IT's a "RETIREMENT" that was forced on him by a lean and mean Cumulus looking to shed assets and payroll, particularly high-priced payroll so if you think Gary Radnich wanted to "retire" now, I gotta bridge I'd love to sell you.This move was accelerated by the announcement Greg Papa was leaving "The Game" and headed to KNBR where he will also broadcast 49ers football.
Radnich was summarily let go early and with considerable severance and a lucrative buyout, a source tells me.DEVELOPING...
UPDATE: 10: 41 AM PT
*I'VE BEEN TOLD Radnich absence from Friday's show was in actuality him meeting with KNBR/Cumulus officials hammering out severance money and agreeing to a manner where Radnich could announce he was "retiring" from the station although that's a load of A-Grade BS.
*In fact, Radnich was told he was being let go --you don't simply, out of the blue, tweet a goodbye after 27 years and just leave the premises, boom, you're gone. Sorry, but it doesn't happen like that. I'm sure Cumulus would have preferred Radnich would have stayed on until next year, February, when he turns 70 but they didn't want to pay that long and Radnich probably preferred to take the cash and split.
*All this official crappola --from Gary himself and KNBR/Cumulus, is TOTAL BS. This was a simple budgetary move by a company ensnarled in BK status and any way to save money and shed unnecessary expenses rules the day. Damn any ceremony. Damn any retirement tour. Radnich was deemed expendable and therefore it was that reason, and that reason alone, he was shown the door only they tried to make it look nice.
Whatever other reason you hear is BULL.
I used to listen exclusively to KNBR, but little by little I was down to just Gary. How you let him go and keep guys like Paulie, Fitz, Brooks and Lund is beyond me. I guess I'm gone for good.
ReplyDeleteagree
DeleteGary is wonderful and pretty funny. I miss him already
DeleteStory on the Merc's website: https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/06/22/bay-area-sportscaster-gary-radnich-announces-his-retirement/
ReplyDeleteExpect the San Francisco Chronicle to send Ben Fong Torres to Gary Radnich's home to write a cute profile piece.
ReplyDeleteThe thrust of the story will be that Gary Radnich left on his own terms.
Once again the Chronicle will serve as the enabler of Bay Area media types.
Fine with me - I'm just so glad that damned windbag is gone - he lost his edge about 20 years ago. Way too negative.
DeleteI'VE been a fan of Gary's for years. Enjoyed his humor and was a fun listen for a while. These last few years, however, Gary hasn't kept up with current sports and has shown a lack of interest to do so. He has definitely lost his fastball, and can't fake it anymore.
ReplyDeleteGary remained in the business about 20 years past his prime. In the end, it was embarrassing how bad he was. He never prepared past reading the sports section, he didn't go to games, he didn't talk to people on the teams. He remained on TV so long because after KRON lost NBC, it didn't much matter who they put on the air because they'd never be competitive again. But if KRON had stayed as an NBC affiliate or O&O, he would have been "retired" 10-15 years ago. It's sad to see somebody struggle long past their time. I wonder if he knew he was being fired on Friday? It would be funny if The Game picked him up, though they wouldn't pay him anything like what he was making at KNBR.
ReplyDeleteGood points, 11:42. And 11:34, for stating that he "...lost his fastball, and can't fake it anymore."
DeleteGary was the GOAT. He's going to be missed by far more than the few online trolls that come out of the woodwork to rip because they're unhappy with their own lives.
ReplyDeleteIf you want some blowhard to talk sports sports sports and tell you how to think about subjects, you still have ESPN or CBS Sports radio to listen to. If you're local, you can turn on 95.7 and listen to all of the 40+ year old white guys talk about rap and hip hop while trying to stay relevant and cool.
If you want a little entertainment and an open mind to go with your sports, Gary was your man. He was more for the intellectual crowd that didn't take themselves too seriously. Not a blowhard like Fitz, not trying too hard like Krueger, happy medium.
Good God, those comments were ludicrous.
