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Damon Bruce

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Damon Bruce
Damon Bruce at the San Jose State football homecoming pre-game event in 2012.
Born
Damon Matthew Bruce

(1975-03-25) 25 March 1975 (age 49)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materIndiana University Bloomington
Career
ShowDamon, Ratto, and Kolsky Show
StationKGMZ
Time slotWeekdays, 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. PST
StyleSports radio host
CountryUnited States

Damon Matthew Bruce (born March 25, 1975)[1] is an American sports radio host who used to host the Damon and Ratto (with Ray Ratto) on KGMZ-FM "95.7 the Game" in San Francisco, California. The Duo was replaced in a station shuffle in March 2023.

An Indiana University Bloomington graduate, Bruce began his radio career in the late 1990s as a producer with KNBR in San Francisco. He later hosted Sports Overnight America and became a reporter for the ESPN Radio and Sporting News Radio networks. After stints in Columbus, Ohio and Fort Wayne, Indiana, Bruce re-joined KNBR 680 in 2005 to host Sportsphone 680. From 2010 to 2014, Bruce hosted an afternoon talk show on KNBR's sister station KTCT "KNBR 1050" and joined CBS Sports Radio in 2013. Bruce also hosted pre-game and post-game shows for KNBR coverage of San Francisco 49ers and San Francisco Giants games. At the end of March 2014, he joined 95.7 the Game as the weekday late afternoon host.[2]

Early life

Bruce was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Schenectady, New York.[3] He attended Linton High School and graduated from Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons High School of Schenectady in 1993. After attending Iona College for a year, Bruce transferred to Indiana University Bloomington and graduated with a degree in broadcasting in 1997.[4][5][6][7]

Radio career

Beginnings at KNBR, national networks, and Sportsphone 680 (1997–2010)

Bruce was a producer with KNBR 680 of San Francisco before leaving in 2000 to be a host on Sports Overnight America. Bruce later became an anchor-reporter for ESPN Radio and ESPN International.[8][9] Later, he was a fill-in host on Fox Sports Radio and Sporting News Radio.[9] Until December 2004, Bruce co-hosted afternoon drive-time show The Big Show with Kirk Herbstreit on Columbus, Ohio sports station 1460 the Fan.[10][11] In March 2005, Bruce became morning announcer at news/talk station WOWO of Fort Wayne, Indiana before rejoining KNBR as host of evening show Sportsphone 680 in October 2005.[8][12][13]

The Damon Bruce Show (2010–present)

The Damon Bruce Show
GenreSports
Running time4 hours (3 to 7 p.m. PT)
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
Home stationKNBR October 2005 - Feb 2010 KTCT (March 1, 2010–March 10, 2014)
KGMZ (March 31, 2014–present)
Hosted byDamon Bruce
Recording studioSan Francisco, California
Original releaseMarch 1, 2010
Opening theme"Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" by The Killers[14]
Websitewww.957thegame.com/pages/18560236.php
Podcastmedia.957thegame.com/damon-bruce.htm

After leaving SportsPhone 680, Bruce began hosting the noon-3 p.m. The Damon Bruce Show on sister station KTCT "KNBR 1050" on March 1, 2010.[15] For a few weeks in 2011, Bruce returned to KNBR 680 to co-host the 9 a.m. to noon show with Gary Radnich.[16] after a month Bruce returned to his show on 1050 and former SportsPhone680 host Larry Krueger began co-hosting with Gary. On the Damon Bruce show, Bruce comments on Bay Area and national sports and interviews journalists, athletes, and coaches.

During the San Francisco Giants's championship season in 2012, the team revoked Bruce's press credentials for the postseason. The Giants were unhappy that Bruce had tweeted revealing photos he had taken of women in T-shirts wet from champagne during a clubhouse celebration after they clinched their division.[17][18]

In November 2013, Bruce delivered an eight-minute rant accusing the increased prevalence of women in sports journalism and discussion for, among other things, fostering public criticism of accused Miami Dolphins football player Richie Incognito, who was accused of bullying teammate Jonathan Martin.[19] Beginning by acknowledging his words would be seen as misogynist, but that he was "so right," Bruce stated that "there are very few, a small handful, of women who are any good at this at all," and proclaimed "you see, I'm willing to share my sandbox as long as you're willing to remember: You're in my box." His comments generated a storm of media controversy and public outcry, culminating in his temporary suspension from KNBR 1050's "The Damon Bruce Show," and being stripped of his job broadcasting during San Francisco 49ers pre-game shows.[20]

Bruce's last show on KTCT was on March 10, 2014. The following day, competing station KGMZ "95.7 the Game" announced that Bruce would become the 3-7 p.m. host effective March 31.[21][22]

On March 9, 2023, Bruce was let go[23] by KGMZ "95.7 the Game" in an apparent cost-cutting move by Audacy. Bruce has since announced on social media he will be starting the "Damon Bruce Sports" podcast.

