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--------------------------------- July 1, 2008 One of the toughest things about doing a live radio broadcast every day is that you constantly have to make split-second decisions. It’s almost like a quarterback trying to decide whether to audible just before the snap. During our June 25 show, I faced one of my most uncomfortable moments in the 19 years of doing the WIP Morning Show. Our studio guest was Fox 29 meteorologist John Bolaris, and the topic was the increasingly bizarre case involving former CBS 3 anchors Larry Mendte and Alycia Lane. Bolaris, who works with Mendte’s wife, Dawn Stenslund, suddenly began to reveal insights about Mendte that no one had ever offered before. Bolaris and Mendte had worked together for years at NBC 10, and clearly Mendte had made some enemies during that stint. According to Bolaris, Mendte was “driven” while at 10 – at the expense of station morale. Bolaris described the atmosphere under Mendte as strained, at best. The weatherman said at one point during our conversation that no one who has worked with Mendte was surprised by the allegations that the veteran newsman had hacked into Lane’s e-mail in an apparent attempt to discredit her. What!?! No one was surprised that arguably the second most popular anchor in Philadelphia was allegedly breaking federal laws to get dirt on his partner? Was Bolaris serious? Oh, he was serious. Larry Mendte would stop at nothing to promote his career – and, to be fair, the ratings of his station – Bolaris suggested. Judging from the e-mail response after the visit with Bolaris, I wasn’t the only one stunned by these comments. No one knows for sure exactly what happened that got both Mendte and Lane fired from CBS 3, but this was a side of the story that had never been told before. On the air, Mendte had always come across as an amiable, low-key figure. There was only one issue: Should I have allowed these remarks to be broadcast, especially since Mendte had been a great friend to us for many years? Remember, it was Larry who broke the news of the 9/11 attacks on our show seven years ago, and it was Larry who broadcast updates for days after that, with absolutely no compensation. I have always considered Larry Mendte one the best newspeople I’ve ever met, and a really nice guy, to boot. In the end, I did what I always do, right or wrong. I allowed the audience to hear this new wrinkle on a mind-boggling story. I did challenge Bolaris at times, but clearly not with the intensity that some e-mailers would have preferred. Now that Ive had time to reflect on this latest in an endless list of judgment calls, I realize why I took the approach that I did. It came down to the believability of John Bolaris, whom I have known for many years and who has never knowingly jumped into a controversy the way he did that day. John wouldn’t be saying what he said unless he experienced it first-hand. The bottom line for me really never wavers. I’d rather put the information on the air and let the audience decide. I don’t really believe in censorship, even if it involves friends. --------------------------------- All good things must come to an end, including our Miss WIP Pageant. After 14 memorable years, we have decided not to anoint a Miss WIP this summer, for a variety of reasons. Basically, we just think the event has run its course. When you think about it, the whole idea of a beauty pageant on radio is dumb, since you can never actually see the hot and sexy women unless you attend. We started it in 1994 because we wanted something to get us through the dog days of summer. The first year, we did it in a small pavilion on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Because of severe thunderstorms that morning, only four contestants made it. We actually had a guy dress as our fifth competitor, just to round out the field. The best pageant was a few years later, when we filled the Bally’s Casino theatre with over 1,000 whooping, screaming fans. Having the amazing supermodel Cindy Margolis as our special guest probably helped a little with the turnout. Since then, however, it has been a slow and steady decline for Miss WIP. The girls were always amazing and the crowds were OK, but we never got close to the Bally’s event. Last year, we tried it for the first time off the air at Chickie’s and Pete’s down the shore, but it just wasn’t the same. So we have finally pulled the plug. That’s the bad news. The good news is, this leaves us with a hole in our promotional schedule that we will be filling very soon. The ideas we are considering are fantastic – totally different than anything we’ve ever tried before. Expect an announcement very shortly. --------------------------------- Some questions to ponder while waiting for one of our coaches or manager to actually say something interesting . . . .
--- Angelo Cataldi --------------------------------- June 4 , 2008 Well, it’s that time again. This is Year 3 of my unfulfilled dream to give the best commencement speech ever to a college or university in our listening audience. Since I wrote this speech in 2006, the only offers have come from elementary schools, trade schools and schools for the mentally disadvantaged. I have even attempted sending the speech to several major universities, to no avail. I have heard many Commencement speeches over the years, and they have all been boring wastes of time. This speech is not. This speech says it all, in seven minutes. I now require every incoming WIP intern to read it during their tenure with us. Someday, someone will give me the chance to pass on the lessons of my life to the next generation. Until then, feel free to read it for yourself. College is great for giving you the knowledge to succeed in life, but you’re not going to find what I have to say in any textbooks. Consider this the last seven minutes of your college education. Lesson one: Find something you really love to do, and then get somebody to pay you to do it. If any of you have had a boring summer job, you already know what it’s like to dread every workday. Don’t put yourself in that position. Even now, at your college graduation, ask yourself what you really love in your life. Then find a job that suits that passion. When I was your age, I loved sports. My college advisor told me that sports was a waste of my time and my talent. I ignored him. It was the best decision of my career. This leads to Lesson two: Don’t listen to what other people tell you to do with your life. They’re basing their opinion on their life, not yours. I am including your parents in this lesson. They don’t really know what you want, either. In fact, right now, many of you probably aren’t sure yourself. That’s OK. Just figure it out at your own pace. Don’t become a doctor because your Dad is a doctor. Don’t join the Army because your girlfriend likes the way you look in a uniform. The only opinion that matters is yours. Lesson three: When you do find your calling, never fear competition. Embrace it. Competition will help you to focus better at your job, it’ll tell you how good you really are, and it’ll give you the humility you need to reach your potential. Your competitors will never be your enemies. Someone once told me that the only people to worry about are the people who work in your own office. In business, people are always worried about getting their butts kicked when they’re much more likely to get a knife in the back. Lesson four: Your boss – whether it’s at a fast-food joint or in the White House – isn’t necessarily the last word on what you should do on the job. Don’t be surprised if the boss has an agenda that has nothing to do with the success of the company, or of you. If he tells you to do something that you know is wrong, challenge him. If it’s really wrong – and you know for sure it is – don’t do it. If he fires you, that’s fine. You’re better off not working for someone like that anyway. Lesson five: Be home for dinner. The better you get at your job, the more pressure there’ll be for you to spend more time there. Don’t give in to the pressure. What’s more important, a vast investment portfolio or the smile on your child’s face? The wisest saying I’ve ever heard is this: No one on his death bed ever wished he had spent more time at work. Lesson six: Just because your opinion has value doesn’t mean you should sell it. In my line of work, people readily market their opinion for access to a locker room or an invitation to a party. They think the best way to win important friends is to tell them what they want to hear. Not only is this misguided, it absolutely never works. “Yes” men are the first people to hear “no” when things go bad. Tell people what you really believe. They’ll respect you for it. Being respected is more important than being liked.
