Showing posts with label NBC Sports Bay Area. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBC Sports Bay Area. Show all posts

Monday, October 21, 2019

Warriors 'Outsiders' on NBC Sports Bay Area: Time To Call Napa State Hospital


Image result for NBC Sports Bay Area Outsiders Warriors


I'M A CHARITABLE GUY; I ROOT FOR THE UNDERDOG. I love those rags-to-riches stories and I openly applaud creative thought and new things. Settling for the old guard and abandoning the idea of trying revolutionary content is against my religion.

That said and all, I recently watched, (more like, invested) a good chunk of time and effort (effort, because I knew in my heart that I would seriously hate, despise, severely loathe, use whatever phrase you like) this show, this adventure, called "Warriors Outsiders" on NBC Sports Bay Area.

I tried, seriously, please, give me credit for actually wanting to watch this tripe I had contempt for to begin with (without, yes, not even seeing it but I have tremendous intuition in projects like this) --somehow, someway, I would be wrong and that :Outsiders (Drew Shiller and Grant Liffmann, co-conspirators, pictured) would be plausibly awful and just slightly terrible) but I was wrong. How dare I even think that this hilariously bad video tofu would be merely uber-suckitis when it was so bad it was bad. I mean, bad, dude.

This is the Bay Area. We, theoretically at least, are supposed to have taste and possess strong virtue be it sports, culture, or news. Even in these bloated marginalized times you would think a bigtime player like NBC and its cable sports partners would be able to submit at least half-wit content and cable shit even if that content (filler programming, really) happens to be subsidized by a formidable partner like the Golden State Warriors who I guess gave the OK to this unmitigated bullshit because, well, it's their party and they'll cry if they want to. When you yourself get bloated and big like the Warriors are, then you allow 'Outsiders' and just hope they spread the brand and nobody gets hurt or offended.

There is plenty to offend if you watch Outsiders which if you do after a mere sniff, you need and deserve severe mental help and therapy immediately. A red button that connects Napa State hospital should be set up right away on your couch and your relatives should be informed of your sickness and deprivation. You are not allowed to walk the streets without a medical doctor monitoring your activity if you make it a point to observe Outsiders, so perilous and fragile is your mental state and capacity.

I could imagine if I was back at my high school watching Professor Kepler teaching all of us would- be television stars, future Rupert Pupkins, Boise sports anchors, Reggie Aqui, and the like, about projects. The 'Outsiders" remind me of this. The Outsiders look like a bad SNL skit performed by some after-work PTA parents' glee club in Plano, Texas.

The hosts here are supposed to look hip and gritty; have that wayward, non-garden-variety appearance of 'cool dudes' who thwart authority and get the inside dope, aka: Outsiders. Get it? NBC Sports Bay Area thought it would be really, radical, dude, that these two carcasses would hold us for multiple minutes. They'd be funny and interesting, slightly off base and entertaining. Sure, if you like making love to an aardvark.

Only Mr. Shiller, Killer, Miller, whatever his name and Liffman, Kiffmann, whatever, are not interesting. Nor gritty. Outsiders, Insiders, they are not worthy. And for guys looking like they're supposedly cool, in reality, they look like a couple of bartenders at a South of Market after-hour club, decidedly un-hip and ungodly boring and destitute.  In practical life, real assholes that score the drunk yuppie blond only when she regained her sobriety, told the dual assholes to take a hike and called her girlfriend to pick her up.

Yes, I'm hard on Outsiders. It isn't the fault of the double dudes NBC Sports BA put out an on-line ad for their project and decided on these two because the Fremont YMCA managers (Skip Doofus and Shep Budle) were not equipped after the first tryout. You would think Outsiders possess more street cred and viability but no sir.

Look, obviously I haven't gone into the details of what Outsiders is/was/willing to be. Why waste your time. It's a program devoid of specifics and only something, maybe, the booster club would like but I'd like to think the Warriors' fans have more taste and are more critical thinkers but I could be wrong here. Maybe I'm being hard, it happens from time to time.

Outsiders has a good ring to it and could possibly be a quarter educational. Drew and Grant could go to the bar at Chase Center with a fifty and see if they could buy two beers and have change left. Instead they volley for Draymond Green's sneakers and think it's positively hilarious --not exactly the drill but you get my drift.

