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The Final Entry in The Theus-Amick-Napear-Martin-Artest Clusterf*ck
Sam Amick posted the audio from Jim Crandell's show, which is a tour de force of WTF. Listen if you haven't.
Marty McNeal had the definitive column on the matter, which is all sorts of awesome considering McNeal's traditional point-of-view on such matters.
I emailed Grant Napear Saturday morning. My questions and his response follows:
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Ziller: Yesterday on your show, you accused Amick of taking comments out of context in order to write his story on Theus's thoughts on Artest. ...
- Have you listened to the full comments?
- Did you attend the media session?
- Do you stand by your statement that the comments were taken out of context?
- Did you meet with Theus before going on the air Friday to discuss how to attack the story, though you said during the show you had not?
Napear: I never mentioned Sam's name. I never said he took the comments out of context. Reggie made that statement. Once again you have your facts wrong!!! Why don't you call and ask Reggie? He's the one that was quoted...not me..All I did was ask the questions. I knew what he meant all along, but to accuse me of ripping Sam is absurd
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You can listen to Napear's interview with Theus here. Halfway through, Grant talks about Sam's article(s). You be the judge. (It's also worth mentioning that Napear -- who assails Amick for not understanding they phrase "throw the ball to" -- gets it completely wrong, per Theus's Saturday comments.)
Ugh.
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Playoffs Pick'em Bracket
BallHype's Playoffs Pick'em Bracket is ready to go, with the prize of a new iPod touch awaiting the victor. The person who wins BallHype's Sactown Royalty group will win a (to-be-designed) Sactown Royalty t-shirt or a pair of cheap seats tickets to a weekend game next season. So, um, sign up for BallHype (if you haven't already), join the StR group (if you haven't already), and pick your winners. Deadline's Saturday at 9 am Pacific.
UPDATE: Oh yeah I did this, too.
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Spencer Hawes, Rookie of the Year

(One more, in lustrous color -- the kind of luster you'd find at the Diamond and Gold Vault in the Landmark office building on East Bidwell in Folsom; tell 'em Peaches sent ya -- after the jump.)
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Finding Another Way to Raise Money For the Sacramento SPCA: The K-9 Fund Drive
Since some killjoy named Peaches ended our efforts to raise money for the Sacramento SPCA by way of cease-and-desist letter, let's collect some funds in the name of K-9 (woof!).

100% of this money will go to the SPCA on Opening Day of the 2008-09 season. (The ending date will be adjusted accordingly, once the schedule comes out.)
We'll stick all the money raised from the discontinued t-shirts into this pot; we'll be trying to a get a Kings sponsor or two to pitch in as well. (Hey, maybe even the Diamond and Gold Vault!) I don't think I need to explain why the SPCA could use our help -- on top of the myriad pets typically abandoned by local folks, all the damn foreclosures have increased the burden on our local animal shelters dramatically.
I've seeded the fund with matching funds for the $39 we raised through t-shirt sales. (Amazingly, people found a way to purchase four shirts after the C&D from Peaches. I have no clue how.) As soon as Spreadshirt cuts the check, those funds will get thrown in here too.
Stick it to Peaches! Help K-9 (woof!) and his friends! (Incidentally, if you'd feel more comfortable donating to the SPCA directly, that information can be found here.)
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Spin Control
(I promise these posts will stop soon.)
Grant Napear to Sam Amick, Saturday night:
Napear was fine with the idea until the money never found its way to the charity, at which point the organization came his way with the assumption that he had been part of the project. The experience was, as Napear said, "embarrassing," and nothing he wanted to go through again.
Grant Napear to me, Friday morning:
It almost seems like "Napes" wants to end this looking as out-of-touch and self-centered as possible. Again, his cease-and-desist came before he knew the money was going to charity. Unless he didn't feel comfortable telling a random fan about his past negative experience in a similar matter but did think it'd be OK to release that to the city's only daily newspaper ... then this explanation doesn't check out. "Napes" sent me a C&D for the same reason he reportedly went stone-faced at first glance of Muff's shirt and the same reason he shut down Jerry when it made "Images of the Game" -- because the nickname Peaches makes him angry.
Incidentally, on Friday rbiegler and section214 helped me come up with some questions to ask "Napes" in the impromptu interview. Unfortunately, the interview ended quickly because I don't know anything about anything. Feel free to guess how "Napes" would have answered.
Do you want to be Gary Gerould when you grow up?
What are your feelings on the Diamond and Gold Vault?
What's it like to bang a stewardess?
Unfortunately, the world will never know.
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An Impromptu Interview With Grant "Not Peaches" Napear
On Friday, it seemed one good thing had come from Grant Napear's cease-and-desist letter regarding the Peaches t-shirt: I had Napear's email address. With that in my pocket, I struck up a conversation and asked for an email interview. He complied, and told me I could ask any questions I wanted. So I did.
The conversation did not last very long.
