It does not deserve to be deified. $17.95. Why don’t you come on down to the park?” They’ve had nothing but that in this market, from all those guys. We’ll keep things simple here. Akin's menu is filled with classic New York-style deli fare starting with breakfast, soups and sandwiches, ethnic favorites, dinners and desserts! Yes. “Somebody help me.”, The producer groans, bowing his head over the red telephone, and says to no one in particular, “I wish someone would tell him not to say things like that into a live mike.”, Ted Leitner. “When I first came to the station, I was ahead of Ted in terms of salary,” said News 8 anchorman Michael Tuck, who, at thirty-four, is one year older than Leitner. They take their jobs very seriously; thdy take themselves very seriously. Leitner: Because the U.S. Olympic Committee voted to support the boycott and the letters were sent to them. He doesn’t want to get into a thirty-second conversation with me because that’s not going to hold the pacing of the show. Nobody looks up. He gives everybody, me included, a shot when they deserve it. Murder charged on Nardo Street in Solana Beach, Swagyu Chop Shop’s must-try 18-dollar burger, He, like Robert Lowell, was considered a key poet of the “confessional” school of poetry, I remember thinking that I would spend my entire life savings, go into debt, and travel halfway around the world, Email (Registration might get delayed for Yahoo inboxes). That’s the San Diego nice-boy journalism. Two years ago, who was the most valuable player on the Chargers? I do identify with them because I am one of them. They let Kingman get away for nothing. And I know I got some jocks in the audience and I’m saying something fairly elementary like, “The White Sox have been hot.” So I’ll say, “And if you follow baseball you know this.” It's a news audience and not all of them follow sports. Leitner repeated a couple Colemanisms. To give you an example, when I was covering the eve of the strike, and I was up in Randy Jones's room, I wanted to shoot some footage of the players holding vigil, waiting for the phone call from New York at three in the morning, and I walk into the room next to Randy’s, and in there is Jerry Turner, Gene Richards, Jerry Mumphrey, Dave Winfield, Von Joshua — all the black players. The father of seven children and grandfather of three (all girls) was persuaded to appear by Jeff Benesch, the club’s vice president for programs. It was a game that San Diego should have won, and luckily they did. “It was the spring of 1979, and the [ratings] book showed us eighteen-to-twelve . On the road games I have to fill twenty minutes sometimes and I don’t want to get stuck with an asparagus with no brains for twenty minutes. The cameramen keep sharp by knowing when to relax. And I am not some right-wing fanatic by any stretch of the imagination, or any militarist. It’s because they needed the Olympics as a vehicle and their presence in it as propaganda. His seat was low above the end zone in Yankee Stadium, and when the teams moved to the other end of the field, there was nothing to do but squint and guess at the action. He played football for Roosevelt High School in Yonkers. He insists you be honest. He was through in five minutes. But about 17 minutes into his first-ever appearance before a Democratic club, the beloved San Diego sportscaster dropped a bomb. Ted Leitner leaving Padres’ radio booth after 41 seasons Ted Leitner (right) will be replaced as the No. .“NEW FAA REGULATIONS.” Nothing usable. When he was a junior, the basketball team needed someone to announce the players during the games. Absolutely CRUSHED. (He was offered Leitner's job to boot, but declined it.) It’s not high taxes. So I don’t think my act is at all like Cosell’s. Former TV sportscaster Ted Leitner said: The San Diego Chargers and Padres are God’s way of telling San Diego we can’t have it all. Knowing our history of joining-the-game-in-progress, I had my mac tuned to 1360. You know, conversation style rather than that staccato radio crap on television. . He’s the one who wanted to get rid of Kingman; he wanted to get rid of Mike Ivie; he wanted to get rid of Hendrick; and he wanted to get rid of others that Bavasi wouldn’t even listen to. The 2020 season was Leitner’s last in the broadcast booth. I found the voice of one Ted Leitner to be the equivalent of a photo perfect day at the beach. For instance, during the NBA playoffs, you reported on the eleven o’clock show that Jack Sikma sent the game into overtime by sinking two free throws for Seattle. I've not really had too tough of an interview. I was never against the Coleman hiring because I thought, “Here was a guy I know knows baseball and has seen the National