Urban CSNBA ouster; 'Money, personality, and other reasons'; Inside story and Analysis

I've talked to a lot of local industry people on the Mychael Urban firing.

Many told me there was probably not one single factor into why he was let go. Most were adamant that money was a factor--personality too, among the "other things." ("The 'Insiders' have egos too--maybe Mychael rubbed someone the wrong way--even someone in management," said one wag).

Other factors:

*Comcast is a very tight-knit, corporate cable power, (that's corporate with a capital "C"); and conservative too. Like most companies today, even those with a boatload of cash and plenty of pronounced assets, even they, (Comcast, based in Philly) have bottom lines.

*Although Urban was modestly compensated, (about $75K annually), even that amount comes under heady-duty scrutiny; nothing new in today's fiscally-bottom line world, but 75 grand for a rather innocuous, non, move-the-needle guy like Urban is, maybe, too much. Don't laugh, you can buy a lot of HD monitors for 75 grand.

*Urban's close relationship with Barry Zito, (recently diluted, according to Urban), was still considered a black mark to some at Comcast, (according to one source who, like all, did not want to talk on the record). And not just Zito, but other players, not just Giants' players but A's too. It's useful and quite helpful to build a professional relationship with ballplayers, but at what cost? It was, I'm sure, a tad unsettling for some of the upper brass at Comcast, (perhaps even Knibber too) that Urban was so close to Zito and other players.  That dilution with Zito may have come too late.

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Flash: Urban out at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area; RL 415 Media Exclusive; UPDATE

Mychael Urban is out as a Giants and MLB Insider at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, according to a source familiar with the cable outlet.

Urban, a past writer for MLB and a contributor to KNBR, had been with Comcast since 2010.

No official word on why Urban has been let go, but we'll be on it.

UPDATE: Initial word from a source: Urban may be invited back to Comcast in a future date in some, as yet, undesignated capacity. His contract was simply "not renewed."

Again, we will check for specifics.

UPDATE 2: Source: They, (Comcast), had "personality/content", differences with him, (Urban). Maybe too much "Inside Zito?", (among other things). Maybe, we're still checking. Stay tuned.

Here's the official statement from Comcast:"Mychael Urban is no longer employed with Comcast SportsNet. We appreciate his contributions over the last few years and we wish him well.”

How poignant.




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