“Greg Papa’s Frank Response on Why He’s no Longer The Oakland Raiders Radio Announcer”

On his show on 95.7 The Game, Greg Papa answered any and all questions about his departure from the Raiders. It was definitely must listen to radio.

Marc Badain the President of the Oakland Raiders texted Greg Papa on July 2^nd stating that they had to meet in person.   Papa met Mark on July 5^th and at lunch Mark said they were not going to bring Papa back. Greg wondered why now and Badain said he bought Greg a few years by defending him. I’m thinking this firing in late July is a big bite me to Greg. It’s near impossible for him to get a gig doing NFL games so late in the year other than a few here and there.

https://957thegame.radio.com/articles/greg-papa-tells-story-his-departure-oakland-raiders

“On January of 2014 I heard the Raiders were going to interview Mike Shanahan for head coach. The interview didn’t go great so I didn’t think it would happen, but I said it was beyond my comprehension that Mike Shanahan could be interviewed because Al loathed him. Rod Woodsen and Bill Romanowski were campaigning for Shanahan to be the head coach and I couldn’t believe it”.

In his first meeting with Badain when he was first hired, Badain said that Greg had to patch things up with Mark Davis. Greg stated that he called Mark Davis early the next morning. He said the call did not go well after he said he would not apologize to Mark for his comments about Mike Shanahan. Davis hung up on him. Papa has admitted that he warned the Raiders that he would quit if Shanahan was hired and that put Mark over the edge. He said that he felt like he was public enemy number one after that and was taken off some of the things that Al had always wanted him to do.  He saw Davis once and said hi to him and Davis ignored him and just walked on by.

Papa Calls Out Blogger’s/Podcaster’s With the Wrong Information:

Greg said the misinformation that was written about by bloggers was comically wrong. “I’m not much into social media but boy, some of the crazy stories were so wrong”. He stated that he never was asked to go to Las Vegas and he never said that he would not go. In fact he admitted that he would have gone and that flying to Vegas for the weekend and doing a game was no big deal to him.

Why Greg Is So Loyal To Al Davis:

Al was loyal to the end.   Former Raider executive John Herrera probably said it best in a 2012 interview with SFGATE. “Al was so demanding. He would sometimes call you at 1 am just to see if you were on the ball and if you did what he asked you to do. There were no cell phones back in the day so we had to be around our home phones when we weren’t at work. Once he trusted you and knew you’d do a good job though, you had a friend for life.   He helped people financially, personally and if you didn’t need help he made sure you got tickets when you wanted them”. These stories are still refreshing in a day and age when few can do something nice without posting a video of it on social media.

That’s the relationship Greg Papa had with Al Davis. Unlike the great Bill King, Al became close to Greg. Greg was the new guard in announcers. Fans started to change and most wanted their announcers to be more “homers” than objective and Greg fit right into that mold. He would criticize at times, but rarely was he super negative about the Raiders where Bill King at times would be brutally honest if they played poorly. Greg became very close to Al who appreciated his loyalty and some publications have stated that Greg was a possible front office hire for the Raiders in the future.   “Al was like a second father to me,” Papa said. Many in the media said Greg was the semi mouthpiece of Al when Mr. Davis became very ill.

It must have been hard for Mark Davis to watch his father be so close to some people. The stories about how Al treated Mark at times are uncomfortable to listen to. Let’s face it; if Al thought a lot about his son he would have been in an important job in some capacity. Instead the only job Mark Davis has really ever had in his life is some minor PR jobs for the Raiders.

Who Is In the Wrong:

Probably no one. I don’t think that Mark Davis is a bad guy but he had pretty much little to no work history and now he owns an NFL team.   To be fair, running a business is really difficult even with a lot of experience. Mark Davis wanted respect and loyalty from Papa and let’s face it; Papa doesn’t respect him.

