When Andrew Fillipponi arrived in Pittsburgh almost a decade and a half ago, he didn’t think it was going to be a long-term stay. The Upstate New York native had graduated from Syracuse University before moving on to a job at WGR Radio in Buffalo before moving to Pittsburgh and really thought it was just going to be another stepping stone.
He thought wrong.
“When I first moved here in my mid-20’s, I think at that point I was still of the mindset that I’d spend a couple of years in Pittsburgh and probably move to another market,” said Fillipponi. “It’s really been humbling. It’s something that I probably didn’t expect to happen.”
And now, Fillipponi is a staple for 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh as co-host of Poni and Mueller weekdays from 2pm to 6pm. He’s approaching the six-year anniversary of working with his co-host Chris Mueller and the pairing has turned out to be a great move for the radio station as the duo has established a great chemistry.
For Fillipponi, working with Mueller has been a smooth ride.
“The best thing I could say about Chris as a co-host is he’s just a phenomenal co-pilot,” said Fillipponi. “He’s just a really good person to be on a road trip with. Every day, we’ve got a four-hour journey that we partake together in. He doesn’t try to backseat drive. He trusts me a lot to guide the show and take the conversation to places I think are the most entertaining.”
When Fillipponi arrived in Pittsburgh, he was still very young and in the early stages of his career and it took a while for the listeners to adjust to him and for him to make the adjustments to his new home. He was admittedly “argumentative, confrontational and abrasive”, a self-labeled description of his personality on and off the air, but he is also a good listener and that helped him plant roots in the Steel City.
And Pittsburgh became a place that he easily fell in love with because of how good of a sports market it was.
“I knew it was good but I didn’t know it was this good,” said Fillipponi. “If you look at the media market size, we’re like a mid-20’s market, but as far as sports towns go, I think Pittsburgh is easily a top ten. I think I did a better job of understanding who my audience was and even adapting and evolving my own style as a host.”
Fillipponi had always had a respect factor for the Pittsburgh sports teams, especially the Steelers and Penguins because of their winning history. But now that he’s been in the market for such a long time, those teams hold a special place in his heart.
“I want them to win,” said Fillipponi. “I’m a part of the community and city now so I embrace the teams here because I’ve been here for almost a decade and a half. I look at myself as a Pittsburgher. I don’t look at myself as a transplant or an outsider or an interloper or any of those things anymore.”
In addition to talking about Pittsburgh sports on The Fan, Fillipponi also allocates some of his time to other opportunities like his run as a weekend host on CBS Sports Radio and his current side gig as co-host of the “First and Pod” podcast with Danny Parkins.
“I just love doing this, said Fillipponi. “I love talking about sports so I crave those opportunities. I put my own love of sports and being a fan of sports ahead of my sports career when I was in high school. I knew that I was never going to be a professional athlete so I liked and loved watching sports more than playing them.”
In the past, Fillipponi would say yes to just about anything that was presented to him because there has always been this fire inside of him to talk about sports. But these days, he has found a balance of work and spending quality time with his wife Amanda and their soon to be 7-month-old daughter Stella.
“The thing that I had to make a decision on was I have this constant internal battle that I’m waging over my priorities in life,” said Fillipponi. “It is the most amazing that that’s ever happened in my life and I cherish, appreciate and adore all the time that we get together. So, I want to be a very present parent.”
There are still certain times of the year when Fillipponi can add something to his schedule that satisfies his craving to entertain his listeners. Whether it’s doing a national show centered around March Madness, the NFL Draft or the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he’ll jump at the chance.
“There’s that competitive drive in me and that joy I get in performing,” said Fillipponi. “I yearn for those platforms but I always have to kind of walk that fine line of like if I take those opportunities, what am I giving up on the back end of things?”
A younger Andrew Fillipponi would always say yes to more work, but now, the veteran talk show host is also a family man and doesn’t want to look back on life when he gets older and feel like he missed some important moments.
Peter Schwartz writes weekly sports radio features for Barrett Media. He has been involved in New York sports media for over three decades, and has worked for notable brands such as WFAN, CBS Sports Radio, WCBS 880, ESPN New York, and FOX News Radio. Peter has also served as play by play announcer for the New Yok Riptide, New York Dragons, New York Hitmen, Varsity Media and the Long Island Sports Network. You can find him on Twitter @SchwartzSports or email him at DragonsRadio@aol.com.
