Angelo would have you believe she was coming on to me. I told him he did what he had to do as a football coach, but I did what I had to do as a reporter and write what I saw. They were such a fun team to cover. Two weeks into training camp, an assistant coach named Charlie Gauer approached Didinger after practice was over. MAR 19, 2023. Didinger speaks with pride about being the slowest sportswriter of all time. Youd need someone without that first responsibility who can commit to being in the studio instead of in the field. The way he would describe and explain everything, he knew that not everyone knows what he knows, my dad said. With Ritchie and DeCamara moving to mornings, former Eagle Hugh Douglas and current evening host Joe Giglio will take over the new mid-day show. I forgot. Jody currently does a variety of gigs, including various radio time slots and the Monday to Friday Birds 365 show, so youd have to ask if he wants to do more radio, and if both guys would be open to reuniting for two shows per week. Ray Didinger explains why Van Buren was more than deserving of the honor. Would he do Eagles pregame and postgame? Didinger has refused to own one, and thats not going to change. Ray Didinger on playing professional slow pitch softball | Didinger Files Ray Didinger got juiced up on our Philly vs. Boston special defending the honor of Eagles fans to NBC Sports Boston's Mike Felger. I couldnt help it. To get the message out there to scare the Jets. He says theres no other way he can watch a game other than doing that. It starts with believing that. Tell us about the first time you played football. Sheil also covered the Seattle Seahawks for ESPN. It was remarkable. Saturday, WIP is hosting a party for Didinger during the broadcast, and the expectation is that itll be an upbeat, festive atmosphere. Before his iconic broadcasting career, Cross was the last person to serve as a player-coach for the Eagles. Before the Patriots were the Patriots, the electric quarterback became the first NFL player to throw four touchdowns and rush for 100 yards in a single game. During Eagles Postgame Live, host Michael Barkann could always tell when Didinger needed to get something off his chest. The Philly Special and winning it, and seeing Seth Joyner so emotional, and tears in Governor Ed Rendells eyes; sharing in all of that. She came up to Didinger and started to ask him about boxing and Durans life story. It was a father and a son who were sharing the most joyous moment of their lives as Eagles fans. It was amazing. There will be no tickets sold at the door. The Otho Davis Scholarship Foundation awards dinner reunited 10 members of the Eagles Hall of Fame for a night of memories, laughs, and loathing the Dallas Cowboys. Didingers ability to tell compelling stories has been the one constant. Tell us about your family. PhillyVoice Staff. He wrote his memoir, Finished Business: My Fifty Years of Headlines, Heroes, and Heartaches Hardcover in 2021. Didinger remembers once asking Julius Erving how he made time for everyone. Afterward, Didinger did a Q&A. He doesnt know how to say it in a way that doesnt offend the player, the organization, whatever., Ray knew how to express the same opinion and not offend these people. He knew how to fill it with just the right amount of color and quotes. Its kind of nuts to think about. One of my favorite things to say when things go wrong for the Eagles, Ill say, Ray, thats a disgrace, Ray. They were all in the early 20s, from Flin Flon, Moose Jaw, Smithers British Columbia, and here they were in the big city doing the unthinkable, winning the Stanley Cup and really changing the whole self-image of Philadelphia in so many ways. Those guys shouldnt be punished. Your passion as the best sports city in America lifted my words and gave them resonance. I was a real hero, Didinger said with a laugh. Contact Jim Vankoski at 610-909-4919 or vankoski21@comcast.net or Phil Damiani at 610-565-0476. Its a relationship thats turned into a great friendship. One of my biggest concerns is that I dont do anything other than my work, Didinger said. (WHYY News), Over the weekend, Pro Football Hall of Fame sports writer and broadcaster Ray Didinger said two words live on the radio he had never uttered in his 53-year career. If it were up to Didinger, he wouldve announced his retirement on one of his final shows this weekend. "I'll be an occasional contributor to the new WIP morning show with Joe DeCamera and Jon Ritchie, calling now and then during the NFL draft or the start of a new season, but otherwise I'll be sitting quietly in the bleachers watching my grandsons' basketball games," Didinger said. When he calls quits, Didinger will also be able to do something this fall that even he may not realize: Hes never sat with his son David and watched an Eagles game together. Im not gonna have him in the parking lot shotgunning beers with fans celebrating his retirement, he said. And he threw it on the floor and stormed out of the dining hall. Its just the type of person that he is.. Announced this morning by Cindy Webster, a consultant for It