Spend it well. _______________________________________________________ May 18, 2008 Catching up on a bunch of stuff . . . . The Andy Reid interview – I appreciate all of the kind e-mails from listeners about the May 12 studio session with the coach. It was difficult because he is difficult. No, I didn’t kiss his ass, and no, I wasn’t unfairly harsh. The problem with an interview like that is the tightrope you have to walk. The Reid lovers think any question that challenges the job he’s done with the Eagles is grossly unfair, and the Reid haters think we all should have screamed in his face for frustrating so many fans. The bottom line is, Andy Reid thinks the team he has right now rivals in talent his Super Bowl team of 2005. There is no question in my mind that he believes that, nor is there any question that he’s totally delusional. This Eagles team has no threat close to Terrell Owens, it has a far less effective Brian Dawkins, a less mobile Donovan McNabb and fewer leaders like Jeremiah Trotter. The current team finished in last place and was 5-8 when it counted. The 2004 team was 13-1 at one point. Until Reid begins to deal with the reality of his situation, he will be doomed with mediocre teams like the one he had last year. How will this all play out? Eventually, Jeff Lurie and Joe Banner will realize that Reid has lost whatever magic he had, and then they will finally hold him accountable for all of the bad draft picks and all of the other dumb personnel decisions. Until then, expect some tough times. Provocative material – Where should the line be drawn on topics that make a parent uncomfortable if they’re driving their kids to school? I have wrestled with this issue for more than 18 years now, and I will try to explain where I am on it right now. In theory, nothing overtly sexual or scatological is brought up on our show before 8:30, when all kids are in school. I would rate that part of the show PG. After that, we move to PG-13. Are there exceptions? Sure. Sometimes something comes up in the 6-8:30 period that drifts into that too-provocative area. When that happens, I try to steer out of it as soon as I can. A few of you wondered why I would bring up stories about trimming groin hair with the kitchen scissors and all of the other crazy stuff that comes up. Two reasons: These are things that most people deal with every day; it is a universal, life issue. And also because it is funny. Our job is to entertain, and these are the kind of things that lead to humorous exchanges. None of it is scripted, but by now I have a pretty good idea on what will inspire my co-hosts. All of the e-mailers who have been warning me of how blue the show has gotten really need to consider the history of our show and the current state of radio. In years past, before this 8:30 rule went into effect in 2007, we routinely had strippers (once, even a porn star) during the 7 and 8 o’clock hours. Joe Conklin had bits with members of the Eagles running around with Vaseline in the locker room. Nothing we’re doing now comes close to any of that. As for our competitors, well, I’ve heard enough of them to know that we are about as family-friendly as it gets in morning radio. The world is changing. We have no choice but to evolve . I will say, I have never been more aware of this concern than I am right now. I understand there have been some complaints about Hugh Douglas going over the line occasionally, and we are all working on making sure that doesn’t happen in the future, with him or any of us. If we ever make you uncomfortable while your kids are in the car, please let me know. Sen. Arlen Specter – Lots of people want to know why he appears on our show just about every Monday. Some think he’s boring. Others say he’s out of touch. Why bring politics onto our show? The senator is never officially booked onto our show. He calls when he wants to. I always take the call and put him on the air as soon as I can. Why? Because I respect the authority he represents, and I truly admire the man. He is an advocate for the Philadelphia sports fan, and he is willing to use his power to stand up to the bullies who run the major sports in America. His current work on Spygate is remarkable, especially considering the lack of support he’s gotten in Washington. Sen. Specter’s appearances have nothing to do with politics. They have everything to do with talking on a regular basis with the most powerful lawmaker in our region about sports. In many ways, Sen. Specter is a reflection of WIP itself. Our station has prospered for so long because we have always been loud advocates for the fans. So is Sen. Specter. The only difference is, when we complain, it’s usually just talk. When he complains, there are Congressional investigations and, ultimately, changes. John Marzano – I cannot begin to thank the hundreds of e-mailers who have contacted me in the month since John’s passing. I found all of the e-mails tremendously comforting. Obviously, John had a huge impact on so many people in Philadelphia. I would like to say that I have come to terms with the puzzling and stunning events surrounding his death, but I have not. He was simply too healthy, too full of life, for something like this to happen. My pledge is one I hope everyone who loved him will take. I will keep John’s memory alive every chance I can get. I will bring up his name, maybe tell an occasional story about him, at every opportunity for as long as I have a radio show or a newspaper column. People like John must never be forgotten. Commencement Speech – Were there any takers in my annual appeal to give the best Commencement speech ever written? Nope. I got a few nibbles from elementary schools and even one nursery school, but the speech is written for college. So, for a third straight year, I will be giving the speech on our show. (It will appear soon on this website, too.) Someday, I will give that speech at a university smart enough to invite someone who can actually provide some real insight into the world that awaits these kids. I may be an idiot most of the time, but I can do that. In seven minutes. And someday, I will. --- Angelo Cataldi April 26, 2008 The record will show that John Marzano died on April 19, 2008. Don’t believe it. No one with as much life in him as John Marzano will ever really die. He was a friend to everyone, a man who improved every life he ever entered. He is alive today in the memory of anyone who ever met him. I first met John in 1987, when he was a rookie on the Red Sox and I was in Boston to chronicle the start of his big-league baseball career for The Philadelphia Inquirer. We sat in the dugout at Fenway Park, and he spent most of the time talking about growing up in South Philadelphia and trying to make his neighborhood proud. Even then, his personality was as big as the Green Monster. John had no recollection of our first meeting when I encountered him again a few years ago. I was well into a radio career at WIP by then, and he was starting out again – this time as a broadcaster. I’m not really the kind of person who acquires friends easily, but it was impossible not to be an instant buddy of John Marzano. He would have it no other way. Johnny Marz had the gift of gab, of course, but he also backed it up with a genuine interest in people. The minute he joked with you or, better yet, pranked you, the friendship was sealed. After that, you could expect calls and text messages at all hours of the day and night. Usually, they ended with him telling you he loved you. When John started as a co-host on our show at WIP , I knew it would be a short-term arrangement, and I told him so. John was too big a talent to work in a secondary role anywhere. Of course, in the year he was with us, he was memorable – both with his ability to analyze all sports, but also with his hilarious view of the world. Nothing was out of bounds to Johnny Marz, including his love for round-butted women and his obsession with his own bathroom habits. Through it all, he was unique. That’s why I was not at all surprised when he came to me in 2006 and said he had an offer to join MLB.com. I didn’t want him to leave, but I told him to take the job. He would go as far in broadcasting as he wanted to go, I assured him. In baseball, he was a fine backup catcher. In broadcasting, he was a star. After he took the job at MLB.com, he apologized to me many times. Somehow, he thought he was abandoning us by doing what was right for his career and his family. That was John. He was a friend first, always. Since then, he was a guest on our show more often than anyone else. He never said no. He was always insightful and entertaining, even as he began the climb at MLB.com that led recently to a lucrative new deal and plans for him to star on the new baseball TV channel. I was in Las Vegas on vacation when I got the call from Rhea Hughes. She said John had died. I couldn’t believe it then, and I still can’t believe it now. He fell down a flight of stairs, but that was probably not the cause of death. There may have been a heart problem. Who knows? All we can say for sure is that John is no longer here in our physical world. But he is still here, believe me. His text messages are still on my cell phone, his e-mails are still in my computer, and his South-Philly bravado will always live in my memory and in the memory of anyone who ever met him . When somebody dies, the people left behind always try to make more of the person that he really was. This is simply not possible with John Marzano because he truly was larger than life. He was a fine baseball player, an even better broadcaster and the best friend you could ever have. I would tell John to rest in peace, but he would laugh at that advice. John never rested – not as long as there was another friend to acquire, or another joke to tell. Instead, let me just wish my friend an eternity of round-butted women, fart jokes, his sister’s turkey-and-pepper sandwiches and baseball games to play on warm, cloudless days . Game time is 1 p.m. today, Johnny Marz. You’re catching. --- Angelo Cataldi March 30, 2008 As promised, here’s a new Q & A with lots of your feedback on the Barack Obama interview