Angelo Cataldi
Encyclopedia
Angelo Cataldi is a sports radio
personality for 610 WIP (AM) in Philadelphia. Airing from 5:30am (which includes a 15-minute "Overlap" Show with overnight personality Big Daddy Graham) until 10:00am Eastern time, along with co-hosts Al Morganti
, Keith Jones and Rhea Hughes.
, Rhode Island
. Despite growing up in Red Sox country, Cataldi has been an ardent New York Yankees fan. Previously a sports writer
for The Philadelphia Inquirer
, he has been the anchor for the Morning Show since his first appearance on the show in 1988 along with Tom Brookshier
forming the on-air duo of "Brookie and the Rookie". Cataldi immediately brought a comedic and witty personality to the station. He continues to provide humorous commentary (Angelo’s “rants”) on local Philadelphia sports, as well as his everyday living experiences, making him one of Philadelphia's most popular, entertaining and recognizable radio personalities.
Cataldi has frequently mobilized his radio listeners to compel the owners of Philadelphia's sports franchises to make changes in management and personnel. In 1992, the "Honk For Herschel" movement was created to implore the Philadelphia Eagles
to acquire Herschel Walker
, a running back with the Minnesota Vikings
. Whether due to Cataldi's influence or not, the appeal succeeded and Herschel played for the Eagles for the 1992-94 seasons.
Cataldi is the co-author of The Great Philadelphia Sports Debate with fellow WIP host Glen Macnow
. He has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes for his sports writing.
Along with Al Morganti and Rhea Hughes, Angelo has also been joined on the morning show by former Flyer
Keith Jones, retired Eagle
Hugh Douglas and former Phillies
Mitch Williams and Ricky Botallico, as well as local comedian Joe Conklin
.
, now known as "the dirty 30", to go to the 1999 NFL Draft
in New York City
and boo if the Philadelphia Eagles did not select University of Texas at Austin
running back
Ricky Williams
with their #2 pick. The Eagles instead drafted quarterback
Donovan McNabb
and they booed the Eagles draft pick.
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
personality for 610 WIP (AM) in Philadelphia. Airing from 5:30am (which includes a 15-minute "Overlap" Show with overnight personality Big Daddy Graham) until 10:00am Eastern time, along with co-hosts Al Morganti
Al Morganti
Michael "Al" Morganti is a nationally recognized hockey analyst who has covered the National Hockey League and international competitions. He is currently a pre and post-game analyst for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL for games broadcast on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and occasionally, The...
, Keith Jones and Rhea Hughes.
Career
Cataldi is a native of ProvidenceProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. Despite growing up in Red Sox country, Cataldi has been an ardent New York Yankees fan. Previously a sports writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
for The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, he has been the anchor for the Morning Show since his first appearance on the show in 1988 along with Tom Brookshier
Tom Brookshier
Thomas Jefferson "Tom" Brookshier was an American professional football player, coach and sportscaster. He was a starting defensive back for the Philadelphia Eagles for seven seasons from 1953 to 1961...
forming the on-air duo of "Brookie and the Rookie". Cataldi immediately brought a comedic and witty personality to the station. He continues to provide humorous commentary (Angelo’s “rants”) on local Philadelphia sports, as well as his everyday living experiences, making him one of Philadelphia's most popular, entertaining and recognizable radio personalities.
Cataldi has frequently mobilized his radio listeners to compel the owners of Philadelphia's sports franchises to make changes in management and personnel. In 1992, the "Honk For Herschel" movement was created to implore the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to acquire Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker
Herschel Junior Walker is an American mixed martial artist and a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and earned the 1982 Heisman Trophy. He began his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League...
, a running back with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. Whether due to Cataldi's influence or not, the appeal succeeded and Herschel played for the Eagles for the 1992-94 seasons.
Cataldi is the co-author of The Great Philadelphia Sports Debate with fellow WIP host Glen Macnow
Glen Macnow
Glen Harry Macnow is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania sports talk radio host on 610 WIP.-Background:Macnow was born in New York City, and raised in Buffalo, New York...
. He has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes for his sports writing.
Along with Al Morganti and Rhea Hughes, Angelo has also been joined on the morning show by former Flyer
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
Keith Jones, retired Eagle
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Hugh Douglas and former Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
Mitch Williams and Ricky Botallico, as well as local comedian Joe Conklin
Joe Conklin
Joe Conklin is a Philadelphia comedian who has also been announcer on the Nickelodeon game show Finders Keepers-Career:Conklin makes guest appearances frequently on WIP-AM in Philadelphia, and is known in the Philadelphia area for impersonations of local athletes as well as national...
.
1999 NFL Draft
Cataldi is best known for (and claims to regret) organizing a group of 30 Eagles fansFan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
, now known as "the dirty 30", to go to the 1999 NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and boo if the Philadelphia Eagles did not select University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
with their #2 pick. The Eagles instead drafted quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
and they booed the Eagles draft pick.
Notable “Angelo-isms”
- Cataldi is the “spiritual leader” of Eagles fans hatred of the Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Despite this, in The Great Philadelphia Sports Debate, he wrote that the Eagles' greater enemy is the nearby New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Cataldi is the co-founder with Morganti of the annual Wing BowlWing BowlWing Bowl is an annual eating contest founded in 1993 by Philadelphia talk-radio hosts Angelo Cataldi and Al Morganti as a celebration of gluttony. The contest was first broadcast on WIP ....