I get what Greg is saying. I love my dad and I’m loyal to the nines. In fact in my first 2 years in business, 2 businesses my father despised wanted to work with us and I declined.   Let’s be real; Mark and Al Davis probably weren’t Ward Cleaver and the Beaver, and Mark’s actions prove it. Like I always say, actions show a man’s heart, and their words are the B.S. to cover over those actions.

I greatly respect Greg Papa and I understand. You remember being down or just starting out and someone takes a chance on you and you make it and it’s something you never forget. In today’s world that type of loyalty means little to nothing to some people. People only look to see if that person can help them or not.  To Papa it meant everything.

Greg also see’s one of the greatest minds in pro football history pass away and his new boss is his son who never had much to do with the team and has little or no job history in 6 decades of life. I’m sure underneath Greg wasn’t too happy, or impressed.

I feel bad for Mark in a way.  I can also see Mark’s side and it must have been hard to watch Greg get so close to his father. I don’t blame Mark Davis for wanting to be his own man but I think there are a lot more motives to all these changes than that.

Jim’s Jam’s:

Greg Papa has now gone the way of Hue Jackson, Amy Trask and John Herrera. The changing of the Al Davis guard is pretty complete. The 300-pound gorilla in the room that no one wants to talk about is the complicated relationship between Mark Davis and his father. He wants to literally start over in Las Vegas while pushing the reset button.   Davis needs to realize in the NFL world he has to earn his way and earn respect. With popular Greg Papa, he obviously didn’t.

Mark Davis is trying to find himself as a person and as an owner.   Today’s cynical and shallow age is a hard place to do it in especially if you are in your 60’s. And what I found out is that a radio announcer would lose a job he loves beyond measure for the loyalty of a man, and the very person who is firing him for his loyalty is the son of that man. This is a lot deeper than anyone wants to admit.

“Raiders Stadium Sites Update; Video: How to Morph Levi’s & A Future NFL Stadium”

Laney College Site For Oakland Raiders Stadium

Where Are They Now In the Process:

Has their ever been a fan base that has gone through more stress than Oakland Fans?  All those years of loyalty and now the Warriors are going.  Are the Raiders staying; are the A’s staying; no fan base is more beat up.  I hope for their sake that things get worked out for the A’s and Raiders.  Oakland is a special place and they deserve much more than they are getting.

Fans and writers now get it.  It would be nice if Mark Davis would now hire Carmen Policy and Disney CEO Bob Iger to help with a stadium in Oakland but don’t count on it.  He’s going to do nothing and make the City of Oakland figure it out.  If he put the same amount of effort, time and money into Oakland that he did into Carson then this could be worked out much faster, but it is what it is.  In his defense the City of Oakland has had 2 bad mayors before Libby Schaaf and that didn’t help either but his words and his actions have never been the same.

The reality is it’s up to the City of Oakland and Mayor Schaaf to get this done.  Remember in the back of your mind, even though the Raiders are important, the A’s make more money for the city.

What is The City Of Oakland’s Present Strategy:

I think many writers and fans are not getting what needs to happen.  Every one is trying to find a new place for a Raiders stadium but in reality if EITHER the A’s or the Raiders move, then both teams stay in Oakland because the O.co is now free.  The strategy for Oakland is to move the A’s soon because they will be easier to move.  The A’s want a 34-39,000 seat stadium.  Here is a rendition of the Cisco Stadium plan that eventually was knocked down.  It would have been a 35,000 seat stadium in Fremont, CA.

Cisco Field

Cisco Field Business Plaza with Picnic and Dual Scoreboard

If you move the Raiders over the A’s, you need more land for the stadium and parking.  It will still cost the City if the A’s move but for a stadium with less fans, it’s cheaper.   If the A’s move, then you now have an empty arena with no team in Oracle, and you have an old stadium that can be torn down.  When the Warriors leave you now can use the Oracle area for a shopping or business complex, extra parking or whatever you want.

This keeps both teams in Oakland and you have two great stadiums.  Cal Berkeley has said in the past they are open to sharing their newly upgraded stadium for the rental revenue it would provide.  God help those in traffic but that is for another day.

