NFLN chooses Bob Papa - 6/25/08

[dcfanatic]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/06/25/nfln-hires-papa-for-regular-season-games/

NFLN HIRES PAPA FOR REGULAR-SEASON GAMES

Posted by Mike Florio on June 25, 2008, 3:30 p.m. EDT

Neil Best of Newsday reports that NFL Network has hired Giants play-by-play announcer Bob Papa to handle the call for the eight regular-season games to be aired on the league-owned network.

Papa replaces Bryant Gumbel, who was a half-click below dreadful during two seasons on the job. Papa presumably will work with holdover Cris Collinsworth.

We’d previously reported that NFLN had offered the job to Al Michaels of NBC, but that Michaels turned it down.

Other finalists were Tom Hammond and Spero Dedes.

Papa also co-hosts The Opening Drive on Sirius NFL Radio with Randy Cross and Peter King, and Papa handles boxing for HBO.
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Anything was better than Gumbel!

 

[Disturbed]

Great. Gumble was so monotone he was hard to listen to during games.

I hope the new guy is not too much of a Giants homer or Cowboy hater.

 

[theebs]

UUGH.

so the last home game ever at the stadium will be called by a big time cowboy basher in Pappa.

UUGGGH. He stinks.

Is this really the best they could do?

 

[dcfanatic]

UUGH.

so the last home game ever at the stadium will be called by a big time cowboy basher in Pappa.

UUGGGH. He stinks.

Is this really the best they could do?

It's going to be ok Theebs.

The last game at Texas Stadum will be the NFC Championship game and our boy Troy will be in the booth.

Then we smash the Chargers in Super Bowl XLIII!

 

[dcfanatic]

UUGH.

so the last home game ever at the stadium will be called by a big time cowboy basher in Pappa.

UUGGGH. He stinks.

Is this really the best they could do?

Yeah, he is a big time Giants homer.

He's an interview he did about Strahan...

http://www.mediafly.com/MediaPlayer...0&c=0&id=4e51563f-dc95-4945-9103-443157fc898b

 

[VACowboy]

Papa is a dillweed. He doesn't try to hide his hatred of the Cowboys. He and Carl Banks are a matched pair.

 

[Disturbed]

Papa is a dillweed. He doesn't try to hide his hatred of the Cowboys. He and Carl Banks are a matched pair.

Well this is a fine how do you do...I was thinking the game calling would be far more interesting this year, but in a good way. Doesn't the NFL network realize they need professional (not slanted) game commentators to help ratings and image?

 

[VACowboy]

Well this is a fine how do you do...I was thinking the game calling would be far more interesting this year, but in a good way. Doesn't the NFL network realize they need professional (not slanted) game commentators to help ratings and image?

Maybe Papa will be good. Mebbe he'll be as objective as Troy and Moose. Who knows? All we can do is hope.

 

[Bungarian]

Papa hates the Cowboys and really hates Cowboy fans. He called them the worst fans in sports.

He also is a huge Giants homer.

Having said that when he is not hating on the Cowboys he is pretty good.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I bet he at least knows that Rick Romo doesn't play for the Packers.

 

[CoCo]

Papa hates the Cowboys and really hates Cowboy fans. He called them the worst fans in sports.

He also is a huge Giants homer.

Having said that when he is not hating on the Cowboys he is pretty good.

Just think of how it will grate on him to have to announce games where the Cowboys win. :laugh2:

If you expect homerism from him it isn't so annoying IMO.

 

[dcfanatic]

I bet he at least knows that Rick Romo doesn't play for the Packers.

Who's Rick Romo? LOL. Gumbel was the worst!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXEvticm15c

 

[theebs]

Yeah, he is a big time Giants homer.

He's an interview he did about Strahan...

http://www.mediafly.com/MediaPlayer...0&c=0&id=4e51563f-dc95-4945-9103-443157fc898b

I know exactly who and what he is. He is an arrogant poor loser. Just like the giants players when they lose its never cause the other team is better its because the giants blew it....etc.

I used to watch him years ago hosting a roundtable show on msg when I was home.

He hates the cowboys. He takes shots at them repeatedly. He loathes Jerry Jones. He hates cowboys fans with a passion. He only talks about the negatives in Dallas.

That is who he is.

I shouldnt really complain. I listen to brad, babe and kristie anyway but I do watch the game back with the tv guys as well.

I just cant stand him. The fact that the giants won the super bowl and won a playoff game in Dallas will make him twice as bad. If he is calling a game we are losing, watch out. It will be a rip Jerry and the cowboys a new one day. And places like this message board will freak out. Then when he goes on the air with his sirius show he will continue that and take all kinds of shots at the cowboys, Jerry and the fans.

On the flip side it will be fun if he has to call our games when we are winning. Just like when theismann and mike patrick had to.

Oh well. The only redeeming quality is that he does know the game. He is not completely lost like gumbel. Unfortunately he will never get past his agenda when calling our games. I guess I wont mind when he is calling other teams, cause as I said he does know the game.

 

[Rampage]

he's pretty good. he shows a lot of emotion on big plays unlike sham. atleast it's not the colts play by play guy who is the worst in the business.

 

[theebs]

he's pretty good. he shows a lot of emotion on big plays unlike sham. atleast it's not the colts play by play guy who is the worst in the business.

He is not in the same stratosphere as Brad Sham. Maybe someday but for right now sham is the premiere play by play voice in the nfl.

 

[Shady12]

Sham is my favorite play-by-play guy in sports, radio or TV. If they were going to pluck a radio guy, he woulda been awesome.

 

[Rampage]

He is not in the same stratosphere as Brad Sham. Maybe someday but for right now sham is the premiere play by play voice in the nfl.

he's smart and knows what he's talking about but he shows little emotion. he's very boring.

 

[theebs]

he's smart and knows what he's talking about but he shows little emotion. he's very boring.

well its an opinion so all I can say is I disagree, by a lot!!!!

 

[percyhoward]

"shot clock"

"pivot foot"

Two Gumble classics I remember most from NFLN.

 

[theogt]

Papa is actually pretty balanced and fair in his comments. Good insight and doesn't get caught up in the silly side issues of the game (i.e., Jessica Simpson).

I agree with Rampage, he will have to show a little more emotion in the games.