League quite a bit as a broadcaster over the last eight years.” It never shocked me at all. Leitner: No question. Korkmaz, averaging 7.6 points, and Milton 13.4, about crushed those numbers in the quarter. Leitner: I can identify and empathize with them without being in the same exact boat. I’ll mention it for people to go look at the letter and see who I am and get involved in it. For entertainment, Teddy and his two older brothers listened to sports programs on a GE radio that took the place of a couple of books in the living room, where his parents slept. Baseball has never had a nicer man as player or coach. To start viewing messages, select the … That transcends racial lines. I am joining a great crew with Ted Leitner and Jesse Agler. Check out my new Countdown to Opening Day Podcast on Padresradio.com Picciolo was a special man. Because I ad-lib the show. “And I called him, and he agreed to come and speak.”. Leitner: The general mass public here is dumb shits and it’s no different over there. Leitner had the station play back the exchange on headphones. Leitner: Oh sure. “The news director, Jim Holtzman, really stuck by Ted during his first year here,” said Tuck. And they don’t care if a family lives in a ghetto and it's cold as hell with rats biting the kids, with no hot water, and paint peeling off the walls. How can you be a most valuable wide receiver unless you have a hell of a quarterback? For months I’d been commuting every other weekend to see my kid, who was with his mother in Dallas and then in Irvine, and that got very old. I don’t care. But they all are basically straight-type sportscasters, and that doesn’t make them wrong. Knowing our history of joining-the-game-in-progress, I had my mac tuned to 1360. Yes, they do hang around with each other a lot more than they do with the whites. It’s all in fun — but then it isn’t. Leitner is a New Yorker; talks about the big town, and at times seems just a little bitter that he had to head to the boondocks (worked in Oklahoma before coming to the Padres in the late 70s) to make it in broadcasting and never made it back to NY and never was able to go national. ), Though his teammates elected him co-captain, and he made the all-city team in Yonkers, he never thought of going for the pros. What about the Olympic boycott? answers. (Not a popular pastime with his father.). None. R: When the U.S. was participating in overthrowing governments in Chile, Guatemala, Iran, and Vietnam, do you think other countries should have boycotted the Olympics because of our presence? Longtime San Diego Padres radio broadcaster Ted Leitner revealed in a tweet Tuesday that he was diagnosed with cancer. I still use some of his expressions. Which happens to everyone in this business at least once. Even SDSU radio announcer Ted Leitner, lost his connection and called the game in a loud arena via cell phone, while crazy Gonzaga fans exuded cheerful obnoxiousness. He said he was in the final year of his Padres contract. But someone like Free or Dave Kingman takes a couple of days off to think about their lives, they are branded as malcontents. Photo by Ken Stone, Secretary Linda Armacost applauded Chris Pearson, the club’s vice president for political action, especially for electing Democrats to La Mesa offices. While he talked, his second wife. R: Well, couldn’t you say the converse, too? Delivery or takeout! But it had its up moments. That’s a lot of money to pay for a Charger game. Generations of Friars fans have grown up hearing his calls on warm San Diego summer nights. Obviously it makes it tough for me to be honest when the rest of them are a bunch of shills. leitner: [Hysterical laughter.] Advanced Search R: It did seem like they went with a recognized personality like Silas rather than hire someone like their own Bobby Weiss. It’s easy to make a transition when you say crap like, “Meanwhile, on the national scene. And when you get mad and smash somebody in the face it’s not going to change that person, but you’ll feel better having done it . And I resent the Cosell thing. We’ll keep things simple here. It’s natural with us from having worked together and being friends and socializing and so forth. R: Who are your toughest interviews on the local sports teams? They didn’t realize that while Ted is poking fun at everybody else, he’s always poking fun at himself. And I think that’s crap. Other sportscasters read the Teleprompter as though the Gospel were unfurling before their eyes, and their idea of acting natural is to wink. Hey boys & Dok. Leitner: Well, of course. And that puts off someone like Kingman. I don't care. But at his hotel that night, the pain persisted — even with his room lights out — “just a little light under the door out in the hall is making me go owwww, God.”, Back in San Diego the next morning, his doctor of 30 years said: “I need to send you to a specialist.”, Leitner would later say: “I’m not whining. Photo by Ken Stone. Leitner: [Laughing.] Alas, all good things come to an end. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Thu, 4/15 - Futbol Americas. It’s not murder. Leitner: Good point. R: So with your radio shows, TV sportscasts, Padre and Clipper road games, Aztec football, and so on, that must put you at about $125,000 a year, right? By clicking subscribe, you agree to share your email address with Times of San Diego to receive a free newsletter with the latest local news delivered at 8 a.m. daily. Smith: "I will never forget that as long as I live. He does several things well and several things lousy. They refuse to talk to the media. Search. … I don’t know how many years I have.”. R: That’s the point. The only analogy I accept between me and Cosell is that I will say what I think is right and I won’t let anybody say, “You really shouldn't say that or someone will get mad and you might lose your play-by-play job. Back on April 20th, Facebook (FB) announced the launch of a dedicated gaming app for Android devices (FB says the iOS version is pending approval). Check out my new Countdown to Opening Day Podcast on Padresradio.com Ted Leitner Special. Leitner: No, but I’m sure that the majority of them don’t like me because of what I say on the air. It’s safe to assume that people care what you make. I treat it lightly. Yes. They got very little for him. Nobody says a word against the Flyers. [Laughter. With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. I’d hire the most experienced, best guy I knew. That’s what I get on more than the money itself. In the spirit of control, the director has two stopwatches in front of him, and the producer has a red telephone at his right hand (a radio to reporters in the field). Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. I mean, he did that and I didn’t see a thing in the paper for three days, except a little news box that he had raised ticket prices. … I can see the field, I can see the court.”. If the Padres were winning, they’d leave us alone. I’m basically telling the story so that you know.” (He also reported that he’s suffering hearing loss — “three-fourths gone — both ears.”). @JBart9GT blasts this ball out of the stadium in Bowie for his first Double-A homer ... KUH-RUSHED as Ted Leitner likes to say. Dave and I enjoy working with each other as much as we enjoy working on the games. “I just don’t know when. He says, ‘Hey, I’m just doing my job, ’ except most of the players don’t feel his job is to criticize their performance. It’s not a mortgage payment. So there’s no way to rate them except on how pleasant they are, their delivery, and so forth. If the wheels don’t carry you, you're useless. They gambled and lost. I won’t go out and say what I make because it's of no interest except to the IRS and my ex-wife. Leitner: One time there was a problem with the satellite. Yet you haven’t taken Ballard Smith to task for that. R: What was your opinion of the two black American track medalists who raised gloved fists at the Olympics in Mexico? I know people are tuning in to watch the game and not listen to us tell stories of what we did last night. Because, at the very least you could be a warning to other people.” Photo by Ken Stone, Ted Leitner told of getting a limousine ride to a downtown Rotary Club engagement — but no ride home. Leitner: No, it’s not going to change their policy. How I adore Ted. That’s why it was tougher for me here. Photo by Ken Stone, La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club President Tina Rynberg looks back at Ted Leitner after his remarks. After 41 seasons calling Padres games on radio, beloved broadcaster Ted Leitner stepped away from the booth earlier this year, as he transitions into a team ambassador role. But Cosell doesn’t do what I do. Now, I'm sure the Padres and Chargers are just like any other team — the blacks go with the blacks and the whites with the whites — they don't mix socially, they don't go to each other’s houses. probably. R: What about the attitudes of Kingman, Steve Carlton, and George Hendrick? Other times we patched through KNXT [CBS) in Los Angeles and the patch there was screwed up, whether intentional or unintentional. he has to project his personality the way an actor does — all the way to the parking lot. SDSU football is in talks to move their football program to the AAC. Kirk Morrison ranks #95531 among the Most Man-Crushed-Upon Celebrity Men. Just because they win it doesn’t make them any less open to criticism and analysis. Alas, all good things come to an end. You know how this all started? It’s just my job to get it and pass it on to the audience. Leitner: I am interested in what somebody makes but I don't care what they make. R: You like to get on the air and make fun of the boxer who gets in the ring for forty-five minutes and comes out with a million dollars. ‘ The celebrity tournament in Las Vegas is this weekend and so-and-so is competing.’’ He prints crap like that. After struggling to drop his Yonkers accent, Leitner’s problem was to tone himself down for television — to make his delivery less “punchy,” he says. I wish I’d have thought of that .’’They don't do anything that would make me say that. In Philadelphia the writers are tough. Jesse is kind enough to make himself available for one hour while on the road with our Padres at 6/26 from 11:30AM-12:30 PST. I am more of the average Joe. ” I don’t have those segues or transitional material because I’m conversing. He could have used field glasses and a portable radio, but didn’t have the coin. Also a former sportscaster for KFMB-TV and host on KFMB radio in San Diego. View menu and reviews for D.Z. R: But look, Ted, you publicly criticize players' salaries all the time because you think people care. Smith: "I will never forget that as long as I live. R: The Padres pay you for broadcasting their road games. It was a game that San Diego should have won, and luckily they did. “I remember the first significant jump that showed we were catching up to Channel 10,” said Tuck. From John Berryman’s “Eleven Addresses to the Lord”, Three female opera singers you should know and love. And because the radio announcer is invisible to his audience. Right now he’s the perfect buzz. How in the hell can you make a wide receiver the most valuable player? “Why did you leave Philadelphia to come to San Diego?” a visitor asked Leitner in the newsroom. I found the voice of one Ted Leitner to be the equivalent of a photo perfect day at the beach. Wyatt A. Ray is on Facebook. It’s effective from the standpoint that you can’t tell me the Olympics would be the same without us. Visiting with his neighbor Wally Schirra. Another time the ground dish that bounces the satellite moved and we lost the signal. That’s why, when I came on the air the first year, it was like culture shock. . GWYNN. I get down on the players all the time and the players hate my guts for it. All rights reserved. These espn announcers have no passion at all in their voices, I’m really really going to miss the excitement don and mud bring to the game. R: Recently an article appeared in the Times in which you were quoted as saying that all of the other local sportscasters just read the wire services and you’re the only one who really talks about sports. Leitner: No question. Addressing 170 members of the La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club at the La Mesa Community Center, Leitner described an eye scare while calling an SDSU-Arizona State basketball game in Tempe, Arizona. The New York native lovingly remembered Jerry Coleman, his late Padres booth colleague. View menu and reviews for D.Z. Photo by Ken Stone, La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club members applaud Ted Leitner after politically charged remarks. Still, a good announcer.”. So I’ve got to say things like, “Enough of that. I’d say “That was really different and kind of funny. Among themselves, reporters discuss what they "really think” about the events and personalities they have to cover, and worse, they sometimes open up at parties; they think that other people can’t distinguish their opinions in features and even news reports, and so they jive about their impressions as if all the world cared. I can just put down on a piece of paper, “Padres, Sockers, Ali, Deby LaPlante,’’ and it will all just come to me. I will get to work with Don Orsillo as well as Tony Gwynn Jr. On the TV side Mark Grant, Mark Sweeney, and Bob Scanlan have been great and I am happy to be able to see them at Petco Park everyday. Order with Seamless to support your local restaurants! Durham Condominium Corporation 93 Company Profile. Last year I did a commentary tearing Ray Kroc apart because it is his fault. The home run he crushed on opening day against Jason Schmidt of the Giants. When you got to promote and sell tickets on a new coach, you’re in trouble. You’re just supposed to give the scores and interview the football coach who says how great Saturday's opponent is going to be whether they are great or not. We can’t expect the teams to be anything less than a reflection of the overall society. I was sold on him from that point forward. Leitner: Well, I think I’m one of the few spokesmen they have who will get on the air and be honest and say the same things they’re thinking— “Eight hundred grand, Jesus Christ!” — I’m talking to them as one of them even though I may not be a factory worker or a moron. I never read an analysis of what they're lacking or how they could become better. . Coleman listened and admitted: “Yeah, I guess I (did. I miss him so much. Vin Scully of the Dodgers, Jon Miller of the Giants, Howie Rose of the Mets, Marty Brennaman of the Reds, Eric Nadel of the Rangers, Ted Leitner of the Padres, Bob Uecker of the Brewers, Dave & Andy of the Rays, and my excellent broadcast partner – Rick Rizzs of the Mariners. 