93.7 The Fan afternoon host Andrew Fillipponi is taking accountability after losing a high-profile on-air bet tied to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. Before the game, Fillipponi boldly wagered that he was so confident the Steelers would win, that if they didn’t, he would get his nipples pierced. He even declared the score would be 38-3 and backup QB Mason Rudolph would gain time on the field.
When the Steelers lost, Fillipponi quickly found himself on the hook for a promise that caught the attention of listeners across Pittsburgh. He discussed the payoff on his Friday program on 93.7 The Fan.
“I wanted to say it’s all Mike Tomlin’s fault, but it’s not. It’s my fault,” Fillipponi said on the air Friday. “I’m the stupid a** that said, ‘Oh, this game is going to be different.’ I’m the moron who said, ‘Oh my god, no Joe Burrow and now Trey Hendrickson is out. They’re not going to lose this game.’ Sure, the Bengals can’t run the ball. I’ll go do something asinine and pop off and shoot my mouth. Make some kind of BS wager that I’ll never have to worry about paying off. Sure, I’ll get my nipples pierced. What difference does it make?”
Despite the embarrassment, Fillipponi isn’t backing away. In fact, he’s using the wager as an opportunity to raise money for a meaningful cause on 93.7 The Fan.
“It is going to happen before this month is over,” Fillipponi said on 93.7 The Fan. “What we’re trying to work out right now is where it’s going to happen. But this is absolutely going to be something where the freaks out there, who are sadists, who want to see me in pain and agony, are going to be able to do this somewhere, in person.”
According to Fillipponi, the event will be open to the public, with an admission fee that will be donated to a breast cancer charity. The timing, he noted, is intentional — aligning the lighthearted bet payoff with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“There will be an admission price,” he added. “However, that admission price, I’m very pleased to say, is going to go to a breast cancer charity, because we are talking about nipples, and it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So there is actually some good that is going to come out of this.”
As for how he’ll handle the piercing itself, Fillipponi made it clear there will be no shortcuts.
“There’s no funny business here,” he said on The Fan. “I’m going to do it without numbing agents. It’s going to happen live. I need some help, possibly, from you out there on finding a professional out there who, with tender love and care, pierces nipples and has an outstanding resume — a better resume than Mike Tomlin on Thursday Night Football.”
While the bet may have started as a moment of impulsive radio bravado, Fillipponi is leaning into the bit — turning what could have been a humiliating punishment into a community-driven charity event.
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