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NFL Network Quietly Gets Right Man, Papa

By Neil Best -- Newsday, 07/20/2008

The NFL Network created a media stir when it named Bryant Gumbel as its first play-by-play man two years ago. And it dabbled with another when it briefly explored hiring Al Michaels this year.

But when a successor to Gumbel finally was named, it generated barely a ripple among fans and media nationally.

The network conducted a conference call Wednesday upon hiring Bob Papa, and only three journalists asked questions. (Another 10 listened in but did not participate.)

Not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, everything was right with it.

After taking a risk with Gumbel that flopped, the NFL went conservative - hiring a veteran voice of a flagship franchise who is a football geek and can juggle both nuts and bolts and X's and O's.

It was a no-brainer, particularly given that the distribution-challenged network skews toward a more hard-core football audience than do more widely available outlets.

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