CBS Sports Radio (2013–2014)

Bruce joined the CBS Sports Radio network in 2013 as host of a weekly baseball talk show that premiered on April 20, Eye on Baseball. The show aired on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon (Eastern).[24] Following from noon to 2 p.m. was a national version of The Damon Bruce Show. These shows ended in August 2013, and in January 2014, Bruce returned to CBS Sports Radio in the Saturday 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Eastern) time slot. Bruce left CBS Sports Radio after leaving KTCT, a CBS Sports Radio affiliate.

Damon Bruce Plus

Bruce now runs his own streaming podcast on Youtube and Apple Podcasts; Damon Bruce Plus (pronounced "Pluce"). Damon has over 5,000 subscribers.

Video games

Damon is the halftime host of 2K Sports' video game NBA 2K11, NBA 2K12, NBA 2K13 and NBA 2K14.[citation needed]

Bruce is also the play-by-play voice for the video game, The Bigs, released in June 2007 by 2K Sports.[25][26]

The Bigs 2 was released on July 7, 2009. Bruce returns as the play-by-play announcer.[27]

Bibliography

  • Bruce, Damon (2009), The Great Book of San Francisco Bay Area Sports Lists, Philadelphia: Running Press Book Publishers, ISBN 978-0762435210

References

  1. ^ Twitter post on March 25, 2010
  2. ^ "95.7 the GAME - the Damon Bruce Show". Archived from the original on 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  3. ^ Bruce, Damon. "Born in Chicago, but bred in "The Nack". “@c3const55: @DamonBruce are you from Schenectady?”" Twitter. February 1, 2013.
  4. ^ "Damon Bruce - Linton High School - Schenectady, NY".
  5. ^ Schott, Ken (May 20, 2011). "Schenectady's Damon Bruce featured in Saturday's Behind the Broadcast". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  6. ^ Hartlaub, Peter (July 4, 2012). "KNBR's Damon Bruce: The Story of My Favorite T-shirt". The Big Event. SFGate.com. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  7. ^ Damon Bruce Show, March 10, 2014, hour 1 podcast. Bruce says he went to Iona at the 12:20 mark.
  8. ^ a b "Damon Bruce". KNBR. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Kroner, Steve (October 18, 2005). "KNBR fills Krueger's 'Sportsphone' slot". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  10. ^ "Changes" (PDF). The Main Street Communicator Network Tattler. December 17, 2004.
  11. ^ Biddle, Dave (November 17, 2004). "Analysis: ESPN Vs. Ohio State". Scout.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  12. ^ Dooley, Mike (October 24, 2005). "WOWO's wattage: Don't count on it". The News-Sentinel. Fort Wayne, Indiana. Archived from the original on December 23, 2005. Speaking of WOWO, Damon Bruce, one of its daytime announcers, left last week to take a job as host of a radio sports talk show in the San Francisco area.
  13. ^ "WOWO". The Indiana Radio Archive. January 1, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  14. ^ "Music used on The Damon Bruce Show". KNBR. Archived from the original on March 21, 2011.
  15. ^ http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151301482974147&id=325141544146 [user-generated source]
  16. ^ Fong-Torres, Ben (November 9, 2012). "Radnich still on his game after 20 years". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  17. ^ Cohn, Lowell (March 12, 2014). "Lowell Cohn: Radio station's decision to hire Damon Bruce a desperate move". The Press Democrat. Archived from the original on March 24, 2014.
  18. ^ "Lowell Cohn was right – Giants revoked Damon Bruce's 2012 postseason credential". Bay Area Sports Guy. March 14, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  19. ^ "KNBR host Damon Bruce tells women to get off his sports lawn".
  20. ^ "Sports Radio Host Damon Bruce Suspended After Misogynistic Rant, Will Return". HuffPost. 12 November 2013.
  21. ^ "Huge shakeup at 95.7 the Game – Damon Bruce in, Rise Guys out – Bay Area Sports Guy".
  22. ^ "95.7 the GAME - the Bay Area's New Sound for Sports - Programming Announcement March.18.2014". Archived from the original on 2014-04-18. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  23. ^ "Damon Bruce, Ray Ratto out at 95.7 The Game in apparent money-saving move".
  24. ^ "CBS Sports Radio Adds 'Eye On Baseball,' 'Eye On Basketball'". All Access Music Group. April 19, 2013.
  25. ^ The Bigs Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ "The Bigs review". Archived from the original on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  27. ^ "The BIGS 2". PC World. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
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