Where were our local, so-called, "Insiders?" Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, which has highlighted the term, "Insider", was nowhere to be heard. Its Raiders "Insider", Paul Gutierrez, was, again, asleep at the wheel. At least he knows how to ask a question at a press conference, ("Dear Mark Davis, would it have killed you all to tip us off, first?").
Real "Insiders", as its been written here, and supported by some of my more astute readers, work the phones and are fairly invisible. They possess trusted sources and are provided truly confidential information. Posers pretend to be Insiders. They're usually on the outside looking in. They don't act, they react.
Comcast SportsNet Bay Area was royally pelted by a rival, albeit a good one, 3000 miles to the East, while the story broke in Alameda, about a twenty-minute ride to San Francisco's CSNBA's studios. More embarrassing? The Raiders own PBP-guy, Greg Papa, who may have had access to real Insider info was nowhere on the scene. We will assume
Not a knock on Gutierrez, who I'm sure is a fine fellow, and CSNBA, but seriously, when was the last time one of their "Insiders" broke a really big story? YOU TOO CAN BE AN INSIDER!
**Yes, I have pretty much laid off babbling on and on about Knibber, SweetJack sports enabler to KGOne, part of the Cumulus toxic assets. Why bother? Both are so irrelevant these days, particularly when you have embraced satellite radio and get far more compelling news and sports. 'Nuff said.
**So, Michael Savage isn't heard in the Bay Area? Why is that? Is it because he's been blackballed? The only conclusion to come to is, yes, he has. For reasons that are mysterious and for which no one wants to go on the record to explain. Then again, this, guys: his ratings continue to climb.
--NUTS and BOLTS--
**The 9-Nooner on Knibber was quite happy over his new two-year deal, (which isn't guaranteed); what he didn't say: that he took a fairly hefty pay cut and has to beg Comcast for fill-in work. Wait 'till the bean counters at Cumulitis take note.
**So, Savage might be difficult to work with--so is Howard Stern. Welcome to reality.
**Hey, I hear there's something happening at Candlestick, Saturday.
**SweetJack spots: makes you yearn for "Kars for Kids", a virtual Masterpiece Theatre by comparison. Speaking of which, the Chase radio spots are on the clock, about a minute away from the State Farm crap factory.
**John Madden, just how involved are you with the Raiders? Bunger, Bitker, can you hear me know?
**Follow me on Twitter
So True - these so called bay area "insiders" on KNBR are a joke. They missed the Bill Neukom demotion last August and now this.
ReplyDeleteGreg Papa wasn't on vacation, just asleep. Mychael Urban said yesterday via his Twitter acct. that Papa would be on 95.7 to discuss the Hue Jackson firing. Of course this was well after the story was broken by ESPN. Insiders, hard at "work".
ReplyDeleteSavage was kicked off because of his alleged Islamophobia. If Brian Sussman, one of the most jingoistic anti-Muslim Islamophobes can stay on the air, when he does not even understand that Allah is Arabic for God (yes, I keep repeating that because Sussman continues to demonstrate his ignorance not only about religion but about language), and he lies about Islam after being corrected by Muslims and non-Muslims, then Savage should be on.
ReplyDeleteI like Savage, sans his Himmler-esque "borders, language, culture." That jingoistic nationalism turned me off to a point that I don't listen to him any more.
And, no, I'm not devolving my critique into everything on the Internet eventually comes down to a Nazi comparison.
Only an ignoramus would think of America as defined by culture, since we are a mixture of so many cultural influences. As far as language, one would be nice in the entire world. As far as borders? Check out how many borders have changed over centuries all over the world and wake up. Solutions other than border fences are needed to deal with the causes of "illegal" immigration.
So, bring back Savage to SF. I mean, he is actually much better than Sussman because at least Savage has an intellect, although he has embellished his academic prowess and credentials.
He's no worse than Karel, either, who finally said his bill-paying has been helped by his KGO gig. Good for you, Karel. You've been reading comments on this blog where you've been told to stop your whiny, wimpy belly-aching.
And, with more rants like the one supporting legalized discrimination at "private" bed-and-breakfasts but not at "public" chain hotels, and you, Karel, are heading in the wrong direction.
Oh, and then there is that very bad masturbation reference about a two-headed boy, whom you called a two-headed girl and wondered who would masturbate.
