Scary, seems like only yesterday. Time is too fast but we won't go there now; John Lennon's fate came to me via Stevie Wonder, who was playing the Oakland Arena, Dec. 8, 1980 and announced Lennon's murder to a stunned audience, including me. I was backstage, talking to a security guard who was watching Monday Night Football when Howard Cosell told the world.
Drove home and listened to Russ Coughlin deliver one of his most memorable broadcasts on the old KGO Radio. Riveting, eloquent, and a perfect place to commiserate --that used to be a KGO staple until the cloud company decapitated Bay Area Radio.
Speaking of KGO, if you like paid programming on radio you're going to love the new KGO on weekend, slightly less terrible than KGO weekday...Ronn Owens, who's getting eaten alive by the sports show on KNBR and Rush Limbaugh, has a new regimen --frequent lunches at the North Beach Restaurant with his new acquaintance, Randall Bloomquist. In case you don't know, Bloomquist runs KGO these days; he, the person who is temporarily running the station until the Tricky Dickeys find their next middle-aged white guy destined for Cumulus lore, SweetJack accounts and a suite at the Holiday Inn on Van Ness...Ronn is the quintessential kiss-ass these days--do his little show, get to the car and drive out quickly. He's not beloved by the rank and file inside the building who detest him, save for the morning show "news" gigglers who wouldn't know an ounce of sincerity if their life depended on it.
Owens does lunch with Bloomquist to kiss his rear end and make sure to tell him that since John Dickey doesn't have anyone else to replace the gadget man, that Ronnnnn is perfectly willing to work into his last year, (2015), of that contract making less than a third of what he once got. Times are rough. This ain't 1985 anymore.
*Hey, Bay Area sporting press: This Just In: Yes, Colin Kaepernick is lost in the subject of PR acumen --he doesn't like you all; based on his play, who could blame him. He's obviously not enamored of hostile questions, (or what he perceives as hostile), but sooner or later take a hint and get over it. Maybe someone openly ask, "Hey, Cap, why are you so mean to us--what's the deal?" Instead we get the usual dumb questions and Ann Killion trying her best to stir up shit--(any more FM radio hosts, Annie, you're trying to blackball?)
Let's state the obvious that you won't read or see around these parts. Kapernick is the shits now, no doubt, but the Bay Area Sports media is pouring it on now. As the face of the 49ers franchise--the QB usually is the face, Kapernick is a BLACK QB being interrogated by an all-WHITE, (save for one woman and an Asian blogger) media out to get his throat. Besides Raiders fans, the sporting media were thrilled that Kaepernick failed his test on the Coliseum turf. I'm not suggesting there is a race card being played but I wouldn't be shocked either.
*Follow me on Twitter
You act like an ass, you get treated like an ass.
ReplyDeleteYou Kaepernick are an ass!
Put down the bong, put down the beat head phones and stick your nose back in the playbook.
And quit drawing lines in his hair with a razor
Delete" I'm not suggesting there is a race card being played but I wouldn't be shocked either."
ReplyDeleteSo then you are suggesting a race card is being played? If you have something to say, then say it.
Rich Lieberman is accusing Ann Killion of "trying her best to stir up shit"?
ReplyDeleteThat's funny coming from Rich Lieberman.
Rich, That stuff about Kaepernick, did Stan start writing your blog for you?
ReplyDeleteKapernick is a BLACK QB? REALLY?
ReplyDeleteI don't think of him as that. He is a person of color, not sure exactly which ethnicity, as are so many of us in the Bay Area.
My thought exactly: I didn't even know he was black.
DeleteStop acting like you're being interrogated by the police. Watch how the pros do it, hell, even rookie Derek Carr can face the media with class and he is on a 2-11 team.
ReplyDeleteCarr's attitude will take him far in life.
DeleteAmen.
Delete"As the face of the 49ers franchise--the QB usually is the face, Kapernick is a BLACK QB being interrogated by an all-WHITE..."
ReplyDeleteA lot of legitimate, racially based incidents in and outside of sports, but this ain't one of um. The same biracial Kap being eviscerated by the media today is the same biracial Kap who was endlessly fawned over by that same media shortly after the Niners harshly dumped Alex Smith.
