Famous Bay Area sports radio host Greg Papa’s return seemed certain when KNBR brought him back to host a new daily midday hour, ‘Lunch With Papa’. But since securing his comeback, a bone marrow transplant during his battle with cancer has spurred his underlying genetic cardiomyopathy, after which Greg Papa, 63, was admitted to UCSF with advanced heart failure.
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The timing has coincided with KNBR’s public announcement of his return. The station announced Papa’s new midday slot during a live broadcast at Almanac Beer Company in Alameda on September 10, where Papa remained absent. Host Adam Copeland told the attendees he was away due to a scheduling conflict, but subsequent reporting revealed Papa had already spent days at UCSF.
“A week after that beautiful night in Novato, I experienced another health setback. My genetic heart condition, cardiomyopathy, has greatly worsened due to the bone marrow transplant. The Advanced Heart Failure team at UCSF performed a diagnostic procedure Tuesday morning for a clearer picture of the condition of the heart. All of your love and support has greatly helped us get past the many health obstacles we have faced. Together we will get past the next challenge. Love you all and thank you.”
Greg Papa clarified his medical situation by a text message to John Shea of The San Francisco Standard on Tuesday, September 15, hours after the cardiac procedure.
Only months after surviving a 78-day-long hospital stay, battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and spending a week on a ventilator, 63-year-old Greg Papa figured his life was returning to normal. The San Francisco 49ers radio voice even cracked a joke about winning “Comeback Performer of the Year.”
Although the bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy ended Papa’s leukemia, the physiological toxicity severely strained his cardiovascular system. This further deteriorated the pre-existing genetic cardiomyopathy that was diagnosed in 2023. That condition has since deteriorated even more into an advanced form of heart failure, and hence required the intervention of UCSF’s Advanced Heart Failure team.
With Papa sidelined while doctors work to stabilize his cardiac health, broadcaster Guy Haberman has stepped in to handle play-by-play duties on the 49ers Radio Network alongside analyst Tim Ryan. His scheduled analyst appearances on NBC Sports Bay Area’s 49ers Pregame Live also remain on hold, alongside the Lunch With Papa 1-hour KNBR daily radio program.
Greg Papa’s 4-decade broadcasting career includes stints with the Oakland Athletics, Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Raiders (20+ years). In 2019, he took over from Ted Robinson as the voice of the San Francisco 49ers.
For now, however, all of Greg Papa’s broadcast appearances remain paused while the medical team works to stabilize his heart function.