Here is the exchange.
Napear: My nickname is Napes.
Ziller: The other local shows on KHTK don't engage in nearly the number of confrontations and blow-ups with callers as your show does. Do you think your hard-boiled New Yorker attitude toward callers spurs on this endless cycle of loud confrontation? I mean, Kozimor and Whitey are just straight-laced and snarky -- they make fun of people without yelling at them; you rip people for being wrong (or in some cases just for having a different opinion). Do you think that attitude causes more people to call in looking for a fight? Do you think this is good radio?
Napear: As far as my show goes i rarely yell at my callers. It's just that's what most people remember. I disagree with you completely about what you call and endless cycle of loud confrontation. Do you really listen to my show? My show has been one of the highest rated shows since I began in 1995. It's either number one or two almost every rating period, so I must be doing something right. I've also been voted Sacramento's best radio sportscaster by Sacramento Magazine for I believe 8 years in a row...so if it aint broke don't fix it.
I don't agree with you at all that people call in looking for a fight. I think that is the biggest myth about my show. If you listened to my show for a week straight, I bet you wouldn't hear me tell off a caller more than once or twice if at all. It's just that's what people remember. It's my belief that you have to be opinionated on radio. It stimulates debate. My goal isn't to have people love me, it's to get them to listen. I truly wonder if you listen to my show based on your observations. As I said before I let the ratings do the talking and obviously my station has been very happy with the product. I don't think Rome would of asked me to host his show if he thought I was going to yell at people all day. If I tell off a caller, chances are they deserve it and believe it or not I get the most positive feedback from my audience when that happens. However, It has to be real...it can't be staged.
As far as the content of the show goes, I know more about the Kings than anyone else in the market. Just like F.P. knows more about the Giants than anyone else in the market. When you live with a team for 7 months a year you know what's going on. Some people have a problem with that, but they don't have a clue to what they're talking about. They always think they know what's going on with the team, but in reality they don't. How could they? Mike and I both have a big football background, so that works well for the show also. We have a great producer who gets top quality guests and the show is a lot of fun to do. I think Sacramento is a great sportstown and in general the fans are super and add a lot to the show. It's the oddball who calls in once in awhile who sticks out. Kings fans are great and other than announicing for the NY Giants I wouldn't want to work anywhere else and that's the truth.
Ziller: I don't listen to the show regularly, no. I used to (before Lamb came aboard and for about a year after), but unless you're talking to the coach or a Kings player (or letting F.P. come clean) I listen to KNBR when I'm in the car at drive time.
You can't deny your reputation is based on being opinionated -- you say it's the biggest myth, but how can it be a myth if nearly everyone in the town who has heard your show believes it? I mean, last year alone you feuded on the airwaves with Marty Mac, Kenny Thomas, the entire Bee sports desk. Amick wrote a few months ago that you and Jim Kozimor wouldn't even speak to each other during a Kings broadcast. I'm not trying to lay out a rap sheet or anything; I'm just trying to put some perspective behind my assertion that your reputation as a radio talk show host is as an aggressive person who disagrees with folks frequently and loudly. Don't you have to admit this reputation has some basis in reality?
I want to ask about one particular incident several years ago: when you questioned Bobby Jackson's abdominal strain in 2005. Do you regret questioning a player's -- that player's -- injury? I think that incident (which people still mention in conversations about you and your show) turned a lot of folks off (though, as you've said, your ratings aren't hurting).
Napear: Thank you for completely validating everything I said. You want to do an interview with me and you have opinions, but you don't listen to my show? If I told you gas was going to be $5 a gallon tomorrow would you tell all your friends, or would you find out for yourself? It's pointless for me to continue answering your questions. You're not very well informed which i gathered from your previous questions. Marty Mac is a very good friend of mine and Kenny Thomas and I are also friends. If you listened to my show you would of heard Bobby Jackson, a weekly guest on my show, say he could of played. Have you ever asked yourself why he played on Breast cancer awareness night in honor of his mom and played very well, but that was it? Of course not, because you don't think on your own. By the way, Bobby is a friend of mine. He still comes on my show and he plays in my golf tournament every year. Why do you think that is? It's very simple...he respects me and respects that I have a show to do. You're like a lot of people who think they know what they're talking about, but when you take a little time and ask questions you realize you really aren't very well informed. Also, I never said I'm not opinionated...I am opinionated and I welcome different opinions on my show. Unlike you however, my opinions are based on knowledge...maybe not always right...but it's not because I just listened to someone else without doing my homework. You might want to take that approach in the future.
Good luck! By the way...I never asked, but what is this for?
Ziller: It's for my blog, Sactown Royalty, which is where I assume you got my email address and where I have written about the Kings and the NBA on daily basis for the past three years.
Thanks for your time. Enjoy Denver and Los Angeles.
Napear: I'm not familiar with Sactown Royalty. What is it? I got your email address from a friend. I'm not into blogs so I really don't much about them.