Excuse me as it's time to circumvent life and detoxify myself from having committed any more thought or time to Outsiders. I need something stiff and strong, please help my cause.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

415 Media Exclusive: Ahmed Fareed Leaving NBC Sports Bay Area for NBCSN in Connecticut

Related image
Ahmed Fareed
  FAREED LEAVING NBCSBA for NBCSN in Connecticut  --415 MEDIA EXCLU

I'm hearing from a good source tonight (Thursday) that veteran NBC Sports Bay Area anchor, Ahmed Fareed, is leaving the Bay Area sports cable behemoth and headed for NBC Sports Network / Connecticut.

There's no official word on why but the Greg Papa effect might be one reason as Papa is in virtual control on all three of its primary sports affiliates --49ers, Giants and Warriors pre and post game host --that's a lot of time allotted for Papa and some of the little people might be a little ticked off.

The official explanation will be the usual corporate spin but that's why you come here.

I was never a fan of Mr. Fareed but then again I'm no fan of a lot of people. The world will still survive.

Friday, August 31, 2018

Baer Fumes Over Excess 'On -Assignment' Giants' Broadcasters; Closed-Door Meeting; Cincy Event Was Boiling Point; 415 Media Exclu

Related image
Larry Baer
THERE IS NO JOY IN GIANTSVILLE ON THE FIELD; Now, according to a source I spoke to, there is no joy either when it comes to the team's broadcast set-up and the big boss has had enough of the shenanigans …

415 Media has learned Giants' President and CEO, Larry Baer, recently had a closed-door meeting with team officials over the many, lengthy, broadcasters non-Giants activity, commonly referred to as "on-assignment" duty.

The meeting last week saw Baer fuming and angry to the point of him (Baer) having to call off the sit-down and retreat back to a conference room to personally vent. The meeting consisted of at least two, high-up, team employees who were not named but heard the brunt of Baer's frustration.

Keep in mind, it was Baer himself that signed off to the schedule before the season knowing the arrangement but apparently was still angry over the current trend of repeated off time for the bulk of the season, especially late in the '18 campaign.

Baer's temper hit the boiling point in mid August; immediately after the LA Dodgers' series, the Giants took to the road in Cincinnati where three of the regular broadcasters; Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, and Mike Krukow were absent both on TV and radio. Adding insult, Miller not only missed the entire Reds series but the first game in NY too (against the Mets) --Furthermore, Miller was already in NY the prior Thursday and had dinner that night (with his wife) with a friend, Herb Cohen.

Image result for sf giants broadcasters
Left to Right: Dave Flemming, Jon Miller, Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper
Flemming took a sabbatical to broadcast Little League World Series for ESPN; Krukow doesn't cover any games east of Colorado (due to an ongoing medical issue) but the broadcasts on TV still looked and sounded rather empty. At least Baer seemed to think so.

The Cincy broadcasts were left to Kuiper, ex-Miami Marlins broadcaster, Rich Waltz, and Javier Lopez.  Not helping matters, the Giants were swept by the last-place Reds and the entire series amounted to a perfect metaphor for the 2018 season. Whatever the case, Baer was unhappy.

And still is today.

All current broadcasters are under contract for the 2019 season.

Baer's anger might be muted when the season comes to an end but don't be shocked if someone off the current roster were to retire or take a permanent break.


Saturday, August 18, 2018

Greg Papa's New 49ers' Gig at NBC Sports Bay Area Spells Probable Doom for Dave Feldman; 'Feels Blindsided' by Pop Power Play

Image result for Greg Papa NBC Sports Bay Area
Greg Papa
CALL IT A COLD AND CALCULATED POWER PLAY 

News that Greg Papa will be the pre and post-game host for 49ers broadcasts on NBC Sports Bay Area will have a ripple effect on the sports cable outlet.

It more than likely spells doom for now, ex Niners' host, Dave Feldman, who my spies tell me is fuming over the Papa announcement.

These two big shots have a history and it's not very warm and fuzzy.

In fact, I've learned Feldman feels blindsided by the move and that he was undermined by Papa's behind-the-scenes negotiations to land the 49ers' gig.

Feldman, who is doing some Giants' pre and post game work is more than likely going to pursue other interests, maybe back east where he has worked for several outlets.


Image result for dave feldman nbc sports bay area
Dave Feldman
A couple of things to note: Papa is coming off 20-plus years as Raiders radio play-by-play broadcaster. His new gig as a 49ers cable host should be seamless but how will the Faithfull receive a multi-decade Silver and Black announcer? NBC obviously thinks the transition will be just fine.

Don't forget Papa's daily radio show on 'The Game' (95.7 FM) --which happens to air Raiders' games and is primed for Raiders talk. Again, which potentially creates a most awkward situation given Papa's new Niners' affiliation.

Maybe Feldman might have to call his buddy, Jim Harbaugh, for some guidance.

We'll wait and see.