and inside stuff on our show. Thanks for all the e-mail. I read them all. Q. You should be ashamed of yourself for having a racist like Obama on your show. I’m sure you know that the church he attends . . . hates white people. Ken Tisa Q. I'd like to comment on your interview with Barack Obama. I was driving into work when I heard the now infamous comment "typical white person." At first it caught my attention and I asked myself, “Did he actually say that?” But since you nor your fellow hosts made any comment, I thought nothing about it until I heard it on the news later that night. . . . What if you made a comment using those same words about a black person? Would you be on the radio today? Gary Q. WOW! Obama showed his true "colors" today!!!!! You were very prepared and conducted a great interview. I guess you can add Obama to the list of Fregosi, Bowa, King, and Paolantonio (non-returnees to your show) . . . Also, I can't wait to hear Hugh's comments about the great black inspirational leader, Mr. Obama! . . . Cut us a break and release the non-contributing, racist Hugh Douglas! He adds absolutely NOTHING to the show. He brings you guys down. Anthony D’Amore Q. I did hear the Obama call to WIP today and feel you're reporting was . . . well, not reporting. I don't care who you prefer, if anyone, in the campaign. I just want to know when I read a newspaper (on-line) whether the writer is a reporter or a columnist. . . . Choose which you will be, a reporter or a columnist. QUICKLY! You ain't either! And, shame on your editors! David Anderson Media, PA Q. I finally heard the entirety of the Obama interview on the Best Of show this morning. I admit on Thursday afternoon when I got in the car and heard your voice on Howard's show with the 10-second sound clip, I was slightly annoyed about the "typical white person" reference – mostly fueled by Howard's comments. But as I thought about it and later heard Glen Macnow and your Friday show, I thought it was much ado about nothing. . . . Anyway, the two-minute statement by Obama after those three words should have been what we really concentrated on. . . I thought you did a great interview but wish everybody would have listened to the whole thing before going off on those three words. Larry Vogel A. In my 18-plus years at WIP, the reaction to the Obama interview ranks as the biggest and most divided. Most of these questions are answered on this website, either in my previous message about the interview, or in my Metro column. I’ll try, very briefly, to touch on the points in these – and many other – questions that I received both here and at my personal e-mail addresses. First of all, I hate race issues. I have tried for years to convince myself that most of them are in the past, but obvious they are still very much a part of our lives. Sen. Obama is not a racist. Those who believe he is are probably drawing that conclusion because they are supporting another candidate. Politics is a lot like sports in that way. If you love the Phillies, then you hate the Mets. The difference is, one is just a game, the other is our way of life. The issue of what would have happened if I had said someone was a “typical black person” on my show is an interesting one. If I was referring to someone I honestly knew well – like, say, Hugh Douglas – I don’t think it would have had much impact. People would have known I was generalizing to make a point. This was clearly the case with Sen. Obama and his grandmother. If I had made that statement about a caller, the ramifications would be far greater. The important thing to consider is context. As e-mailer Larry Vogel pointed out, the phrase has an entirely different meaning if heard with the two-minute explanation that follows. As for my “non-journalistic” approach to the interview, I plead guilty. I am not a journalist, and haven’t been one for 18 years, since I left the Inquirer. I deal now exclusively in opinion, and I usually have a strong one. I love Sen. Obama. I am inspired by him. I fully understand that others are not, but I am paid to offer my opinion. I loathe Sen. Hillary Clinton. I truly fear what she would do if she were actually our president. I also understand that others really admire her, though I cannot imagine why. Given my gushing support for Sen. Obama long before the interview, I am shocked that people expected me to confront and challenge him during his visit to our show. The WIP Morning Show is not Meet the Press or Face the Nation. And finally, the many harsh e-mails I received about Hugh Douglas were frightening to me. Hugh had nothing to do with the interview. He did lend some perspective to it afterwards – some much-needed perspective, in my opinion. I find him to be a major plus for our show, and I have felt that way since the day he joined us. I realize some people might not like the style of any of our co-hosts, and that is totally reasonable. If another agenda is at work here – and in some cases I believe it is – I will never cave to that kind of pressure. If you don’t like Hugh, change the channel. He’s not going anywhere. Q. You really need to do a better job of controlling Hugh Douglas. His sexual comments are starting to cross the line. Several e-mailers A. This is an entirely separate issue, and a source of constant second-guessing for me. There’s no question that Hugh has been playing closer to the line than the rest of us usually do, but he is probably at his most entertaining when he is doing it. I’d hate to lose the entertainment value of his often-hilarious insights into sexual situations, but I’m smart enough to know that there are kids in the cars of many of our listeners. Based on the e-mail feedback, I will have to work harder to keep Hugh clean. He has always been very receptive to my suggestions. I’m pretty sure you will notice some changes soon. Q. When are you going to have another induction in the Caller Hall of Fame? I think Lunatic Jack got robbed the last time. John Cocco A. I think the time has definitely come for a new Hall of Famer. Thanks to this suggestion, I will announce the finalists on our show sometime during the first week of April. Maybe we’ll try our first-ever Internet poll to decide the winner. Q. Are you going to rip Mitch Williams for getting tossed for cursing a ref at a CYO game? He's a classic over-the-top parent at youth sports events. It's not the first time I witnessed him follow refs off the court last year to rip them after a game. I've heard him curse during a game loud enough for the entire crowd to hear him. It's more than passion for his daughter. It's a real issue. Mike McCool
Q. Hey, Angelo. MY SEXY ITALIAN MAN!!!! I just wanted to tell you how much I love your morning show. I wake up and listen to you guys in the shower, while I am getting dressed, driving to work and at my desk. I am a faithful listener for many years. I also think Rhea is awesome, and pretty, too. . . . .You are the best, regardless of what Howard says. Your No. 1 Latina fan Marl Rivera
A. I really have no response to this e-mail. I’m blushing too hard. Q. I'm (Coma) Jim's mom. Since Jim's accident, I've learned it doesn't take a village, it takes the whole damn country! Thank you so much for giving him the opportunity to be heard and feel special. (Those moments are few and far between.) For years he has tried to connect with a special person on line and has had not one response! God willing, some day, there will be some very special person he will find and they can have a longstanding meaningful relationship! Thanks again to you and the rest of the gang at WIP. Jeanie Frey A. Coma Jim is one of the finest young men I have met in a very long time. His joy during his visit to our studio was felt by everyone associated with the show, including the listeners. My ultimate dream is that we’ll be able to help find someone who is a perfect match for this early-30s, nice-looking man who could sure use a break in his life. If anyone knows of a young woman who would like a date with Jim, please e-mail me here. Q. Is your partner, Al Morganti, stressed? He never completes his sentences any more. Martin Goldberg A. Al Morganti issued the following statement in response to this inquiry: “You might be right. Furthermore, I think it’s important to point out that --- Angelo Cataldi
March 23, 2008 So there we were, doing our usual job ripping coaches and predicting doom, when suddenly the unimaginable happened. The WIP Morning Show was talking to the man who may soon be the next leader of the free world, Sen. Barack Obama. In my 18 years of doing the show, his appearance on March 20 ranked as one of the top 10 highlights. In my eyes, he is the most inspirational and charismatic person I have encountered, ever. He speaks with a calmness and elegance that only the greatest leaders possess. I love the guy almost as much as I loathe his opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton. I know, I know. There is no place for politics on a sports station. How dare we venture so far afield and book a Presidential candidate on our show? I’ve read all of your e-mails, and I’ve taken all of your calls. I do not agree at all. Our show deals every day with matters well outside the realm of sports. Heck, we’ve had Sen. Arlen Specter as a regular Monday guest for the past six or seven years. I have asked him about the Iraq war, about the economy, about JFK and Anita Hill and all of the issues that are part of his extraordinary political career. I have never received one complaint about these questions – except, perhaps, that the senator is a bit boring at times. (I don’t agree with that, either.) The problem is very simple, really. The people who are complaining about the Obama interview do not like him and have no plans to vote for him. They have an agenda that is totally different than his – and now, than ours. Let me make this extremely clear: I have no intention to turn our show into a political one. I have no desire to debate political issues because there are others who do it much better, and because I find most of those discussions painfully dull. I prefer the sports world, where there are winners every day to cheer, and losers to