Rendell, Barkann and Vaughn Hebron knew enough to defer and as if on cue, Didinger, responded: No question, it is Norm Van Brocklin. Quote Tweet. In July 1980 Didinger accepted an offer from the Daily News which had become the best sports section in town to write a column, and he spent the next 16 years writing three essays a week in what is arguably the best sports town in the country. Ray Didinger has done it all over five decades of covering professional sports, bringing warmth and wisdom to every role. But Didinger, whose grandfather, a bar owner in southwest Philly, took him to his first Eagles game at Connie Mack Stadium in 1956 the home opener, and the Eagles beat the Redskins 13-9 in a driving rainstorm on a Saturday night got it right. It is hard to quantify how effective advertising ever is, but Dennis Slack, the founder of Slacks Hoagies, can: We started our business in 1988, and we started advertising on WIP the next year because it is the perfect way to reach males 18 years of age and up. With the ESPN Player mobile apps you can watch your sports at home or on the go. I wish you and your families health, happiness, and more Super Bowl parades. After more than two decades, Ray Didinger turned off the mic on his final show on Sports Radio WIP. Submit a Podcast. His nickname was Nauga,[citation needed] after the animated character used in commercials for Naugahyde. T0M SHIRLEY - BASKETBALL COACH - LOU CAPPIELLA. The hour is growing late but Didinger is having fun but agrees to a lightning round on various topics: I am always amazed by how much the governor knows about the game. Ray Didinger Journalism Scholarship Recipient Dean's List: Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021 // Journalism Department Top Scholar 2021, 2022 Temple University Likewise, I thought I saw the Motley Crue farewell in 2015 and now theyre playing with Def Leppard in Atlantic City next month. The Phillies going to the World Series, the Eagles are 10-1, I dont think any of us thought it was going to be this kind of run. ANTHONY "ROCKY" BONOMO - WRESTLER - LUZERNE-JOHN POPPLE. He and Jerry Kramer were the pulling guards on Vince Lombardis teams that went 9-1 in the postseason. AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/MI/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. It was also common to hear the two talk about movies, since both are avid movie fans. June 30, 2022 "I knew, or at least I believed, that this is probably the last thing I'm ever going to write," Ray Didinger told me over Zoom as we discussed his memoir, Finished Business: My Fifty Years of Headlines, Heroes, and Heartaches. Ray Didinger watches a rehearsal for "Tommy and Me." ", Central Bucks teachers protest flurry of anti-LGBTQ policies and directives, In a male-dominated construction industry, this Philly woman seeks to empower others, What should be the focus for Philly's next mayor? !, Never mind letting yourselves down, never mind letting your employer down, never mind letting your fans down, you let the great P.A. Didinger plays from the baseline, allowing his colleagues to volley from the net. I never really had to open a book and look up a record or a statistic because I knew it all. Also similar to Ozzy Osbourne doing the first No More Tours in 1992 and then continuing to tour for 30 more years. 1900 Rittenhouse Sq Apt 15b, Philadelphia, PA 19103-6044, 3840 El Poinier Ct, Sarasota, FL 34232-4619. A year later, Wilson served up the biggest plum in the department the Eagles beat. This week, a legendary Philadelphia sportswriter will make his debut as a playwright. Emails: . Are you in? [1], Born to Raymond and Marie Didinger, and raised in Folsom, Pennsylvania, Didinger graduated from St. James High School in 1964. A local legend is walking away from the NFL, as Philadelphia sports media legend and Pro Football Hall Of Fame writer Ray Didinger announced his retirement on his Sunday morning radio show with Glen Macnow. Boom," Didinger said, dropping the mic on Wilbon's comment. Addresses.com does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). is the saddest thing ever. I dont blame him. PARX, SUGARHOUSE, VALLEY FORGE BIG JULY WINNERS! The Redskins are done with RG3, but that does not mean, By Michael Grimm The Eagles recovered from a sucky first half to dominate the Giants. Heres more reaction from across the media and sports world to Didingers retirement: Ray Didinger (left), seen here alongside 6ABC reporter Jillian Mele and 94.1 WIP co-host Glen Macnow at Conshohocken Brewing Co. in 2016. In the course of 53 years, Didingers work has been showcased across multiple platforms: newspapers, books, radio, and television. He is one of only two Philly writers honored by the Pro Football Hall of fame, and his 26 years of beat reporting for the Bulletin and Daily News and his 10 years as a producer for NFL Films and now eight more with CSNPhilly.com have earned him the respect and deference of fans and colleagues. Crossing Broad is owned and operated by CB Sports LLC, Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. RAY DIDINGER RETURNS TO SAVE 'EAGLES POSTGAME LIVE' FROM ITSELF! All Rights Reserved. Being able to do what Ive done was a blessing, but being able to do it in Philadelphia for a lifetime is the greatest blessing of all., Didinger says hes in good health and will continue to promote his play Tommy and Me.. This sports consumption made him a true Philly sports fan. As a child, Didinger spent a lot of time with McDonald at Eagles training camp in Hershey, Pennsylvania. 