GIANTS BROADCAST BRASS FUMES OVER LACK OF KNBR BUZZ
Historically, the Giants, most notably, Larry Baer, still its front man (although quietly) rely on their broadcast (radio) partner, KNBR to be a part of their PR blitz during the hot stove league, you know when it's winter time and baseball news is in the backdrop of football season.
No more.
In fact, KNBR has been all-out 49ers and that makes sense, right? After all, the SF 49ers are two wins away from the Super Bowl and the Niners are the talk of the local sports scene --national too. That may sit well with the 415, 510, 408 and 925 but it has the Giants' hierarchy FUMING! Like really and royally TICKED OFF!
I've learned the Giants' brass--again, namely Larry Baer, is quietly telling KNBR and Cumulus market honchos here their utter displeasure over their flagship station barely sniffing out the name, "G-i-a-n-t-s," let alone even benign mentions. This is not the booster club, mind you, but the team's front office and its main money men including its main front men and investors. And while it's been relatively contained, at least internally, the effect of KNBR cutting off the PR machine of its chief sports partner, has resulted in turmoil and friction over air time and PR nirvana drying up. The Giants really could care less about the 49ers' fortunes --in Larry Baer world, they never heard of the SF 49ers--it's 24/7 Giants and even a blip of anything else is off the radar.
The 49ers success wasn't considered in the 2019 blueprint by KNBR brass. The idea that the football team would hog the airwaves wasn't even a figure point in the sales office. In fact, just now the marketing people are scurrying to sell advertising should the Niners make it to Miami and Super Bowl Sunday. It's a financial goldmine if it occurs but that doesn't move the needle for the bosses at Willie Mays plaza. In the meantime, several egos have to be massaged.
The Giants still have their annual "Fan Fest " scheduled for the Saturday after the Super Bowl and KNBR will still probably go all out to place its various talk hosts en mass at the ballpark for whatever that's worth--mind you it hasn't been a very popular off-season for the baseball team and not just on the field, but off too.
Baer might be in a position of no-leverage, because, frankly, the Giants haven't competed in recent years and the 49ers are looking to take over the Bay Area in a region that is a BIG NFL market anyway.
That said, KNBR is in a pickle not of its own making nevertheless responsible for appeasing the ego of its historical cash cow, the SF Giants. As usual, meetings of utmost importance will commence at Knibber's will and ultimately, both sides will kiss and play nice. They have to. They both sort of need each other and have to get along. That's the rational thinking, right? Wrong.
The Giants big suits will remind the KNBR/Cumulus gang it is they that have the control and pay the bills and even a George Kittle TD run will never change that --unless there's a victory parade down Market Street and Kyle Shanahan and Jed York are kissing babies in the crowd come early February. Then what happens?
Oh, Nellie.
#415 Media Exclusive
#415 Media Extra
Maybe Larry can go yank them out of their chairs?
ReplyDeletePeople care more about football than baseball. That is a fact. I think football is a lot more entertaining than baseball and a lot more fun to talk about. The Giants must deal with it now that there are still football games going on.
ReplyDeletePeople care about winners. Both the Niners and Giants have had their phases of success and failure, on the field and in the area of ticket sales.
DeleteI personally care way more about baseball and can't wait for the season to start. Yes, the Niners have been fantastic this season and I do watch the games but I'm always amazed at how much air time is given to discuss ONE regular season game. Hours and hours and hours of every KNBR host dissecting every @#$& play is boring and repetitive, just my opinion. And having Papa and Lund talk about nothing else is even worse. Oh wait, they do mix it up with lots of booze and sex talk, so classy.
DeleteI've always been more of a baseball fan than football. Now that the Giants are rebuilding and the 49ers are tearing it up I find myself gravitating more towards the Niners. So yes, what that one person said above is correct...people care about winners. Look at all of the bandwagon Warriors fans wearing Warriors merchandise you saw come out of the woodwork the last 6 years. Same with after the Giants starting winning.
DeleteLove it.
ReplyDeleteThis makes us just pleased as punch.
Larry Baer why don't you go and punch some pansy KNBR host.
The more turmoil, the better.
Let's see Baer throw a temper tantrum at the Giants Fan Fest.
Sorry Larry but the Giants have been BORING for 3 years and will continue to be. They are still buried under bad contracts given to players past their primes and they have an analytics nerd running the show who continues to acquire no-name players that excite no one. I loved the title run but they have been unwatchable in recent years. It is just not an interesting product.
ReplyDeleteWell, so much for #BayAreaUnite.
ReplyDeleteKNBR is a minority owner of the Giants. But right now, they're getting treated as they should be. Take a back seat Gigantes. The 49ers are the big story right now.
ReplyDeleteFinally, KNBR is seeing the light. Well, the games are broadcast on that station, so it makes sense for them to pump them up and get the $$$ from ads. KNBR will never be an impartial sports station. They'll support whoever supports them.