DeleteExcept for the GOAT comment, agree with 12:48. 34 years in one market...how many people can say they've done that? It's not a big list. Somewhat surprised Cumulus pulled the plug, as I had thought KNBR did well with the 10-1 slot. The ratings are going to plunge without Gary...but maybe financially Cumulus is better off given Gary's big salary. For those who have a balanced, Bay Area approach to sports, he will be missed big time.
DeleteHi Ryan.
DeleteWow, this is huge news. At the same time though, Gary probably should've retired years ago. His show really hasn't been the same for a number of years now. Plus, Gary is not as interested in sports anymore.
ReplyDeleteWill be interesting to see how both stations cover all this news on Monday (Greg Papa leaving 95.7 for KNBR, and Gary Radnich getting let go/retiring from KNBR), if they do so at all.
its going to be business as usual as if nothing happened kgmz never addressed the A's/Raiders dumping them, if the Warriors don't resign there, i think they will, but if they don't, a new format will be there in six months
DeleteHearing his voice brought back memories of a Bay Area that was free from the tech "irrational exuberance" era and all that has brought (good and bad) but Radnich has been mailing it in for years.
ReplyDeleteNo prep for a show, no plan for the show except to riff on some topic someone else brought up and he would beat into the ground, let Krueger do the heavy lifting and him chime in, references to his exalted economic status and car, comments about somebody "doing pretty well" if they called in from Piedmont or something, just overall off-putting and no real reason to listen other than nostalgia to hear what Krueger brought up.
It's like Radnich was daring the higher-ups to find a way to can him and i guess they did.
nailed it
DeleteAt the end of the day, Gary Radnich still has a long and illustrious career and presumably an attractive severance package.
ReplyDeleteWhat does Rich Lieberman have?
Diligence. Sincerity. An actual interest in the subject matter.
Delete3:13 where do you get your pot? I'd like to try some.
DeleteFitzgerald has been fired too. Papa must've cost a fortune. Rod Brooks gets to stay because he's the only minority host at knbr.
ReplyDeleteAlso interesting how Papa's cohost at 95.7 claims he (Bonta Hill) was blindsided by the move.
We'll see how Papa's smug attitude plays at knbr. Should be a fun sh-! show to observe. I'd never actually listen to either of those awful stations.
Oh hopefully Rudy Rudy Poohay is out the door. With Papa coming in and if Rudy is out the door, one pompous ass replaces another. At least Papa has talent. Rudy's so smug that you couldn't tell if he had any. His snot rag attitude overwhelmed any talent he had.
DeleteConfirming "Rudy" is not listed on the Knibber web site. Hoping that means the Warriors are making a change as well.
DeleteThat being said, there's no way "Gumby" can handle a show all by himself. He's a clown too.
Let's hope Bob Fitzgerald was grabbed by the shirt collar and physically escorted out of the offices of KNBR by the Cumulus security staff.
DeleteAnd then given a pair of elevator shoes as a parting gift.
I do hope the Fitz rumor is wrong. He can talk any sport with the listener, he is knowledgeable and has a fine sense of humor as does Rod Brooks. I may be in the minority but their two hours went fairly quickly each day
ReplyDeleteKOB
Backstabbing Radnitch finally got his comeuppance.
ReplyDeleteHaven't listened since Pete Franklin days.
Really? Did you vote for Truman as well??
DeleteThe poster at 3:18 has a point.
DeleteGary Radnich stabbed Ralph Barbieri in the back when he was fired by Cumulus.
And business owners wonder why workers today aren't loyal. Duh!
ReplyDeleteTime to send the tranny lover out to pasture
ReplyDeleteI heard he was not well.
ReplyDeletewell Rich you should be happy, you've been hating on Gary for years.
ReplyDeleteFitz gone too? His name is off the show lineup list.
ReplyDeleteNo "sources" or "scoop" to investigate on that one? Or is that because he didn't leave a goodbye tweet let alone doesn't seem to have twitter?
