CBS-SF and its corporate arm in NY are aware of O'Donnell's status--he's been AWAY from the anchor desk well over two months---O'Donnell has taken an LOA and there's no word on his return, both privately and publicaly.
Staff at 855 Battery (still only a pandemic few) seem resigned to the continued mystery and although ther're concerned, O' Donnell's absence hasn't moved them (still) one way or another. Which seems sort of bizarre, but that's just me.
*FURTHER DESECRATION of KCBS: the CONTINUED anchor shuffle; the technical glitches that still exist on a daily basis; the deepening division betwen staff and ND, Jennifer Seelig. It's a MESS and it's getting WORSE.
*EGO MANIAC, Greg Papa, took a red-eye to Philly on Friday at SFO--that's not the news, here is: Papa asked some 49ers fans on his flight from SFO to Phil: "do you like my TD call?" --I wasn't on the plane but Greg, you're TD call is TERRIBLE, an affront to humanity. it's pathetic, there, on the record.
*MORE ANNOYING than the horrible TD call: Papa's girl-giggle that he, inexplicably, uses every two seconds on his KNBR show. Bizarre and irritating to the max. Weird.
*KPIX is set to make a few more hires on the news anchor desk which should tell you how they think of their current crew.
If O'Donnell doesn't come back is Gary Radnich ready to step up to the plate?
ReplyDeleteOh, HELL NO!
DeleteI'll 2nd that "OH, HELL NO!" and raise you a, "OH, F*** NO!"
DeleteYou have to be pretty insecure with yourself to ask complete strangers what they think about your TD call. He does it to feed his ego.
ReplyDeleteWasn't Papa asking fans LAST YEAR about his touchdown call? I have always liked Papa, but can you imagine Lon Simmons or Bill King taking a fan survey of their TD calls?
ReplyDeleteDo that many viewers really care about Dennis O'Donnals'a whereabouts?
ReplyDeleteI'm not asking to poke at him, I rarely even watch TV.
I'm just asking the question.
When someone is out from work for an extended time, and there's no claim of illness or injury, the logical assumption is a family problem. I don't know O'Donnell at all, but he looks like he's in the sandwich years, elderly parents plus kids who aren't old enough yet to be independent. If the guy's any kind of mensch and a family member has gotten ill, or is suffering dementia, the right thing to do is take a leave of absence and deal with the problem, and not discuss it. I doubt his bosses are unaware of the situation, they're just also being discrete.
DeleteOnly a true jerkwad tries to sensationalize this kind of situation.
Thanks for the O'Donnell update, Rich. One odd situation.
ReplyDeleteCan't Papa just say, "Touchdown Niners"?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. I like Papa but the home announcer should not include the name of the home town's city in their touchdown call. He likes to stretch out his call like a soccer announcer.
DeleteIt's too bad we can't have Bob Papa, no relation to Gregory Ego, do 49ers games. He and Giants legend Carl Banks broadcast the Giants games in NYC. Bob is a solid pro and doesn't have the ego that Gregory Insecure has. Bob also does a show on SirusXM NFL Network radio. Very knowledgeable and not full of himself.
ReplyDeletePapa is trying to get a pulse on the fan reaction. Very smart. The best pbp announcer in the NFL.
ReplyDeleteYou're kidding me? Papa is just stroking his ego and looking for adulation, nothing more. He'd be decent if he lost the shtick td call and even then, he would not be the best in the NFL.
DeleteThanks Greg....
DeleteI hope KPIX keeps Betty U. She is the best.
ReplyDeleteBest pbp announcer in the NFL is Kevin Harlan. An artist who paints a picture with words a la Bill King.
ReplyDeleteLet's all yawn: KPIX 5 is starting a 3pm newscast next Monday anchored by Allen Martin. Then CBS Evening News at 3:30pm.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually glad to hear that - specifically the Evening News part. I work most nights and usually leave home around 6 or 6:15 PM. When the national news aired at 5:30 PM I got to watch it. Then all of a sudden everybody switches to 6:30 PM (monkey see, monkey do). So unless I got up extremely early the next morning, I wasn't getting any national news (and no, I'm not going to waste time streaming the news). This is good. There's nothing else much worth watching at that time anyway. I hope this succeeds.
DeleteEuropa
- It is no mystery that O'Donnell was slurring words during his last broadcasts. It is no mystery that O'Donnell has health issues that must be dealt with. It is no surprise that he and his agent are using every legal resource to keep this quiet from PIX, CBS HQ, and yes, the public. This will probably not end well for anyone.
ReplyDelete- Is Audacity becoming as bad as the Cloud Clowns? The way they are handling the poor performance by Seelig says it all. A real life Big Brother news radio station (and not the George Orwell, more the Julie Chen-Moonves nightmare).
- Even the worst TV PBP is preferable to the ever worsening Bob Sargent-butt-kissing EgoPapa. Thankfully, the 2021-22 Levi's opener is a Sunday Night broadcast on NBC and its Bay Area KNTV 11 station. That means Mr. Miracles, Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth (who are calling SB LVI in Inglewood this coming February), and the ever consistent Mike Tirico. Michaels or Tirico with Collinsworth is a million miles better than Greg Papa.
- I keep thinking Audacity is getting as bad as the Cloud Clowns, but the latter still employs Lewd Lund.
- New weekday morning anchorwoman, a couple of weekend morning anchors, and might Bastida finally retire short of McElhatton's longevity record? Of course, everyone but Cook & Goodrich may all be vulnerable. Vern Glenn's backup is like a deer in headlights.
Isn't "Touchdown, (team that scored)" every announcer's call?
ReplyDeleteThanks for keeping us updated on DOD...I enjoy his broadcasts and it's so odd they haven't mentioned him being gone at all. Very very odd. Please post if you hear any updates.
ReplyDeleteMale version of VDLC. They should play the perfect couple going hiatus on KPIX.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the updates about DOD and Frank Somerville. For some long-time viewers, like me, anchors become something like family. It's only natural to want to know what's happened to them, and dare I say, care. And of course, they deserve their right to privacy. That said, I come to this blog often and check for updates. Thanks for staying on top of it, Rich.
ReplyDelete