49ers call audible, change play-by-play voice to local legend
SANTA CLARA — Greg Papa was ousted as the Oakland Raiders legendary emcee prior to this past season, and he promptly switched Bay Area allegiances by serving as the preand post-game host of San Francisco 49ers games this past season on NBC Sports Bay Area.
“Being in the Bay Area all these years and watching what the 49ers have done, this is a tremendous day for me and I’m honored and thrilled to continue the great history of all the broadcasters they’ve had,” Papa said in an exclusive phone interview with this news organization.
Papa previously served as the voice of the Golden State Warriors (TV & radio, 1986-97), San Francisco Giants (TV & radio, 2004-08), Oakland A’s (TV, 1990-2003) and Raiders (radio, 1997-2017). He’s also hosted NBC Sports Bay’s Giants and Warriors preand-post-game coverage, and he hosts The Greg Papa Show with Bonta Hill on weekday afternoons on 95.7 FM The Game.
Papa’s signature line at his past playby-play job will need to change, for it was: “Touchdowwwwn, Rrrrraiiiiiiderrrs!” The 49ers, by the way, scored just 35 touchdowns while going 4-12 this season, instead producing 33 field goals with the league’s worstranked red-zone efficiency (“Field goaaaaal, Ninerrrrrs!”)
“The addition of Greg Papa to our broadcast team as the Voice of the 49ers adds to the great legacy of 49ers broadcasters who have previously held that moniker — Bob Fouts, Lon Simmons, Joe Starkey, Don Klein and Ted,” 49ers president Al Guido said in a statement. “Bay Area sports fans have been treated to his legendary calls of their teams for more than three decades.”
Added Papa: “I’m just thrilled. I’m honored. This is one of the premier franchises not just in the NFL but all of American sports,”
The Raiders replaced him this past season with Brent Musburger.
Tim Ryan will continue to serve as the 49ers’ radio analyst, to which Papa said: “That’s a big reason why the job is so attractive to me. Tim Ryan has taught me so much about football, from listening to him on Sirius radio, to when he was working games on Fox and I’d go back and listen to his broadcast for his football knowledge. He’s superb.”