George Takata
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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 second 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 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, Fresno State's dramatic overtime win over Virginia in the 2004 MPC Computers Bowl, and, his most memorable and exciting assignment, the 2008 College World Series in Omaha, where Fresno State won the national championship.
George has interviewed sports 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 extremely active in the community, serving as Master of Ceremonies for the Fresno State Football, Baseball and Basketball preseason and postseason banquets, and the Fresno Pacific baseball banquet. Takata also emcees Clovis West's football and baseball preseason banquets, and also doubles as the auctioneer. He has 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, the Fresno Diabetic Youth Foundation and the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation.
In 2010, George was recognized as the Valley's Best Sportscaster in the Fresno Bee's annual People's Choice Awards and was also honored as one of Fresno City College's '100 Stars for 100 Years' as part of the school's centennial celebration.
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... 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... Nick Watney will win a major before 2011... Al Davis needs to hand over control of the Raiders to someone else... I wish Nike would sponsor me someday.
