A note on Father's Day, and Football

Happy Father’s Day to all the fellow Dads out there!

I'd be remiss not to acknowledge the deeply meaningful place that football has etched on my life, my career, and especially my relationship with my Dad.

This sport isn't just a game; it's a vital part of the foundation of the relationship I share with my father, and a vibrant, growing aspect of the bond I'm now forging with my own son.

Growing up just an hour northwest of Philadelphia, countless memories of my childhood are inextricably linked to football, few more indelible than the times I'd, as a toddler, stumble up into the backseat of my dad's car, eagerly asking him to put on "Eagles talk" on the radio.

Whether we were running errands, heading to my little league game, or picking up Friday night pizza, those hours spent listening to Philadelphia’s WIP sparked a quiet determination within me; to forge a career on sports talk radio, or one day covering the NFL.

That childhood dream later became a reality when I checked off the box of becoming a sports talk radio host, sharing nights and weekends alongside my good friend, Joe Staszak of

Epic Swagger

, on 97.5 FM The Fanatic, the first FM Sports Station in Philadelphia, and home of the 76ers and Flyers.

But beyond the airwaves, whether it was those car rides or the short, scorching walks from our family shorehouse to the Ocean City boardwalk to buy the Philadelphia Daily News for 60 cents – before spending hours on the beach losing myself in some of the best sportswriting in the country – each moment woven around football became a thread.

Those threads strengthened not just our relationship, but my deep love of the sport.

My first Eagles game, an overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals in 1997, remains vivid.

So too, does the surreal moment of hearing my father swear for the first time in my life, unleashing a torrent of F-bombs in combinations I never knew possible, as we trudged out of Lincoln Financial Field after the Carolina Panthers stunned the Birds in the NFC Championship Game on a cold, rainy South Philadelphia night.

These formative experiences, and so many more over the decades, hold irreplaceable places in my sports upbringing.

Yet, beyond countless tailgates and shared joys and heartbreaks, one moment stands above the rest, as an incredible source of pride.

Years after tearing up my fan card and dedicating my professional life to covering the NFL, I had the opportunity to cover my second Super Bowl, as the Philadelphia Eagles’ beat reporter for NJ Advance Media, in Minnesota, with Nick Foles guiding the Eagles against Tom Brady’s New England Patriots.

That week, my Dad flew out, bought a ticket, and got to experience what his father never had the opportunity to witness; the Philadelphia Eagles hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the very first time.

The most professionally fulfilling moment of my professional career is far and away, walking down from the auxiliary press box at U.S. Bank Stadium, 90 minutes before kickoff, and seeing the pure, unbridled joy on my Dad's face, a smile brimming with eager excitement for the possibilities of that day.

To give him that moment, after so many we shared around the game of football growing up, is a memory I’ll never forget.

Since becoming an NFL reporter, and, if I'm being honest, probably a few years before my first byline on NJ.com, I’ve long since stopped caring about Eagles wins or losses or if Philadelphia can repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Instead, I've channeled that fandom and those emotions into Penn State Football, where my Dad and I now share season tickets, attending a handful of games every season.

The dream, and the next box to check off, is being in the house when the Nittany Lions win a national championship. Heck, at this point, I'd even take a Rose Bowl trip in the College Football Playoff to cross off a bucket list item.

But, the beautiful journey of football's legacy continues.

My son, Luca, who turns three in just a few weeks, is just now beginning to show his own budding interest in the game.

Last fall, the carnival rolled into town, and after riding a few rides and eating more than a few bites of funnel cake, I strapped him into his car seat. And, with wide-eyed excitement, he blurted out that he "can’t wait to go home to watch the football game.” That night, the Eagles opened up the 2024 season against the Green Bay Packers, in Brazil.

We watched a few minutes of the game before he fought bedtime, but I could tell he was hooked.

The next morning, my wife and I packed both kids in the car hours before dawn, making the trek to Happy Valley for Penn State’s home opener.

Both Luca and my daughter, Sophia, were captivated by the atmosphere, the pageantry of college football, the bands, the Nittany Lion himself, and the action of the game.

By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Sophia was already standing up on the bleachers when Penn State was on defense, screaming until her little voice went hoarse, just like her Dad. That's my girl.

There have since been countless Sundays, when Luca sneaks downstairs into my office amid a hectic day of NFL action, and while I couldn’t ask for a better “assistant,” it’s maybe more amazing watching him so enthralled by the games.

While baseball might have long ago established itself as our National Pastime, I'd argue that there isn’t a more distinctly American game than football.

For me, there certainly isn't a sport more deeply intertwined into the fabric of my relationship with my Dad.

And, now, with my own kids, I’m so excited to continue creating those very same memories as they grow older and begin to forge their unforgettable football moments, and lasting memories.

So, to all the dads out there, Happy Father’s Day. Feel free to share your favorite football memories with your Dad, or your kids, in the comments below!