happened in real time. It has to be Dick Vermeil. My take is that the weekend morning/midday show should keep that traditional journalism vibe and stay away from the hoagie mouth callers and hot takes. He stood there and he watched One Shining Moment on the jumbo screen., Sure, hes a little corny. He was honest. Residents say it shouldnt be demolished, Gun violence, opioid crisis dominate Philly mayoral debate on public health. (Fans) all saw him as their real advocate. Maybe you did a search and it took you five secondsI did see a lot of people who said they have to stay up and watch One Shining Moment. This weekend, Macnow and Didinger will co-host two final shows. In 1990, Didinger wrote The Super Bowl: Celebrating a Quarter-Century of America's Greatest Game. The Rams couldn't stop him in 1949. From that day in the dining hall to now, its been a long, long journey, Didinger said. Sheil Kapadia is an NFL senior writer for The Athletic. Thats whats in your memory. Thats what makes it good in the first place, because its a departure from the standard weekday WIP model. In a tearful farewell Sunday, he told listeners of Philadelphia sports talk station WIP they had helped him live his dream. There are a lot of football fans who would look at me and think, Hes too abrasive. Maybe not in the locker room. But I had that same argument in press boxes around the NFL for 30 years whenever people would start bad-mouthing the Philly fans, which they did all the time. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. He said at his age he needs to go enjoy these next years of his life. Didinger said Tuesday that he wanted to be involved in the magic of the Eagles season, in some capacity, and had conversations with his family along with the teams at WIP and NBC Sports Philadelphia. His prior media experiences include working for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Danville Register & Bee, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, WRIC-TV 8News and Audacy Richmond. WebGlen Macnow Ray Didinger - Sat, Sun 10AM-1PM | SportsRadio 94WIP Glen Macnow & Ray Didinger Sat, Sun 10AM-1PM Follow Glen Macnow & Ray Didinger: Glen Macnow But it was those guys. Id never seen him that nervous or starstruck before. It's no surprise Didinger wasn't content to remain on the sideline, given the team's current trajectory. Added Cataldi, It wasnt contrived. He also lives in my house. That is the single greatest moment in Philadelphia sports history, no doubt in my mind about that. He closed stadiums because it took him a really, really long time. I dont want him to be my spokesman. The Rams thought Roman Gabriel was finished. (Courtesy of Glen Macnow), a story about how Didinger and his son, David, would forever be linked. 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). He announced the news on Sundays 94 WIP show alongside Glen Macnow. But the one point I really wanted to make, and this is 100 percent true, was that for years, the Boston fans didnt give a damn about the Patriots. Patrons are required to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours before showtime before entering the theater. The fact is, Im proof that you can be both. This is all an attempt and I give the Packers credit, its creative to scare the Jetstheyre going to make the deal, and its going to happen soon., I didnt put it out there to get attention. Didinger retired last year after 53 years covering the Eagles, becoming a trusted fixture on NBC Sports Philadelphia's "Eagles Postgame Live" and on WIP's weekend shows with co-host Glen Macnow. Current host Angelo Cataldi will retire after the Eagles' playoff run concludes, making way for Jon Ritchie and Joe DeCamara to take the early slot Cataldi has manned for more than three decades. Yeah, I kind of did, because I spent one year as a news reporter for the Delaware County Times. Ill always remember him pulling me aside walking off the practice field and remember him saying, Youre undermining my program. I told him I didnt know what he meant exactly. And a stroke wouldn't slow him down nearly 40 years later. And Im so clueless. But it would be nice to sit in the stands and watch a ballgame with him. When Ray Didinger announced earlier this month that hed be retiring, the first thing I did was text my dad. 4.6 292 Ratings. Nothing is really changing in Jim Nantzs world, and frankly, Ian Eagle will probably do a better job.. Ray believes in knowing it, studying it and reading it on paper. I never wanted to leave. He returned on-air back to NBC sports for the 2022-2023 NFL Playoffs. One of Macnows favorite things about their show is when someone gets under Didingers skin. Didinger had something to say. Social Media:Follow us onTwitter|Facebook|Instagram. He was doing his job and I was doing mine. He was almost always right.. Well talk. Vermeil didnt exactly appreciate his candor. We did have a replacement for you, and he costs a lot less. All rights reserved. So youre not wrong. Didinger, 76, previously announced in December that he'll return to "Eagles Postgame Live" for the team's playoff run, which begins Saturday