Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
) is an American retired sportswriter, radio personality, sports commentator author and
screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
. He is a member of the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
as part of the Writer's Honor Roll.
Early life
Born to Raymond and Marie Didinger, and raised in
Folsom, Pennsylvania
Folsom is a census-designated place (CDP) in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Ridley Township. The population was 8,323 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Folsom is located in northern Ridley Township at (39.891978, -75.3 ...
, Didinger graduated from St. James High School in 1964. He received a B.S. in Communications from
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
in 1968. His nickname was Nauga, after the animated character used in commercials for
Naugahyde
Naugahyde is an American brand of artificial leather. Naugahyde is a composite knit fabric backing and expanded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating. It was developed by Byron A. Hunter, senior chemist at the United States Rubber Company, and is now ...
. Didinger spent four years doing sports radio for
WRTI
WRTI (90.1 FM) is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a service of Temple University. The Temple University Board of Trustees holds the station's license. The broadcast tower used by the s ...
, a public radio station owned by Temple, and served as the station's Sports Director.
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
Donald Francis Shula (January 4, 1930 – May 4, 2020) was an American football defensive back and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1963 to 1995. The head coach of the Miami Dolphins for most of his ca ...
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
Glen Harry Macnow (born April 23, 1955) is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania sports talk radio host on 94 WTEL (AM), WIP.
Background
Macnow was born in New York City on April 23, 1955, and raised in Buffalo, New York. He went to Boston University (w ...
in 2009. He wrote his memoir, ''Finished Business: My Fifty Years of Headlines, Heroes, and Heartaches Hardcover'' in 2021.
Radio
Didinger co-hosted a popular radio show every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on
WIP-FM
WIP-FM (94.1 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a sports radio format. The WIP-FM offices and studios are co-located within Audacy's corporate hea ...
in Philadelphia with co-host
Glen Macnow
Glen Harry Macnow (born April 23, 1955) is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania sports talk radio host on 94 WTEL (AM), WIP.
Background
Macnow was born in New York City on April 23, 1955, and raised in Buffalo, New York. He went to Boston University (w ...
. 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.
Sportswriter
Didinger covered the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
for ''
The Philadelphia Bulletin
The ''Philadelphia Bulletin'' was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was once the largest evening newspaper in the United ...
'' and ''
The Philadelphia Daily News
''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''.
The ''Dail ...
'' for more than 25 years. He was named Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year five times by the
National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association
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 Pr ...
. In 1995, he won the
Dick McCann Memorial Award
The Bill Nunn Jr. Award is bestowed annually by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) to a reporter for their "long and distinguished contribution to pro football through coverage". It is named after Bill Nunn Jr., who worked for 22 ...
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
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
in
Canton, Ohio
Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes and ...
.
Television
Didinger served as a full-time member of
NBC Sports Philadelphia
NBC Sports Philadelphia is an American regional sports network owned by the NBC Sports Group unit of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by locally based cable television provider Comcast (and owns a controlling 75% interest), and the Philadelph ...
, writing articles and appearing on-air in a variety of roles, most prominently in Eagles Pre Game Live and
Eagles Post Game Live
''Eagles Postgame Live'' airs after each Philadelphia Eagles game on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The program features the team's post game press conference, interviews, and game analysis. A featured analyst is former Pennsylvania Governor and form ...
. In 2022, he retired from his on-air role at NBC Sports. Didinger was a senior producer with
NFL Films
NFL Productions, LLC, doing business as NFL Films, is the film and television production company of the National Football League. It produces commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries for and about the NFL, as well as ot ...
in
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Mount Laurel is a township in Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia and part of the South Jersey region. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 41,864, reflecting an increase of 1 ...
until he was bought out of his contract in February 2009. He has won four
Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for his work as a writer and producer on the weekly series ''
NFL Films Presents
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
'' and the Turner Network documentary ''Football America.''
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
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
. As a child, Didinger spent a lot of time with McDonald at Eagles training camp in
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to The Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey.
The community is lo ...
. The play "Portrays key moments in his friendship with McDonald."
Personal
Didinger is married to ''Philadelphia'' magazine restaurant critic Maria Gallagher and has two children, David and Kathleen. He also has an
English Bulldog
The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose. 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
*
Dick McCann Memorial Award
The Bill Nunn Jr. Award is bestowed annually by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) to a reporter for their "long and distinguished contribution to pro football through coverage". It is named after Bill Nunn Jr., who worked for 22 ...
, 1995.
*
Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year
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 Pr ...
, 5-time winner.
*
Keystone Press Awards
The Keystone Press Awards are a prominent series of awards presented by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the ...
, 6-time winner.
*
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
Award for Column Writing, 3-time winner.
*
Pro Football Writers of America
The Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), sometimes known as Pro Football Writers Association, is an organization that purports to be " heofficial voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serv ...
Award for Outstanding Feature Story, 1991.
*Member of the
Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was established in May 2002 to honor individuals and groups who are either area natives who became prominent in the field of sports or who became ...
, 2005.
*"Reds" Bagnell Award, Maxwell Football Club, 2022.
*
NFL Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...
, Bill Nunn Memorial Award,
Professional Football Writers of America
The Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), sometimes known as Pro Football Writers Association, is an organization that purports to be " heofficial voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve ...
, 1995.
Bibliography
*''The Super Bowl: Celebrating a Quarter-Century of America's Greatest Game'' (1990). Simon & Schuster
*''Football America: Celebrating Our National Passion'' with Phil Barber and Don Shula (1996). Turner Publishing
*''Game Plans For Success'' (1996). McGraw-Hill
*''The Eagles Encyclopedia'' with Robert S. Lyons (2005). Temple University Press
*''One Last Read: The Collected Works of the World's Slowest Sportswriter'' (2007). Temple University Press
*''The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies'' with Glen Macnow (2009). Running Press
*''Finished Business: My Fifty Years of Headlines, Heroes, and Heartaches Hardcover'' (2021). Temple University Press
See also
*
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
*
NBC Sports Philadelphia
NBC Sports Philadelphia is an American regional sports network owned by the NBC Sports Group unit of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by locally based cable television provider Comcast (and owns a controlling 75% interest), and the Philadelph ...
Fresh Air
''Fresh Air'' is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States since 1985. It is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show's host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 6 ...