Finally, justice prevails. Fatnich is like that carton of milk in your fridge that's outdated by six months and smells like you ate some super bad roach coach food.
ReplyDeleteFatnich's time passed many years ago. He was decent. Now he's become a joke. Well, he could do pirate broadcasts from the Farallone Islands. Only the seals would hear him and then he'd be blamed for their passing.
Time now to find another media "personality" to hoot on. Unfortunately in this market, there are way too many.
Gary was a personality, he has a personality. Some didn't like that persona, but most did. He melded well with Krueger. However, Krueger by himself is best suited to night talk. I'll miss Gary. He had history, "lived a little", had a light hearted sense of humor, and liked people. That all came out in his shows and it is a hard thing to come by by almost any other host. Especially now when the field is littered with young, inexperienced neophytes. I wish he could have stayed on, it's the end of an era.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he can have a stint on KRON On!!!!
ReplyDeleteGary Radnich is one of the biggest assholes in the history of Bay Area TV. Good riddance.
ReplyDeleteNow that's good knowledge. 6:39 is obviously someone who knows how to read the room.
DeletePapa’s strength is play by play, Radnich’s is sports personality. The new KNBR show will probably be less interesting to the casual fan like me who doesn’t know what whip is or could care less if it’s RAC or YAK. The biggest losers are Raiders radio fans who have to suffer through Brent Mussburger who is no longer good at PBP(talk about losing your fastball) and has dreadful on air personality. Davis’s move to hire Mussburger precipitated the changes we are witnessing now.
ReplyDeleteFinal words: Gary must have been doing something right to deserve all the derision expressed on this blog over the years.
Get rid of Fitz and I might start listening to KNBR again...
ReplyDeleteLarry and Gary were the best thing on KNBR, period. The new line up - I'm gone except for Murph and Mac in the morning, the rest, no bueno
ReplyDeleteGary, I'm driving a 2002 Chevy Avalanche
shows that break down stats are a dime a dozen. Gary didnt let his show turn into a show catering to fans that get an ulcer if a player or a team didnt perform to their liking. Always at the top of the ratings.....says he didnt lose his touch. It seems cumulus learned from Ralph and the lawsuit he won after he was escorrted out by security. Not it seems to be a yes/yes deal. They threw enough money at him for this to be a "retirement",
DeleteI, like many others, regret that Gary Radnich no longer will be on Cumulus’ KNBR. As a TV personality limited to short sound bites, he was not at his best. But as a host of a three hour sport talk program, he brought a unique and outspoken perspective to the frequently juvenile, locker room talk typical of the medium. His comments and questions from subjects ranging from Joe Montana’s appearance fees to Larry Baer’s return to the Giants will be missed.
ReplyDeleteHopefully his voice will continue to be heard in the Bay Area and he will not grow a beard and retire to a Don Nelson compound in Hawaii.
KNBR will save on salary but as ratings and advertising revenue decline, it will regret his leaving.
Heard that Gary was gone this morning .... no use listening anymore. Time to sell the house and move out of CA.
ReplyDeleteFitz was the best with tolbert. Knbr is dying. Making stupid moves to save money. Well you lost a loyal listener. See how that works for your ad revenues... Dont turn knbr into the same type of sports talk around thd country. Fitz had the most intelligent and well informed views. I guess he was too smart for many but he was the main reason I listened.
ReplyDeletehow much are they paying that pos
ReplyDeletefrom the raiders?, must be minimum?
wrong demographic, long time listener, first time caller. sum it up, Gary will always be number one. peace, out.
ReplyDeleteI would say hello to Raddy if I saw him on the street. Same cannot be said for the wretched Fitz. Here are the KNBR host grades- Tolbert B, Krueger B, Murph and Mac D, Brooks C, Lund- Who Cares, Raddy C, Fitz- should be locked up for crimes against humanity.
ReplyDeleteExcept for Marc Willard show, reg. Knbr shows suck. What happened to listener calls? Number 1 fan of papa? Papa.
ReplyDelete