Ray Didinger

Last updated
Ray Didinger
Bernie Parent Ray Didinger (cropped).jpg
Didinger in 2023
Born (1946-09-18) September 18, 1946 (age 77)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma mater Temple University
Occupation(s) Sportswriter, Sports commentator
Employer NBC Sports Philadelphia
TelevisionEagles Pre and Post Game Live
SpouseMaria Gallagher
ChildrenDavid, Kathleen
Awards Awards

Ray Didinger (born September 18, 1946) is an American sportswriter, radio personality, sports commentator author and screenwriter. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Writer's Honor Roll. [1]

Contents

Early life

Born to Raymond and Marie Didinger, and raised in Folsom, Pennsylvania, Didinger graduated from St. James High School in 1964. He received a B.S. in Communications from Temple University in 1968. His nickname was Nauga,[ citation needed ] after the animated character used in commercials for Naugahyde. Didinger spent four years doing sports radio for WRTI, a public radio station owned by Temple, and served as the station's Sports Director. [2]

Career

Author

In 1990, Didinger wrote The Super Bowl: Celebrating a Quarter-Century of America's Greatest Game. He co-authored Football America: Celebrating Our National Passion along with Don Shula in 1996 and co-wrote The Eagles Encyclopedia with Robert S. Lyons in 2005. Didinger also co-wrote The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies with fellow-Philadelphia radio personality Glen Macnow in 2009. He wrote his memoir, Finished Business: My Fifty Years of Headlines, Heroes, and Heartaches Hardcover in 2021.

Radio

Ray Didinger (right) on 610 WIP with Bernie Parent Ray Didinger WIP.jpg
Ray Didinger (right) on 610 WIP with Bernie Parent

Didinger co-hosted a popular radio show every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 94.1 WIP in Philadelphia with co-host Glen Macnow. The show featured Didinger and Macnow discussing aspects of Philadelphia sports. It was also common to hear the two talk about movies, since both are avid movie fans. 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.

On May 8, 2022, during his radio show, Didinger announced his retirement effective May 29, 2022. Saying he was in good health and was not being pushed out the door, he would work until the end of his contract and then retire from radio and television. Didinger said he wanted to spend more time with his wife and family. [3] In 2023, it was announced that Didinger would return to 94.1 WIP as an Eagles contributor in a part-time capacity for the station's new morning show.

Sportswriter

Ray Didinger (middle) with Bernie Parent (left) Bernie Parent Ray Didinger.jpg
Ray Didinger (middle) with Bernie Parent (left)

Didinger covered the National Football League for The Philadelphia Bulletin and The Philadelphia Daily News for more than 25 years. [4] He was named Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year five times by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. In 1995, he won the Dick McCann Memorial Award [5] for long and distinguished coverage of pro football, and his name was added to the writers' honor roll in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Television

Didinger served as a full-time member of NBC Sports Philadelphia, writing articles and appearing on-air in a variety of roles, most prominently in Eagles Pre Game Live and Eagles Post Game Live. In 2022, he retired from his on-air role at NBC Sports. He returned on-air back to NBC sports for the 2022-2023 NFL Playoffs. Didinger was a senior producer with NFL Films in Mount Laurel, New Jersey until he was bought out of his contract in February 2009. He has won four Emmy Awards for his work as a writer and producer on the weekly series NFL Films Presents and the Turner Network documentary Football America. [2]

Playwright

Didinger wrote a 75-minute play, "Tommy and Me", about his fight to get childhood hero, Tommy McDonald into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a child, Didinger spent a lot of time with McDonald at Eagles training camp in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The play "Portrays key moments in his friendship with McDonald." [6]

Personal

Didinger is married to Philadelphia magazine restaurant critic Maria Gallagher and has two children, David and Kathleen. [4] He also has an English Bulldog named Mack. [4] Ray and his wife are active with HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue (“HeavenSent”) a New Jersey non-profit corporation, dedicated to the rescue and placement for adoption of Bulldogs.

