liked outside the SF city limits, in spite of Radnich' glowing comments about "how well Brown is known". Yes he IS well-known, especially when they turn the channel.

**TIGER: The media onslaught has begun. KGO's Ronn Owens spent his first hour on Tiger...'Larry King Live' tonight. How perfect for the cablers. Merry Christmas, Rupert.

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LA Times Mike Penner/ Christine Daniels Dead; more Tiger coverage; Sunday media pulse

I never knew Mike Penner personally, but I, like many others was shocked/fascinated by the LA Times sportswriter who stunned colleagues and readers in April 2007 with a column announcing that he was a transsexual and would become a woman.

"How do you go about sharing your most important truth, one you spent a lifetime trying to keep deeply buried, to a world that has grown familiar and comfortable with your facade?" Penner wrote.

Penner, a 25-year veteran of the Times staff, was found dead at his Los Angeles home at age 52. The paper said suicide was the suspected cause of death.

**TIGER COVERAGE:

Expect a plethora of "Tiger coverage" as the holiday weekend ends and the cablers run this story ad nauseum until all the facts come out, which they probably will, one way or another.

As of Sunday, Woods has still not said anything public, either to the Florida cops and/or the news media. Lost in all this quagmire is the fact that because the affair was deemed an "accident", Woods is not required to speak to the police.

I'm sure by late Sunday/Monday, Tiger's PR machine will release a statement. That won't stop the stories' traction; CNN's 'Larry King Live', which had planned on having the two notorious White House crashers on its program, has decided to go with Tiger first.

Hannity will probably stick with politics, ditto Maddow, but I've heard from a Van Susteren staffer that the Foxite will go hard and heavy on Tiger. After all, the story has a Florida dateline. That's Greta's key demo area.

**Black Friday/'Cyber Monday: Call me naive, but I am still dumbfounded/nauseated and perpetually fed up with the electronic media's saturation/infatuation coverage of the idiotic holiday madness called Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

If you're a Macy's or Target or any other retail outlet for that matter, you have to be orgasmic over the never-ending publicity machine the TV/radio morons have provided. It's essentially 24/7. It never stops. I was only a bit thrilled, in a peculiar way, when the Tiger story broke, if only to get away from the blah-blah-blah nonstop blather of frantic shoppers schlepping at every known gizmo at a Dallas Target.

How sad. Wonder what would happen if the media mavens scaled back the endless coverage? Uh, the retailers would pull their ads. Oh, so now we know why we get Black Friday/Cyber Monday overblown; yes, it's all about the Benjamin's. How silly, I.

**SUNDAY MEDIA NOTES: Word out of CNN is a major shakedown, (another?--shocking!) is about to hit the Atlanta cabler; seems that Anderson Cooper is bullet-proof, no matter how many diminishing viewers he gets lately...MSNBC is close to overtaking CNN as #2 in many viewer overalls; Fox News is still strongly rated #1 in almost all the prime time nightly shows...LOCAL STOCK UP: KTVU's Rob Roth, Dave Clark and Mike Mibach...NBC Bay Area's Diane Dwyer...KGO/ABC7's Dan Noyes, Alan Wang...KQED's Michael Krasny...KGO Radio's Brian Copeland, Jennifer Hodges, Marty Nemko...Comcast Sports' Bay Area's Dave Benz...ESPN radio's John Kincaid...STOCK DOWN: KRON4's Darrya Folsom...The 'Bone's Steven Seaweed, (107.7 FM)...KSFO's Brian Sussman, Barbara Simpson and syndicated host, Mark Levin...

**Courtesy of my good political friend, Mark Curtis provides a 'Tiger Woods Top 10 list'. Watch out Dave Letterman.

FINALLY: I'm not, repeat, NOT, against charities, particularly involving children, but there's currently two of the most annoying radio ads playing virtually every other 10 minutes and they are both nauseating...the truly god-awful "cars-for-kids" jingle with accompanying nauseating voices, and the equally awful "Sleeptrain" ad with nasal-voiced kid that borders on instant annoyance. The cause for both? admirable. The ad guy/gal who devised these jingles? They should be sent to Gitmo for a day.

Tiger Woods Cornered -- Turns Cops Away

It looks like Tiger Woods has been boxed into a corner and his best friend, now, is time -- because he's again refused to meet with the Florida Highway Patrol about the incident with his wife early yesterday. Tiger may well be waiting for the telltale wounds to heal.

Read more from TMZ.

Tiger gets VIP coverage on accident; CNN, FNC go 'soft on accident report

WOODS ACCIDENT STORY DOMINATES SLOW NEWS DAY--

We'll, we can now at least thank Tiger Woods for placing "Black Friday" at the bottom of the page.

Woods auto accident, (for now, let's call it an accident until everything comes out) warranted major coverage on all the nets and cablers, including CNN, ESPN, (duh!) and Fox News channel.

Significant in the coverage was the fact that Woods received a ton of "benefit of the doubt" reporting from all the players, notably CNN's Erica Hill. Once the news spread that Woods' injuries were minor, Hill did a split-screen with Christine Brennen of the Washington Post and a Golf Channel rep. In the interview, none of the specifics of the accident was mentioned.

More importantly, even as numerous Internet and tabloid stories have made accusations about a Woods extra-marital affair, not one of the commentators, nor Hill even broached the question of why a major icon like Tiger Woods would be leaving his home two and a half hours after midnight while his wife and children were asleep.

To Hills' and others defense, most of the major facts of the story were still not clear; (presumably, Woods will answer something soon) although initially, perhaps curiously, were reports that the accident in Orlando was not "alcohol-related", but might have Hill and others at least ask, given Woods status and his place in the world press, could he have not received special treatment from the Florida authorities?

The subject was never brought up. In a perfect world, every other celebrity would get the same treatment, only Tiger Woods is not just a mere celebrity. His yearly reported $110 million income; his multitude of charities and foundations, and his cleaner than thou image trumped the "what the hell was he doing out?" that hour of the night queries.

Woods image and his status as the most powerful figure in the Sports world figured prominently in both the immediate and aftermath of the accident story. His personal life has remained a virtual mystery and outside of an interview with the late Ed Bradley of CBS' 60 Minutes, he rarely gives any in-depth interviews and thus, what really took place on Friday may never get out.

To that end, Woods shot an electronic birdy Friday.

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White House 'crashers not so funny; post 9/11 world, 'ha-ha factor isn't there

OK, so by now you know the story about the Virginia couple that managed to elude the Secret Service and gain entry into a White House state dinner. They managed to even shake hands with President Obama and take pictures with VP Biden.

Ha Ha. Wait, not so funny.

They're also planning on going on CNN Monday night and tell Larry King about their adventure. If I were their lawyer and they've already hired a big DC guy, I'd respectfully tell them to "quiet it down." Right away.

An investigation into Tareq and Michaele Salahi has found that Secret Service agents did not follow protocol at a security checkpoint, the Secret Service said.

"The Secret Service is deeply concerned and embarrassed by the circumstances surrounding the State Dinner on Tuesday," the agency said in a statement Friday. "The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list."

Uh, no -hit Sherlock.

The security malfunction has found an enthusiastic audience on the Internet. CNN and Fox News have reported on in, sometimes in an overt amusing manner. MSNBC too. We'd expect that on Comedy Central, but CNN?

