Take a look at this photo from 1991. Independence Stadium is packed on a December afternoon. It was a Sunday and the Georgia Bulldogs were playing the Arkansas Razorbacks in a game nationally televised on ABC. Standing there are the sports directors of the three local television stations. As of this week, none of them works in local TV anymore.
Sadly, the last man standing, Bob Griffin, was shown the door by KSLA this week. He had been there for 48 years. His goal was to make it to 50, and he had gone part time a few years ago in an effort to get there. The fact that he wasn't allowed to leave on his own terms is a shame.
The bowl game has also fallen on hard times. Its sponsor squirreled out with almost two million dollars in debt hanging over the organizers. The football gods conspired to deny the game teams from major conferences, to boot. So, instead of SEC vs. Big XII, it's MAC vs. WAC.
Maybe things will improve and a year from now the stadium will be full once more and everyone will be ready to smile again.
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Saturday, December 13, 2008
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Sign 'o the times. Bob was truly the last (on-air) person standing at KSLA from way back when I started in '79. The only other veteran employees remaining is Semmie Buffin, videographer ( who was there before me ) and videographer, Bubba Kneipp who started a couple years after I did( around '81 I think ).
Different times they were... Oh well... you can bet Uncle Bob will find ways to stay busy with his radio programs on 710AM KEEL. ( He's still on radio, right? )
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