rip. The stakes are much lower in the sports world, and I prefer it that way. At the same time, though, I will never restrict our show to the tight boundaries of sports if a broader definition can lead to the kind of exciting, controversial radio we provided in the Obama interview. The fact is, we were responsible for the lead story on many national broadcasts that night because Obama used the phrase “typical white person” when describing the grandmother who helped raise him. (If you want to hear the entire interview, it is available at 610WIP.com.) I really don’t have any desire to debate the wisdom of that phrase, either, because it is an exercise in futility. Those who see no problem with it invariably are supporters of Obama, and those who are making a big deal out of it love Clinton. That’s politics. That’s life. My job at WIP has never really changed since I started with the great Tom Brookshier in 1990. I was hired to present the best radio I can, every minute of the four - and - a - half hours I am assigned every day, and I have never really deviated from that assignment. There is much more to say about the Obama interview, and I will be doing so in a column that will run on March 25 in the Metro. I will post that column on this website on March 26, and I hope it will give all of our listeners a better idea of what I took out of the Obama interview. (You may be surprised at the rather harsh appraisal of my own work as a sports commentator.) Meanwhile, I am compiling a question-and-answer feature that will show many of the e-mails about Obama that came to us since the interview. Everyone has a right to be heard on this issue. And they will. Now, back to the sports world . . . Update: Here's the coulmn I wrote on March 25, 2008 on Obama's appearance on our show . . . . Thirty years ago, I confided to my advisor at Columbia University that my career goal was to be a sports writer. He nearly died. Columbia produces foreign correspondents, network anchors and best-selling authors. In the Ivy-covered fortresses of the world’s best journalism school, sports is trivial, and becoming a sports writer is akin to contracting a terminal career illness. That day, my advisor made me promise that I would cover sports the way the best reporters covered the White House. He told me to help build a new journalistic path from the frivolousness of sports to the gravity of the real world. I said I would, and then I tried to fulfill the pledge. For all these years, I convinced myself that I had at least partly succeeded in that vow. Then last week happened. On March 20, 2008, I was reminded that sports has been nothing more than a refuge from reality for me, a way to avoid the ways of an uncompromising world. I interviewed Sen. Barack Obama on my WIP radio show last week. That’s right. I spent seven minutes and 45 seconds talking to a man who may soon be the leader of the free world. That the opportunity would fall to me and my co-hosts was inconceivable because we only occasionally deal with life outside of sports. That we would then all become embroiled in the national crisis of the day was downright surreal. During an admittedly softball interview (sorry, Columbia), Sen. Obama referred to his white grandmother as a “typical white person” who would be intimidated if she walked past a black man on the street. The context was clear. He was by no means saying she was a racist; he was merely depicting the mindset of that generation. Sen. Obama was trying to show the way people once thought about race – even the woman who helped to raise the first truly serious African-American candidate for the presidency. Within hours, we were besieged with questions from the media everywhere. What did he mean? Why didn’t we follow up on that comment? Could this be the end of his chances to win the Pennsylvania primary? Can they book us for a guest appearance? At each stop on the media tour, I tried to explain the context of the remark, but the only reporters or pundits who believed me were those with no desire to punish Sen. Obama. It was the lead story that night on The O’Reilly Report, on Hannity & Colmes, and on countless other right-tilting broadcasts. The Internet treatment of the comment was even more pervasive and warped. By mid-afternoon, there were over 7,000 Google stories referencing the remark, some accompanied by shrill demands for his resignation. A couple even praised my ability to unmask the senator, as if I were trying to emulate Mike Wallace in his bulldog prime. CNN provided the most revealing moment of all. My WIP co-host Al Morganti agreed to make an appearance via satellite, which included a telephone pre-interview. When asked how he felt about Sen. Obama’s remark, Morganti said he didn’t think it was a big deal at all. The woman on the other end of the phone said that opinion would not fit well into the broadcast. He was never called back. So what did I learn from this surprise visit to the world I left three decades ago? I learned that I’m probably not much better than these media leeches seeking the daily blood of controversy. In many ways, I do the same thing. I come up with a strong opinion, and then I look for facts that will support the bias – discounting contradictory evidence. The difference is, I’m commenting about sports. My opinion may be uncomfortable for a coach or a player or an owner, but no one is going to raise taxes or go to war because of it. I’ve never been more relieved at my career decision 30 years ago than I am right now. It’s pretty clear that I never fulfilled that promise to my advisor. I have bridged no new paths. Sports has become nothing more than my shelter from a real world that is just too real. The story had one final twist a day after the interview, when we learned that Sen. Obama had booked his appearance on our show because he wanted to make his picks in the NCAA basketball tournament. There I was, obsessing over a visit to his ruthless world, and all the senator really wanted was a few minutes of escape in mine. --- Angelo Cataldi March 9, 2008 I have gotten more and more requests from e-mailers asking me to post my columns that appear weekly in the Metro on this website, and I am pleased to do so starting today. I have been criticizing the Philadelphia sports columnists for their weak, unfocused commentary for many years, so I set out to prove six months ago I could do better. I think I have. Now it's your turn to decide. If they could do it, why can’t we? To answer that question, you’ve got to deal with some other ones first. The Giants made some extraordinary decisions in accomplishing this rebirth, and it would be essential that Andy Reid make the same kind of out-of-character choices. Question 1: Is Reid as a talent evaluator capable of having a draft like the Giants had last April under novice GM Jerry Reese? Six of Reese’s rookies (Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Jay Alford, Zak DeOssie, Kevin Boss and Ahmad Bradshaw) played major roles in the Super Bowl run. Reid got exactly one significant rookie contribution this season, Brent Celek at tight end. With Tom Heckert still around to provide his dubious expertise as the titular GM, the odds of similar success are slimmer than Todd Pinkston. Question 2: If Reid the drafter did have great success, what are the chances that Reid the coach would use the kids in their rookie year? Tom Coughlin actually had an advantage this season because he was coaching for his job. He knew he had to employ every weapon to his full advantage; there was no time for a smooth, slow transition into the NFL for his rookies. Reid feels no similar urgency, nor does he possess the ability to change his approach if he did. Question 3: Tom Coughlin realized that his dictatorial approach wasn’t working with his players, so he dramatically altered his coach style. Could Reid? The irony here is that Reid is the one who always talks about changing, but never does. He takes full responsibility in words but never in action. Remember how he was going to run more and pass less in 2007? Did he? No, he didn’t, even though his best player, by far, was running back Brian Westbrook. Question 4: Would Andy Reid have used his regulars in the season finale against the undefeated New England Patriots? By all accounts, the Giants charted their course to a championship by playing the big, bad Pats almost even in a game that meant more to the opponents than to them. Without that confidence-building loss, the Giants were just another 10-6, wild-card dreamer on track to a first-round playoff loss. Reid loves to rest his regulars before the playoffs. Is there any chance he would have risked injury and used his best players? No way. He is already on the record saying he probably wouldn’t have done what Coughlin did. Question 5: Could an Andy Reid-coached team have executed the miraculous final drive that won the Giants a Super Bowl? Well, Reid’s team had a similar opportunity three years ago, and it took Donovan McNabb almost four minutes to drive 79 yards to get within three points of the Patriots. The Giants, behind a much less experienced Eli Manning, covered 83 yards in just over two minutes. Coughlin even tried something amazing with the championship on the line. He used the hurry-up offense. Imagine that. The best argument to support the notion that Reid could lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory next year is that no one thought Tom Coughlin could win a championship after his disappointing 8-8 season in 2006. If Coughlin could do it, why can’t Reid? Very simply, because Reid is too stubborn, too set in his ways. Reid will use a top draft pick this year on a big lineman, because he always does. He will not play that lineman in his rookie year, or any other rookie, because Reid never does. He will stick with McNabb no matter how well or badly the quarterback plays, because Reid always does. He will pass more than he runs. He will take the blame and then will do nothing. He will bully the media and coddle his players, even the bad ones. All of which leads back to our original question: Will the Eagles ever win a Super Bowl while Andy Reid is running the team? Hell, no.