There's nothing funny about this episode. Nothing at all. Not in a post 9/11 world. No doubt, some heads will role at the Secret Service and they should. Even the President himself has called for a thorough investigation.

Also Friday, two Secret Service agents visited a Virginia winery to say they wanted to question the couple, according to the winery's manager.

Diane Weiss, manager at the Oasis Winery in Hume, Virginia, said the agents wanted to speak with the Salahis. Weiss said she didn't know their whereabouts.

Which is fine. For the moment.

The couple need to come clean and speak to the Service. Doing Larry King Live will not help matters.

This is serious business. What would have happened had the President been harmed? What if these two clowns were terrorists? Hell, what must the bad guys be thinking? They freakn' made their way into a WH state dinner and shook hands with the POTUS!

Hello, anyone home?

**Mark Curtis, one of the nation's great political reporters, late of KTVU and now Mark Curtis media has an interesting take on this story. Take a look.




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Uh, it's pouring RAIN; low-level flooding in Montclair

Pouring down rain in Oakland's Montclair for well over 20 minutes...a few areas of low-level flooding, particularly Hwy. 13 area.

Flash: Tiger Woods in serious condition after car wreck; UPDATE: CNN: 'released from hospital

UPDATE: CNN: 'Wood released from hospital

Tiger Woods taken to hospital in 'serious' condition after car accident
Professional golfer Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident outside his Isleworth home early this morning.

Professional golfer Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early this morning, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

Woods, 33, pulled out of his driveway in the Isleworth community about 2:25 a.m. when he struck a fire hydrant, and then drove into a tree at his neighbor's property, FHP reported.

Alcohol is not related to the accident, FHP said.

Woods was transported to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee in serious condition, FHP said. No other information about his condition has been released.

A Health Central hospital employee said at 2:30 p.m. that Woods was not a patient. A hospital operator would not say if Woods had been treated and released.

FHP said the airbags in Woods' Cadillac Escalade did not deploy, which means the vehicle was traveling under 33 mph.

From the Orlando Sentinel.

The Black Friday media enablers; with country mired in deep recession, media orgy on shopping girth abounds

Record unemployment. In some states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and California, well over 10-15%.

A continued flurry of foreclosures; rampant bank failures. The worst "deep recession" in over twenty-five years. Two wars. Need we go on?

Yet with all of that? Black Friday.

Huh? Am I missing something? Has our beloved media of TV/radio and Internet troops lost its collective mind? Do they not measure the feeling at home? I don't know about you, but many of my friends are hurting. They're worried. They live check to check. Most don't have kids, which seems out of the equation today. And these are the ones who have jobs.

Black Friday.

Does it not seem a bit bizarre that almost every outlet is showing the morons out at the local Target schlepping down droids, ipods, electronic gadget-dreck with all the uncertain residue in the air? Have they not "read the room?"

How obscene.

This isn't about being scrooge or pooping the party. This is about common sense. For every yutz who couldn't wait to get up at 4AM so they could stuff their shopping carts with a $29 camera phone, there's about 50 million folks out in the societal wilderness without a job feeling the pain. They're "Black" Friday is making sure the electricity bill is paid.

This not a particularly happy post this year as the holiday season rolls out; last year was tough too, but this year is worse. Again, you can see it, feel it and it hits square in both the mindset and heart. It's tough out there.

Yet. Black Friday.

"Nervous retailers", "anxious shoppers". Yeah, ya think?

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Black Friday

I'd skip Target and Macy's for this.

Thanksgiving 2009; Hey, I didn't take the day off

Today is the day when the big-time media mavens take the day off; a really, really, s l o w news day, unless shots of the Macy's parade, NFL football, and the 200 or so morons who have nothing better to do than consume turkey and invade, en mass to the local Walmart and stand in line so they can be the first dope to buy an electronic gadget for 29 bucks. Whoopee! Question. As Seinfeld would say, "who are 'these people?"

My own itinerary today, (and by golly, I just know you're dying to know)is for the big feast tonight with extended family in Marin, preceded by the Raiders-Cowboys game at 1: 15. I'll skip Detroit/Green Bay because I'm trying to get a life and viewing that would be tantamount to watching a shamwow infomercial. OK, yeah, so the Raiders suck, but Dallas isn't exactly the '72 Miami Dolphins...

**Received mega feedback on the "Golden Turkey" awards; some of you liked it; some of you didn't; hey, for those of you who said I left out some obvious recipients, we'll, duh!, but for this inaugural year, I decided to be a tad picky; I'm sure, God willing, next year, we will be more generous.

**Black Friday: Tomorrow I will turn off the radio and TV so I can escape the inevitable media putzes giving mucho air time to the yahoos who revel in the so-called shopping orgasm called "Black Friday." Does it not seem to be a tad inappropriate THIS year? I mean, last I check, we're in a "deep recession", (mild depression) and over 3500 meals are being served this Thanksgiving at Glide Memorial. I don't get it.

**Have a joyous Turkey day; eat all your vegetables and don't get into anything political with your in laws--its not worth it, besides, as my mother would say, "fress, fress." In English, that's "eat, eat".

Enjoy and follow me on Twitter.

The Golden Turkey awards; Bay Area media and beyond

As a community service, and celebrating the pre-Thanksgiving rush, we bring to you the following:

The 2009 Golden Turkey awards.

**KSFO's morning host, Lee Rodgers
Rodgers makes John McCain sound like Captain Kangaroo. Other then being the proverbial cranky old man, Rodgers "bleepity-bleep", "Obama, you suck" four-hour daily marathon has about as much resonance as an outhouse in the bowels of Candlestick Park.

**KGO Radio's VP-Michael Luckoff
Darth Luckoff, better known as the emperor at 900 Front. Question. Why is this man so angry? Hey Mickster, relax, smile a bit and have a hot turkey sandwich on me at Grumpy's. You're still #1 and the Citadel force hasn't hit the shop, but take comfort that you still have a pretty decent station. And it's nice to know you and Ronn Owens have made up.

**KNBR/KRON4's Gary Radnich
Congratulations Mr. Radnick on getting through a tough year. Look, the no-sports talk shtick seems to be wearing thin and your Q rating is sinking faster than Jimmy Raye's latest play calls. Raddy is clever though; I didn't know he's suddenly turned into Dr. Phil, talking endlessly about how you grow and nurture through life is A. how you were treated by your parents growing up. B. That in order to make something of your life you have to have kids and be responsible. C. For the "900Th time", blah-blah-blah...by the way, enough Willie Brown kissing. Yeah, we know he says a lot of things, but in your words, "Read the room" indeed. Willie may be funny and crafty in Pacific Heights, but his act wears thin in the suburbs of Walnut Creek and Modesto. Need proof? Check the ratings. Lee Hammer says no.

**The KNBR "Morning show"
Four hours of endless sound drops; repeated "spontaneous" stories that go nowhere that were told earlier and made to sound off the cuff. The story that creates another story, which creates another story, which creates another story...the shameless giggle by Brian Murphy; the co-host "Paulie" with the fake New Jersey accent and the utterly lame theme songs that have all the buzz of a Tenderloin hooker working the Ellis street corridor.

