Damon Bruce decline; Comcast/"Chron Live" banality; Tuesday Pulse

Damon Bruce' initial punch and savvy on the KNBR 1050 airwaves was a welcome relief compared to the the company men on 680. In fact, save for an occasional rant from the 9-Nooner, Bruce' detailed criticisms and riffs made for entertaining and mostly informative radio.

No more.

Bruce is no longer appointment radio and it shows. He might as well be part of the Giants/Warriors PR machine at 55 Hawthorne. He's joined the company line and tows it quite nice now. Maybe its the Larry Baer effect, (the Giants pres who called for and got Bruce' head off the post-game show in '09)

Bruce, (KNBR 1050, Noon-4 PM, and filling in on the "Jim Rome Show" later in the week) is still talented enough and commands a better read of how to do a show that's engaging with a mix of conversation, a heavy dose of interviews with writers and broadcasters, and most of the time, it works.

Not lately.

The "Nooner", (a rundown of scores and highlights from the sports day) has lost its luster and the accompanying sound bit with the bimbo is no longer funny. More stale and predictable. Dull too.

And the celebrated "3-Play" from 3-4 is basically a lazy caller-driven bit that has worn out its welcome.

Bruce' one-time detailed, veiled rants at the local teams was a highlight of his show, but he's tempered all of that with his sudden love of all the parties--who knows, maybe he's trying out for a new gig and decided to pull back a bit, not necessarily from the boss, but maybe the guys in suits from knibber's client base.

In either case, the show, (whose ratings have declined recently in KNBR's little sister of the poor at 1050) has regressed. It's become dried and dull and yes, again, predictable. It doesn't possess any of the freshness that made both the show, and Bruce himself, listenable.

Bruce and the show, while definitely going southward, still beats the alternative on mother ship 680 with Giggles and the angry man doing their daily muck-a-thong. Then again, that's like comparing Jerry Seinfeld with Charlie Sheen.

*"Chronicle Live" note: Several of you have asked if its a case of sour grapes; my knocks against the show of late, "because you haven't been invited on." Truthfully, I've done the show a few times, (last December to be official) and nothing can be further from the truth.

They don't have me on because I'm not conducive to their un-written policy of not being hard on their clients. It's good business, (for Comcast)--oh, full disclosure: Comcast actually broadcast a benefit I produced and coordinated a year ago, (the Jim Brown event) so I know what their motto is.

Actually, they do a good job for the most part but their antiseptic style is quite indicative of a business model that doesn't want to rock the boat and make any news. They put on mundane writers, (most of the time) and discuss the minutiae without the slightest intent of just trying ever so slightly to mix it up a bit.

I have long admired, (and have written so) that I like Greg Papa, but Papa has degenerated into a company tooler and its quite evident if you watch the program. Harsh? Yes. A bit of a shot? No, not at all, because I like Greg a lot, but he could be so much better and compelling if he, (and the show) were allowed to go more deep and delve into "Sports Reporters" territory as opposed to the current state of sameness. I'm not the only guy who feels this way--have you seen the ratings? Case closed.

Comcast has quite the technical apparatus and a boatload of corporate cash to broaden its Bay Area coverage, (outside of Giants/Sharks/A's/Warriors games)---case in point, its wonderfully-produced and nifty Glenn Burke and Rickey Henderson documentaries. Unfortunately, those are the exceptions.

Comcast, mostly now, is nothing more than a direct PR chasm for the Giants, (in particular) and the other teams. All, well in good.

But "Chronicle Live", which could have so much potential, is a 60-minute dose of SF sports dullsville. Just telling it like I see it.

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