Feb. 19, 2008 So far, the NFL’s response to this stunning news has been to order destruction of all evidence of the deceit, including videotapes and notes compiled by the New England Patriots during the tenure of coach Bill Belichick. Commissioner Roger Goodell has fined Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots an additional $250,000 for defying the rules of the sport. The team has also lost a first-round draft pick. The coach has not been suspended. His contempt for the integrity of the game has been deemed not serious enough for banishment. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) doesn’t find the NFL’s behavior acceptable, so he has begun to do what he’s been doing since the Warren Commission in the early 1960’s. He is digging for the truth, despite a public outcry to spend his time more wisely and despite an NFL corporate monster that is much more accustomed to pushing than being pushed. What has already been revealed – by Specter and others – is remarkable. First, there was the shocking disclosure that Goodell had all the evidence of New England’s secret videotaping of the New York Jets’ defensive signals in the opening game of the 2007 season destroyed. Then there was emergence of a witness, Matt Walsh, who worked for the Pats when Belichick was perfecting his spying techniques. And finally, there was Goodell’s admission last week at a meeting with Specter that Belichick actually has been spying on opponents since the 2000 season, and not just in that one Jets game. The commissioner tried to say that this was common knowledge, but he is mistaken. The difference between one game and seven years is not something we would have missed. Still, Goodell managed the story well. He scheduled his meeting with Specter on the same day as the Roger Clemens steroid hearing on Capitol Hill. As a result, while Congress was exploring baseball’s scandal, football was trying to pull off an even more impressive cover-up. So far, the NFL is winning – even though a member of the 2002 St. Louis Rams has sued the Patriots for cheating them out of the Super Bowl, and even though Walsh now says he has tapes and notes of his own that may illustrate the scope of the cheating. Goodell supposedly tried to negotiate a deal that would allow Walsh to reveal his evidence without risk of legal action, but Walsh walked away from the proposal at the advice of his lawyers. Specter believes the NFL purposely offered Walsh a bad deal, and he’s probably right. Think about it for a second. Would the NFL really want Walsh to disclose the truth about Belichick? If so, why did Goodell destroy the original evidence? Does anyone honestly believe the NFL wants to reveal what has been happening for the past seven years in New England? Last Friday, Specter convinced the head of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), to provide funding for an independent investigation into Spygate, the first step in what could lead to a round of Congressional hearings. You can bet that the NFL is already cranking up its powerful lobbying machine to squash this effort, too. And there’s a good chance Goodell will succeed. He has the apathy of the fans on his side – the same fans who bet billions of dollars a year on the outcome of these games, the same fans who buy the replica jerseys and smear their faces with their team’s colors and launch into rhapsodic cheers at the drop of a league-licensed helmet. It’s time for all of us to come to grips with what is going on in football right now. The best team has been cheating for this entire decade. Until proven otherwise, the Patriots defrauded every opponent on its schedule since the start of the 2000 season, including the Eagles in the Super Bowl three years ago. Bill Belichick may have stolen something precious from us – the fair chance to win a championship – and our reaction is to stifle a yawn and turn the page? I’m tired of asking what’s wrong with the NFL. Now I want to know what’s wrong with us. But there is no room for big in this miniature world where the bosses live. There is no room for three perennial most-valuable-player candidates on the same roster, no room for the world-championship expectations of a city starved for sports success. And definitely no room for the money demands of one of the best young sluggers in baseball history. Ryan Howard finally got the $10-million salary he deserves from the Phils last week, but it had to be awarded by an arbitration panel because the management just couldn’t bring itself to do what was so obviously right. After 105 homers and 285 RBIs in his first two full seasons, Howard had to endure five hours of sheer torture to get his money. The Phillies were shocked by the decision. Somehow, they couldn’t understand that unprecedented statistics lead to unprecedented salaries. They kept trying to equate Howard’s first two seasons to those of St. Louis star Albert Pujols, even though Howard’s were dramatically better. They kept trying to find a reason not to enter uncharted territory, forgetting that Howard already had. In the little world where the Phillies bosses live, there is no room for Ryan Howard. If these small-thinking, low-aiming owners are still here when Howard reaches his free-agency year, it is over for the big guy in Philadelphia. We all know it’s true. We’ve always known it would be true with any superstar player who wanted to be paid like one here. Remember, it was only 14 years ago when chairman Bill Giles called Philadelphia a “small-market team” and equated it to Kansas City and Minnesota. Later, he amended that ridiculous comment by saying he meant “small revenue.” The key word, of course, is small. Giles thinks small, and he found a bunch of associates who have an identical philosophy. The truth is, these guys should be running a team in Kansas City or Minnesota. Philadelphia is too big for them. Winning is too expensive. Life is too complicated. Why do you think president Dave Montgomery – Giles’ hand-picked successor – couldn’t even wait for Alex Rodriguez to declare his free-agency last fall before he pulled out of the bidding, although A-Rod would have easily given the Phillies the best infield in baseball history? Can you imagine A-Rod, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard winning World Series in that charming little ballpark for the next decade? Montgomery couldn’t. And why do you think the Phils never even made a token effort to trade for Johan Santana before the Mets tilted the NL East power back to New York last month? It wasn’t because they didn’t have the so-so prospects that it took to make the deal. It was because they couldn’t grasp a pitcher that big, that expensive, performing regularly in their little world. Everybody knows that baseball is a business. We all understand that you can’t buy every free agent, or trade for every superstar pitcher. What frustrates the fans is when the team won’t even take care of the special players who drop from the sky and land on their own field. How ironic is it that the one time this ownership thought big, signing Jim Thome in 2003 to help the transition into the new ballpark, they managed to overlook a bigger, better version of Thome in their own farm system? Howard lost two years of his big-league career because the Phils couldn’t see his greatness until it was simply too obvious to ignore, and still the management felt no obligation to right that wrong by paying him a $10-million salary he richly deserved. After his vindication last week, Howard said there were no hard feelings, and that may be true, at least temporarily. It’s hard to feel really terrible when you’re holding a check with all those commas and zeros. The best guess here is that he will earn that money before the All-Star break, and continue on his 50-homer pace for another amazing year. And then there will be another salary crisis, another arbitration insult, and then another, until Howard finds a place big enough to accommodate his prodigious skills. For the rest of his time here, the story will not be about how big a star Ryan Howard will become. He is already huge. No, the real story will be just how small the world is where these Phillies owners live.