**KNBR's 'Fitz and Brooks
Gosh, where do we start? We'll, at least 'Fitz, (aka: 'flunkster dude) has stopped the 414 Notre Dame references, (in case you don't know, Notre Dame sucks this year; like they have for about two decades, although Fitz likes to note about 22x a day that "at least we have student-athletes and all you guys at Miami, USC, Florida are arrested and deserve--blah--blah-blah...The gigglers other dynamic "co-host", perpetually-pissed-off and snooty, Rod Brooks? All he does is talk in stilted, regimented lingo and has 'tude up the ying-yang. Don't you dare call in and question Brooksie on any 49ers scheme; see, all is well with the Niners; it's the 'damn offensive line, yada, yada, yada---If "Fitz and Brooks" got paid by the giggle, they'd both be multi-millionaires. Oh, one other thing: nice of "guest" Adam Meyer to tout his "service" weekly on the show. By the way, Meyer buys time on Knibber; uh, you'd think that would be mentioned, but dang, its KNBR.

**KGO/ABC7's Larry Beil
Uh, Mr. "with-authority" seems to think he's God and everyone else is mere mortals. Larry, this ain't Bristol--it's the Bay Area. Your on-air demeanor is completely different than your off-air persona, which reeks of self-importance. It's sports, not a Pentagon Papers seminar, for god's sake. And by the way? Smile a little.

**KPIX/CBS5's Anna Werner
Ms. Warner, with all due respect there's only one Mike Wallace. I love the fact that you seem determined, but the on-camera assault doesn't have the cachet of 60 Minutes. Just investigate and do your story. The other stuff is sort of lame.

**SJ Merc writer/blogger Tim Kawakami
Kawakami is a star right now; at least that's what he thinks, and by golly, Tim is usually dead-on and possesses great insight and clever takes on the Bay Area sporting scene, particularly the Warriors...but his incessant, repeated verbal pile-ons on the Raiders are predictable and reeks of an axe to grind. Yeah, I know the Raiders are tough Tim, but nobody forced the gig on you and the 'John Herrera deal made you a one-day celebrity.

**SF 49Er's PR guy Bob Lange
This is a bit self-serving, but what the hell. I don't know the guy other than a couple of truly awful phone conversations, one of which I threw the F-bomb at this schmuck, who came from Philly and managed to alienate me, (and apparently, I'm not the only one) Considering the Niners performance thus far, I guess there's only one word for Lange that I send: karma.

**ESPN radio's 'Mike and Mike (Greenberg and Golic)
Oy vey, go away! Please. These self-important, arrogant ESPN hucksters are about as entertaining as seeing the opening act for Tony Orlando at a county fair in Iowa. Other than the incessant ESPN references and pathetic kowtows/interviews of other ESPN mutants, these two clowns add nothing of substance to the radio arena. The password is: yawn.

**Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area's Giants reporter Amy Gutierrez
Amy G. I don't have to say anything more.

**KCBS' Jan Wahl
'Hatwoman acts as if the world revolves around her. That's ok. I've been known to think my stuff doesn't stink either; it does...Wahl's movie reviews can be sized up in a few sentences; she never seems to hate any musical and loves Jane Austin. How freakin' glorious! But, yo, Janno, you're still not bigger than the movie. At least not yet.

**KRON4's Henry Tannenbaum
What's Hank pimping today? Lawn furniture? Coffee tables? Oriental rugs? The opening line was supposed to be a joke, but darn it, everything I just penned is true. Shameless, amateurish and perfectly tacky, which works just fine for the KRON4 'business model, whatever that is.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and follow me daily on Twitter.

Gabbert returns to SF TV; hosts “Retro Night” on KOFY

Granite Broadcasting’s KOFY TV20-Cable 13 SF Bay announced the return of media maverick Jim Gabbert as the permanent host of “Retro Night,” a weekly KOFY series that not only brings some of the best television programs of the past back to the airwaves, but also proactively engages local viewers.

Since its relaunch in October 2008, KOFY-TV has been committed to infusing the local, creative and innovative flavor that Jim Gabbert, former station owner, created under his colorful reign — but with a modern twist. Gabbert, bought KOFY in 1980 and sold it in 1998 to Granite. Now, back at the station he built, he has the perfect platform to reintroduce his non-traditional, outrageous ways.

“Our viewers have expressed how much they miss Jim. Having this Bay Area icon host KOFY’s Retro Night couldn’t be a better fit,” says Craig Coane, President and GM of KOFY. “Retro Night involves audiences in the TV-watching experience and, simply put, Jim knows how to engage them further!”

From rbr.com

The BART cop 'story that isn't; Singletary's grip on SF media; KNBR foibles; The Tuesday media pulse

Uh, yo, Bay Area media? There is NO BART cop story no matter how hard you try to make one.

Why? Uh, take a look at the video. And I don't care if there's 34 angles. We're talking about a guy who's drunk and causing extreme angst among a train load of passengers. The fact that he may be bi-polar is irrelevant. The BART cop did HIS job. End of story.

**The continued sports media conquest by Mike Singletary is amazing. Outside of Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and occasional critical questioning by Matt Maiocco of the same publication, Singletary gets a bigger pass than Joe Montana. Why is that?

**Mr. Patronizing himself, Gary Radnich, says that Singletary could be mediocre and bereft of winning games, but "when he talks, you have to listen." If you want to listen to more of Raddy's blathering, tune in to the Cumulus Titanic...By the way, did you notice the last two weeks, Comcast Sports Bay Area OMITTED Radnich' face and instead went with Eric Davis and Willie Brown. Coincidence?

**Radnich' continued act of cutting off callers who don't massage his ego, (with an assist from the back-window enabler) would be hysterical if not further sad of the mail-it-in host who's auditioning for his TV gig when he's gone from KRON the first of the year.

**It's common professional courtesy in the business to credit an announcer when playing an actuality; that is, unless it's the Cumulus Titanic, where the practice is foreign. Then again, KNBR uses interns as occasional sports anchors; what's the big deal?

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Chad OchoCinco buys lunch in Oakland for 100

Chad OchoCinco: OCNN FAN NEWS-- all 85 fans we will eat at Scotts Restaraunt in Jack London Square, I'm taking care of the meal, 1st 100 people. 1:15 sharp
3:58:25 pm ET Nov 19th from MOTOBLUR

And he left a good tip too, according to my sources. Who says All-pro Cincinnati Bengals players aren't nice?

The big spread took place at Scott's in Jack London Square Saturday, where plenty of prime rib was noshed. The above tweet didn't mention the tab, but I'm guessing well over 3 grand.

RL Report

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49ers-Raiders; Fox' Billick shines; Plummer too; Bay Area Monday media minutiae

MEDIA MONDAY MINUTIAE

**Fox Sports Brian Billick is one of the most intelligent, focused, informative color analyst on TV. If it were me, Billick would be on the #1 team and have more visibility and be heard more; clearly, his commentary on the 49ers/Green Bay contest Sunday was absolute mastery.

He correctly and astutely pointed out that the Niners use of the 'spread offense was more effective and that QB Alex Smith was more comfortable in it, particularly working out of the shotgun formation.