KNBR still sucks. Oh yeah, Adios Pelota!
The Giants haven't done ANYTHING the past 3 seasons. And why??? Little or no talent. KNBR has talked up the Warriors the past 5 years and the 49ers this season, and why, they have big time talent, their entertaining to watch, and above all they WIN. when your losing nobody cares.
ReplyDeleteThe national shows (TV and Radio) will do anything to avoid talking about baseball - except when a player has found a creative way to hurt himself at home. Welcome to 2020, KNBR!
ReplyDeleteThe reason why baseball has become a regional sport where fans don't watch out of market games (like they do in football) is because most "fans" don't really care about baseball - they are only rooting because the laundry has "SF" on it, and only then if it's winning.
The Giants need to dump Lou Seal and bring back Crazy Crab.
ReplyDeleteNow, we have Crazy Larry. He has been known to get crabby at times.
DeleteI used to be a huge baseball fan. Not that much anymore except for the playoffs. The game has been has become too long and boring and baseball people still act like their sport is always the most exciting for everyone. Don't they see that the national sports talk show hosts rarely talk about baseball anymore? There is a reason for it. It is cause football and basketball are more popular now.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Lockstep should move to the Midwest or Bible Belt or even Texas, where pockets of regions have no life besides college football. Having no life outside of one franchise has never cut it in the Bay Area. Remove the inane Amy G, stop using her as a superstition excuse, and maybe the Knibber will play nicer.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the Giants will eventually win again, albeit under Farhan Zaidi's guidance, and NOT Lockstep's. While the Cumulus clowns continue to bleed money and KNBR continues to employ some of the worst sports talkers ever simultaneously alongside endlessly reckless advertising.
KNBR is right to air more 49ers news than Giants news. But the future will be bright again for the G-Men. So while the Knibber has short-term leverage, the Giants have long-term leverage. Good Luck to those in this Catch-22!
Who is the demoted flack Larry Baer?
ReplyDeletePart of the Giants problem is that they are rebuilding the team and KNBR is unlistenable. The only time I listen to KNBR and Giants games is when I am driving or working around the house. Otherwise, I watch games on NBC Sports Bay Area or at Oracale for a dozen selected games - NL West and other major market contending teams. đź–•Larry Baer
ReplyDeleteRich..... Giants stuff? In the most mundane off-season in recent history (the last 40 years).
ReplyDelete"and the 49ers are looking to take over the Bay Area in a region that is a BIG NFL market anyway." A "BIG" NFL market? Ummm.... ONLY when the team is doing well is it a big market.
Farhan let Pillar go, let Madbum go and hired a manager with (to Bay Area palates) a distasteful background. I am way more a baseball fan than a football fan and I don't want to talk about the Giants season yet.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's time for the Giants to buy their own station.
Hey Larry: Go "on assignment." Return after the Super Bowl.
ReplyDeleteHey tom tolbert gets to tell his overworn,tired stories about always wearing shorts year round and Arizona basketball which nobody cares about
ReplyDeleteTolbert is just mailing it in nowadays. Mostly childish jokes and beer. And betting! Bad beats! It's like he's 20 and still at Arizona with the flowing locks.
DeleteI will say this - the Giants might be more interesting as the hot mess that they'll be this year, than they've been since the Series years. When the biggest news of the offseason is the new bullpen - not pitchers, but the actual bullpen - ya got problems.
ReplyDeleteThe Giants haven't done jack in the offseason so why should anyone be talking about them? Baer should be happy because any discussion would be very anti-Giants right now.
ReplyDeleteInteresting note about Kapler. During his Red Sox days, there was a Boston Globe players poll which revealed...of the 25 players on the Red Sox, 24 were Republicans; Kapler was the one Democrat. (He's also Jewish, and proud of it)
ReplyDeleteI like this guy already!
As a Phillies fan, Kapler was just weird. His pitching moves were a mess from the get go. Fading 2 years in a row did him in. Not that we were stacked, but should have done better. He will be interesting in SF, that's for sure.
DeleteBlame Brian Sabean, he is so lucky to find several good players over the years like a needle in a haystack and now buried with bad contracts, the entire infield and including Catcher are ready to retire, the infield is ready to play bingo,order meals at the senior menu at Denny's, go to early matinee and play some shuffleboard. The Giants are irrelevant. It's January who gives a poop about baseball in January.
ReplyDeleteLarry screwed up EPICALLY, lost face, and had to cede power to a Billy-ball wonk who is playing Fantasy Baseball w/ real players, which has not played well... & the Niners are WINNING!... simplest benchmark of all... Howzabout Larry & his cadre of fools actually LOOK & ACT like they're trying to win something, instead of just bringing in a bunch of minor league scrubs who will be treated to a cup of coffee, & be off the roster in days... Results matter, frigtard...
ReplyDelete