It’s not a race issue with Kaepernick. He comes off as being a disinterested thug. The Beats headphones. The baseball cap. Showing off the tats. Look at other NFL quarterbacks and see how business-like they are. The Mannings. Tom Brady. Geno Smith. That’s how you get it done. The QB has the separate pressers. He’s the perceived leader. With Kaepernick, he can lead a gang of hoodlums from east San Jose, but not an NFL club. He gets what he deserves. Surly to bed, surly to rise. There’s a deep-seeded problem with the 49ers. Is it the coach? Has he worn out his welcome? Is it some other players? The way they handled the Ray McDonald situation, Aldon Smith earlier in the year and Kaepernick’s caper in Florida. Just think about those things. The 49ers did an outstanding job of self-destructing. One more thing: the billion-dollar palace is nice, but the atmosphere is gone. Maybe someday, this place will have character. But as with other teams, true fans have been outpriced and replaced with selfish venture capitalists and tech people with no personalities who want to be seen.
ReplyDeleteI wear Beats, have tats and wear a baseball cap too.
DeleteAm also 55 and considered white.
You calling me a thug?
5:00 isn't a thug, he's a fool. At 55 it's time to trade in the street creed gear for a members only jacket, a nice wide white belt, and a comb over.
DeleteVery well put......all of it!
DeleteIf I wore a hat sideways along with headphones I would be embarrassed to be seen in public.
DeleteI was watching Yahoo Sports last week...and John Middlekof,said that Kap doesn't have "The intellect" for dealing with the media I think it was. The other guests gave him the "God,I'm glad I'm not the one who said that".
ReplyDeleteHow'd you find the time Stan? Aren't you on 24/7 Radnich watch?
Deletefunny!
DeleteWhats worse? you care.
DeleteNo, probably worse to build one's life around watching Gary Radnich on television and listening to him on radio.
DeleteWhats worse and ignorant is to think anybody builds there life around Raddy. And then comment. like 1230
DeleteTo infinity,first!.
I win.
The only way to deal with you morons.
And uh,no comments on Middlekof projecting on Kap's intellect? To get back to the point.
DeleteYou know-- the last two QB's to be tagged dumb were J.Russell and the 49ers QB with the learning disability,both black. All other QB's that have come and gone or are still here- like Matt Shaub- no,mention of dumb and being dumber. They are just bad.
Kap had 3.90 average in college. Now he's lacking intellect.
1. Colin Kaepernick IS NOT black.
Delete2. John Middlekauff never called Colin Kaepernick "dumb."
3. No one has ever questioned the football aptitude of Russell Wilson, the Seahawks QB who IS black.
Other than that Stan, you're batting 100. Maybe you should stick to Radnich watch.
2.
The same was said of Jim Drunkenmiller and Tim Tebow...so what's your point other than you and RL exposing your racist point of view of the world like cliche'd small minded academics and their teenage minions?
DeleteIs John Middlekauff the bald guy who's a Steve Berman clone? YES,he is.
DeleteI heard him 342..and he said Colin Kaepernick "Didn't have the intellect" to deal with the media.
I saw it,heard it "Live" or whatever Yahoo calls live.
Stan never lets facts interfere with his opinions.
DeleteYour use of the race card is pathetic Rich. Kaepernick is mixed race, he is not "black". And before I read that he was of mixed race, I had thought he was of eastern Mediterranean descent, a caucasian. Folks don't get on his case because of his genetics, they do so because of the content of his character.
ReplyDeleteDrop the race card, it lowers your credibility substantially.
Agree 100% 11:40. Kaep's issues have nothing to do with race. Look at Steph Curry. He is the face of the Warriors' franchise. Although he is having a great year so far, there were grumblings about his assist to turnover ratio in the past. Regardless of what was said about him he has always treated the press with the utmost respect. I believe he recognizes that they are trying to do their job as much as he is trying to do his job.
DeleteAbsolutely agree with 11:40. Race has nothing to do with the criticism of Kaep. His personality and terrible play is what it is all about.
DeleteTo 11:40
DeleteSince when has being 'mixed race' stopped someone from being referred to as black?
When did it start 5:01? I've never heard of anyone referring to Kap as black until Rich....even though he's trying to be "black enough" to his detriment.
DeleteAt the news conference Kap looked like a delinquent kid who had been called into the principal's office and had to answer some questions. The rolling of the eyes and the attitude is unique among quarterbacks in professional football.
DeleteI have a buddy who is a successful NFL gambler and knows the NFL through and through. He told me 2 seasons ago that the league would figure out Kap within a season or two and he would be garbage. Same with RG3. He was correct on both accounts.