Billick is both concise and good. Articulate and more importantly, sounds like he knows what he's talking about. Too bad Mike Singletary and Jimmy Raye couldn't hear him.

**Ted Robinson is terrific on radio; we all know that, but color analyst Gary Plummer is equally good. I listened to Plummer a lot yesterday and am continually amazed that he's usually spot-on and one play ahead in his cogent analysis. Too bad he and Robinson couldn't have their own show on KNBR, but that would require a massive dose of intelligence from the suit brigade at 55 Hawthorne.

**"TouchdownnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnRaiders!" OK, Greg Papa. This time it was worth the call, and about 30 seconds later, the winning field goal too. Amazing what happens when you put a new QB in the equation and he looks like he wants to play.

**Wait, the Raiders really did beat the Bengals? Another reason why betting in the NFL is stupid.

**Then again, who the hell thought CAL had a chance to beat Stanford? Come on, seriously.

**Speaking of the Big Game, watching the game on Versus network and listening to the two nincompoops do that game was tantamount to watching paint dry. I still have no clue who the duo were, but their "performance" was about as uplifting as a C-Span rerun.

**NFL note: All four AFC North teams lost: Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and oh yes, of course, the Browns.

**49Er's math: Simple formula to observe. The 49Er's are a very mediocre 4-6. To be very, very, very optimistic, they need to go 4-2 JUST to finish 8 and 8. That's bad math. Playoffs? Please.

**Turkey Day and the Raiders? You betcha. Suddenly the Dallas/Raiders Thanksgiving mid-day game looks utterly spectacular as opposed to Packers/Detroit. No, I didn't forget NY Giants/Denver at night, but hell, even I have plans THAT night. (Save the drumstick)

**Another BART cop story and YOU thought YOU had a bad weekend.

**Class: The Raiders honored the late Marquis Cooper by inviting his family to the game Sunday. Cooper, the fallen player, died in a boating accident last summer. And Cooper's three year-old child got to see her father's locker. And somehow, the Raiders won the game. There IS a God.

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Christine Craft goes gooey on Oprah; KGO radio host disses Winfrey on Sunday show

KGO Radio's Christine Craft, substituting for Brain Copeland on Sunday morning, went out of her way to rip into Oprah Winfrey, who announced her departure from syndicated TV in Sept. 2011.

Craft's hour-long diatribe was refreshingly blunt, if not a tad too personal with Craft openly portraying Winfrey as a rich media mogul playing off the image of the "poor little 'black girl." Humn...

The last comment drew a tepid response from a critical African-American caller who questioned Craft's choice of words; pretty riveting radio on a gray Sunday morning.

Craft's anti-Oprah mantra was enhanced with a few personal stories; nevertheless just hearing anything slightly off the beaten media path was fairly interesting.

By the way, I e-mailed Craft for any further comment on the topic, but since the KGO radio heads of state known as "Luckoff and Swanson" consider me pastrami on rye; with lots of mayo, guess they won't allow their minions to talk to me.

Aw shucks, there goes the free burger from Grumpy's. (Personal aside to my KGO moles: please e-mail the "RL memo" to me; I'm dying to see it)

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ESPN sacks 2 more in latest sex scandal

More sexual turbulence for the World Wide Leader.

ESPN has fired two more high-level execs in the latest of a series of high-profiled affairs.

Coming off the embarrassing Steve Phillips episode with a 22 year-old underling, the sports cabler lowered the boom, Friday, on more personnel.

Katie Lacey, 44, the v.p. of marketing, was fired and her now-divorced lover, David Berson, 37, the once-influential v.p. of programming, was stripped of all responsibility.

"At the expiration of their contracts neither will be renewed," said ESPN publicist Josh Krulewitz."

The two even expensed the hotel rooms they booked near the network's Bristol, Conn., headquarters for their steamy liaisons, Lacey's former executive assistant charged.

When apart, they exchanged racy e-mails on their corporate e-mail accounts. Berson lustily told her in one message that he wanted her lying on her back. He lamented his "fish belly" in another missive.

Berson divorced his wife in March.

KGO radio scores first Agassi interview; beats KNBR

KGO radio's Ronn Owens nabbed an exclu with Andre Agassi Friday morning; leaving all-sports KNBR out to dry.

Agassi, in town promoting his book, appeared in studio for an hour and took calls.

CABLE RATINGS:

NOV. 18, 2009

FOXNEWS HANNITY/PALIN 4,200,000
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 3,868,000
FOXNEWS BECK 2,512,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,383,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,235,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 1,980,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,041,000
CNNHN GRACE 1,036,000
MSNBC MADDOW 957,000
CNN KING 835,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 625,000
CNN COOPER 611,000

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Oprah leaves; what will KGO do?; KCBS' Bob Melrose best reporter?; Friday media pulse

KGO-TV, (ABC 7, SF) faces an important programming decision once the Oprah Winfrey show concludes play in Sept., 2011. Winfrey announced Thursday that she would end her successful syndicated talkie.

Like most ABC stations, the sudden void creates key decisions: program news, sign up a new independent talkie, (Tyra?) or develop broad-based local programming. Bet on news here in SF.

According to many sources, executives at the ABC stations that serve as Oprah's key station group have long said they will fill the time slots by expanding their local news. The ABC stations remain strong--even in today's tough environment--and are news leaders.

If ABC replaced the show with news, it could easily produce newscasts for much less than what it's paying for Oprah. Even if the ABC stations' ratings dropped in the Oprah time slots, the cost savings would likely make up for those declines.

KGO reportedly pays 240,000 per week in license fees for the show; KABC pays around $270,000.

Expect KGO to expand its local news and hope that ABC has a strong lead in at 3PM.

**KCBS' venerable and dependable Bob Melrose is the BEST reporter in the Bay Area, with a close nod to KTVU's Rita Williams.

Melrose, who has been at the CBS station since 1975, is the epitome of a hard-nosed street reporter who doesn't mind the audio grit of say, covering a major story in the Caldecott tunnel. Indeed, it was the fire inside the tunnel that killed four people in April of 1982 that was one of Melrose' signature performances; another that comes to mind was the Loma Prietta quake.

Then there's KTVU's Williams, who in a day when too much glitz and puff stories dominate local TV news, Williams no-nonsense, steady, pointed reporting is a welcome sight on a nightly basis. Williams network quality work is a testament to her craft--she could easily be a correspondent on 'Nightline and make it look easy.

**Sports note: the Big Game will not be available to Direct TV subscribers, so look for a local bar that caries Versus network if you're planning on watching Cal--Stanford and don't have Comcast.

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Tim Lincecum; 2009 NL Cy Young Winner; UPDATE: Lincecum 'math: $15M in arbitration?

Through the mill:

Tim Lincecum wins the 2009 MLB NL Cy Young award.

**

UPDATE--Lincecum math:

**Local agent Ben Werberlin told me that Lincecum could easily ask for over $15 million in arbitration from the Giants. Lincecum is arbitration eligible for the 2010 season...He made $650,000 last year.

There is speculation that the Giants will want to offer a long-term deal to their repeat Cy-Young stud; Lincecum will be expensive no matter what contractual structure.

His co-partner, Barry Zito, who signed a then-record $126 million deal over seven years in 2006, seems to be at least a starting point for negotiations.

YIKES!

