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Bob Papa

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Bob Papa
Papa with the NFL Network
Papa with the NFL Network
Born Robert L. Papa
September 19, 1964
Dumont, New Jersey, U.S.
Education Fordham University, '86
Occupation Sportscaster
Title Football commentator, play-by-play, Olympics
Children 4

Robert L. Papa (born September 19, 1964) is an American sportscaster who is currently the radio play-by-play voice for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). Papa also is the lead broadcaster for PGA Tour Champions events on Golf Channel and has been the blow-by-blow announcer on many professional boxing telecasts, notably for ESPN and for HBO’s Boxing After Dark series.

Biography

Early life

Papa grew up in Dumont, New Jersey, and graduated from Bergen Catholic High School in nearby Oradell.[1] He graduated from Fordham University in 1986.[2] He is not related to the San Francisco 49ers broadcaster (and former long-time Oakland Raiders radio voice) Greg Papa.[3] He is the second cousin, once removed, of comedian Tom Papa.

Career

New York Giants (1988–present)

He is best known as the radio play-by-play voice of the New York Giants, a position he has held since he replaced Jim Gordon prior to the 1995 season.[4]

He announces all 17 regular season games and all postseason games on the radio, and all of the team's pre-season games for WNBC in New York City and simulcast across the state. During his time with the Giants, he has called the team's victories in Super Bowl XLII[5] and Super Bowl XLVI,[6] as well as their loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV.[7]

From 1988 to 1994, he worked on the Giants' pregame and postgame shows on the radio. His work with the Giants also includes his role as host of the YES Network's Giants Training Camp Report, and Giants Access Blue, Giants Chronicles, and Giants Online.[8]

Papa served as chairman of the Giants’ Top 100 Players Committee in honor of the franchise’s 100th season.was a member of the 13-person panel that selected the Top 100 Players in Giants history.[9]

Other work

Additionally, Papa was the voice of Thursday Night Football on NFL Network from 2008 until 2010. He files pregame and postgame reports from New York Giants games on Sundays for NFL GameDay Morning and contributes to NFL.com with columns, chats and reports. He works for the Golf Channel during the NFL off-season.[10]

In addition, he was added as a member for Golf Channel and has called boxing for HBO, SportsChannel America, ESPN, NBC, and Versus. Papa called the infamous November 23, 2001, match between James Butler and Richard Grant on Friday Night Fights.[11]

At fight's end, after Grant had been declared the winner, Butler sucker-punched Grant, breaking his jaw. Both Papa and his color commentator, Teddy Atlas, loudly called for both Butler's arrest,[12] and permanent suspension from boxing. Butler later pleaded guilty to the slaying of artist/writer Sam Kellerman.[13]

Papa was the radio voice for the New Jersey Nets on WOR for several years in the mid-1990s after Ian Eagle was promoted to television.[14]

From 1989–92, he was the studio host for NHL on SportsChannel America. Denis Potvin was his analyst. From 2008 to 2010, he did play-by-play on NFL games that took place on NFL Network before being replaced by Brad Nessler.[15]

Olympics

A graduate of Fordham University, Papa, along with two more alumni, participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens.[16] Papa worked on NBC's coverage of the Olympics since 1992, as he covered boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

In 2002, he covered cross-country skiing[17] and curling. In 2010, he covered luge, skeleton, and bobsled. He served as the play by play announcer for NBC Sports coverage of Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[18] He called Rugby at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[19][20]

Personal life

Papa has four sons: Christopher, Will, Nicholas, and Max.[21]

References

  1. Back to citation DiTrani, Vinny. "All's Well, Except In Booth", The Record (Bergen County), December 3, 1993; accessed February 5, 2008. "Jim Gordon is suffering from laryngitis, and will be replaced in the WOR-AM booth by Bergen Catholic product Bob Papa from Dumont."
  2. Back to citation Marchand, Andrew (April 19, 2020). "How Fordham has produced a generation of sports media stars". New York Post. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  3. Back to citation Ask Bob Papa Archived November 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine NFL.com
  4. Back to citation "Bob Papa: Behind The Voice". Giants.com. November 12, 2016. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  5. Back to citation "Super Bowl Moments: No. 1". Giants.com. February 5, 2012. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  6. Back to citation "LIVE: Super Bowl XLVI - Giants vs. Patriots". NY Daily News. February 5, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  7. Back to citation Raissman, Bob (January 25, 2001). "Glickman Will Be Third Man In Papa'S Booth". NY Daily News. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  8. Back to citation "TV and Web Schedule". Giants.com. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  9. Back to citation Papa, Bob (2024). 100 Seasons: New York Football Giants: The Team, The Moments, The Traditions. New York Giants. p. 11.
  10. Back to citation Leary, Thomas (August 10, 2018). "Weekend Plans With MSG Nets' Bob Papa: Giants, Golf Planning". sportsbusinessdaily.com. American City Business Journal, Inc. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  11. Back to citation Smith, Gary. "Max Kellerman is forever haunted by his brother's death". si.com. TI Gotham Inc., a subsidiary of Meredith Corporation. Sports Illustrated Group. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  12. Back to citation Fernandez, Bernard (November 21, 2014). "The Tragedy of "The Harlem Hammer" Needn't Be Repeated So Often". The Sweet Science. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  13. Back to citation "Ex-Boxer Admits Killing Sportswriter". Articles.latimes.com. March 28, 2006. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  14. Back to citation "PLUS: BASKETBALL; Nets Pick Tripucka As Radio Analyst". The New York Times. September 11, 2001. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  15. Back to citation "Raissman: NFL Network disrespects Papa". New York Daily News. May 6, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  16. Back to citation "Behind The Mike". Articles.latimes.com. August 8, 2004. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  17. Back to citation Richard Sandomir (February 5, 2002). "SALT LAKE CITY 2002: THE 19TH OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES; Live (Mostly), Prime Time And Shorter". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  18. Back to citation Medium Well: Your NBC Olympics lineup - A blog on sports media, news and networks, baltimoresun.com, July 2008.
  19. Back to citation "Bob Papa – Rugby Play-By-Play". NBC Sports Group Press Box. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  20. Back to citation Biodata, hbo.com; accessed April 13, 2017.
  21. Back to citation Zach Berman (January 2, 2011). "A man of his words: Play-by-play is Bob Papa's work, love". NJ.com. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
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