George Takata

George Takata knew exactly what he wanted to do for a living at an early age. Thirteen.

"When I enrolled at Kastner (Intermediate) as an 8th grader, one of the electives was Video Journalism," he recalls. "I didn't even hesitate." Now, George is third longest tenured sportscaster in the valley. George has been the CBS 47 On Your Side Weeknight Sports Anchor since August of 1997, one month after he graduated from Fresno State. George also hosts is own radio show. The George Takata Show airs every Monday-Friday right on 1430 ESPN from 1-2 PM. He is the only TV sportscaster in the valley with his own radio show.

George graduated from Fresno State with a BA in Mass Communication and Journalism. He's also a Clovis West alum (class of 1990) and Fresno City College grad (1993). He has lived in the valley for over 20 years.

The most memorable sporting events George has covered include the NIT Final Four at New York's Madison Square Garden, the 2003 AFC Championship Game between the Tennessee Titans and his beloved Oakland Raiders, and Fresno State's dramatic overtime win over Virginia in the 2004 MPC Computers Bowl. He has interviewed legends such as Bob Mathias, Marcus Allen, and Jerry Rice, as well as future Hall of famers Kobe Bryant, Brett Favre, and Jeff Kent. Takata has been nominated for an Emmy award for his reporting of high school football, and owns a 2006 Associated Press Award for best newscast - an accolade he shares with his CBS 47 6PM news team. George is also active in the community, serving as Master of Ceremonies for the Fresno State Football and Basketball preseason and postseason banquets, as well as weekly Quarterback and Timeout Club luncheons. Takata also emcees Clovis West's football and baseball preseason banquets, and also doubles as the auctioneer. He served as Master of Ceremonies for the Fresno Art Museum's annual fundraising banquet and auction, and has helped raise money for Fresno's Chinatown District, the Oakhurst Boys and Girls Club, and the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation.

George's new passion is calling games live on 1430 ESPN. You can catch him doing the play-by-play of Bulldog womens basketball and softball games from time to time as well.

George and his dogs Harvey and Tony live in Fresno.

This and that about George:

HOBBIES: Traveling, collecting sports DVD's, and shooting the breeze with friends.

FAVORITE TEAMS: Pro - the Raiders, A's, and Sacramento Kings. I'm also a big backer of Fresno State and Clovis West athletics, but I don't play favorites on the air... at least not intentionally.

BEST INTERVIEWS: Pat Hill is my favorite person to talk to on a regular basis, but my most memorable interview is, by far, Marcus Allen. When you get to talk to your favorite athlete of all-time one on one, it's going to overshadow everyone else.

FAVORITE ATHLETES: Allen, Rickey Henderson, and Mitch Richmond.

FAVORITE LOCAL ATHLETES: Wow, there's a lot of them - Billy Volek, Amanda Scott, Ja'vance Coleman, Damon Jackson, Dwayne Wright, David Carr, Paul Pinegar, Chris Hernandez, Ricky Manning Junior, Terrance Roberson, Nick Watney, and Amy Parrish just to name a few. A special mention goes to Chris Herren. That guy always spoke his mind and never avoided the tough questions.

SPORT I WOULD PLAY PROFESSIONALLY: Baseball.

SPORT I COULD PLAY PROFESSIONALLY: Fantasy Baseball.

ROLE MODELS: My parents. I agree with Charles Barkley. Athletes shouldn't be role models. Parents, grandparents, teachers, and mentors should.

SPORTS FANTASY: For all my teams to win World Championships in the same year.

MY TWO CENTS: Tiger Woods has the whitest teeth on earth... Barry Bonds is cheating the game of baseball, but cheating on his wife is his biggest mistake... There needs to be a better marketing plan for Fresno State athletics outside of the Fresno-Clovis area... Pete Rose should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame... Adrian Wiggins is the next Geno Auriemma... Gary Scelzi is the most unappreciated valley athlete I've ever seen... Fresno State needs to retire Amanda Scott and Jamie Southern's numbers... The Fresno Grizzlies uniforms are horrendous... Nick Watney will win a major before 2010... I wish Nike would sponsor me someday.