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Odds of Colts or Saints Going Undefeated?

How many remaining games will the teams be favored?
Colts: projected to be favored in EVERY GAME!
Saints: projected to be favored in EVERY GAME!

Odds of going undefeated:
Colts: 11 to 1 against (8% chance)
Saints: 11 to 1 against (8% chance)

It’s noteworthy that most people tend to guess that the chances are much greater.

Amazingly, both team’s odds are nearly identical – creating an interesting question for discussion: "Which team, Saints or Colts, do you think has the better chance of going undefeated?"

Odds of AT LEAST ONE of the teams going undefeated?
5.5 to 1 against (15% chance)

Odds of BOTH teams going undefeated?
150-1 against

Formula note: By calculating the percentage chance of the Colts and Saints winning each of their remaining games, RJ Bell of Pregame.com has projected the exact odds of either team finishing the season undefeated. Note that these projections are not guesses, but rather calculations based upon projected point spreads.

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KTVU Report: Mehserle trial will be moved to either LA or San Diego

The murder trial of BART police officer Johannes Mehserle will take place in either Los Angeles or San Diego, reported KTVU, exclusively, on its "10 O'clock News" Wednesday night.

An Alameda county judge granted Mehserle's defense lawyers a change of venue, ruling it would be unlikely that Mehserle could get a fair trial in Alameda county.

Mehserle was arrested in the New Year's Day shooting of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old supermarket worker from Hayward who was lying facedown after being pulled off a BART train by police investigating a fight.

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Raiders agree to extend lease at Coliseum to 2013

ALAMEDA, CA -- The Oakland Raiders have reached a tentative agreement with Alameda County officials to extend their lease at the Coliseum through the 2013 season.


The Raiders' lease was set to expire after next season before the agreement announced Wednesday. The deal still must be formally approved by the Coliseum Authority, Alameda County, the city of Oakland and the NFL. That is expected to come by the end of the year.

Oakland City Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente says the extension gives the sides time to work out a long-term plan to keep the Raiders in the area.

The Raiders moved back to Oakland from Los Angeles following the 1994 season. With the lease running out, there had been speculation about where the team would play in the future.

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KTRB “XTRA Sports 860” Enters New Long-Term Contract

Club Reaches Ten-Year Agreement with the San Francisco-Based Station

A's and "XTRA Sports" 860 enter new long-term-deal

OAKLAND, Calif. – Continuing a relationship which was forged last year, the Oakland Athletics and XTRA Sports 860 (KTRB) have agreed to terms on a new 10-year contract for the station to acquire radio broadcast rights for the Oakland A’s Radio Network for the upcoming 2010-2019 seasons.



XTRA Sports 860, a San Francisco-based station featuring a daily sports format, will broadcast all 162 regular season games, up to 20 Spring Training games, and all post season games.



“This announcement represents a major milestone in the broadcast coverage of Oakland A’s baseball,” said Ken Pries, the team’s vice president of broadcasting and communications. “In entering into this new long-term agreement with XTRA Sports 860, we will be providing the continuity and strong signal (50,000 watts) that A’s fans want and deserve. We are extremely excited about the potential of our talented young team and look forward to showcasing them on a major Bay Area station which offers an daily-sports programming option in the marketplace.”



"This new agreement builds upon the strong foundation that we laid in 2009 as both a new sports station and the new radio home of the Oakland A’s,” said Jim P. Pappas, XTRA Sports 860’s Vice President and General Manager. “The station is now positioned to continue its growth into 2010 and beyond.



One of the oldest radio stations on the West Coast, KTRB-AM 860 served Modesto and the surrounding area for 73 years before “signing-on” as a new radio station licensed to the city of San Francisco on Feb. 1, 2007. The station is owned and operated by Pappas Radio of California, LP, an affiliate of Pappas Telecasting Companies, Inc.



The Athletics’ radio broadcast team returns intact for the 2010 season, featuring play-by-play announcers Ken Korach and Vince Cotroneo, as well as Ray Fosse, who joins the booth as an expert analyst for non-televised games. Korach enters his 15th season in the A’s radio booth, his fifth as the club’s lead play-by-play voice, while Cotroneo begins his fifth year as an Oakland A’s play-by-play announcer. Fosse, former major league all-star catcher and dean of A’s broadcasters, celebrates his 25th season with the Athletics’ radio team, providing in-game analysis and a daily interview segment during pre-game programming.

News Alert: Major Garrett Among White House Correspondents to Interview Pres. Obama tonight

News Alert--

It's official. Fox News' Major Garrett will interview Pres. Obama at 6:20pm ET tonight. He tweets:

I will interview POTUS on camera Wed am here in Beijing. 4 other networks will too. 10 mins per. Many had asked. Can say now.

Radnich; Peopleless FM radio; Tuesday media pulse

Good old Gair Radnich opened his show this morning with the usual non-sports mucky-muck, playing audio footsie with "dibs" and the back-window enabler.

"Am I too tough on callers?," asked the knibber tonsil, before using his first caller as fodder and using the cut-button after five seconds. Ha-ha.

Then switched to Ronn Owens on KGO; a little too heavy first hour for me, subject wise. Cup of coffee, NY Times biz 5-minute read, (a record) and quick piss-match with my cousin over why the hell I stuck with Browns-Ravens last night on ESPN. Oy.

**Sylvia Chacon is doing fill-in radio in San Jose, having just departed Star 103 FM. "Don Bleu is the only "live" DJ on the station." Indeed, as a noted radio analyst in the biz told me earlier this year, "by the end of 2009, most of FM radio in SF will be 'people less." Thanks again, Clear Channel, Cumulus and Fagreed and Lew Trickey Dick Dickey.

**Sure, the MNF bore on ESPN was a total dud; Browns are hopeless, but worse yet, Jon Gruden wouldn't shut up for a minute. Between Chuckey and Jaws, the airwaves were electronic fender-benders.

**The difference between ESPN and NBC: Had Al Michaels been doing Browns-Ravens, I'm 100% certain that Michaels would have been frank; like, "folks, 'this is an out-and-out stinker--what can I say?"; instead normally reliable Mike Tirico stuck with the script and opted to babble on and on with perhaps the WORST game in MNF history. And that doesn't include the two bobble heads next to him.

Another Radnich note: Later in the show, Radnich scored his best attribute; a spot-on interview with NBA/ESPN insider Rick Bucher, who spoke about the Warriors dysfunction under Donn Nelson.

Bucher, with good prodding from Radnich, spoke volumes about the horrid inner-workings of Nelson and his relationship with ex-GM Chris Mullin. If only the Noon-3PM guy could speak the truth, but that's not in Flunker's dude m.o.Follow me on Twitter.

Five questions for Tony Bruno

He's one of the best and funniest personalities on sports talk radio; Tony Bruno is a radio veteran with more than 35 years in broadcasting. Bruno’s radio journey has led him to become an award-winning reporter, anchor and talk host at the highest level in the industry.

Bruno has worked at ESPN radio, Sporting News radio and now hosts the wildly popular "Into the Night" on Fox Sports radio. You can listen to him weeknights from 7-10 PM, (locally KNBR 1050)

1. You're a Philly guy, with east-coast juice that's managed to get a huge following in the Bay Area--tell us your secret?