Add that, honey, Karel, to all of your continued references to all things sexual whenever you see an opening (no pun intended), and you will be off even your back-water stations like KGOE and its three listeners (including the station "manager"/blogger).
I think since Al had a well known hate for ESPN,its kind of obvious that ESPN must pay for this info. And dont leave out the good chance that a Gutierrez isnt a favored last name in the media. Who's kidding who?
ReplyDeleteHey,funny how Raddy brought about Todd Bozeman's 8 year ban from coaching..went on about only troublemakers get them..as Krueger squirmed thinking of his 6 year ban from radio. The whole studio was thinking the same thing. Raddy is so dumb. Cant read his own room...
THIS BLOG IS TOO POWERFUL..no.3,475
ReplyDeleteToday on 103.7 oldies Don Blue says "I see Cristina Loren is rock'en the blue sapphire dress"..and of course it was I who posted here..well over a year now? about that FIRST infamous blue dress. So funny that a thought that came to me to post is now sort of known around the bay area media.
415 media- Some contributors are more then others!-lol.
The Hue Jackson firing was kicked around last week by the local "insider" folks. So someone (ESPN) beat them to the punch yesterday with the official announcement, so what?
ReplyDeleteA bigger story would be Mark Davis admitting that he has spoken to folks in SoCal about a new stadium down there and spoken to the 49ers about sharing the Santa Clara yet to be built stadium.
So that means you're an "insider"?
ReplyDeleteSavage is black-balled because of his far right politics and his fearless (while caustic) presentation of them. Having an opinion different that the cool-aid drinking PC drones that run SF is heresy. There is no diversity of opinion allowed. They would burn him at the stake if they could.
ReplyDeletefor those who think the santa clara niners move and stadium will happen..please see Cal Supremes re: redevelopment public dollars..not for private profit..big boost for those who think the San Francisco 49ers...ought to actually be in San Francisco.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing "Sweet" about "Sweetjack" except for the bottom line for both Cumulus & Clear Channel who shared this program. See all local deals for free without optin via http://peopledeals.com
ReplyDeleteThe problem here in the bay area is that even though this is the number 4 or five 'media merket'
ReplyDeletein the country, there are not really that many
reporters out there who 'live, breath and eat,' what they do for a living as there are back east.
Many of the our media brethren in the northeast
(in particular) live in such a different world;
it's much more crowded, fast moving, competitive
(try living in NYC sometime, it's quite an experience!) and careers are a little more important to many of the folks back there..a healthier lifestyle seems to be more of a priority out here.
That translates into people not being quite as '24/7' about their work, and we should all understand that. Frankly, as you get older you realize that life is pretty short, so you should try to enjoy it as much as possible. Work can give you a degree of satisfaction, especially if you're doing something interesting and exciting. However at the end of the day, it's really just a paycheck to keep food in the fridge, gas for the car, heat in the house, and basic comfort for the family.
All that said...you make a good point Rich...
these so-called 'Insiders' should be doing a better job covering the beats they have been assigned. Frankly, I would have been embarassed to have been beaten on a story in my own backyard by someone 3,000 miles away...I don't care how many connections the guy might have had.
Look as a super lib who listened to Savage because Rich asked, I can see why he is not wanted. Its not liberals..if we could there would be no KSFO to KNBR,as they exist. It's Savage-who in the time I listened would bite the hand that fed him...He constantly bashed the bay area,bay areans, the food, the culture. Even the station that carried him.
ReplyDeleteOnly the bay area-and some in New York. So,what does he expect?
And THEGAME has upped the ante. They have Tim Kawakami co-hosting in studio while Raddy has some guy in Milwaukee as a phone guest.jeez. Who would you listen to?
ReplyDeleteI had to smirk-snicker though when Tim said he can take being criticized from readers. Sure-why he banned me for my for pointing out his Jerry West columns,one after another,came across as Tim reliving HIS past in L.A.,then what West could do for the Warriors.
Still,he makes for interesting reading/listening rather then Myke Urban who has some problems with being bored with it all.
Maybe Myke has seasonal affective disorder. Its treatable.
Remember who really broke this story of the firing it was Mike Florio of PFT. (Comcast owned property) He had said well over a week ago he thought Hue was out. Adan Shefter found out his info via the agent who called him to fill him and put the spin on it. The same spin that was given to Henery Wooford which was later countered by Paul Gutierriez, I respect Paul because during the broadcast he even said "let's remember who is giving most of this info coming out; Hue's agent." Most of the insders only get info via an agent or GM who wants to drop a name into play for the betterment of their client/team.