March 4, 2008 Something amazing happened to the Eagles management in the last few days, something totally unexpected. They listened. They actually listened. In the first 40 hours of a free-agent frenzy, the Eagles signed arguably the best available player, Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, and then added a promising young pass rusher, Chris Clemons. They are one more addition – an elite wide receiver – away from their best off-season since 2004, when they acquired Terrell Owens and Jevon Kearse and then booked a flight to the Super Bowl. So what happened? What convinced the tight-fisted, salary-cap-obsessed Birds to start spending the millions they have been squirreling away for a decade? There are many perfectly good explanations, but the basic truth is, they listened. For once, they didn’t preach patience. For once, they showed the fans that they really do give a damn about more than money. There are many people to thank for this improbable act of pigskin persuasion, starting with quarterback Donovan McNabb. Remember, it was McNabb who started the parade of public appeals for more playmakers right after the season, at a time when defensive coordinator Jim Johnson was trying to sell the city on the ridiculous notion that the Eagles ended the year as one of the top teams in the NFL. McNabb knew he would infuriate coach Andy Reid when he went public, but he did it anyway. Then Brian Westbrook backed him up. Jon Runyan and Brian Dawkins quickly chimed in, too. And finally, Takeo Spikes joined the chorus last week. The Eagles have always been able to disregard the urgency of their fans, but it’s hard to turn your back on all of those veteran players. For once, the management didn’t. The signing of Samuel was especially gratifying because he is exactly what the Eagles need, a daring, game-turning cornerback who never gets hurt and is always looking for the big play. How good is he? Well, the Eagles had 11 interceptions as a team in 2007. Samuel had 10 alone in 2006, and 16 over the past two seasons. In signing Samuel, the Eagles appear to have done something equally surprising. They have invited, at least temporarily, a cornerback controversy with Lito Sheppard, an accomplished cornerback who is now just an overpaid back-up. Sheppard wasn’t happy with his contract before the Samuel signing. This is just a wild guess, but he’s probably even less happy now. Since the Eagles finally appear to be listening to good advice, here’s some more: Sheppard should be traded for a No. 1 wide receiver. The first choice is Larry Fitzgerald of Arizona, but Roy Williams of Detroit would be just fine, too. If the right trade is not there, there are other appealing options. Javon Walker is a free agent. When he’s healthy, he’s better than any wide receiver on the Eagles roster. Or, if the Birds really want to go crazy – in more ways than one – Randy Moss is still unsigned. How bold would that move be? The point is, the work is not done here. Samuel is a wonderful addition. Clemons – a tireless overachiever who is just beginning to reach his prime – is a nice extra option at defensive end. With four solid pass rushers, a young and talented linebacker corps and now Samuel in the secondary, the Eagles defense is capable of taking them to the playoffs, and maybe beyond. But the offense needs immediate attention. McNabb is probably in his final season with the Eagles, and how much he has left in his battered 31-year-old legs remains to be seen. Westbrook is an elite runner, but for how much longer? L.J. Smith was designated a franchise player. If only he actually were. The line is still solid, but it’s starting to get mail from the AARP. And then there are the wide receivers, a corps that is neither deep nor particularly talented. Kevin Curtis is a fine No. 2, but he’s not big or strong enough to anchor the unit. Reggie Brown is ordinary. Greg Lewis must have compromising photos of someone. The rest are forgettable. The Eagles are having a great off-season. They are spending their money. They are adding great, expensive players to their roster. They are one move away from winning the city back from the overrated Phillies. All they really need now is a great wide receiver. Let’s hope they’re still listening. February 18, 2008 Your questions and comments are piling up – especially in the aftermath of Wing Bowl 16 – so it’s time for another Q & A. Keep the feedback coming . . . . Q. Calling it a Wing Bowl is a thin veil covering up what it really is, a TRASH BOWL. The pictures I saw in the Daily News of women exposing breasts, butts, etc. is degrading. What has happened to women's self esteem? You, WIP and these creatures are setting women’s rights back 100 yrs! Any man who participates in this debauchery is a pig. I would not want them to be my husband, boyfriend, son-in-law or father of my children and grandchildren. You probably get tons of money from strip clubs to endorse their whores. What happened to business ethics? What message are you sending to young men and women? It is appalling! A Proud Intelligent Woman A. All this time, I thought we were just having some fun. Now I find out we are setting women’s rights back to the early 1900’s. Wow! Well, there will be no apologies here for Wing Bowl. It has developed into this politically incorrect, insane event because the people made it that way. It wasn’t our original intention to make it into this, but I kind of like the idea that we are striking back against all of the holier-than-thou fun police in this overly regulated world. . . . As for calling the dancers “whores,” that seems a bit extreme. They are human beings. They have the free will to act as they choose. I don’t feel any more comfortable judging their actions than I do the words of a “proud, intelligent” woman who is offended by them. Q. Please do us all a favor and make this a Delaware Valley (PA, NJ, DE) only event in 2009. The professional eater idea and their acceptance into Wing Bowl are old and really do not satisfy the WIP listeners. It's a Philly event and Philly deserves a local guy or gal as its winner. Please consider this suggestion or this great local event will really begin to lose all its excitement and Philly uniqueness. Bob A. We are greatly concerned about the emergence of “outsiders” dominating Wing Bowl, and we are hard at work trying to come up with a way to bring it back to its roots. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as it might seem. Because it is broadcast on WIP, the contest is governed by the FCC, and we must conform to some stringent rules in running it. Our thought right now – 11 months away from the next Wing Bowl – is to have an event that is strictly for amateurs in 2009. Anyone who is or has been associated with a professional-eating organization would be ineligible. I hope – if we can get this plan approved – that it will address many of the concerns about the competition in Wing Bowl 17. Q. Great job on Wing Bowl 16. I just can’t understand the snub of coverage by Comcast Sportsnet. One would have to think that with over 20,000 in attendance and who knows how many others listening that this has to be looked upon as a major event in the tri-state area, and you just got overlooked like a piece of road-kill. I don't understand., Do you? Rick Gillespie A. One of the most interesting things about doing Wing Bowl is seeing the media from the other side. For once, we are being covered instead of covering others. The coverage this year was the most perplexing to me. We were featured prominently by Channels 6, 10 and 29 and in media outlets throughout the world, but not much by Channel 3, which just happens to be owned by our company! Then there was the Inquirer, which pretty much totally ignored the event. When I looked into it, I was informed that the new editor of the paper hates Wing Bowl. It takes a very special arrogance for someone to place his own interests above those of his readers and viewers. To answer your question, all I can say is some media care more about their customers than others. The Wing Bowl 16 coverage was a great example of this. Q. Tell Mitch Williams that he lacks credibility when it comes to Roger Clemens and steroids. He obviously has jock biases and no common sense. Al Schiavoni A. Yes, Mitch does have a jock bias; I’m pretty sure he would not deny that point. But I think Mitch has been terrific on this entire steroid scandal, if for no other reason than he is presenting a side of the debate that is rarely heard. Did Clemens use steroids? Even Mitch says he wouldn’t be surprised if Roger did. But is there more to the story than this public desire to crush Clemens? Definitely. And Mitch has done a great job of letting us see it from the perspective of the players. Q. Where can I get a copy of that song that Skip Denenberg sang to Harry Kalas on your show? I’ve been listening to Harry