I think being on the radio since I started ESPN in 1992 and later doing the mornings with Gary for the last 12 years or so has developed a loyal and steady following in the Bay area. It also helped doing the Best Damn Sports Show for 3 years and whenever I would come up to SF, people would recognize me from that show and KNBR, of course.

2. How hard is to NOT rip the Raiders when you do the post game for Comcast?

I can say what I want since I don't work for the Raiders, but it's fair, even when I point out just how bad this team really is. Doing the show with Romo and the steady Jim Kozimor is fun. We talk serious football, but have a lot of entertainment value as well. I do the weekly "Bruno Blitz" segment where I just let it rip. We do an internet-only "halftime live" on CSN-California.com and then go live immediately after the game with the only local Raider post-game show on TV.

3. The ladies love you; what's your secret?

No secret. It's probably my lovely speaking voice, average intelligence and friendly personality. I portray a wild guy now that I'm single, but I'm pretty even keeled, but can get crazy if need be.

4.The segment with Gary Radnich is quite popular; you guys have quite a rapport...

Gary and I just click on the really trivial and silly stuff that represents us both going re-living our lives and the good music and sports knowledge just flows. We can go for 30 minutes every day(and do) without any idea of where we are going and it somehow works. I think we touch a lot of nerves with folks from their 50's all the way into their 20's due to staying up on the pop culture stuff as well.

5. You're in the Bay Area quite a lot now, (doing the Comcast show) Where do you hang, eat, sip the wine?

I don't want women hanging out in the hotel lobby unless they let me know first :) I stay at the same great hotel every weekend(Handlery), go to my favorite place Umbria a lot, and just love walking around the Union Square and Soma areas because there is so much to see, eat and do. Try to catch live music - Ashford and Simpson at the Rrazz room last weekend, drink great wine everywhere and just relax on Saturdays before getting up Sunday to do the Raiders from the Comcast studios.

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Twitter Time's Person of the Year? Wired report

How much cred does Twitter possess?

Consider the fact that Time magazine, according to Wired, is seriously considering it as "Person of the Year."

Supposedly, the economy is high atop the list, but the economy doesn't sell magazines.

Papa and the Raiders; Walcoff and Atkinson; Bronstein and Thomas on KNBR?; Monday media pulse

As a professional broadcaster, Greg Papa is among the elite; I've said as much in this space and his interview technique on Comcast "Chronicle Live" is always top-notch.

Papa's play-by-play on the Raiders is another story.

I didn't attend the game against the Chiefs Sunday, (apparently not a lot of other folks did either) but I did listen to the game periodically to hear what Papa and color analyst Tom Flores were saying. (We won't delve deeply into the game itself; that would be nauseating)

Papa's been under attack for his overly-enthusiastic calls despite the overall Raiders ineptitude. Flores too, but Flores can be excused because he's close to Al Davis and was once a Raiders coach.

This is a most difficult time, professionally, for Papa. Like a lot of other play-by-play announcers, he is paid by the team and not the radio station.

Papa is good enough and respected enough by his peers to at least offer some degree of hardened criticism of the Raiders performance. He doesn't have to refer to the Titanic, but he also has to acknowledge the Raiders abysmal failure on the field.

After the game, his interview with Tom Cable bordered on ludicrous.

Instead of opening the segment with an appropriate summation of the game, (i.e., "coach, tough day for the team in all aspects of the game; JeMarcus; lack of offense; dropped balls, etc") he shuttered straight on with a rather mundane, rudimentary take on Cable's offensive game plan.

Again, Papa is in a semi-catch 22; he works for the team and that of course has to be balanced; on the other hand, he owes it to the listeners who expect a much more credible account of what took place, however bad it was, and indeed it was bad on Sunday.

**The post-game show wasn't that much better, and each and every week it gets worse.

Rich Walcoff is a seasoned, steady and ultimate pro at his craft. His post-mortems at least give some degree of the Raiders failures. It would be boring and repetitious to go over the team's massive problems on a weekly basis, but Walcoff tries.

George Atkinson's takes have become a farce. The one-time player's post game comments are so patently ridiculous, they've become comical. Atkinson has zero credibility; he consistently chastises anything even remotely critical of the Raiders play. Memo to George: this is the Bay Area, not Happy Valley.

**You know its a slow news day when the opening of the crab-fishing season dominates the entire local news media; TV, radio, print and internet stories galore about how lousy the catch is this year.

Is it my imagination, or doesn't it seem, lately, that EVERY year has been lousy?

**What is it about the famous, (or infamous) Walnut Creek fountain that has almost every Bay Area TV news director's attention? It seems anytime there's a significant news story, every 'pulse reporter is required to go to Walnut Creek and get an opinion from anyone hanging around said fountain. Like what? Walnut Creek is considered nirvana? Wait, it IS. Gotta get those A25-54 WHITE, SUBURBAN, folks to opine on events of the day. Coincidence? You be the judge.

**"Traffic and weather on the 'eights, nines, fives"--one day they're going to run out of numbers, which wouldn't be so bad, come to think of it.

**The Sarah Palin media machine begins in earnest Monday; her book is released. I smell a topic for Ronn Owens first hour on KGO.

**Caught up with the jovial Ted Robinson in the Memorial Stadium Press Box Saturday night; Robinson was broadcasting the Cal--Arizona game for Versus network. Question. What sports event does Robinson NOT broadcast?

**Wonder how the late, great Bill King would think of our beloved local sports play-by-play guys? Actually, knowing Bill, he'd kind of puke, trust me. Minus Robinson, Ken Korach, and the San Jose Sharks trifecta of Randy Hahn, Drew Remenda and Dan Rusanowsky, we're left with mild audio dreck.

**Speaking of Versus network, if you're wondering where to watch Saturday's suddenly big, Big Game, it's on that cable outlet at 4: 30 PM. (Check your local cable channels)

**Bizarre, Bizarre, Bizarre: woke up early Sunday morning and caught the Chron's Phil Bronstein interviewing famed White House correspondent Helen Thomas on, where? Get this!, KNBR, of all places...knibber's homage to the FCC's community affairs obligation is run from 5- 6 AM every Sunday; listening to the entire hour I wondered how ironic that only an hour later, I'd hear ESPN radio updates. Weird. Oh, by the way? Bronstein's Q and A with Thomas was pretty good, take note knibbers.

**Moratorium on the S' curve news. Stop. Enough already. Shut up.

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KNBR and Adam Meyer

From reader Ted Gross:

Rich:

I'd like to read your break down of the KNBR football prognosticators they have on. Those are the most self-important guys I've ever heard, yet the hosts let them go on and on.

I'm guessing these guys are paying to be on the air--if so KNBR has a responsibility (maybe even some FCC responsibility) to alert the listeners beforehand that the following is a paid advertisement.

Would love to read your take on this.

Ted:

I've heard a guy named Adam Meyer on many KNBR programs; most notably the 'Fitz and Brooks show. He also buys time on KNBR. Coincidence? No.

There's nothing sinister about having a Vegas tip-sheet guy on, but you're right. It would be good if the hosts were to offer a disclaimer that the guy is an advertiser.
But then again, its KNBR and we'll, you know the rest of the story...