I didn't realize you wrote about the Kings and NBA. Why all the questions about my radio show then? Why not questions about the Kings etc???
Ziller: Sactown Royalty is a blog/community. Myself and a few hundred other fans write and comment on the Kings. We get about 1,500 visitors a day, which is obviously small potatoes ... but we have a strong community. When I started, I got 20 readers a day looking for a constantly updated alternative source to the newspaper, the TV, and the radio. I'm pretty proud of what we've created.
I didn't ask questions about the Kings, etc because I know about the Kings. If my readers wanted your opinion on the Kings, they could listen to your show (which many do) or watch the pre-game. With regards to your show and your persona? Your perspective on that isn't as readily available, hence my questions. When I interviewed Amick last summer, I asked questions about beat writing.
If I wanted information about the Kings, I would interview the Kings. If I wanted opinions on the Kings... well, there are plenty of those out there. I know you are particularly close to the team, but some would argue -- as an employee of Maloof Sports & Entertainment -- you might not be the most objective source for opinions on the team.
Also, as I said, we know most of your opinions on the team. You think Kevin Martin is good. You think Quincy Douby is not. Most of us who do not live with the team 7 months a year feel the same way.
Napear: Thanks for the info...Best of luck with your endeavor. I don't think I'll be 1501, because it's not my thing, but like you and your readers I love the Kings too.
I hope my time helped the fans understand a little bit more about the radio business and what I do.
So, for the record, Grant Napear is not an angry person. Not at all. He would never respond to valid questions about his off-putting radio persona with, um, anger. That's just a popular misconception. You obviously don't know anything about Grant Napear if you think he would respond in that way.
I have so many things to say about this that my brain is on overload and I'm about to throw up. So much snark rushing to my head ... must breathe ...
Seriously, though: Thanks to Grant Napear for spending time on the road trip in Denver on his Blackberry answering questions from a random fan. It says ... something. He's nothing if not ... accessible.
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Peaches is Dead. Long Live Peaches.
So... this happened.

To recap: Muff209 wore his Peaches shirt to the game, got on the pregame show, got close enough to the broadcast team to show off his tee... and landed in the Jack Daniels Images of the Game. (kingsTV captured the moment in the above screen-grab.)
Late last night, Mr. Napear himself emailed to ask that we refrain from selling the t-shirts. I suspected this day would come, though perhaps not so soon. I do not begrudge Grant for reserving the right to profit off his own face. We made $27 for the Sacramento SPCA ($3 per shirt, nine shirts sold), and I'm going to match that amount and deliver it to the pound as soon as Spreadshirt cuts the check.
Thanks to Lady Ziller for the flawless execution in creating the design, thanks to everyone who purchased one, thanks to Muff for getting it on T.V., thanks to kingsTV for capturing the magic, and thanks to Grant for not sending rottweilers to my house.
Now, back to basketball.
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Introducing: The 'Peaches' T-Shirt
This, my friends, can be yours for the low, low price of $15.

'Peaches' is the nickname for Sacramento blowhard Grant Napear, as confirmed by reader Muff209. Napear's Wikipedia page referred to the nickname before Sactown Royalty was made aware of the slur. (It has since been removed.)
Why are we making fun of Grant? He's loud. He's a jerk. He's not exactly the most enjoyable TV voice. His radio program will be the death of half of Sacramento males aged 18-34. And... his nickname is 'Peaches.' Come on.
Note that StR won't profit a penny off the sale of these -- 100% of the commission will go to the Sacramento SPCA. (We just don't feel right profiting off the poor sap. Also, we don't want Kenny Thomas to get put down after he gets waived by the team.)
The shirt's available for ladies and gentlemen. You can buy it at Sactown Royalty's Spreadshirt store. That is Sactown Royalty's Spreadshirt store. I repeat: Sactown Royalty's Spreadshirt store.
First person to get a photo of Jim Kozimor holding it up wins two Row T tickets next season.
After the jump, the front design in more detail.
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Channing Frye Responds
A few of us left some comments over on Channing Frye's blog after section214 apprised us of his bold opinions on Monday. Channing took the time (possibly during the 31 minutes he spent on the bench last night) to respond:
I guess cause I'm so spoiled by what a tight city Portland is, that when I visit Sac for a day or two, I don't see what there is to do. But, hey, I'm willing to check things out if you want to send suggestions my way.
Just to be clear though, I don't go partying when I'm on the road and I don't go to strip clubs (and I've never been to Avalon -- what's that about???)
Anyway, y'all, thanks for the comments. I love hearing from everyone.
You heard it, folks. He wants suggestions. The Blazers should be spending Wednesday night in Sactown, so if we round up some options for Frye, I think I can get them to him by then. ("Choke on a Squeezeburger and die" is not an appropriate suggestion. For Frye, at least. Robert Horry? Yes.)
Leave them in the comments.
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