, in which thousands of people crowd the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia to watch a competition as to who can eat the greatest number of buffalo wingsBuffalo wingsA Buffalo wing, hot wing or wing is a chicken wing section that is traditionally fried unbreaded and then coated in sauce...
within a certain time period. It's also well-known for the bevy of beautiful, scantily-clad women who parade through the arena (known as "wingettes"). The contest began in the lobby of a Center City Philadelphia hotel (The Wyndham Franklin Plaza), and grew to be able to fill first The SpectrumWachovia SpectrumThe Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
and now the Wachovia CenterWachovia CenterThe Wells Fargo Center is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. The 2006 edition was the first to charge admission, which goes to charity. - Cataldi had a stint with Comcast where he had a panel of guests discuss Philadelphia sports topics on the "Angelo Cataldi Show" which was sponsored by Forman MillsForman MillsForman Mills, Inc., is a Pennsauken, NJ, -based retail chain and department store with 28 stores, located in Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, Delaware, New Jersey, Washington DC, Chicago, New York and their suburbs. They also operate a store at the Iverson Mall in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland...
. - Cataldi is also the founder of the "Miss WIP" beauty contestBeauty contestA beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
. Local attractive women compete for the honors of being the radio station's official divaDivaA diva is a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and, by extension, in theatre, cinema and popular music. The meaning of diva is closely related to that of "prima donna"....
. - In the parking lot of Veterans StadiumVeterans StadiumPhiladelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, Cataldi once tried to catch a baseball that was dropped from a helicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
,the baseball hit Angelo in the head and he had to be rushed to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. - In 1995, Cataldi made a bet with Howard EskinHoward EskinHoward Eskin is an American sports radio personality for WIP-FM 94.1/WIP-AM 610 in Philadelphia.-Career:After Eskin graduated from Northeast High School in Philadelphia in 1968, he got his start in local radio at WFIL-AM when evening shift disc jockey George Michael hired him to be his engineer...
over a Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys game. The loser would have to wear a dressDressA dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:*Clothing in general*Costume, fancy dress...
on televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. This turned out to be the game with Cowboys coach Barry SwitzerBarry SwitzerBarry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
making the infamous 4th and 1 call. Cataldi won the bet and Eskin appeared on Cataldi's Great Sports Debate television show in a dress. - Cataldi had his head shaved on his Angelo and Company television show after he incorrectly predicted the Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
would miss the playoffs. - Cataldi is famous for coining nicknames for his guests. One example is giving Wing Bowl 13 contestant and the current 5th ranked Competitive Eater in the World "Humble" Bob Shoudt the nickname "Humble", due to his humble style of eating, when he was an in studio guest in 2004.
- Cataldi's show frequently receives calls from former Philadelphia Mayor and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed RendellEd RendellEdward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...
and U.S. Senator Arlen SpecterArlen SpecterArlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
, both Eagles fans. During the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Cataldi ripped President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
as a "bully" for his stance favoring restriction of freedom of speech on radio and television, and Senator John KerryJohn KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
as a "phony" for questionable financial dealings, and wrote Rendell's name in for President. Recently Cataldi has had U.S. Congressman Patrick MurphyPatrick Murphy (politician)Patrick Joseph Murphy is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
on the show several times, stemming from Murphy's sole dissenting vote on the House Resolution congratulating the Giants for winning the Super Bowl in February 2008. - In August 1999, Cataldi was arrested for not having a beach tag at the beach in Avalon, New Jersey. Cataldi then proceeded to work with state legislation to challenge the legality of beach tages.
- Cataldi has had a long-standing feud with WIP afternoon host Howard Eskin for over a decade. In 2005, the feud heated up over comments Eskin made about Cataldi and his morning show.
- When the 2006 Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
tied the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the wildcard chase with 10 games to go, Cataldi would draw an analogy to footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. He would do a game by game breakdown by looking at pitching matchups to see what games they should win and what games they would not win. This type of analogy is indicative of Cataldi's broadcasting style. - In 2007, Cataldi challenged Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie ManuelCharlie ManuelCharles Fuqua Manuel, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder and current Major League Baseball manager of the Philadelphia Phillies...
to a fist fight and signed legal papers in the WIP studios to do so. Manuel never responded to the challenge. - On March 20, 2008, Cataldi interviewed presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
on the program. At one point, Obama referred to his caucasian grandmother as "a typical white person," a comment that would cause much controversy, including on WIP afternoon host Howard EskinHoward EskinHoward Eskin is an American sports radio personality for WIP-FM 94.1/WIP-AM 610 in Philadelphia.-Career:After Eskin graduated from Northeast High School in Philadelphia in 1968, he got his start in local radio at WFIL-AM when evening shift disc jockey George Michael hired him to be his engineer...
's program the same day. - On July 6, 2008, Angelo and the Morning Crew launched a campaign to get Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
' outfielder Pat BurrellPat BurrellPatrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
into the 2008 MLB All-Star Game. Despite four pre-selected fans spending over 50 hours straight doing nothing but voting for Pat Burrell at Harry the K's in Citizens Bank ParkCitizens Bank ParkCitizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
, Burrell was not named to the team.
Common quotes
Cataldi is famous for some one-liner quotes, including:- "And just think, I'm getting paid for this"
- "You're a stinkin Loser"
- "Oooh yeah"
- "You know what Al" (referring to his co-host Al Morganti)
- "What are you wearing?" (when talking to female callers)
- "Wow you're spectacular!" (when talking with female guests in studio)
- "Hey Jack Ass !"