Comcast seals deal to buy 'controlling' interest in NBC

BREAKING NEWS ALERT--

From a source on the GE board:

Cable TV operator Comcast Corp. is expected to buy a controlling stake in NBC perhaps as early as Sunday. Vivendi Corp. has an option to sell its 20% stake in NBC Universal. Majority owner GE is expected to buy it and then sell a 51% stake of the entire NBC unit to Comcast.

RLReport Exclusive

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If I ever wanted to spend a late afternoon other than at the Playboy mansion...

IT WOULD BE HERE.

Berkeley. Cal's Memorial Stadium, which many regard as the most be-you-tee-ful setting for a college football game.

Bears vs. Arizona. Not the sexiest game, but U of A's cheerleaders are mandatory viewing. Arizona: 30 Cal: 19

USC-Stanford? Sorry for the Harbaugh hoopla, but the Trojans are better. And Pete Carroll needs this game to supplant his next "I'm going to Cleveland for $8 million a year and Erin Burnett rumors." USC: 38 Stanford: 21

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Levi Johnston to Palin: Screw You on turkey day invite

Sarah Palin may have invited her daughter's baby daddy to Thanksgiving dinner, but the future Playgirl centerfold will not be passing the yams with the Palins. He turned down her offer, saying she's "full of it."

Somewhere, Kathy Griffin is laughing.

NFL Network shines; 49ers-Bears; Bay Area media notes

FRIDAY PULSE--

**Rough Thursday night to watch the Bears-49ers, unless of course you like to torture yourself with incompetent QB play and an offensive quagmire called the Chicago Bears. (eww!) The 49ers were less nauseating and escaped the ship with a win. A mediocre 4-5 team that, sorry, isn't going anywhere.

**The NFL Network is part of the premium Comcast cable sports packages, so many folks don't get the channel unless they're paying, like, $200,000 for their monthly cable bill. OK, so it's more like $189, but its expensive; you get my point. Its also a shame, because the NFL Network shines in both its production value and play-by-play/color analysts.

Matt Millen and Bob Papa are not your standard crew, but Millen, who clearly couldn't cut in the NFL as a football exec for the Detroit Lions, has found his niche as a color analyst and Bob Papa is sharp, steady, concise and quick on the play. Not that excitable, but infinitely spot-on.

NFL Network's production elements and camera angles were excellent, as they should be; after all, the premium outlet is owned by the league itself. Those watching the game in the Bay Area saw the contest simulcast on the CW Network, (for those who don't get the channel, the NFL allows a local over-the-air, free outlet for viewing).

NFL Network has a knack for sharp logos and graphics and the high-def look makes it even that more outstanding. Even NFL net's pre-game show is entertaining; Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders and ex-49ers coach Steve Mariucci provide compelling information, (all also correctly picked the Niners to win) and also may be the first TV crew who possessed $2000 suits.

**Steady Teddy: Like many other observers, I have noted the quality of Ted Robinson as the new 49ers radio play-by-play man. His flawless transition to the new gig is indicative of the 'pro Robinson is; working with color analyst, Gary Plummer, you'd have thunk that Robinson has been on this team for many years. KNBR is lucky to have the very good duo.

**Speaking of Robinson, like the late, great Bill King, you know an excellent play-by-play caller when you can't figure out the score if you happen to tune in not knowing who's winning. Robinson gets very excited if the Niners score a TD, but more importantly, shows equal glee if the opponent scores. Inside the biz, that's a biggee.

**The post game Comcast Sports show scored a few notches; although I'm not a huge Willie Brown fan, his quips for the most part were funny and I'll give Gary Radnich credit for maintaining the pace without the ability of showing highlights, (NFL doesn't allow Comcast to show highlights--only local station carrying the game can show footage.)

**Adding some much-needed broadcast girth to the show: analyst and ex-player Eric Davis. Davis' commentary is first-rate and to the point. His no-nonsense analysis is a welcome addition to the excessive amount of players who say nothing, but try to play flash and trash. Davis has a future in the biz.

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'Dobbs will run for Pres. in 2012', says Bill Press

"Lou Dobbs will run for president in 2012", you heard it from me first, stated syndicated radio host Bill Press on his Washington-based show Thursday morning. (Locally, the Press program appears on Green 960 AM from 3 AM until 6 AM)

Dobb's sudden CNN departure was not unexpected, but it did catch a few of his peers by surprise. Press, for one, whose bold prediction should not be discounted. Press worked with Dobbs when he occasionally appeared on "Crossfire."

Press said "there's no doubt in my mind that Dobbs wants to run--I don't know if he'll run as an independent or Republican, but 'mark my words'--he's running."

Press has local ties; he's worked in both California and national politics and had a radio stint for KGO in the 90's.

SPORTS NOTES:

**Matt Millen will be a part of the NFL Network's coverage of the 49ers-Chicago Bears game Thursday night at Candlestick Park.

**Nice touch: KNBR's Ralph Barbieri surprised Steve Young on his weekly radio show Wednesday, with a guest appearance by former Dallas Cowboy/Navy QB Roger Staubach.

**Curious comment by KGO news anchor Ed Baxter on Thursday morning; commenting about the suddenly ubiquitous Taylor Swift: "I'm going to take a 'cheap shot. She's only 19 and she looks like she's had a face lift." No word on if Baxter is a Kanye West fan.

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Kings eyeing new Las Vegas Arena; Maloofs tired of Sacramento's Arco

The Sacramento Kings; tired of playing in an old and antiquated Arco Arena and frustrated at Sacramento's inability to come up with a realistic arena plan downtown, are seriously looking at moving the team to Las Vegas.

Owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, who also own the posh Palms hotel and casino, have quietly begun serious negotiations to explore the option of moving the Kings, who have played in the state capital since 1985.

Sacramento city officials have been trying for years to develop a downtown arena, but because of the current financial climate, lack of concrete financing, and depleted civiv funds, have all but given up on a timely arena plan.

Las Vegas has longed desired to attract both an NBA and possible NHL team, (Phoenix Coyotes future in Arizona is unclear) and is close to getting a new 20,000-seat building in the desert city.

This arena, which will be located behind Bally's Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas, was being developed by Harrah's Entertainment and Anschutz Entertainment Group. Harrah's pulled out in September 2008 as a partner and were replaced by a group of investors that include Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer CEO Harry Sloan and Wall Street financier David Bonderman.

It was competing with another arena proposal, which is favored by Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman, that would be located downtown. That proposal has since been canceled.

**Several roadblocks for the Maloofs' plans still exist; namely, Vegas' gambling distinction and whether or not NBA commissioner David Stern would allow the Kings to relocate, (or any other NBA team for that matter.)

**In addition, a firm financing plan is not in place for the planned new Vegas arena, but is close, according to several city officials.

**If the Maloofs move to Vegas, will they have to sell the Palms for possible conflict-of-interest situations?

Stay tuned.

Developing story.

Exclusive.



Developing story...

Oakland 'Layover' rocks the 510; Tuesday pm 'pulse; KGO note

**The Tuesday PM pulse**

**Suddenly, Oakland has turned into Brooklyn Slope West. Along the way, every day, a new restaurant and bar is opening, with several of SF's culinary and libation figures crossing the bridge into the 'Tower of Power' haven.