ReplyDeleteSavage isn't heard in the Bay Area because he actually seems to hate the Bay Area, though he lives here. San Fran-sicko: What's up with that?
ReplyDeleteI also like to think that the Bay Area is better educated than the rest of the country and chooses not to listen to hate-mongering, big-mouth, self-hating jackasses.
the last thing we need in the Bay area is another syndicated bully on the air. I frankly don't care if the host is right wing or left wing, I just want to civilly talk about local issues or look at national issues on a local level.We lost that a few weeks back.After spending the last few weeks looking for a replacement I am deeply disheartened.
ReplyDeletePapa works for the Raiders,that is probably why he was ghost,On the insider topic,Urban missed the Nuekum story and was canned,beware Gutierrez you may be next,though Urban was just boring and daft.
ReplyDelete"insider" is the biggest misnomer. Especially with Comcast. They own broadcast rights to most of the sports teams around. You can be damn sure the teaml EVPs of business ops are having their pr people keep a tight rein on those folks. The pbp guys are team employees, so don't expect them to be insiders, either. KNBR owns a piece of the giants, so any impartiality is out the door. It kills me when people say, "well they said on KNBR..." get real you idiots. They're saying you're all like lemmings who need to be led. Most team websites, unless they're just places to get the latest self-serving marketing propaganda, won't give you the scoop, either. Freedom of the press? What bilge. Wake up everybody! It's time to get wise.
ReplyDeleteCUMULUS REVIVES RIN TIN TIN VIA CRYOGENICS.
ReplyDeleteRIN TO DO AFTERNOONS ON KGO.
Insiders HA ! I got my (first) Raider firing update from a Roberta Gonzalez Tweet.
ReplyDeleteHow about them 49ers! Is this reminding everyone a little bit about the storied Superbowl winning 1981 season, the first in SF history I know Alex Smith is no Joe MONTANA, but the guy had one of the better seasons any Niner QB has had in recent years. More importantly, the SF defense has been the big key to the club's success, not allowing a TD on the ground until week 15 in Seattle. Drew Brees may be the best QB in the NFL at the moment, and he does have a terrific corps of receivers, but I have a feeling that this one will be decided by three points or less.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the RAIDERS go, it's sad to see Hue Jackson leave because Oakland's offense was entertaining and unpredictable. And if they had had a healthy Darren McFadden, and had also had young wide outs Ford and Moore healthy all year, the Raiders would have already played a playoff game last weekend, and might be preparing for a Divisional game this weekend. In that case, new GM Reggie McKenzie would have had an awfully difficult time convincing new owner Mark Davis to fire Hue Jackson.
But Reggie wants his own guy in there, and that's his right as the new GM.
But Jackson was agood guy, a good coach, the players like and respected him, he was creative, and he was great with the fans and the media. Too bad, but he'll wind up somewhere as an assistant again. He also shouldn't have gotten so upset after the Raiders lost that season finale to San Diego, but their defense did put on a disgraceful exibition that day, allowing Phillip Rivers time to throw for big yardage.
RICH, you remember the 1981 season don't you? You covered the Superbowl in Pontiac that year for k101 SSSSPORTS! when the Niners goal line stand stopped the Bengals in the third QTR and helped them hang on to a scintillating 26-21 win. Great memories.
You should do a column about it next week, especially if the Niners beat the Saints this week.
Don't expect Steve Bitker to ask John Madden any question that might be considered as a hot topic.
ReplyDeleteThe KCBS John Madden show is for show only.
No real insight is ever gleamed from that program.
Pure puff show-biz. A forum for Madden to do his silly act.
Rich, What are you trying to say?
ReplyDelete"Savage is black-balled because of his far right politics and his fearless (while caustic) presentation of them....." In reality, he's not "blackballed", he's unprofitable. Savage can get a station good ratings, but what good are the ratings if you can't sell the product? Savage is #1 on the "No-Buy" list at most ad agencies. Many local advertisers won't go near Savage because they fear boycotts and loss of business for being associated with Savage. Some advertisers will decline to advertise at all on a "Savage" station. Savage has one "live" carry in a major CA media market (KSTE in Sac). Elsewhere he's buried at night (KFMB SD 9pm-12pm) or he's not on the in market at all (SF, LA). Savage still has a number of live carries in the Eastern time zone, because it means he's on after 6pm, where he can do less damage to a station's business. I can assure you that no station is "black-balling" Savage. He's not on the air because he's unsellable, plain and simple.
