Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. It’s where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Where the Liberty Bell stands, and a deep-rooted calling for sports reigns supreme. Few markets around the country have a fandom as passionate as the Philadelphia sports fan—something Joe DeCamara understands every weekday morning on Audacy’s SportsRadio 94WIP.
“I don’t think people nationally understand how engrained sports are in the Philadelphia sports culture,” noted DeCamara. “It has such deep roots. It’s longstanding, and intense.”
DeCamara is the voice that commands the attention of the Philadelphia sports fan every morning. Sharing the latest storylines surrounding any of the five Philadelphia professional teams. Those roots he speaks of have run deep for many generations, providing moments of greatness. Moments that DeCamara has captured in his new book, The Best of Philly Sports: Amazing Moments and Stories in Philadelphia Sports History.
Sharing History With a New Generation
The concept was simple: sharing the most impactful stories from the long history of Philadelphia sports for the next generation.
“I was talking to my nephew who was about ten years old at the time. He’s a big sports fan. We were talking about basketball, and I referenced ‘Dr. J,’” explained DeCamara. “He had absolutely no idea what I was talking about… I saw his incredibly confused look and then asked him if he knew who ‘Dr. J’ was, and he didn’t.”
Using that conversation along with a moment of discovery while cleaning his mother’s home, the idea came to light—using a discovered book on the greatest athletes of the twentieth century, written in the 1970s, as an example. The concept for a historical record of the greatest Philadelphia athletes ever offered in sports was born.
Over the years, what began as a fifty-chapter concept grew into a sixty-six-chapter final draft. Filled with short stories sharing the tales of Philadelphia legends, teams, and moments.
“I remembered the conversation with my nephew and thought I could write this book for younger fans who are big Philly sports fans,” said DeCamara. “I did set out to write it primarily for younger fans, but it also is something I wrote stylistically that can work for adults as well. It’s not Green Eggs and Ham.”
The content of The Best of Philly Sports: Amazing Moments and Stories in Philadelphia Sports History takes the reader on a journey through time. With later chapters referencing stories about moments and figures in earlier chapters of the book. From Stanley Cups to Super Bowls, and the personalities that stood out in between. DeCamara provides the reader with his perspective on the moments that will live on forever.
“I expanded it to what I thought would be the right stuff to be included in the book,” said DeCamara. “Then the Eagles won a Super Bowl, and won another Super Bowl. So things kept growing over time as things developed… It’s gratifying, and I’ve been very happy with the response from people so far.”
Replacing A Legend
The Pennsylvania native has made sports radio his calling for the past quarter-century. The last nine years spent at Philadelphia’s top sports radio station hosting programming alongside former NFL fullback Jon Ritchie. After a successful seven years locking down the midday time slot on the station, DeCamara was elevated to mornings in 2023 with the retirement of legendary Philadelphia host Angelo Cataldi.
“I was aware of the responsibility to be the host for WIP in the mornings, to follow Angelo [Cataldi] and keep the ratings super high. I welcomed that responsibility,” said DeCamara. “It was a little daunting in the beginning because you understand the weight and magnitude of it—the responsibility to the radio station and the company [Audacy], also to the city of Philadelphia listeners and fans. I felt that and am very happy how things have gone.”
Cataldi served more than three decades with 94WIP. Becoming a name synonymous with sports radio in Philadelphia—a ratings and revenue success story, and impactful talent that greeted audiences all around the city.
DeCamara noted the toughest part of the transition even two years later is still mastering the hours of being a morning drive host. However, he also values the many benefits the daypart provides to reinforce success.
“Structurally, the show is still pretty similar. We are very fortunate, though, to have an unbelievable base of guests on a weekly basis, which we didn’t have on the midday show,” said DeCamara. “There are elements of the show that didn’t exist in middays. It makes the conversation more compelling, and it’s up to us to make it as good as possible for the audience.”
During the football season, The WIP Morning Show features weekly exclusives with Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. Along with Eagles greats Jason Kelce, Dick Vermeil, and Ron Jaworski, among others. The A-list roster provides a unique opportunity to bring fans closer to the game daily.
“I also knew it would be very important for me to be me, and our show to be our show, as opposed to any prior iteration,” said DeCamara. “I’m happy I approached it that way and always will.”
Evolution of Philadelphia
The city of Philadelphia has experienced a recent run of success. The Philadelphia Eagles have won two Super Bowls in the past decade, while the Phillies have made the postseason for four straight seasons, including a division title and one National League championship. Make no mistake: football runs deep in the lifeblood of the Philadelphia sports fan, which DeCamara has seen evolve with success.
“The intensity of Philadelphia sports fans is essentially the same as ever, but with one exception,” said DeCamara. “The Eagles finally winning a Super Bowl relieved the intensity somewhat among fans. But people still get fired up when things don’t go well, as they always have.”
DeCamara notes conversations on his program have shifted from living day to day to more big-picture discussions, where a loss on Tuesday ties into broader conversations about the long-term impact. Choosing not to guide the audience on the roller coaster of emotions makes every day the biggest day.
“Ratings are higher when teams are good. That’s clear,” notes DeCamara. “The reality is, whether the teams are good or not, there’s always something to talk about.”
94WIP is no stranger to a successful business model. The radio station is the flagship station for both the Eagles and Phillies, which draws massive amounts of listeners to the brand throughout the year. While competitors in the market continue to punch up at the success model of how 94WIP frames their conversations, DeCamara remains focused on hosting his program the only way he knows.
“It’s very simple. I say what I think, either good or bad, about the teams and the players,” said DeCamara. “It’s very easy for me to give my opinion and give out the phone number to connect with people. I do the show the way I think it should be done. With passion, intensity, intelligence, and creativity.”
Entering his tenth year with 94WIP and third hosting morning drive, DeCamara has no plans to slow down anytime soon. He still feels the thrill of being the voice that determines the conversation of the day for one of the top sports radio brands in the country—meeting and greeting listeners in any way he can, but remaining humble and recognizing the blessing of the opportunity.
“I love it,” exclaimed DeCamara. “Am I still really super psyched to do the show daily? Absolutely. I consider myself remarkably fortunate to be in the position I am—to be involved with our show, radio station, and our community… I just absolutely love it.”
To purchase Joe DeCamara’s book, The Best of Philly Sports: Amazing Moments and Stories in Philadelphia Sports History, click here.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