since I moved to Philly in the 1970’s, and that song belongs in the Hall of Fame with Harry. Miles Brumberg, DO A. It is an amazing song, isn’t it? I just wish you could have seen Harry’s reaction in the studio. There were tears in his eyes. The most amazing thing about Harry is that he honestly has no idea how beloved he is. His humility and class are truly amazing. The song is currently featured as a bonus video on the “Goosebumps” DVD available through Phillies.com. Q. I am disgusted by your show and by Sen. Arlen Specter for wasting his time on this Spygate nonsense. As for whether the Patriots cheated against the Eagles, who needs to know? Also, did the cheating extend to a time warp and poisoning McNabb in the huddle? The Eagles could have won that game outright, but, unlike the Giants, they couldn't execute their game plan. Grow up and let it go, or I'm moving down the dial. Kathy Monaghan A. This kind of thinking amazes me, and it is probably the majority opinion right now on Spygate. Forget about the Eagles and their Super Bowl. Because of Sen. Specter’s inquiries, it is now clear that the Patriots have been cheating since 2000, and that the NFL destroyed evidence that might have shown how extensive the illegal surveillance was. If that isn’t a big story to you, it should be. The best team in America’s most popular sport has been cheating since 2000, and you want us to talk about the Flyers’ power play? Sorry, but I have no plan to drop Spygate. And – I’m happy to say – neither does Sen. Specter. Q. Although I have been to several Wing Bowls in person, I wasn't able to make this year’s. I just wanted to congratulate you and everyone involved on a tremendous broadcast. Keith Jones showed a little something extra with his Wing Bowl knowledge and George Shea cracked me up with his overdramatized statements. Now if you could only wake up Al (Just kidding. Al's the best, I want to be him when I grow up). Joe Kopcik Q. It is widely discussed that this year will mark 25 years without a championship in Philadelphia. I believe this is bad math. Here is what I've got: Eagles, 47 years; Flyers, 33 years; Phillies, 27 years; and Sixers, 25 years. That’s a total of 132 years without a championship, which breeds a lot of frustration in this town. Jeff Sweeney A. I’m not going to challenge that math. All I know is, I’ve been here for 25 years, and there has been no parade down Broad Street. There won’t be one until one of our teams is more interested in a championship than in raking in money. The Eagles and Phillies are making bigger profits now than ever, but I don’t think they are as frustrated as the fans. The Eagles had money under the cap last year, and the Phils allowed a key player, Aaron Rowand, to walk away because they didn’t want to pay him what the San Francisco Giants thought he was worth. Meanwhile, the Flyers and Sixers will never win a title while Ed Snider is in charge. It stuns me that a man has failed for 33 straight years and still gets a chance to try again. The bottom line: I’m not sure it has really been 132 years since a championship, but it sure feels like it. Q. Why are you so hard on the Phillies for the way they are handling the Ryan Howard case? Can’t you wait to see how it plays out until you rip the team? Bob M. A. Life would be a lot easier if I could wait for every situation to play itself out before I offered an opinion. Unfortunately, WIP management requires me to appear about 250 times a year for four-and-a-half hours per day. As a result, I offer commentary every day on pretty much every pro-sports issue involving Philadelphia. Sometimes, this leads to some obvious regret as stories take odd and unpredictable turns. So far, I have no regrets about my comments on Howard and the Phillies. A lot is being asked of Ryan, and he is delivering in a historic way. The Phillies, as usual, are reacting in a shortsighted and miserly manner. I would pay Ryan Howard $10 million for 2008. In the long run, the Phillies will regret it if they create an enemy in their own locker room. The last letter is one of my favorites of all time. It comes from Great Britain, where somehow we have acquired a listener who has no Philadelphia ties. Letters like this make me grateful that we started this website. . . . Hi, Angelo. I'm a Brit. I live in Hitchin, a smallish town about 30 miles north of London here in the UK. I've travelled extensively and have visited around 20 US states. My favourite sports teams are the New Jersey Devils, Kansas City Royals and Nebraska Cornhuskers. I have no affiliation or association whatsoever with Philadelphia and I haven't been able, yet, to visit your city. I’ve got to say, I just love your show on WIP. I rarely laugh as loudly or as often as I do when listening to your show, whether this be something specific that you, Al, Keith, Rhea, Mitch or Hugh come out with, or the whole thing. When you realised that there was no Presidential primary on Tuesday, I laughed so hard that coffee spurted out of my nose; when Al answered your question about how he would approach Carol Alt with "from the rear," I simply roared. And Hugh is an absolute star. Man, he makes me laugh! His Wikipedia entry is going to have to be amended to include the word "boobies" before too long. The time difference means that it's 10.30 a.m. here when you come on air so the days on which I can schedule things so as to be able to work from home in the mornings are great because I know I'm gonna get to hear you and the team. I've had no choice but to adopt the Phillies as my number 2 team. I watched pretty much every Phillies game in August and September last year and, while I've watched baseball for 20 years, I'm not sure I've ever been more enthralled than I was during that eight-week period. Both of the Phillies-Mets series in those final two months can only be described as epic. Utley singles home Iguchi for an improbable win and I want to phone everyone and tell them all about it, but I know they won't understand. And when I was screaming "Yes, yes, yes!" at 3 in the morning, I imagine that my neighbours thought that I was doing anything but watching baseball! So, I just wanted to say I really enjoy your show a lot! Thank you for it. Tony in Hitchin
--- Angelo Cataldi Feb. 17, 2007February 3, 2008 Well, we survived. After 16 Wing Bowls, that’s the line I usually use as a postscript, and I am thankful to say it again this year. I realized many years ago that the event will never totally please me. It’s just too chaotic and unpredictable for a control freak like me. But we got through it, put on a pretty good show for a $5 ticket, and will get to try it again next year. The incredible Joey Chestnut totally dominated our 16th edition, shattering all records by consuming 241 chicken wings in 30 minutes. His IFOCE rival Pat Bertoletti was a respectable second with 227, and the legendary El Wingador made a remarkable comeback from retirement with 205 wings – his all-time best. Former champion Heavy Kevvy summed up the competition perfectly when he said: “El Wingador didn’t get worse. The other guys just got better.” Although Chestnut’s domination denied the crowd of 22,000 the white-knuckles finish of recent Wing Bowls, the show surrounding this year’s event was clearly our best. The four-train procession of Gentleman Gerry won the Weachter Cup for best entourage, and there were no less than 10 others worthy of serious consideration for the prize. Of course, the 120 Wingettes – easily a record, too – set a new standard for sexiness and friskiness, as did the many optionally-clad female patrons who entertained the crowd from their seats. The broadcast itself that went out to hundreds of thousands of listeners was among our best, too – thanks to many great analysts and a better-than-ever grasp for how to present such a weird event to the radio audience. George Shea of the IFOCE was especially hilarious with his screaming tributes to his great performers, even though the crowd was less than thrilled with the outsiders dominating a Philadelphia event. Already, the e-mails have begun pouring in protesting the emergence of these pros , so I will take this opportunity once again to explain our predicament. We all acknowledge that it would be awesome for a local contestant to win Wing Bowl, but we are carefully governed by the FCC when it comes to all on-air contests. Wing Bowl is open to all contestants, everywhere. With the quality of prizes offered, there’s not much chance that the guys who are best at competitive eating are going to stay away from it. How can we stop the trend? Well, the best way is to develop another local eater like El Wingador or Heavy Kevvy. So far we haven’t been able to do that, though US Male and Gentleman Gerry have placed in the top five the past two years. Our other possibility is to rewrite the rules to exclude the pros. Do we want to do