2023 PeopleConnect, Inc. d/b/a Addresses.com. More than 10,000 live sports events, ESPN Originals and ESPN Films on-demand. A sigh of relief was heard in living rooms of the 50-and-over set all over Philadelphia. It obviously takes a high degree of skill and dexterity. If Rendell had answered, the former mayor and governor who moved here from Manhattan in the fall of 1961 to attend Penn and therefore missed Van Brocklins local magic by a year might have said Ron Jaworski, who QBd the Birds to the Super Bowl in 1981. Maria Gallagher is best recognized for being the partner of Ray Didinger, a Philadelphia sports activities actions media veteran who coated the Philadelphia Eagles for a few years and simply recently launched his retirement. However, neither are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. And just like that, one of the greatest sports scribes Philadelphia has ever known one of the few to cover the Flyers, 76ers, Phillies, and the Eagles national championships moved to retirement, away from the press box with an eye on becoming a regular spectator. Fifty-three years later, hes saying goodbye. The fourth down chances he takes, the brilliant decisions he makes. IS A HEALED ROBERT GRIFFIN III HEADED TO THE EAGLES IN 2016? Never mind letting yourselves down, never mind letting your employer down, never mind letting your fans down, you let the great P.A. ", Ray Didinger fights back tears as he announces his retirement: "I just want all of you to know how much I appreciate your friendship and support. So I tried to approach going to Franklin Field to cover an Eagles game the same way I walked in the media courthouse to cover a trial. He said this on the air! So when I told him over dinner that night, I said I was going to work for a hundred and a quarter.. Didinger, who was a talk show host on 94 WIP Sports Radio and a football analyst for NBC Sports Philadelphia for more than 25 years, will delve into his career, passions and more for one night only. "Lets have fun with the time that we have left," Didinger said announcing his retirement after 53 years covering Philly sports. During the height of the pandemic when there were no sports events to cover, Didinger and his radio co-host on WIP, Glen Macnow, imagined a long-form interview program they called Tell Me Your Story. The show allowed the hosts to take their time getting to speak with and understand the lives of many sports legends they had covered in their decades-long careers. Tony Dungy is bland and boring in that role. "Just because of the way things have gone in the city. When the Eagles finally hoist the Lombardi Trophy, Didinger does his best to straddle the emotions of a working reporter and a long-suffering Philly fan. How do you go from Do you believe in miracles? to Theres a flag on the field?. Before they changed the rules in 1978, to prevent contact after the receiver ran five yards downfield, it would be John Unitas. And whats sadder than sad P.A.?. That decade of defeat saw as many winning Eagles seasons (two) as new owners, and the latest proprietor Leonard Tose would turn out to be as much a curse as a blessing. Hamlins recovery continues, still in critical condition. By Peter Gleason Let's be honest. 24, 2022, 5:05 a.m. Former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Tommy McDonald and sportswriter/author Ray Didinger in 2016. And the best part about it was after the game, my son was there shooting the game for NFL Films. Dom Giordano welcomes in legendary Philadelphia sports journalist Ray Didinger back onto the Dom Giordano Program for a conversation centered on football and the NFL. Didingers son David, a camera operator for NBC Sports Philadelphia, joined the networks Phillies broadcast Sunday to congratulate his father. Hour 1 of today's show. Angelo Cataldi: Could Al Michaels Just Quit Already? That first year was a real learning experience, Didinger says. Didinger is married to Philadelphia magazine restaurant critic Maria Gallagher and has two children, David and Kathleen. My dad would take me to Hershey during training camp and I immediately loved him. Their flasks were hidden in their coats, along with the money used to generously tip the