Just weeks after surviving a grueling three-month hospital stay and a year after revealing his cancer diagnosis, legendary Bay Area broadcaster Greg Papa has been shown the door.
Papa, the longtime radio voice of the San Francisco 49ers, was fired Wednesday by KNBR alongside his midday co-host Greg Silver, ending their long-running “Papa & Silver” talk show.
The 63-year-old has balanced his role as the 49ers’ play-by-play announcer while co-hosting the weekday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. program since 2019. A four-time California Sportscaster of the Year, Papa has become one of the Bay Area’s most recognizable voices, calling games for the San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors and other local sports franchises throughout his career.
The stunning dismissal comes just weeks after Papa returned home in July following a life-saving bone marrow transplant and treatment for lung failure at UCSF Medical Center. He spent 78 days in the hospital after being diagnosed with leukemia last year.
After his treatment, Papa was using supplemental oxygen and saw his health improve according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
He was optimistic he could return to his midday show while working from his home studio like he did last year during his chemotherapy but acknowledged that his return to the 49ers’ booth might be tough.
“The radio show would be something that’s obviously much easier to return to. I could do it from my house. Doing a football game is a different challenge,” he told the Chronicle last month.
The “Papa & Silver” show will now be replaced by longtime Bay Area radio host John Lund, who will be returning to KNBR following his firing from the station in November 2024.