ReplyDeleteKissing ass is so passé. What about licking ass? Licking ass that has been covered with smuckers grape jelly, no seeds or pulp please, that has been smoothly spread upon the buttocks. While the recipient gazes backwards through a mirror as his subordinate takes one long lick from the bottom of the rump all the way to the top followed by the words, " May I have another lick please?” In which the boss replies, "Meh, if you must".
ReplyDeleteHierarchal pecking orders can be compared to a puppy that is constantly trying to hump on your leg and a corset that has been cinched too tight. Sloppy and frustrating.
mmmm...yummy!
DeleteYesterday was the anniversary of Pearl Harbor yet no mention. Today we get all the John Lennon nostalgia. I believe the former was a much much more important time in the history of our country than the latter.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely right...and the day will come where no one remembers much about John Lennon, either.
DeleteThat's what happens when you have 25-30 somethings running the newsroom.
DeleteKeep up the good work, Rich. Good topics today.
ReplyDeleteEnough with the White this and White that. You come across like a real "Ass"
ReplyDeleteWho?
ReplyDeleteNot a genuine white ass
ReplyDeletePlay like an ass, talk like an ass, treat the media like you are an ass...and guess what people will conclude? Kap's created his own problems, but I suspect he's too arrogant to figure that out.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I agree with the fellow who says that the Niners' problems are multi-fold. You don't became this dysfunctional an organization without a lot of problems. They've got some guys on that team who are not team players and an alarming number of players who also have run afoul of the law. Then there are the whiners, ( such as Brooks and Crabtree).
ReplyDeleteAll this must be driving Jim Harbaugh nuts. The young, entitled owner is also upset, because all of his new wealthy friends are asking him "what's wrong with your team?" as this was supposed to be a good year, especially after moving into the new digs in the south bay. It's all gone horribly wrong for the 49ers organization, and the blame lies at the top. York dissed the longtime fans and the city where the team played for years by selling out and moving his team 50 miles to the south. Many hardcore fans I know will never forgive him, nor root for this team ever again. A lot of them were laughing yesterday when they watched the inept performance against the Raiders.
The only one who will come out of this relatively unscathed will be Harbaugh himself, as he gets to leave the misery and dysfunction behind him. The Ann Killions, Tim Kawakamis and Ray Rattos of the sports media are eating this up, because it plays right into what they do best: skewering the local teams. I guess it helps give the newspaper business a brief resurgence however, as fans love to read about the wreck on the side of the road that the Niners have become.
^THIS!!!!!!
Deleteanon at 3:08pm, while I too as well as many others feel it is a shame that the 49ers are no longer playing within the city limits, the city of San Francisco has always had a shoddy relationship with its' sports franchises. The city back in the day told Frank Meuli who owned the Warriors that the dump they were playing in was fine. Hence the Warrios end up in Oakland. The City told the Giants for years that the dump they were playing in was fine. The Giants after the well publicized fail attempts with the city of SF to get a stadium built did it on their own. The Niners, whose owner Eddie D called Candlestick what it was, "a dump" back in 1984, and the city 27 years later want to pretend like the Niners just flat out bolted on them, look like fools to people who know the history. SF had more than two decades to get something done, and couldn't pull it off.
DeleteIf the Giants hadn't used their own money, the city of San Francisco would be left with no sports franchises within its' city limits. SF has only itself to blame.
@ 7:24 12/9/14
DeleteThe City of San Francisco is not in the business of building Stadiums, or Arenas for Rich Millionaires...That is the bottom line for the Taxpayers of SF. Hence AT& T was built by "Private Funding," and the new Arena for the Warriors will be built by Private Funding."
Little Santa Clara will soon find out that by putting the debt on the backs of their Taxpayers for building an NFL Stadium, may soon lead to the little hamlet declaring "Bankruptcy." Especially with the team playing so badly now, and STH dumping their PSL's for next season.
And heads up...whenever I think about whose to blame for the 49ers being located 45 miles South of the City of SF, there is only one entity I blame...The York Family, they chose Free Money over Personal Responsibility (theirs), and Legacy.
Thanks rich in advance for making this blog available for us to vent...
Alex Smith took a beating from the media here. Was it because of his skin color? No, it was because he was awful. And now it's happening to Kaepernick. Not because of his skin color, but because he's awful.