The latest chic-de-chic place is infinitely cool and sleek Layover, near the Fox and Paramount Theatres, adjacent to the bustling Uptown area; the old "Pat's" which could have been mistaken for a shanty bar from the "Blues Brothers" movie in Chicago.

The Layover is 'uber-cool. Think Vesuvio's meets Asia de Cuba, although its far more intimate and the parking is easier and the bar has a resonant nuance about it. It's already drawing the artist/hipster/politician crowd with the aura of a NY-style bar right smack dab in suddenly hot Downtown Oakland.

On a recent visit, I saw members of the NBC show "Trauma" and talked turkey with Kurt Andersen of New York magazine. It reminded me of the time last year when I got some alcohol-forklempta at PJ Clarke's in mid-town Manhattan. (Translation: they pour strong and the prices are moderate.)

**KGO post-mortem: Got a few e-mails on my KGO item stating that ex-news director Paul Hosley and exec producer, Trish Robbins were NOT let go because of dollars; more because of performance. I'll politely disagree, but wouldn't bet the house on it.

**Nice interview from the Razor and Mr. T of Don Nelson on Tuesday night. Among other things, more giggles and a nice plug from Nellie of where he was drinking his favorite scotch in lovely Indianapolis.

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Nervous jitters at KGO Radio; Citadel nears BK status

CITADEL is close to bankruptcy.

The broadcast behemoth that owns many ABC radio stations and the ABC Radio network; locally, #1 radio news-talkie KGO is owned by Citadel.

Federal rules require a company file its 10-Q report as all publicly-traded companies must.

There is a reason CEO Farid, (known in the biz as 'Fagreed') Suleman filed it on Friday evening just ahead of the weekend because it would be better if no one knew the blunt terms Citadel had to use to assess the prospect for bankruptcy.

More ominous: Citadel has only $26 million in cash on hand (as of September 30).

KGO, by all appearances, is in solid financial shape, but the impending BK by corporate daddy has some personnel feeling nervous. Earlier this year, the station said goodbye to longtime news anchor Greg Jarrett, (who since has landed at WGN, Chicago), reporter Greg Edmunds, (nearly 30 years at the outlet) and weatherman Leo Ciolino. In addition, news director Paul Hosley and executive producer Trish Robbins were also shown the door; all financially-related moves, although Ciolino was nearing retirement.

Currently, all KGO air-talent seem to be safe, although a few of the 'biggie$ status remains unclear. Morning king Ronn Owens is the highest-paid tonsil, (over $1 million) Owens is signed through 2011, but when Citadel files, what would be his status and will he get his money?

Owens has a "personal services" contract and e-mailed me earlier this year when I asked about the Citadel status, that he would not be affected. Although several biz analysts told me that the "PS" contract was irrelevant; Owens' would be treated like any other Citadel creditor. (Owens agent is Don Buchwald, who reps Howard Stern)

Either way, the mood inside 900 Front isn't rosy and how do I know? Because someone there told me. Another said that "major changes" would be forthcoming. Stay tuned.

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Radnich rips Jackson over Warriors humiliation, yet chuckles over producer's act; Tuesday media notes

LIEBE'S DEEBIES:

**The irony was glaring.

Gary Radnich was milking the Stephen Jackson conundrum; (Jackson, the Warriors diva wants out of Oakland, and his agent accused Don Nelson of everything except creating Gitmo)

During his morning radio show on KNBR, Radnich spewed shock condemnation; some for real, some; his usual shtick that lost its cachet ions ago, all the while his alleged producer cut off a caller, (twice) who waited on hold over a half hour to talk to the genius.

Raddy might think this is funny. Ha Ha. But how sad is it when the alleged producer, (at KNBR, "producer" is tantamount to celebrated gopher) cuts callers at his discretion? What?, can't the "host" edit his own calls?

Then again, gotta protect the Daddy that kisses your tuchas and vice-versa. Its that Cumulus team leader spirit.

**Jackson's shenanigans, (and by extension, his agent) have been pure glee for a Bay Area sports media that has a plethora of goodies: Raiders mess, 49Er's mess, Cable's travail's, and the Dub's record, (minus Monday's blowout against Minn)

**Here's a radical suggestion for the Warriors: suspend Jackson without pay, fine him, and let him really stew. Simple formula.

Cohn of SR Press Democrat stands up to Singletary, (finally)

I wrote yesterday that for a guy whose team has lost three straight, (before yesterday,) Mike Singletary has essentially been given a pass by the local SF sports media.

Very rarely has he been aggressively questioned by the writers and columnists, (only scarcely Matt Maiocco, who covers the team for the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat) has tried in earnest to inquire about Singletary's game plans and motivational speeches.

**That all changed today. Finally. Thank goodness.

Columnist/blogger Lowell Cohn of the same periodical confronted his 49ers highness. Here's the transcript:

**¶ LC: What makes you think your players can turn it around? (I also said Singletary's words to the media were quite motivating but we aren't his players.)

¶

¶ "You know what sir, I don't know where you're from and I don't know what you really meant by that. I understand that you're not my players. I'm thankful that you're not my players. I do want to win. But let me say this, you have to know guys that you spend days with. You have to know the guys that you spend hours with. Just like you when you're at home. I don't know how much time you spend with your kids. But it's important that when things happen you have a pretty good idea of how your kids are going to respond. If you tell me that one of my kids slapped you, one of my kids spit on you, I've got a pretty good idea of who it would be, because I know them. 'OK, that was Jack, or you know what, that was Brooke.' When I think about our guys, when I'm talking about our guys, I know them. When you spend as much time with these young men and you know what they're made of you have a pretty doggone good idea how they're going to respond. Does that makes sense?"

¶

¶ LC: "It may. We'll see what happens."

¶ MS: "It may? You asked me a question. I thought I responded to your question."

¶ LC: "I appreciate your response."

¶ MS: "Well I thank you, very much."

¶ LC: "And I wish you the best."

¶ MS: "I appreciate it."

¶ LC: "But when you say you know how they're going to respond, I don't know how they're going to respond. You may know better than I."

¶ MS: "You're not the coach. I wasn't asking you the question. You asked me the question."

¶ LC: "You asked me if I thought you did OK with the answer."

¶ MS: "Thank you."

¶ LC: "My response is, I guess we'll find out. You clearly have more confidence in your players than other people may, including me, and that's why they play the games."

¶ MS: "You're exactly right, and I appreciate that. Are you going to be here next week?"

¶ LC: "I'm going to be here all the weeks."

¶ MS: "Now that's exciting. That's outstanding. I'm looking forward to it. I want you to sit right here, or get a seat right here and you ask me those same question."

¶ LC: "I'll stand up there next to you."

¶ MS: "Outstanding. Fantastic."

¶ LC: "OK."

¶ MS: "All right."

So, that's me and Mikey. He sort of came unglued, no?

**Note to Lowell:

Who really cares, Lowell, if he DID come unglued? Its your job! No one else in this area has the balls to get into "Sings" face. I mean, look, this is professional football; its not life and death, but we're talking about a coach who talks a lot of 'stuff and whose holier-than-thou persona sort of grates, particularly when no one asks him anything of substance. I call it intimidation.

But that's just me.

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