He's everywhere. Peripatetic? You bet. Busy? What, are you kidding me? On the go? Please, like you didn't notice? I suspect the man would give the Energizer bunny a run for his money.
To merely say Don Knapp is a TV reporter would be like describing the Mona Lisa as just another painting.
Knapp is good. Hold that. He's great. In an environment that is, well, un-Knapp-like, he's survived the current cutesy culture that's a haven for local TV news not just in the Bay Area but beyond. We know the story. So does Knapp. Like it's his middle name. Get that 49ers jersey and put "STORY" on the back above the number and put it in his mailbox.
Knapp is tenacious without being obnoxious; aggressive and hard-core-- get the story and facts and get it right, for the most part. He's also old-fashioned dogged and determined--how much so? I ran into Knapp on the Embarcadero a few months back and noticed he was carrying a notepad in his pocket. The old newspaper notepad and it was littered with a ton of notes--notes everywhere. I began laughing: "Don, what the hell is that?" I mean, it's not everyday you see a slick TV guy with an old notebook that would make Lou Grant proud.
I know, wait...you smell the irony too?
Yeah, Knapp is an old-school correspondent who doesn't have blond hair, big boobs and red lipstick. Knapp can get away with it because he's, well, Don Knapp. A good word is survived. And truth be told we're damn well lucky he's still out in the field hunting down the next story, the next interview with all the dexterity of a young thoroughbred. That's not just good for Knapp, but indeed the entire Bay Area TV news audience.
Here's to a pro. And a nice guy too.
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