ReplyDeleteBest post on the topic! My understanding is the 49ers QB soured towards the media after the rape allegations came about during the offseason. Is that true? Regardless, he is a pro and he is paid mega bucks. The minimum he should do is give the media a few replies and be done. Why is he fighting them? Who is advising this guy? Rich, do you know if Harry Edwards is still involved with the 49ers? He's someone who could be helpful with Kaepernick. Somebody should sit his ass down and be made to watch how real pros handle the media: Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic on and on. The best in tennis get grilled after losses by international media in their second language and they stand there like real men and answer tough questions. Pussy ass Kaepernick can't even give a three word answer in his native language. That's what York should be tweeting about. Which reminds me. Did York tweet anything stupid this week? I was playing tennis in piedmont when I heard the cannon and the fireworks go off at the coliseum. I thought, oh oh, York must be thinking "should I hit send or not?"....
DeleteEdwards would come up with some bullshit rationalization for Kaepernick's act.
DeleteColin Kaepernick should use his millions to get rid of those ugly tattoos.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Kraepernick is being criticized because of his race. Everyone's giving Harbaugh, York, Baalke and Roman a free pass this year because they're white.
ReplyDeleteYou are out of your mind.
DeleteRAIDERS!!!
ReplyDeleteSince your readers brought up Radnich a few times,and not me..How's this for today?: He and Bob are talking between shows about Kap. So Bob tells Radnich "Kap should do what you do with your KRON co workers,tell them- Only speak to me if I speak to you". At that Raddy did the famous Raddy freeze- say nothing when the zing hits the bullseye.
ReplyDeleteAlso- He's back to being Bill Cosby Jr,and Aaron Pero,news director- who's bonking the morning gal- seems to feel its not sexual harassment if Radnich initiates 99% of the touching between him and the cornered female anchors. So,why does he feel the need to grab,pet,and hold Cathy Heenan every time he speaks to her?
Yeah,he's a loving guy...Bill too...
Who the hell is Bob? So now Stan is reporting on Radnich's conversations BETWEEN shows?
DeleteStan's fantasies about Catherine Heenan's sexual harassment by Radnich are insane.
You never heard of Bob Fitzgerald? And you don't know his show follows Radnich? Or that they regularly do the end of one show and the start of the next chit chat?
DeleteWhy are you even posting if you know nothing?
Oh- yeah,one more. The day after Cathy Heenan friended me, he on kron said something " came between Cathy and me". Can you add one plus one?
So ,he overcompensated the day after that. He's like an open book. A simple book.
ha!,This is funny : Kreuger to Radnich a few minutes ago "I get the feeling you weren't hugged enough as a kid"
DeleteHe got the Raddy freeze.
We can assume that if Catherine Heenan, Pam Moore, or anyone else that Stan imagines is being sexually harassed ON TELEVISION by Gary Radnich is quite capable of bringing a claim on their own if there were any merit to Stan's fantasies.
DeleteIf there were any truth to Stan's imaginary claim, the video evidence - broadcast over live TV - would make a great case for the plaintiff.
Wonder Stan is the only one receiving that video.
And you know what happens when you assume 1110.
DeleteLike Cosby's victims in 65,66,68,70,to - 2014. Almost all said nothing. It took a black male comics joke to open the floodgates.
And then theirs the bigger picture of what it tells young woman at KRON who don't have the job security like Pam Morre.
Gary,like Bill and David Letterman know who can be manipulated.
Interesting too how often Kreuger says what we all think. Like he cant take much more of Radnich's game.
Kate,might be in the same boat with young KRON woman. Cant say a thing.
Two thoughts as I post: 1) I'm listening to the last BBC interview that John & Yoko did, two days before that awful Monday Night 34 years ago today; & 2) When Kap was scandalized in Miami earlier this year, all media became scum to him, good or bad people alike. He still hasn't recovered from that and his season is getting poorer. His head coach's misplaced loyalty to his offensive coordinator doesn't help. Harbaugh is doing the best he can considering how injured the team is; Roman is the most nonconfident 49er in the organization, even more than the most fragile player.
ReplyDeleteRich, are you trying to attract attention to the Stephen King killed Lennon guy? Isn't one raving psychotic commenter enough?
ReplyDeleteIf race were an issue I'd be all over this, but I just don't see it. A lot of black Bay Area athletes have had great relationships with the media. Shooty Babbit was of questionable quality, and yet he became part of the media in his post baseball career.
ReplyDeleteAs Vern Glenn said last night on-air on KPIX. Kap's gonna hafta change his schtick.
Jim Harbaugh is white and the all-WHITE, (save for one woman and an Asian blogger) media doesn't seem to care much for him either.
ReplyDeleteI've heard about as much criticism of Harbaugh as I have of Kap.