ushers. They made sure he was getting one playoff game, but they didnt bring the partner from Amazon, Kirk Herbstreit. Ray Didinger, a Philadelphia sports media legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer who spent decades covering the Philadelphia Eagles, announced his retirement Sunday. Pro Football Hall of Fame football writer and SportsRadio 94.1 WIP host Ray Didinger was so surprised by Wilbon's comments that the straight-laced host responded in an uncharacteristically flamboyant way on Wednesday's Mike and Ike show. This site should not be used to determine an individual's eligibility for credit, insurance, employment, housing or any other purpose covered by the FCRA. Didinger hosted shows from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays for 94WIP. I have always been at the right place at the right time.. Just stop it. Thats what I believe. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Didinger wrote his first edition of The Eagles Encyclopedia in 2005 with Robert S. Lyons and co-wrote The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies in 2009 with good friend and radio co-host Glen Macnow. 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Former 94WIP host and Philadelphia Daily News and NBC Sports Philadelphia writer Ray Didinger retired earlier this year, but he told Angelo Cataldi hes remained busy even though he stepped away from his media career. Didinger had a hard time selling that figure to his dad, a vice president at a local steel company. WATCH FREE MAN MEEK MILLS 1ST INTERVIEW ON NBC! Since the debut of Eagles Pregame Live in 1998, Didinger has been a beloved member of the NBC Sports Philadelphia family. down, he said. Changelog. NFL announces Bills-Bengals game wont be resumed. The seven . Penn games at Franklin Field was where the fur- and polo-coat set came to see the game and be seen. Heres an article from 2014 that sums him up, and then some! In 2015, a frustrated Didinger criticized former head coach Chip Kelly after a loss, and though his words would barely qualify as a rant, his remarks carried weight because he so rarely lost his temper on air. My name and my phone number are on way too many rolodexes all around the country. Didinger covered the NFL for The Philadelphia Bulletin and The Philadelphia Daily News for over 25 years and in 1995 his name was added to writer's honor roll in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, WIP reported. Didinger credits Bell with creating the player draft, negotiating a merger with the All-America Football Conference, negotiating the first network TV contract, supporting the formation of the players association, creating the concept of sudden-death overtime, and negotiating and creating the concept of revenue sharing. Ray Didinger is a Sports Columnist at Philadelphia Eagles based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. news. It appeared that Sixers coach Brett Brown had, By Michael Donovan As if the reeling needed more bad news after last nights disastrous 27-20 loss to the Cowboys: Eagles coach Doug Pederson confirmed. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Writer's Honor Roll. But I feel its time to go, Didinger told listeners Sunday. CHECK OUT KEVIN HAYES 3-GOAL NIGHT IN FLYERS WIN! Didinger covered the Eagles for 53 years, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia, for whom he was a pre and postgame analyst. And Mike Rathet, who hired me and was a great boss, said no. July 01, 2022. Chartable Radio @ChartableDotCom Tell us about the first time you played football. Barkann and company were holding forth on SportsNet after another galling Eagles loss, and the time had come to accept e-mail questions for the viewers. NBC10's Tracy Davidson catches up with the Philly sports legend on what he's looking forward to most, and . Rome added that he thought disappointing Allen was the worst of all for the NFC North champs. He never told you who won the game! Didinger said he wanted to spend more time with his wife and family.[3]. Ray Didinger (third from left) can be seen on NBC Sports Philadelphia's Eagles Postgame Live during the football season. BBC "Newshour" covers everything from the growth of democracy to the threat of terrorism with a fresh, clear perspective from across the globe. pic.twitter.com/ekNfPyb8cf. Sportswriter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. a frustrated Didinger criticized former head coach Chip Kelly after a loss, WIP host Angelo Cataldi to retire in 2022, The two shared tears of joy on air following the Eagles 2018 Super Bowl win, California residents do not sell my data request. [email protected] Service status. He enjoyed his time off but it's almost go time, and the man is back pic.twitter.com/c0xlchkSIk, NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) December 25, 2022. I loved the people I worked with, and