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Future For Greg Papa At NBC Sports Bay Area Uncertain

“The San Francisco 49ers would certainly like to have him included on the network’s coverage of the team next season, but a source says that it has not yet been decided.”

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San Francisco Giants fans will see a new face on the pre and postgame shows on NBC Sports Bay Area in 2022. Greg Papa has been replaced by Laura Britt, who had been part of the network’s coverage of the San Francisco 49ers.

In fact, Steve Berman of The Athletic reports that Papa’s future at the network is in question. The San Francisco 49ers would certainly like to have him included on the network’s coverage of the team next season, but a source says that it has not yet been decided.

The team and NBC Sports Bay Area are in the middle of a ten-year partnership. The network has studios at Levi Stadium and airs programming highlighting the team throughout the week. The payoff has not been significant enough though. That may lead to cost-cutting.

Greg Papa is described as “not cheap” by one source. His price tag may not fit within the budget of an NBC Sports universe that is moving more and more towards being a fully digital operation.

If Greg Papa does not return to NBC Sports Bay Area, it would be a major change for viewers. He has been involved with the network since its launch. In that time, he has hosted studio shows for the Giants and Warriors. He also hosted Chronicle Live every night for several years.

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Cory Provus: Moving From Minnesota Twins Radio to TV ‘Ultimate Challenge’ of Career

“I’m just excited for the opportunity, I really am, to be able to challenge myself in a way I haven’t before.”

Jordan Bondurant

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Cory Provus

The Minnesota Twins have found their new TV play-by-play announcer. They didn’t have to look far to tap Cory Provus for the role.

Provus has been the Twins radio play-by-play voice for 12 years. Following the exit of longtime announcer Dick Bremer, he will become the guide for Twins fans on television.

“It’s an exciting day, a humbling day, an emotional day on many fronts,” Provus told TwinCities.com. “I’m just excited for the opportunity, I really am, to be able to challenge myself in a way I haven’t before.”

A radio guy the vast majority of his career, Provus begins the transition into television. Though it requires making a few adjustments, the thought of reaching additional fans now that local blackout restrictions are being lifted was a big selling point to Provus.

“I’ve always thought of myself as being ambitious and challenging myself, and this, to me, is the ultimate challenge by far,” he said. “And the idea of joining this group in this way now, I think I would regret at least not trying.”

Cory Provus will hand over the reins on the radio side to Kris Atteberry. Kris has been with the team since 2007 as the team’s radio color commentator. Now he finally earns his chance to be on the call.

“Let’s be honest: I’ve been calling big-league games for 17 years, not as the lead guy,” Atteberry said. “There is a difference. I’ve called a billion games in my life. But to be the lead guy, that’s what everybody wants. That’s what I’ve wanted to be since I was a 6-year-old kid.”

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Marquee Sports Network GM Mike McCarthy Stepping Down

McCarthy joined Marquee Sports Network upon its launch after previously leading MSG Networks.

Jordan Bondurant

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Marquee logo

Marquee Sports Network will soon need a new general manager. Longtime GM Mike McCarthy announced over the weekend he is stepping down.

McCarthy helped oversee the launch of the Chicago Cubs-owned regional sports network in 2019, but Chicago Sun-Times media columnist Jeff Agrest shared on X on Friday that McCarthy needed time to focus on his health.

“I need to spend more time on myself and less time stressing about typos on the ticker,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy was tapped to work on Marquee given his track record at MSG. He rose from coordinating producer in 1982 to the network president in 2000, overseeing the merging of MSG Network and SportsChannel New York.

Between 2005 and 2019, McCarthy enjoyed stints with the St. Louis Blues as the team’s vice chairman and CEO and with the Milwaukee Bucks as chief operating officer. The Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

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Sports Media Reacts to Final SEC on CBS Broadcast

The network began airing SEC broadcasts in 1996.

Jordan Bondurant

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SEC on CBS logo

Saturday marked the final SEC broadcast for CBS, as Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson called Alabama’s upset victory over Georgia for the conference championship.

CBS is moving on to become a media partner for the Big Ten for the next decade, but not before Nessler and Danielson could offer their final thoughts on Saturday’s broadcast.

“It’s been quite a ride for us, our entire crew, Gary and I,” Nessler said. “The people that have come before us, all the places we get to see and the people we get to meet and the coaches we get to be around. Some roads have to end somewhere and our road comes to an end tonight with the SEC.”

Danielson credited CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus for developing the concept of a national college football game of the week for a conference and having the vision to make sure the best people were in place. He also complimented McManus for developing the now iconic theme song. The longtime analyst was appreciative of the opportunity to succeed Todd Blackledge, and shared that though CBS’s run deserved to be celebrated and recognized, all he did was his job.

“What we really did is nothing new, and I’m going to steal another line from another network. But I think it’s going to have a pass here,” Danielson said. “What we did was follow the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”

“Whether you were in your favorite bar having a beer or in your easy chair at home or watching us on your streaming devices, whatever, we want to thank you, the fans, the viewers, everybody that’s been with us every Saturday at 3:30 for the SEC on CBS,” Nessler concluded.

Several across sports media had their own reactions to the network’s final broadcast, which included using former play-by-play voice Verne Lundquist in the opening element.

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