Sunday, August 15, 2021

Update: Dennis O'Donnell is Apparently "On Vacation" Only PIX Buddies Were Still Worried

The status of KPIX sports anchor, Dennis O'Donnell, is no longer a concern to station officials. Various contacts at the CBS O and O have told me O'Donnell "is safe" and simply took an "extended vacation."

O'Donnell missed last night's 49ers-KC Chiefs Exhibition opener at Levi's Stadium. It was his first absence of that event, an annual game that KPIX has exclusive rights to in the Bay Area and that features O'Donnell's work on both the sidelines and pre and post-game.

A station official at the Embarcadero studios at 855 Battery had no comment when asked about O'Donnell's vacation status and his absence on the 49ers' telecast.

So for now, O'Donnell is officially "on vacation" although several of his collegues at PIX were worried about his whereabouts.

Sound confusing? It is.

12 comments:

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  2. Peter Felch at KCBSAugust 15, 2021 at 5:41 PM

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  3. I hope that his absence is not a health issue. Other than that, who cares?

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  4. Mmmmm on vacation? Really? Sounds like a mystery. We know its preseason but why take a vacation now when the 1st NFL preseason game on local KPIX was Chiefs vs 49ers...

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  5. A vacation? During the summer? *SHOCKER*

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  6. I’ve been ranting about O’Donnells slurred speech and mispronounced names for a long time. Hoping that he he’s not ill, but it was beyond time for him to go away. Here’s hoping that his “vacation” is permanent! Happy trails DOD.

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    1. Nice humanity.
      He's likely suffering from Alzheimer's and or Dementia

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  7. An extended vacation???? No one knew???? I call BS!!! Extended time off, has to be authorized!!!!

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  8. DOD's absence after slurred speech issues is somewhat similar to Frank Sommerville's absence from KTVU in early summer. The difference is that KTVU announced FS was on medical leave, whereas KPIX is silent on DOD's situation. So the DOD question about medical leave versus extended vacation continues to remain unanswered. I hope DOD resolves the slurred speech issue, & returns to KPIX-5 soon!

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  9. It's been very apparent for quite some time now that Dennis O'Donnell has been slurring his speech & tripping over his words during his sports segments, which is indicative of a neurological disorder. Also, it is well-known that Alzheimer's struck down a member of his immediate family and he has been a vocal advocate for Alzheimer's research & funding.

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  10. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2021 at 10:00 AM - Alzheimer's is a MF, it's very often inherited and I know at least one of his parents were unfortunately struck down. Dennis was very vocal & supportive for years the cause and now it unfortunately looks like he may be also be suffering from the terrible condition.

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