Bob Papa

Papa as an announcer for NFL Network

Robert L. "Bob" Papa (born September 19, 1964) is an American sportscaster. Papa is employed by Golf Channel, announces various Olympic Sports and is known as "the voice" of the New York Giants.

Biography

Early life

Papa grew up in Dumont, New Jersey, and graduated from Bergen Catholic High School in nearby Oradell.[1] He is not related to Oakland Raiders broadcaster Greg Papa.[2] He still currently resides in New Jersey

Career

He is best known as the radio play-by-play voice of the New York Giants, a position he has held since 1995. Additionally, Papa was the voice of Thursday Night Football on NFL Network until 2012. He also 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 also works full-time for Golf Channel in the NFL offseason.

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 Online. As a graduate of Fordham University, Papa, along with two more alumni, participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics Games held in Athens.

Papa has also worked on NBC's coverage of the Olympics since 1992, as he covered boxing at the most recent Summer Olympics. In 2002, he covered cross-country skiing and curling.[3]

In 2010 he covered luge, skeleton, and bobsled. In addition, he was added as a member for Golf Channel and has called boxing for SportsChannel America, ESPN, NBC, and Versus. Papa called the November 23, 2001, match between James Butler and Richard Grant. 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, and permanent suspension from boxing. Butler later pleaded guilty to the slaying of sportswriter Sam Kellerman.

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. He served as the play by play announcer for NBC Sports coverage of Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[4]

From 1989-92, he was the studio host for SportsChannel America's coverage of the NHL. Papa is the host of the Opening Drive on Sirius NFL Radio, the all NFL Channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. He also did play-by-play on NFL games that took place on NFL Network before he was replaced by Brad Nessler.

References

  1. 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. Ask Bob Papa Archived November 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. NFL.com
  3. globeandmail.com: TRUTH & RUMOURS
  4. Medium Well: Your NBC Olympics lineup - A blog on sports media, news and networks, baltimoresun.com, July 2008.
Preceded by
Bryant Gumbel
NFL Network play-by-play commentator
2008-2010
Succeeded by
Brad Nessler
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