Awards and honors

Bibliography

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bert Bell</span> American football player, coach, and executive (1895–1959)

De Benneville "Bert" Bell was the National Football League (NFL) commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he introduced competitive parity into the NFL to improve the league's commercial viability and promote its popularity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Ritchie</span> American football player and sports radio host (born 1974)

Jon David Ritchie is an American former professional American football fullback in the National Football League, who is currently a sports radio host. He started for seven seasons in the NFL, playing for the Oakland Raiders and the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite only 15 rushing attempts in his career, Ritchie built a reputation with his blue collar work ethic as being one of the best blocking fullbacks in the NFL. Ritchie won the Travers award for best male high school athlete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merrill Reese</span> American sports announcer

Merrill Alan Reese is an American sports radio announcer best known for his role as the play-by-play radio announcer for the Philadelphia Eagles on SportsRadio 94.1 WIP-FM. He has been the voice of the Eagles since 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy McDonald (American football)</span> American football player (1934–2018)

Thomas Franklin McDonald was an American football flanker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Rams, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Cleveland Browns. He played college football as a halfback for the Oklahoma Sooners. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelo Cataldi</span> American sports radio personality

Angelo Anthony Cataldi Jr. is an American retired sports radio personality for 94.1 WIP in Philadelphia. Cataldi began his career as a sports journalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. From 1989 until 2023 he hosted The WIP Morning Show. During Cataldi's tenure the show became one of the most popular shows in Philadelphia radio history. Philadelphia Magazine describes Cataldi as having "done more than anyone to shape how we talk about — and even think about — sports" in Philadelphia.

Michael "Al" Morganti is an American journalist, who has covered the National Hockey League (NHL) and international competitions. He is currently a pre-and post-game analyst for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL for games broadcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia. He is also a radio personality for 94.1 WIP in Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayson Stark</span> American sportswriter (born 1951)

Jayson Stark is an American sportswriter and author who covers baseball for The Athletic. He is most known for his time with The Philadelphia Inquirer and ESPN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Kremer</span> American sports journalist

Andrea Kremer is a multi-Emmy Award-winning American television sports journalist. She previously called Thursday Night Football games for Amazon Prime Video making sports history, along with Hannah Storm, by becoming the first all-women booth to call any major men's team sport, not just football. Kremer is also Chief Correspondent for the NFL Network and previously led the network's coverage and in-depth reporting on health and safety. Her other current roles include correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel as well as co-host of We Need To Talk, the first ever all-female nationally televised weekly sports show on CBS. Until the 2011 season, she worked as a sideline reporter for NBC on the network's coverage of Sunday Night Football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Retzlaff</span> American football player and executive (1931–2020)

Palmer Edward Retzlaff, known as Pete Retzlaff and nicknamed "Pistol Pete" and "the Baron", was an American professional football player and general manager in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Wolman</span> American developer

Jerry Wolman was an American developer in Washington, D.C. and owned the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Sports Media Association</span> American organization of sports media members

The National Sports Media Association (NSMA), formerly the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, is an organization of sports media members in the United States, and constitutes the American chapter of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).

Glen Harry Macnow is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania sports talk radio host on 94 WIP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Walston</span> American football player, coach, and administrator (1928–1987)

Robert Harold Walston was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver and placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected in the 14th round of the 1951 NFL Draft. From 1966 to 1967, he coached receivers and kickers for the Miami Dolphins.

Theodore Curtis Dean is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings. Dean played college football at Wichita State University.

Edward Gudonis, known professionally as Big Daddy Graham, was an American comedian, writer, actor, recording artist, and sports radio personality. He hosted a show on 94 WIP-FM in Philadelphia from 1997 to 2019.

Herbert H. Lusk was an American professional football player who was a running back for three seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976 to 1978, having played college football for the Long Beach State 49ers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexis Thompson</span> American football owner

Alexis Thompson was an owner of the National Football League (NFL)'s Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Steagles. Prior to his executive career, he was a field hockey player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics for the United States team, which was eliminated in the group stage of the Olympic tournament. He played one match as forward.

Andrew Nacrelli was an American football end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Fordham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Eagles Santa Claus incident</span> 1968 American football game

The Philadelphia Eagles Santa Claus incident, also referred to as The Santa Claus Game, was an American football game in the 1968 season of the National Football League between the visiting Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles.

David Edward DiFilippo was an American football guard and coach. A Philadelphia, he played college football for Villanova and professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles. He held coaching positions in college and professional football and led the Pottstown Firebirds to two Atlantic Coast Football League championships in three years as the head coach.

References

  1. 1 2 "McCann Award Winners, 1969-2010". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 29 December 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. 1 2 "The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia". Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  3. ↑ Santoliquito, Joseph (May 26, 2022). "Ray Didinger, the prince of the city, calls it quits after 53 years". PhillyVoice.
  4. 1 2 3 "CSNPhilly Eagles Insider Ray Didinger". Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia. Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  5. ↑ "MCCANN AWARD WINNERS". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "Ray Didinger's play "Tommy and Me" coming to Hershey Theater". ABC 27 News. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Pennsylvania - NSSA Hall of Fame General". National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Archived from the original on 28 April 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.