Im proud of what we built. Eligibility restrictions apply. I had no idea everyone in the world has a podcast so Ive been getting all those calls. Football America resulted in one of four Emmy Awards Didinger racked up, and his documentary on Dick Vermeil A Coach for All Seasons was awarded best biography in 2000. Ray Didinger is making a triumphant return to Eagles Postgame Live Dec 24, 2022 Eagles Ray Didinger is making a triumphant return to Eagles Postgame Live for the Birds' incoming postseason run! She was fantastic talking about, you know, how she grew up on the hardscrabble courts of North Philadelphia, playing basketball with the guys and then became a great college player and Olympian and then wound up being such a distinguished multi-medal winner that she wound up carrying the U.S. flag at one of the Summer Olympic Games., One of the most touching things was her saying that while walking into that stadium and carrying the American flag, she asked herself, how did a little girl from North Philadelphia find herself in this position? Just like the Giants, the Eagles didnt really, By Tommy Matthews Joel Embiid finished with 41 points and the 76ers recovered after blowing a 14-point, first-half lead to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, By By Harvey Hoffman James Harden struggled to finish with just six points (1-for-6 FGs), three rebounds, nine assists, one steal, one block and three, By Lewis Gould Tyrese Maxey was a beast off the bench with 22 points (7-for-12 FGs), two rebounds, two assists, one steal and three 3-pointers, By Ben Sullivan Joel Embiid dominated the Clippers with 41 points (12-for-22 FGs, 15-for-18 FTs), nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks, two threes and five, Hat Trick Hayesy. In fact, DeCamara and Ritchie agree that the city as a whole has been too harsh on the second-year coordinator, who has led the Eagles to a season where they finished . Hall of Fame journalist Ray Didinger gave an emotional sign off from WIP Sunday. Audacy Pennsylvania, LLC | SportsRadio 94WIP, TheEntercom web sitehas job postings for WIP and other Entercom radio stations around the country. The man has earned it too. The announcement stunned those who followed his career and regard him as the foremost authority and voice of . The NFL won't resume the Bills-Bengals game that was suspended Monday night after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and went into cardiac arrest on the field. We had seven $3 tickets for that game in the lower east stands at Franklin Field. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. It means more to mean than words can ever express." He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. Didingers coverage of Super Bowl LII in which the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots 41-33 was a blissful time for this fan and writer. He even wrote a play called Tommy and Me. Its the story of Tommy McDonald, the great Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, whom Didinger met when he was a 10-year-old fan and McDonald was an Eagles rookie. So go find a job at a smaller paper and lets keep in touch.. His next game of the '19 season against the Giants was his best one, where he tallied over 140 yards and three total rush touchdowns. After 1978, Joe Montana. Fuzzy, which is how he was known to millions of fans, was also part of a sensation. Joe Canuso and Ray Didinger. One of the worst-kept secrets in Philadelphia sports was Ray Didingers pending un-retirement. Didinger and Macnow co-wrote a book entitled The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies, featuring what they both considered the all-time best in cinema sports dramas, published and released in 2009. This is not easy for me. Please check your email for a confirmation. His prior media experiences include working for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Danville Register & Bee, Virginia Lawyers Weekly and ABC 8News. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. And he came and found where we were doing the postgame show. Raymond Didinger in the US. It means more to mean than words can ever express." CHECK OUT EAGLES DEVONTA SMITHS TOE-DRAG-FOR-A-TD! 2023 ESPN Sports Media Ltd. Hall of Fame sports writer Ray Didinger announces retirement after 53 years of covering the Eagles Glenn Erby May 8, 2022 11:45 am ET Ray Didinger fights back tears as he announces his. I grew up watching these teams. Chartable. "I've written thousands upon thousands of words, but never the word goodbye," Didinger said. If you love doing something, do it until you physically cant or the passion is gone, which obviously is not. Poor Louise. For him, it wasnt entertainment it was craft, Hayes said on WIP Monday. Posted September 25, 2020 . While criticising Kay, Giannotti could not identify Rosenberg, only calling him whatever his