this for Wing Bowl 17? I’m not sure yet. My first impression is, it’s a step down for Wing Bowl as soon as we eliminate the best eaters available. Are we a big-time event or aren’t we? We draw more people, by far, than any other competitive-eating contest, and we have the best prizes. Wouldn’t a return to our amateur-eating roots merely feed the image we already have of Philadelphia being too provincial? Like I said, I’m not sure. We are wrestling with the idea right now. As for the girls, the processions, the drunk college kids passed out in the stands, the girls flashing on the Jumbotron . . . . I see no major changes there. Yes, I have already received the many e-mails of outrage over the decadent nature of Wing Bowl. And no, I have no plans to change it. Wing Bowl is supposed to be Philadelphia’s Mardi Gras. We didn’t begin with that plan, but the fans took us there. This is their event now much more than it is WIP’s. For once a year, is it Ok if we all just get a break from political correctness? I realize lots of people are disgusted by it. Hey, don’t go. Change the channel. I have no intention of disappointing the thousands of people who truly love this event. There are more people to thank than I could ever do here, but I do want to offer a word of appreciation for all the people who run this website. Their efforts to provide minute-by-minute photo coverage of Wing Bowl 16 were well beyond the call of duty. Kenny Justice, Scott Soffen and all of the people who have provided tireless and largely thankless work on this site for many years deserve acclaim for a job well done. The best thing about Wing Bowl 16 is that there were no disasters. In fact, the only thing that crashed was this website. How cool is that? --- Angelo Cataldi __________________________________________________________ January 26, 2008 Well, Wing Bowl time is here again. For everyone associated with the WIP Morning Show, it is the culmination of a year of planning, worrying, arguing and praying. Can we pull it off again? Is this the year people find out what we have known all along – that we have no idea what we’re doing when we stage arguably the biggest radio promotion in America? And now it’s time for a confession. I wish this were the last Wing Bowl. I wish we could end in it one final frenzy of barbeque sauce and frilly thongs on Feb. 1 at the Wachovia Center. I wish we could announce that Wing Bowl 16 was not just the best installment in the continuing series, but the final one. Don’t fret. That’s not going to happen. I’m pretty sure if the management at WIP had to make a choice between all of the talent on our show or this happy monster we have created, we’d be all out on the street tomorrow. In fact, Wing Bowl will be here long after all of us are gone. Someday it will be regarded along with the Mummers Parade as an event uniquely Philadelphia, if it isn’t already. But for us, it is simply not what we ever planned, and it’s not something we ever feel confident we can pull off. Think about it: There will be more than 20,000 people in various stages of joyful inebriation, more than 100 women in various stages of undress and exactly 30 wing eaters in various stages of intestinal distress. Add to that the elaborate floats, the marching bands, the hordes of eccentric entouragers and the spontaneous stripteases in the stands, and you have an event that not even Bill Belichek could manage. Please understand that I say all this with genuine affection. Wing Bowl is our baby. But our baby is turning Sweet Sixteen, and these teenage years are proving to be a real challenge. Another reason why Al, Rhea and I all wish this were the final Wing Bowl is that we seriously doubt that we can ever have the same kind of luck that we have had in arranging this event. For example, who could have predicted that our reigning two-time champion, Joey Chestnut, would become the No. 1 competitive eater in the world when he beat the great Kobayashi at the Nathan’s event on July 4? In all the years we’ve done Wing Bowl, we’ve never had the world champ competing. And then there’s the comeback of the legendary El Wingador, our greatest eater ever. Bill Simmons has not competed in Wing Bowl for two years, so he has never faced Chestnut at the Wachovia Center. Bill has won the event five times, set every record, and even has his name on a banner in the rafters. We really thought he had retired, but the chance to beat Chestnut was just too much of a temptation. Can Bill Simmons – a Philadelphia icon – beat the world champ? How could we ever hope for a better matchup than this? There are three other contestants who cannot be ignored, either. Pro eater Patrick Bertoletti shocked the world when he beat Chestnut in a wing-eating contest last fall. Can he do it again? Their contest was only eight minutes long. Wing Bowl is a grueling 30 minutes. Chestnut says Bertoletti will never stay with him for the marathon length. Bertoletti says he is about to pass the champ and become the No. 1 eater in the world. Is that true? Don’t forget two amazing local eaters, Gentleman Gerry and U.S. Male. Last year they both polished off more than 135 wings. After running trials with our new P.J. Whelihan wings, both claim they can top a record 200 wings this year. But will 200 be enough? One other new element promises to add great intrigue to the early minutes of the event. One of our favorite sponsors, Barb’s Harley, has provided a beautiful Sportster bike, which will go to the eater who consumes the most wings in the first 14 minutes. Will there be contestants who set their sights solely on that prize? Annual contender Damaging Doug has already said he plans to win the Harley and ride off at halftime, not even attempting to hold his lead for the rest of the contest. Crazy strategy? Not at all. If an eater wins the first half and then vomits anytime in the remainder of the Wing Bowl, he loses everything. The bike goes to the runner-up of the first half. If you heave, you leave – and now you can lose something very valuable, too. Will the first-half leader risk a $10,000 motorcycle to go for the grand prize, a Toyota Tundra pickup truck, courtesy of Liberty Toyota? These great prizes will add an entire new layer of strategy to the contest. The Wingettes will be better than ever this year, too. I know. I’ve met them all. Over the years, our girls have gotten a bad rap because a few of them have gotten . . . . what’s the word? . . . . a little too frisky. Well, we’ve still got the frisky ones, but we’ve also attracted dozens of amazing girl-next-door types. Why? I’d like to tell you it’s my animal magnetism, but you’ve already seen the photo at the top of the page. No, it’s a car – a Liberty Scion. Yup, the woman judged the best Wingette gets a vehicle, too. Finally, the entourages promise to provide some big highlights on Feb. 1, as well. As I write this, floats and armies of people are being assembled and drilled for the big event. Why? Again, it’s all about the prizes. This year, the best entourage gets a 73-inch high-definition TV from Camera Stop in Medford, N.J. and 10 round trips to a warm-weather destination. That’s not a misprint. It’s 10 trips! I don’t have to tell you how elaborate these entrances are going to be with a prize like that at stake. They are going to be insane. The media coverage will also be unprecedented this year. Every local newspaper and TV station will be represented, as will many of the national outlets. A Hollywood script is still in development with Wing Bowl as the backdrop. And even this website is kicking it up a notch. We will be streaming photos from the Wing Bowl right here throughout the event. If you can’t be there, this is the next best place to follow the action – thanks to our exceptional website manager Kenny Justice. This year, in an effort to curtail some of the confusion of previous Wing Bowls, we are even offering some vital information beforehand. (What a concept!) If you are attending the event, please use this as a guide:
If nothing else, maybe this preview gives you some idea why we are overwhelmed by the radio promotion we started 15 years ago. We are radio people. We don’t plan events – except this one huge extravaganza two days before the Super Bowl every year. I’ll close by saying what I say before every Wing Bowl. I really hope everyone enjoys it. I hope they embrace all of the cool things associated with it, and gloss over the excesses that inevitably will be talked about long after the cool things are forgotten. I hope they realize that we had no idea Wing Bowl would ever turn into the incredible party that it has become. And I hope they realize that we truly have no clue what we’re doing one day every year. It just happens to be the day we hold Wing Bowl. --- Angelo Cataldi __________________________________________________
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