33. The station was losing money — and still is, from what I hear — and the New York management said, ‘Let’s make some changes. We go by the Constitution and we are a country of laws. The video would be selectively edited. Ted Leitner, longtime Padres broadcaster: "The response to the trade was basically: 'For who?!' So there’s no way they can shun the people who, in essence, pay that salary. Leitner: I really don’t know. Leitner: He’s hangin' in there, isn’t he? Even the fifteen percent who say, “He said the same thing at five. There’s nothing else they’re doing. R: What about the Clippers? Sports should have a minimum on a news show and it does on our show. The microphone, his wallet, some gum, and two neat rows of pennies were on the desk before him. Leitner: I thought it was a perfect forum for it. I'd rather show highlights of a cricket match in Westminster Abbey than some athlete saying, “Well, this team is tough and they’re going to be hard to beat on Saturday.”. They played a good, strong first year and were a draft or two away from being a contending team. The moment came when Benesch, who works part time for Alaska Airlines, ran into Leitner about two months ago as he awaited arrival of two of his kids, “unaccompanied minors,” at Lindbergh Field. R: So you feel they have an obligation to talk to the media? Yet can’t you see someone looking at you and thinking, “Hey, here’s a guy who gets on the tube twice daily for three minutes at a time and is bringing home big, big bucks.”. Curated stories, fun places to hang out and top events. Leitner: Yes, fifteen percent. ’ He stops by my office and says, ‘Hey, Bags, how’s it going?’ But lately I’ve been calling him ‘Bucks.’ We don’t have to call each other by our names anymore — it’s either ‘Bags’ or ‘Bucks.’. No matter what anybody thinks, this is the guy who is the reason I can get on the air and say, “They stunk,” without being fired. ", "The only analogy I accept between me and Cosell is that I will say what I think is right. They go and present the same basic stories that everybody else does that day and they may have a feature on a race car driver at South Bay Speedway or an interview with Don Coryell with some action shots at their preseason camp. “So he said yes — and he knocked it out of the park.”. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. He’s trying to overcome years of mismanagement. We don’t need propaganda. 240) delivering an opinion, and opinion is as common in a newsroom as telephones and gossip. I’ll say, ‘The quarterback drops straight back and angles a pass to the right.’ But then I developed my own style, which means I became more comfortable with the way I talk. When you gotta hire a coach based on that, you arc in trouble. I mean, they’re playing a little boys’ game for a living. "Peach." ” It’s a disclaimer to me. He has to make an appearance before the camera at five o’clock, when the news team is introduced, then rushes to view the tape and prepare the highlight remarks he will make at 5:15. Leitner disclosed his eye fate in the course of slamming former President George W. Bush and “the other Republican wackos” who barred most stem-cell research earlier this century. So it’s not just base salary for doing the news. Yet don’t you think there’s a marked difference between the average Joe’s salary and your own? Tue Apr 13. vs. Pittsburgh Pirates. They signed a one-legged center for $7 million. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. Leitner … I had no money as a kid; I came from humble origins, as it were. . But about 17 minutes into his first-ever appearance before a … A fact. Photo by Ken Stone, Michelle Krug reacts to an early speaker at monthly meeting of the La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club. Tue Apr 13. vs. Pittsburgh Pirates. That doesn’t bother them. I don’t have any competition, because nobody does what I do. So I have not listened to Eddie do three innings all year. But look, they eat together, run sprints together, ride the bus together. “I will go blind,” he told a La Mesa audience.