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Do-everything sportscaster Greg Papa spends a lot of his time interviewing people. We met recently with him in his hometown of Danville, where we pulled an end-around and tossed some questions his way:
Q: Your intense game preparation is legendary. Isn’t it time to ease up a bit?
“Ask my family: The worst guy in their world is Work Dad. There’s Fun Dad and he’s a pretty great guy. But Work Dad has a game and he’s absolutely locked in. Every game, every assignment, is like a term paper. When I’m thoroughly prepared, a calm comes over me. Ultimately, we’re entertainers and performers. I can’t perform and be confident in my ability if I feel like I’m not prepared. I’ve had that nightmare many times where I’m not ready and the game is tonight!”
Q:You spent 21 seasons with the Raiders. Is there still any attachment there — any tug of the heart?
“I watched every Raiders game this year. … But it wasn’t like I was driving past my ex’s house and she’s got her new husband there. It was never like that. The reality is that they’re gone. They’ve moved on. And, really, I would not have been a good fit with the Las Vegas Raiders. I was a part of Al Davis’ Raiders. I wasn’t part of the new Raiders. So (moving to the 49ers) worked out amazingly well.”
Q: You lost your dad last year and your “Touchdown, San-FRAN-cis-co!” call is, in part, a tribute to him. Explain how it came about.
“My father died July 30 during (49ers) training camp. He was 93 and had a great life. He did everything he wanted to do. I spent a week in (a Buffalo, N.Y.) hospital, sleeping with him and trying to get him through it, but it wasn’t enough. … He’s a big part of that call. Because my Raiders call was so well-known, people kept asking me what I was going to do for the 49ers. (The call) was inspired by (Chiefs) broadcaster Mitch Holthus (“Touchdown, Kansas City”). But the other part of it is that my dad’s name is Frank — Francis Papa. And that’s the name of the city — St. Francis of Assisi. … And every time I say that call, I think of my dad.”
Q: You launched your career in your early 20s and you were largely regarded as a brash, cocky guy. Were you? And are you still?
“When I started. I think, deep down, I was a little intimidated. I was dealing with a middle-aged world. I was younger even than some of the players. I guess, to some, I was perceived as cocky. But you had to be self-assured. I couldn’t go on the air and have the presentation I wanted to have if I came across like I was scared. I had to have a certain swagger.
But I think there’s a difference between being cocky and being self-assured. And I’ve always been self-assured. I guess when you’re young, it comes across as cocky. I don’t know, can a 57-year-old guy be cocky? Probably not.”
Q: Coming out of Syracuse University, you were heralded as the next Marv Albert by Sports Illustrated. And a lot of people thought you would land at a big national network. Any regrets?
“Oh, when I was younger it ate me alive. … Guys like Marv and Vin Scully and Bob Costas and Dick Stockton — those were the people I admired. It’s no different from being a player. The scoreboard is the thing when you’re a player, right? Or how much money you make compared to that other player? You compete in everything. … So it kind of consumed me.
But having children changed all that. … When you become a parent, you become secondary. They give you a sense of balance that it’s not all about yourself. And there’s a contentment with your life that you just reach at some point.”