face. Angelo Cataldi has never been one to shy away from his feelings about any topic, and has been especially outspoken on his criticism of different broadcasters. Upon graduating from Temple University, he spent a year as a general assignment reporter for the Delaware County Times. A few weeks ago, he went crazy on a bad game and just ripped it apart. Al Michaels was the target of Cataldis ire Monday morning for his lackluster performance during the Super Wild Card matchup on NBC Saturday. And trust me, I will see you there.. I hate that so much, Rome said Monday. OFFICIAL: The great Ray Didinger will be joining @SportsRadioWIP @WIPMorningShow when the new morning show starts! In retirement, he plans to spend more time with his wife and family. I have always loved Ray and Glen [Macnow]. Ray is the only print journalist to cover the Flyers' Stanley Cup Championships, the Phillies 1980 World Series Championship, the 76ers Championship in 1983-84 and the now-legendary Philadelphia Eagles victory in Super Bowl 52 over the New England Patriots. Ray Didinger joins the show to share his thoughts on how the Eagles are entering the playoffs and who he wants to face. Deposit bonus requires 25x play-thru. ESPN Player offers a multisport line-up, streaming a diverse mix of sports programming live and on-demand from across the ESPN Network. Acclaimed sports journalist and NFL Hall of Famer Ray Didinger embodies that idea with his autobiographical play "Tommy and Me," following his friendship with the popular Eagles football player and his campaign to get McDonald into the NFL Hall of Fame. We did 108 Tell Us Your Stories in two years, he explained, including one that focused on the life of basketball player and coach Dawn Staley of Philadelphia. Which undoubtedly did little to endear Didinger to general manager Pete Retzlaff, the tight end on the 1960 title team, and the players who had become used to the tender mercies of Brown, the longtime Bulletin beat writer whom Didinger replaced. I met with the editor, Arthur Mayhew, who was very nice and told me, Normally, we require a writing test but I have a gut feeling about you, so Ill waive that requirement, Didinger recalls of that meeting 46 years ago. Dec 25, 2022 Sirianni on Minshew's play and Hurts' status for Week 17 Dec 24, 2022 On Thursday's Mornings with Angelo Cataldi, Didinger elaborated. A RARE OFF NIGHT FOR HARDEN, BUT HE STILL DROPPED 9 DIMES! Nobody would talk to me on the teams charter flights which was another lesson: I probably shouldnt have been flying with the team because the players get a sense that the writers are therefore part of the team.. One off upfront payment for 12 months of live and on-demand sports. Ray has been a beloved member of the CSN/NBCSP family since the debut of Eagles Pregame Live in 1998, and we wish him the very best.Thank you, Ray pic.twitter.com/1MllBCEPGK. One day, I offered to do a feature on the best team in our area, Ridley High, and Mayhew said, Youre pretty good but youre not ready for Ridley yet.. One of Super Wild Card Weekends biggest upsets came in the Giants/Vikings game on Sunday afternoon, and Vikings radio voice Paul Allen obviously wasnt thrilled about the final offensive play. How about coach Jerry Williams? A good example of his status occurred in 2005, during the goat rope that the Eagles season had turned into. Glossary. Call 1-800-GAMBLER (IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Please disable your ad blocker so we can continue delivering your content. L-18. A diehard Eagles fan, I have listened to Sports Radio 94WIP radio with Glen Macnow and Ray Didinger pre-game to get focused for Eagles games. Read, rate and discuss on Football Alliance - the Ultimate Football Network Id like [fans] to think that I was honest, Didinger told WIP morning show host Angelo Cataldi on Monday. Dean Obeidallah Is Not Your Ordinary Talk Radio Host, Sports Radios Fall Book Ratings Recap (Mid Markets), Prop Queen Ariel Epstein Continues Growing Sports Media Empire, Giannotti was critical of he and La Greca. Hebron, who was a running back with the Eagles for two years when Randall Cunningham was a dazzling presence, might have voted for him. I was your classic only child. Avid listeners of sports radio in the region will not want to miss this intimate evening with legendary sports journalist Ray Didinger on Sept. 7. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University and past bylines include Philly Voice, Philly Views, MLSSoccer.com, Philadelphiaunion.com, the Canadian Press, and the Philly Soccer Page. FOR REDSKINS, RG3 NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THE FUTURE, JON STEWART APOLOGIZES TO PHILLIP E. PHANATIC. Then he asked me if I would like to help produce the film, and I jumped at the chance but it was going to take a year so I needed to take a leave of absence from the Daily News to do it.