ReplyDeleteI like Madden. Yes, he's kind of a character and has probably been over exposed by the media over the years, but the guy knows football and gives viewers and listeners some passionate vibes and good insights about the game.
ReplyDeleteAnd as a coach, he was as good as they come. His record of over 100 wins in ten years while coaching some of the greatest Raider teams of all time says it all.
I've never found him to be rude, condescending, or full of himself like a lot of other former athletes and coaches who work their way into the media. This guy is well respected and liked by everyone in the NFL, as well as the media. I remember interviewing him after games in the 1970s and he was always straight forward, humble, and with a little twitch of humor. He found his niche with the media and made a second, and even more successful career.
Why do people always have to criticize if the shows aren't 'edgy, hip,' or full of important, breaking news? This is sports for crying out loud, not politics, homelessness, or some stupid war that is going on somewhere on the other side of the world!
I guess there are just a lot of angry, upset people out there and many of them seem to vent their spleens by writing into Rich's blog. I guess I do too from time to time, but I wish people would lighten up. Get outside and enjoy this beautiful planet once in a while for cripes sake, and turn off the computer! For that matter, turn off your i- pad, your cell phone, and get unplugged and return to the 'real world.' This is still a beautiful planet and if you go for a walk, a run, or better yet some time in the water, it'll do you some good. You'll sleep better and probably live longer.
That's my two cents for the day!
According to Mark Davis, Madden was a key contributor to hiring Reggie McKenzie. That being said, I agree with the post above that his show is nothing more than six figure babbling. KCBS should be ashamed it pays Madden that crazy amount of money to waste time when it's a 'news station'. Give me a break!!!
ReplyDeleteActually, they are 'insiders'. They have credentials giving them 'access' to players the public or 'outsiders' don't have. One thing is certain, they are not BEAT writers. Back then, the term implied 'beating' your competition to the story. All these guys are pathetic but they are earning a paycheck and maybe that's the worst of it!
ReplyDeleteAs a former editor, I would have had a serious discussion with my sports editor and my beat writer who missed this scoop, especially if I got burned by a hyper sycophantic TV reporter from the East Coast. But, then again, to be a real insider these days, you need to be an ass-kissing Glazer-type reporter whose work would be considered unprofessional and unethical based upon the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics. How the little Adam spec got the news? He's an ass-kisser. Sometimes, ass-kissers get the scoop, but as an editor, I would have said: WTF? I don't care. Don't let it happen again. Do your job. Work the phones (now email and phones), or sell your sob story to the competition. But, these days, there isn't any competition. You either have mostly the Singleton-"owned" newspapers that specialize in horrific writing and editing in all departments, especially sports, or you have conflict-of-interest sports reporting, and for everything else, you have many writers who could not make it in a real competitive market. Look at The Chron and its former columnists. They were and are awful. In fact, one of them ruined The Press Democrat's once-great sports pages.
ReplyDeleteHow does Ralph Barbieri get away with his Ebonics reference regarding Reggie McKenzie.
ReplyDeleteBarbieri's Italian prejudice versus African Americans and Gays in general is so very out in the open to see.
He'll probably blame the Parkinsons for that.
Hey, ignoramus, 1:46 p.m. There is no such thing as Italian prejudice. That is a generalization and stereotype. Now, an Italian may be prejudiced, or a person of Italian heritage may be prejudiced. As a person of Italian heritage, your comment is offensive and myopic. As stupid as Ralph Barbieri's prejudiced statements. Geez. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteAnonymousJan 12, 2012 02:34 PM
ReplyDeleteReally, you just flashed what I already know. Before you make that statement you should come over and meet my Uncle Guido from North Beach!
I get your reverse rational meaning: Example: Bank of America was robbed 6 times in Richmond in 2003 thus all Bank Robbers are black (I realize that is not true)
But Barbieri is an exception - he takes PRIDE in being the way he is because of his Italian Heritage. Inner Italian dislikes for others within Italy is well established.
The Sicilians told the Genovese's that they were cheap. Genovese people countered that Sicilians did not take care of their Hygiene. The Genovese's than offered a symbolic olive branch and shipped the Sicilians a barge loaded with Soap. Things went down hill from there as the Sicilians were observed eating the soap as if were food.