DeleteI beg to differ Rich...If you are great at your job at QB, it should not matter what color you are, people are not going to complain about your skills. Colin Kaepernick has an attitude problem, and he isn't a very good QB. Collin is at an age were he should be able to handle all adversities, in good & bad times. There are countless Pro Athletes that are of Colin's age that conduct themselves in a professional manor, Steph Curry, & Russel Wilson come to mind. This just might be Karma coming back to the 9ers for getting rid of Alex Smith.
ReplyDeleteBut nothing will compare to the Karma that is gonna come back to bite the current ownership of the 49ers for moving this historical franchise out of the City it was born in. Throughout the Yorks Ownership there has been nothing but dysfunction, and more downs, than ups than we can count. They had a chance to build something memorable, & grand in the City of SF, but chose free money/public financing instead in the City of Santa Clara to build their stadium, that is Null & Void.
I don't race has anything to do with how the press treats Kaepernick. However I do think that "thug" has become the new politically-correct version of the n-word.
ReplyDeleteI didn't hear Americans of Italian descent complaining when the word "thug" was often used to describe mobsters of Italian descent. You know why? Because the word "thug" is NOT a politically correct word for any ethnicity, it's a word to describe a violent criminal, or those who emulate said criminals.
DeleteIt's time society stopped allowing special interest groups telling the rest of us what (they think) a word's definition is. Just because some protester types say a word means something "now" doesn't mean that's what that word means!
Methinks thou dost protest too much.
Delete9:13, you're talking to the idiots in Berkeley (thugs), right?
DeleteWhile the Curry comparison is good in regards to Kaepernick, a better one is probably with Klay Thompson, who's not the natural conversationalist that Curry is. He's become pretty adept at answering both the good and the bad. But I think both take their cue from Kerr, a former broadcaster. Kerr will discuss the good and bad with his team very honestly and in-depth. Kerr, Curry and Thompson are the anti-Harbaugh and Kaepernick.
ReplyDeleteAre you f'ing serious? What the hell does bringing up Kaepernick's horrible play and even worse attitude have to do with race? As I recall, most of the press have been kissing his ass the past few years, UNTIL his play on the field started to suck, and the press started asking questions. Isn't that in their job description Rich? To ask questions? You're unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteIf Kaepernick wants to know how to deal with the press, all he has to do is look across the bay at Derek Carr...
John Lennon? What gets me is his killer was only given a 20 year sentence- and only of second degree murder. Despite the fact that his wife also knew of the plot for weeks,and Chapman used hollow point bullets to make sure he killed Lennon. Justice saw commie red in Lennon,not blood. So,now he's up for parole every two years.
ReplyDeleteIt could be worse,John Hinkley is home now. Tried to kill Reagan. Turns out that Hinkley's father was wealthy and a big contributor to Bush family campaigns.
I think James Brown spent more years behind bars then Hinkley!..
The best legal system in the world? Still needs improvement. It seems to play favorites.
Stan's facts are entirely wrong.
DeleteMark David Chapman, who shot and killed John Lennon, was not given a 20 year sentence. He got 20 years TO LIFE which explains why he is still in prison, 34 YEARS LATER and not likely to get out any time soon.
20 years to life is a potential life sentence.
No,I said HINKLEY is allowed to go home. Cant you read? And I said that Chapman is up for parole every two years- as in STILL IN PRISON. And you nitwit, he very could one day be set free. Unlike a "no possibility of parole" sentence that was warranted.
DeleteAnd I stand by my opinion that somebody who buys special killing bullets,tells his wife "I'm going to kill John Lennon" weeks before, is doing a premeditated murder,not as the Judge ruled "Second degree". Pretty obvious Lennon might as well have been Lenin to that Judge.
No, you are wrong. Don't you know it was Stephen King who killed John Lennon? Haha! Just kidding. What ever happened to that nut who kept calling radio stations?
Deleteanon@4:33,
DeleteYou should realize that Stan's "facts" are always wrong. His view of reality is entirely his own.
Stan, you said Chapman was given "a 20 year sentence" and you were wrong.
Deletelol,Yeah,I read about that guy 815. Spent his inheritance or trust fund money on traveling the country with "the message".
ReplyDeleteA fool and his money ....
Stan, the one thing about the Lennon verdict that you need to remember is that the insanity defense didn't work. Crazy as he is, Mark Chapman is still in prison.
ReplyDeleteKeep that in mind Stan, insanity is not an excuse.
Yes, no matter what it is, IT'S ALL ABOUT RACE.
ReplyDelete