Tell Us Your Story

When the pandemic hit in March 2020 – and sports immediately shut down – my radio partner, Ray Didinger, and I joined every sports talk host in America wondering, “What are we going to talk about now?”

We really did not want to do throwback shows – despite being two veteran guys who’ve been around since the advent of 24-hour sports talk radio. We had no stomach for Mount Rushmores, nor all-time teams, nor any other familiar crutches that, hey, I’ll admit to falling back on during my career.

So we decided on another tactic: Let’s allow our favorite sports legends to tell us their stories. In detail and at length. From childhood to present time.

We kicked off “Tell Us Your Story” (clever name, eh?) on 94-WIP the second weekend of the shutdown by spending 45 minutes each with Philadelphia legends Merrill Reese (the Eagles radio broadcaster since 1977) and Charlie Manuel (manager of the 2008 champion Phillies).

Manuel, one of 12 siblings, told a compelling story of his youth. His ill father committed suicide when Charlie was in high school, leaving a note asking his oldest son to take care of the family. So Charlie turned down an academic scholarship to Penn to embark on a baseball career that has surpassed five decades.

It was the kind of story that’s impossible to work into the standard 10-minute radio interview. And told at Charlie’s relaxed southern pace (with the two radio hosts basically silent), it was gripping.

One advantage of the shutdown: It became far easier to book big names because, well, our guests had a lot of time on their hands. Who was going anywhere?

So we heard the life stories of Philadelphia Hall of Famers like Dick Vermeil, Bernie Parent and Jay Wright. We branched out to national figures. George Foreman told us how he started boxing as a kid because he was being bullied in the neighborhood. Herschel Walker got choked up telling of his battles to overcome stuttering. 

One of my favorites was 1980 Olympics hero Mike Eruzione, who told us how he started playing hockey in his older sister’s figure skates. “So, I learned to play hockey and fight at the same time,” he said.

To be fair, Ray and I have a big advantage over many other hosts. At this point of our careers we’re on the air only on weekends. So we only need to fill six to eight hours of programming a week, as opposed to 20-plus by many of our colleagues.

And, being on weekends, we know our audience is a bit different from M-F. It’s comprised more of guys listening while working in their yard or running errands, rather than people dashing to get to work. In other words, they’re more likely to be able to stick with us for a longer feature. 

Ray and I figured last year that we’d keep “Tell Us Your Story” going only until sports reopened last fall. We also expected to run out of worthy legends to interview.

But our audience let us know how much they like the feature through positive feedback, as well as through the number of listeners who show up when our show is podcast. So we’re still at it, using it as a standing feature every Saturday at noon.

In recent months we’ve talked to Brian Dawkins, Al Michaels and the Phillie Phanatic. Bob Clarke was far more effusive than I’ve ever heard him when he discussed fears that a diagnosis of diabetes would keep him from a pro career. Franco Harris broke down the “Immaculate Reception” in detail although, alas, he still wouldn’t reveal if he actually caught the ball. Gene Steratore, the head referee for Super Bowl LII, went through every moment of that game from his perspective, including the “Philly Special,” the greatest play in our city’s history.

We’re now 77 interviews in. Most of our subjects come from the four major pro sports, but we’ve featured stars from college basketball and football, boxing and broadcasting.

It’s long form radio, essentially a podcast that we can bring to FM, and Ray and I know how fortunate we are that WIP management allows us the opportunity. I think a lot of program directors might decide their audience doesn’t have the attention span to stick with an in-depth interview that covers most of an hour.

So, thanks, Spike Eskin – even as you’re walking out the door.

I’ve got a list of names that I hope to get for “Tell Us Your Story” – local and national, Hall of Famers and one-time heroes. As long as they keep saying “yes,” and our audience keeps listening, Ray and I will keep it going.

Glen Macnow has spent nearly thirty years talking sports in Philadelphia for 94WIP. He’s also a former sports writer and best-selling author. To get in touch, find him on Twitter @RealGlenMacnow.

BSM Staff