night with a divisional round showdown against the rival New York Giants. Its been overwhelming, said Didinger, who has been staying up until 3 a.m. many nights responding to emails. What people see on TV and what people hear on radio, thats him. There was no wink-wink innuendo there. Put up a plaque on the wall, or even name the workroom behind the press box after him, etc. So he picked Pebble Beach. Didinger said theyd be OK. Its a stone-cold disgrace! Barkann said. It took an event like that to tap into that. But he returned in 1978. Ray loved football and played defensive end in Youth Football for Folsom Boys Club Vince Papale played for Glenolden, and he beat Didinger on a 99-yard touchdown run. You happened to be that lemon, Roberts said. Didinger said. Everything I read, everything I consumed involves sports in one way or another. Id also keep the Tell Us Your Story segment, since its unique and works on the weekends. Other than my wife, theres nobody with whom I spend more time and share more secrets, Macnow said. Then David told me he got the shot of Nick Foles telling Doug Pederson about the Philly Special, a play that will live forever. He has authored or co-authored 11 books, including his recent memoir Finished Business, which was published in 2021. Then the game is played, and the game turned out the way it did. When David was young, he would go to Eagles games with his parents and watch from the players tunnel. pic.twitter.com/ekNfPyb8cf. That was my dads last Hall of Fame vote and I remember him saying it was so weird that he got on a plane and flew back home. So when I stop doing that, now the question is: Now what do I do? I told them, no, no, no, I dont that kind of television. The two have been to many NFL games together. Your expressions of gratitude and support have meant so much, and I thank you with all of my heart. ', He said, But I respect the fact that I think youre really trying. That feels like so long ago.'. I would tend to use a sledgehammer. Theres built-in chemistry and familiarity, institutional knowledge and the old school, straightforward sports talk vibe. Yet it took a few weeks.. The dining hall, though? WebHall of Fame journalist Ray Didinger gave an emotional sign off from WIP Sunday. Theyve been down for 12 years. I never saw a guy so driven, and Ive seen some great ones. He was able to find the right words to express the point. That was Vermeils third season. It has been a joy and a privilege, he said. So thats a little bit of a concern.. After 53 years, Ray Didinger is retiring and Sunday, May 29th was his final show with Glen Macnow. It was art. He threw his hands up and walked away. Im left standing in the middle of this room with everybody looking at me, and I had the paper laying at my feet. Didinger transitioned from newspapers to NFL Films and won six Emmy Awards as a writer and producer. Because they have to believe that before they actually do it. For more information, visit www.delcosportsmuseum.org. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. Going along with my earlier thought, I think you could turn to one of the former Inquirer guys as well. They knew when Ray wrote something, the players knew that he knew what he was talking about, and thats the way it came across. My dad taught me a lot of things in my life. Since their Super Bowl victory over the Eagles, Chiefs fans have been supporting Jason Kelce's(Be) Philly Foundation. Im an Xs and Os guy. I would probably watch it now because Im more in tune to things outside the game, but growing up, I just wanted to watch the game. As the time is nearing to his last broadcast, Ray took the time to pick out what were his best teams to cover, best athletes, best coaches, and some of the worst to cover and most memorable moments. Free shipping for many products! Everyone told me after it was over that I was great, but I was embarrassed, because I dont like doing that type of TV. I dont play tennis. If you just checked it out on the internet, and this is an Old Man Yells at Cloud stuff, the only was no other choice to stay up and see it live, and that was it. You cant replace somebody like Ray in terms of quality, but both outlets are going to have to put somebody else in the chair that hell be sitting in for a few more weeks, so I did some brainstorming and came up with a few ideas: Here are three thoughts on a possible direction for Rod Lakin and David Yadgaroff: My immediate thought was that Jody Mac comes back and does a permanent weekend reunion with Glen Macnow. He previously covered the Philadelphia Eagles for The Athletic and for Philadelphia Magazine's Birds 24/7 site. Didinger's involvement will be relatively limited, as he still wants to be mostly retired. I realize the title of this article amounts to a rhetorical question of sorts. Fifty-three years ago, the Eagles tied an NFL record with nine interceptions in a single game against the Steelers. The Eagles haven't been in position to defend a title since 1961. It was a father and a privilege, he said could turn to one of dining! 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