IN A PERFECT WORLD, YES IT WOULD BE GREAT IF KNBR Talkers could talk about the Larry Baer deal, especially today's (Tuesday) MLB decision to suspend Baer over the infamous video showing Baer and his wife's domestic dustup earlier this month outside a city café. His wife Pam falls to the ground after Baer tries to rip a cell phone out of her hand.Back to KNBR and its yappers. When the suspension came down today, the station's morning show tried to chime in and comment. They sounded rubbish, as usual. What could they say, you ask? Nothing. Which would have been better than their lame-brain gibberish. Talk about saying a lot without saying anything at all. What a sham. What a disaster.
The "Gary (Radnich) and Larry (Krueger) Show" were no better as Radnich tried to defend Baer and it sounded particularly foolish and out of place. Gary doesn't know Baer that well personally and has no idea about his domestic life. Neither do I. But that's not the point here.
This is.
Baer and KNBR are almost interwoven in many different ways which is why KNBR should shut its mouth. Period. End of story. It's the mother of all conflicts of interest and no spin from KNBR will help matters because KNBR is not objective in any sense of the word.
JUST SHUT UP. Why?
KNBR (Cumulus) owns a small percentage of the Giants. Strike 1. Baer negotiates virtually ALL aspects of the Giants' current and past broadcast-rights deals. He single-handily has his fingerprints on its contents and language. He, Baer himself, can veto anything on the contract if it doesn't suit the team. Baer has a say on ALL broadcasters who are on the Giants' games including its pre and postgame shows. That's a lot of air time and Baer is the defacto Generalissimo on what goes on; who says what; who says anything at all. It's the Baer dictatorship essentially.
Which is why KNBR people talking about the Baer incident and its immediate aftermath can't be objective and actually, shouldn't be. The KNBR talkers can't really say anything and if they did, they risk the wrath of Baer and further sully their already kiss-ass relationship with him and the team's upper brass which is really 10 Baers masquerading as the team's front office.
The KNBR talk hosts should just announce a team statement and say "we can't talk about this because of a conflict of interest" and leave it alone. It's both the right thing to do and prevents any further mayhem. So please KNBR, shut up and be quiet. We don't need any more spin.
duh...of course they would defend a wife beater.
ReplyDeletePlease, let's put this in context. In NO WAY am I defending what he did or saying it's right. It's obviously wrong. But let's not equate it with someone who very clearly, deliberately, and directly beats their wife.
DeleteOr, if you had any experience in this sort of abuse, you'd know that an asshole who publicly knocks his wife to the ground is what?? more orless likely to beat the shit out of his wife at home, when no one is watching. Were you born yesterday?
DeleteAnd you'd be the first to bitch if KNBR didn't talk about it.
ReplyDeleteNo, Rich is correct. As a longtime reporter (radio and print), editor and publisher, KNBR should follow basic journalistic ethics and either just stick to the statement that it has a business relationship with KNBR or make sure listeners are aware of the KNBR-Giants relationship but PRIOR to discussing Mr. Baer. In fact, a brief statement should be stated after each commercial break to ensure listeners are aware of the conflict.
DeleteThe Morning Bro's playing Baer off as a victim this morning was sickening.
ReplyDeleteKNBR is literally the propaganda machine for the Giants, so it's fair to assume they won't be objective.
ReplyDeleteRich, aside from hating everyone: Radnich, KNBR, Giants, Larry Baer, what is your point.
ReplyDeleteYou keep insinuating some clandestine conspiracy. What is your point.
Inappropriate punishment. Baer has been nothing short of brilliant during his tenure. He and Magowan put together the ownership group that kept the SFG in SF, built a privately funded stadium - the envy of many MLB cities, oversaw development of surrounding stadium land into a model development, oversaw 3 WS victories, hired Zaidi therefore bringing the franchise into modernity ... all of this and you want to diss the guy because he overzealously tried to grab his cell phone from his wife?? Get a life Peeps!
ReplyDeleteThe morning crew and Gary completely left out the fact that the Giants are naming a new "control" person to represent the team with MLB. Baer will now report to Dean, the new guy tasked with forming a consensus and herding the 20-odd Giants owners. Maybe he'll also get Johnson to sell and go away ...
ReplyDeleteIn the real world, Smurph and Pauli would never hang out. Hilarious duo
ReplyDeleteInteresting.....So Why was Larry trying to take the phone away from his wife? Was there something he didn't want her to see?
ReplyDeleteBased on journalistic ethics, which also covers sports reporters and talkers, or they should, KNBR hosts should have done exactly as you said. Read the statement and say they would withhold comment because of the station's business relationship with the Giants. Or, preface the commentary with the notation of said relationship. It's the ethical thing to do. I say this as a longtime journalist, editor and publisher and dues-paying member of The Society of Professional Journalists, which has a code of ethics.
ReplyDeleteI seriously doubt that that Larry Baer beats the shit out of his wife. He fucked up, no doubt about it, but I agree with Gary, this is was his first incident. Let he and his wife and family work through this. Larry is a smart man, I think he'll come through this ok.
ReplyDeleteI am once again reminded of why I don't listen to KNBR.... thanks guys.
ReplyDeleteBaseball announcers are employees of the team. They are accountable to the team, not the outlets on which they appear. Those appearances are governed by the contracts between the outlets and the team. These contracts specify which announcers will be used, how they will be used, and when they will be used.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a VERY long time since the announcers were independent of the tean,
Go A's!
ReplyDeleteIt is quite embarassing when KNBR hosts discuss topics that are out of their league. They can't help but to fall all over themselves.
ReplyDeleteTrying to make a point on a subject they know absolutely nothing about. Totally lost in the dark.
Especially embarrassing is to listen to Gary Radnich discuss social issues.
Gary do everyone a favor and talk about Housewives of the NBA instead.
Rich, your comments are lucid and coherent (well, almost), and I happen to agree with you. Your expectations of basic professional respect for conflict of interest at KNBR are quaint, especially related to the Giants. After Giants mgmt complained, a host with the initials MI was fired from radio for slamming a Giants trade on TV. The TV GM retaliated, cancelling $250k in ads on KNBR, and one of my great memories was watching Tony Salvadore grovel to Kevin O'Brien, pleading, "let me out of the penalty box?". O'Brien flatly said, "No".
ReplyDelete