Breaking: Bob Papa Will Be Your New NFL-N Play-By-Play Man
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Well at least according to Neil Best he will be. The Newsday writer has confirmed with a few sources close to the hiring process that Papa is the choice....
I don't know when the network is announcing this, but three people familiar with the situation said Wednesday that Papa would be the choice.Not a bad choice in the least, and it's good that they finally have someone to get ready for the season (just over one month to go!). Hopefully Cris Collinsworth will accept the choice though because we know how much of a bear he can be on PBPers he doesn't get along with (see: Joe Buck).
Other candidates are believed to have included Spero Dedes - like Papa a Fordham alum - and Tom Hammond, who was the presumed leading contender when Bryant first departed.
Papa, the Giants' radio play-by-play man, received national attention during the team's Super Bowl XLII run. He is a veteran broadcaster who has done extensive work outside New York, but having his calls replayed over playoff highlights introduced him to a wider audience. He also calls boxing for HBO.
NFL Network to hire Bob Papa for its play-by-play gig (Newsday)
So What's Going On With That Vacant PBP Spot Over At The NFL-N? (Awful Announcing)
13 Comments:
Papa is a great choice. He is a great no nonsense no schtick guy. He really knows his stuff too.
Greg Papa > Bob Papa
Bob Papa is awesome. Fantastic announcer, knows his stuff, no BS.
I agree, it's a great choice. He is really really solid, and anyone with a long radio resume is bound to be a good TV play-by-play guy in terms of calling the action correctly.
I am a Giants fan, so perhaps I like him a little more than the average fan, but I rarely listen to them on the radio, being that I live in Ohio. But he is a solid announcer and he should easily be able to transition to the TV booth and put aside the only moderate amount of homerism he shows during Giants games.
Oh, BTW, he will still be announcing Giants games on Sundays, right??
I hope to God Teddy Atlas joins hum.
"See Bob, the thing about PacMan Jones, and to me, that is his name no matta what he sez, is that he can't take a punch well at all and will be susseptibal to gettin hit by the short quick job, LIKE THAT, watch that RIGHT THEA..."
New meat is always better than retreads in my opinion.
I think Bob Papa is a good choice for the NFLN job because of 2 reasons in my opinion. 1- He knows the game of football and the NFL unlike Byant Gumble who was so clueless he prblably couldn't do a pop warmner game. 2- He is a young guy that the network can build with.
Good choice. Bob Papa is a good announcer. I had a feeling they would give it to him as soon as Gumbel quit.
What was the issue between Buck and Collinsworth?
From an anonymous Jets Fan,
I've been working a job on Sundays with AM radio access the past 3 NFL seasons. The Jets' radio play by play announcer is Bob Wischusen. The Giants' play by play announcer is Bob Papa.
Wischusen sucks, he is really irritating to follow on radio. Papa is superior. Good Job by Bob. His play-by-play of "18-1" this past February was accurate and not super-dramatic. Good move NFL.
Bob Papa is a good announcer except that he makes every 3 yard run on 2nd and 6 to be the MOST IMPORTANT PLAY EVER.
He has to tone down the screaming. Although,I only hear him do Giant games and he's a pretty huge homer. Maybe he'll tone it down when he isn't rooting.
I am not Bob Papa bashing but I do prefer Tom Hammond. But Bob Papa is WAYYYY better than Bryant Gumbel who was way out of his league and was absolutely awful for NFL Network previously.
I live on the west coast and I get to hear Greg Papa, most likely not related but Greg is outstanding.
Why!?!?!?