Who May Be The Raiders Savior & How the A’s Can Help Them:

Below we will discuss why the the majority owner of the A’s is so important.  Don’t think for a second that major league owners aren’t sick of the A’s making money every year and doing nothing to bring in more revenue.  Lew Wolf is cheaper than a celebrity at dinner time and the other owners are sick of it and they want a new stadium in Oakland.  Of course the owners don’t have the plums to tell the Giants to get bent on the territorial rights that the A’s gave them in the first place to save them, but that’s again for another time.

Remember that since 2000, the A’s are ONLY 1 of three teams in MLB that has made money every year.  The A’s make between $35-45 million per year due to the profit sharing in MLB.  If it were up to Wolf, he’d keep cashing checks and do nothing but that isn’t popular anymore among MLB owners.

When you ask fans who owns the A’s, everyone says Lew Wolf.  Well not exactly.  Wolf owns approximately 20% of the A’s.  He IS the managing general partner though and he’s been allowed to make the business decisions and speak as the owner.  The MAJORITY owner is John Fisher the son of the Gap Founder.  (man does every owner have family money?).  He owns 80% of the A’s but he’s never really wanted to be involved in the day to day business until now.  Get this; the A’s ownership is the 5th richest ownership in MLB.  Johnson is younger, more personable and more reasonable than the volatile Wolf & he can help the Raiders.

Wolf and Johnson brought the San Jose Earthquakes back into the professional soccer world in 2008.  They built Avaya stadium in San Jose using no tax money which is a fans dream.  No one thought they could do it.  I think Johnson would have great idea’s for a new park for the A’s, shoring up the Coliseum for the Raiders.  It’s like watching a game in a theater and it officially has the largest outdoor bar in the U.S.  It has standing room only and a huge drink rail near the bar.  It also has field level club suites that are behind the benches.  It’s a beautiful place.  At the opening of Avaya, Johnson; who rarely speaks anywhere; told the media it’s now time to bring an A’s stadium in Oakland.  Here is beautiful Avaya Stadium.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiU5JQu2uGQ

Future NFL Stadium:

I don’t know why it hasn’t been thought of more but this is what construction experts see as the future NFL stadium which can be used for the City as well as the team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERvARKwPtiU

Proposed Sites For a New Oakland Stadium: 

Howard Terminal:

Howard Terminal Oakland A’s, Raiders Stadium

This is the sexy pick for many to bring the Raiders here but again, the city would rather try and move the A’s first because it’s easier.  I think if the A’s balked at the idea, then the Raiders could fit well here too.

Let’s be real.  Lew Wolf does NOT want to move; Johnson does though.  He wants to move and MLB wants that too.  Even though Wolf is a charitable person to the community he is very hard headed, abrasive and a close minded man in business.  It’s part of the reason the Fremont deal fell through.  The 49ers president Jed York kissed many a butt and greased many palms to get Levi’s stadium.  That’s how you deal with politicians and business people.  It’s what you have to do.

Howard Terminal was first brought up in the mid 2000’s.  The City of Oakland loved the idea; Lew Wolf hated it and he nixed it saying in anger, “I may as well move to Treasure Island.  This is a terrible spot”.  When recently asked about the area again, Wolf said he had no comment and he was in the middle of research and it was ridiculous to ask him that question right now.  What a softy.  The land is owned by the Port of Oakland so the City is in control there.

In contrast, A’s owner Johnson has told the media HE LOVES the area and they would love to build a stadium there.  It is literally right across the water from AT&T Park in San Francisco.  Just like the 49ers @ Levi’s, the Raiders would also have to get State approval but that shouldn’t be a problem.

