Raiders-Papa split official, team confirms
The Raiders confirmed their split from longtime radio play-by-play announcer Greg Papa on Thursday in a brief statement from owner Mark Davis.
Davis’ statement did not include an explanation for the change or name Papa’s replacement. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday that Brent Musburger has agreed to become the team’s radio announcer starting this season.
“The Raiders organization would like to thank Greg Papa for his two decades of service to the Silver and Black,” Davis’ statement read. “He wasn’t just given the job. He earned it.
“With intense preparation Greg was always ready for the call. Just as my generation remembers Bill King and ‘Holy Toledo,’ the Raider Nation will remember Greg Papa and ‘Touchdown Raiders.’ We wish Greg and his family the best in whatever the future brings.”
Papa, a three-time California Sportscaster of the Year award winner, spent the past two decades paired with color analyst and former Raiders head coach Tom Flores on the team’s radio broadcasts. He was known for his signature touchdown call, detailed descriptions of game action and a willingness to be critical of poor play.
While the Raiders’ statement did not men-
tion Flores, the 81-year-old former coach said Wednesday he too had been informed the team will not bring him back this season.
“Things move on,” Flores said by phone. “Greg and I had 20 great years. That’s a long time for any two guys to work together. And I thought it was a pretty good mix. But unfortunately, it’s over.”
Flores said he had not spoken to Papa as of Wednesday afternoon. Papa, who also hosts a weekday show on 95.7 The Game, has been away this week but is expected back on the air Monday.
Flores posited that the changes in the team’s radio booth are part of preparations for the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas, scheduled for 2020. That reportedly includes Musburger, who since last year has headlined the Vegas Stats and Information Network, a radio network dedicated to sports gambling.
Musburger worked for 15 years at CBS, including as studio host for “NFL Today” and for ABC and ESPN, where he was a fixture on college football broadcasts.