The Start of Ray’s Legendary Career
Ray Didinger was born in Southwest Philadelphia and raised in Delaware County. He is a Temple University alumnus and graduated in 1968. Following graduation, he was a news reporter for the Delaware County Daily Times, but left after only a year to The Philadelphia Bulletin for their sports department. And so began Didinger’s legendary sports writing career.
Didinger is a life-long Eagles fan, and rather than letting his love of the game bias his writing, it only motivated him further to get the best story. Case in point, even though Didinger was steadily making a name for himself, the athletes were always the focus of his reporting.
Producing NFL Films, Radio, and Sportscasting
As his career came close to the turn of millennium, Ray Didinger began authoring and co-authoring books. His “Eagles Encyclopedia, Champions Edition” and “One Last Read, The Collected Works of the World’s Slowest Sportswriter” would become best sellers.
In 1996, Ray Didinger joined NFL Films as a senior producer. He took an active role in the development of concepts, research, interviews, and editing of each show. During his 13-year career with NFL Films, he won six Emmy Awards for his work as a writer, producer and editor.
Throughout the 2010’s, Didinger remained a central figure in Philadelphia sportscasting. He was a full-time member of NBC Sports Philadelphia, appearing on-air for the Eagles Pre Game Live and Eagles Post Game Live shows.
Notably, in 2014, Didinger broke into playwriting with his critically-acclaimed autobiographical play “Tommy and Me.” The play covers Didinger’s formative friendship with Eagles player Tom McDonald and his efforts to get McDonald recognized in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Into the 2020’s
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Didinger’s reporting would once again have a resurgence. Didinger was already a seasoned co-host on 94.1 WIP with Glen Macnow. However, when the initial 2020 shutdowns halted all professional and collegiate sports, Ray and Glen made a bold decision, introducing a new segment called “Tell Us Your Story.” Each week, they invited a different sports personality to join them and talk about their life and career. The one hour interviews became so popular that the audience asked for them to continue even after the stadiums reopened and the games resumed.
In 2022, Ray Didinger announced his retirement from sportscasting. Although he made his return to 94.1 WIP in 2023 as a part-time contributor.
Sports Movies Night
Along with talking about his career, the current state of Philly sports, the NFL draft, or anything else sports-related, one of Ray Didinger’s most popular offerings is Sports Movies Night. Together with his longtime WIP partner Glen Macnow, they developed a night of behind-the-scenes stories from your favorite sports flicks. As you watch famous scenes from iconic movies like Rocky, Hoosiers, Caddyshack, and more, Ray and Glen tell the interesting and otherwise unknown stories behind these films. Sports films are one of Hollywood’s most enduring and bankable themes and this is an amazing event suitable for all ages. Sports Movies Night has sold out multiple shows including events at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute and the Players Club of Swarthmore. Instead of hunting for tickets, you can book Sports Movies Night as a private event. It is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a laid-back sports-centered event.
