They don’t get much more Philadephia than Ray Didinger. And after 53 years of covering Philadelphia sports as a sportswriter, radio personality, and sports commentator, the Pro Football Hall of Fame media legend is calling it a career.
Didinger announced the news on Sunday during his radio show on 94WIP, saying that when his contract is up at the end of May he will officially retire.
“Sunday, May 29th will be my final show,” Didinger said. “I am ready to transition from Ray Didi to grandpop.
“All these years, my family has lived their lives around my schedule. Now I can build my life around theirs. I have a wonderful wife, two accomplished adult children, and four beautiful grandchildren. I’m ready to transition from being Ray Diddy to Grandpop… I love the people I worked with and I’m proud of what we built, but I feel it’s time to go. I’m healthy, I’m happy, but I’m also 75 years old. It’s time. Really. It’s that simple. I’m not being pushed out the door, I’m leaving on my own, but it isn’t easy. I love my life and grew up wanting to be a writer and wanting to be involved in sports, and I’m seeing it all come true.”
Didinger is truly a Philadelphia lifer, having grown up in Delaware County and attending Temple University. He went on to cover the NFL for The Philadelphia Bulletin and The Philadelphia Daily News for over 25 years. He also spent time as an Eagles TV analyst on NBC Sports Philadelphia and as an on-air personality for 94 WIP. Didinger also has seven books to his name, including The Eagles Encyclopedia.
Didinger was named Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year five times, had his name added to the writer’s honor roll in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 1995, and was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall Of Fame in 2005.
Here’s Didinger discussing what it will mean to Philadelphia if the Eagles won Super Bowl LII, which they did.
As you would imagine, the tributes from Philly sports fans and the sports media world rolled in almost immediately.
https://twitter.com/NBCSPhilly/status/1523318364726525952
In a town where the sports discourse is almost always insane, Ray Didinger always brought informed perspective. He never had takes. He doesn't even know what chasing clicks means. Just a smart dude who loves and knows sports. We'll miss his unique presence.
— Johnny Two Hats (@Johnny_2Hats) May 8, 2022
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.