The cons of the stadium is that it will create a traffic nightmare but let’s be real; new studies show that we have the worst traffic in the country now if you add SF and San Jose, so there isn’t a good place.  The biggest negative though is no BART trains.  BART is hugely popular at the O.co and having it is a must.  The City would have to rezone some areas and put in train tracks and a close by station.  Oakland has said it’s doable.  This is a very promising site.  Libby Schaaf stated last week she is already working on rezoning with the stadium area put in.  If Lew Wolf would say yes; or better yet John Fisher or Mark Davis; then this could start immediately and the Raider stadium at the Coliseum could begin as well.

Golden Gate Fields:

This was first proposed in 1980 when the race track was struggling and the Raiders wanted to move.  Some are bringing this site up again but it’s a very congested area for traffic and there are just too many hills to climb.  Not happening.

Laney College in Oakland: 

Another area that is being talked about for the A’s or the Raiders is the Laney College plan close to Lake Merritt.  In the early 2000’s, the A’s and the City Planning Commission held meetings on a new stadium.  The meetings had so many A’s fans going that they had to put the fans in adjacent rooms to hold them all.  The meetings were very charged.

A’s fan Larry Jackson kept bugging the city with a plan to build on Laney College.  Eventually the City Manager Robert Bobb ran with the idea.  The city endorsed it as long as the A’s would foot some of the bill.  The A’s LITERALLY never responded.  A secondary plan was also submitted at the north side of downtown Oakland by the 19th Street Bart Station.  The A’s then made Lew Wolf the lone voice talking to the City and he finally began to listen.

Laney College Oakland Raiders Stadium Plan

Who nixed those plans was then mayor and future California Governor Jerry Brown who was a political enemy of Bobb.  Brown was angry at the A’s for talking to the City of Sacramento about moving without telling the City of Oakland which many said Brown never forgave the A’s for.  Brown said it was an act of betrayal and that the A’s were not negotiating in good faith. Brown sabotaged both plans saying they would not work and he would not support them.  Laney College by Lake Merritt is still a feasible possibility.  The City of Oakland also has said they would want a small parcel of the land still to be given to them but that is very doable.  There would also have to be money set aside extra for ample parking but that is also very doable.  Lew Wolf and Jerry Brown were very negative about this almost 20 years ago.  Both have moved on.  This is a maybe with a capital M.

Laney College Plan for Raiders Stadium

Levi’s Stadium: 

The NFL has ALWAYS LOVED this idea; and still does.  When the 49ers and the NFL talked about it at the beginning, Al Davis bristled and said no way.  Mark Davis has said the same thing but he’s been a little more silent of late about it.  Before they started building Jed York said on local radio that they would entertain thoughts of the Raiders playing in Santa Clara.  The 49ers were open to it from the beginning but now that they are making boatloads of cash, the 49ers are more lukewarm about it.  With concert money, sporting events, wrestling, conventions and other forms of year round revenue (oh and that thing called the Super Bowl), Levi’s is a cash cow and they are printing money.  The NFL said again at the latest meetings that this is what they prefer for the Raiders.  They also have seed money that was given to them by the NFL to “morph” Levi’s so the Raiders could use it.  This is very doable.  The video below shows how the Raiders and 49ers could share the stadium and how it would morph between teams.  This is the how they do it video for the Jet’s and the Giant’s.  (I apologize for the annoying lady).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRBbvSxXvmI

O.co Stadium:

I still call it the Coliseum.  This is the ideal place for the Raiders and if one of the Oakland teams move, the other will call O.co home.  If the Raiders move to let’s say Howard Terminal, than Lew Wolf is happy and the A’s can call it home.  Both teams love the easy freeway access, close proximity to airports, and BART is at the doorstep.  It’s an amazing spot for a stadium.

Frank Youell Field in Downtown Oakland 1962 (Laney College is There Now)

In the end the saga will be the same as the vote.  You will hear many rumors; some smart; some so out there you wish you could drug test.  But in reality; just like with the NFL vote; use common sense and use your head when following this stuff.  Most people are very emotional and biased in their thinking.  They either support teams or cities or owners but in reality these decisions have NOTHING to do with the heart.  Think like a business person and you will get more of a feel on what’s going on.  And as ALWAYS; follow the money.