Tom Flores and Greg Papa will not be brought back to Raiders radio booth

A big change is coming to the Oakland Raiders’ radio booth this fall.

Fresno native and Sanger High/Fresno City College alum Tom Flores will not be the color commentator for the NFL team, he told The Bee on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported Brent Musburger will replace play-by-play announcer Greg Papa.

“This is part of the business world,” Flores said from his Palm Springs home. “All things come to an end. I was hoping I would last through the first year in Las Vegas, but it’s not going to happen.”

The Raiders, set to relocate to Las Vegas in 2020, haven’t officially announced the change.

Flores and Papa were together on the Raiders Radio Network for at least 20 seasons, said Flores, who coached the Raiders to two Super Bowl titles (XV and XVIII) during his tenure from 1979-87.

Flores said he was told of the move Wednesday morning.

“In 20 years, I usually sign a contract right about this time — at least a week or two before the first game,” he said. “It wasn’t new when I didn’t hear from them. When they let Papa go, I was: ‘We’ll see what happens. Maybe I’m next.’ And here I am.”

Flores, 81, said he enjoyed calling games with Papa and sideline reporter Lincoln Kennedy.

“Greg was a great announcer,” he said. “When we first started, he was new to football. He was always enthusiastic and quick on learning, but he had to learn the terminologies and nuances of professional football, and he did because he was a perfectionist. He was as good as there is with excitement and ‘Touchdown, Rrrraidders!’ He coined the phrase. I will miss working with him and I’ll miss being on the radio because that was always fun for me.

“(Fans) will have to get used to two new voices and maybe they’ll move Lincoln upstairs. Lincoln did a good job on the field for us. He knows the game.”

This story was originally published July 18, 2018 at 4:20 PM.