I just finished Randy Miller's exceptionally good biography of Harry Kalas. One of the themes covered, as a subset of how truly beloved of a figure Harry was, was how much people enjoyed the pairing of Harry Kalas with Rich "Whitey" Ashburn. We Phils fans knew we loved their presentation, but I'm not sure that we were cognizant of it sufficiently in its time. Of course if you listen to the Phils telecast now, its former greatness is not lost on you. (that's not an implication of Sarge, either)
If you are looking for a modern pair of terrific sports uncles, how about Ray Didinger and Glen Macnow? I think most people like listening to the pairing, but perhaps we are guilty again of not realizing how special the pairing is in its own time. These guys are both very experienced sports journalists and they both come across the air as supremely nice guys. They've even authored books together.
Ray Didinger has worked for the old Philadelphia Bulletin, the Daily News, NFL Films and Comcast Sportsnet in addition to 610 WIP, where he often does a Saturday morning show with Glen. He gained my particular admiration for sharing my opinion, and expressing it that he has "no use" for Michael Vick and can't wait until he leaves town. If you are looking for an opinion of the talent level of some obscure backup offensive lineman somewhere in the NFL, Ray's is about the only researched among the local broadcasters.
While Harry was the the play-by-play man, and Whitey was the king of dry humor, Glen serves as both the lead talker and primary humorist on the Didinger/Macnow show. Glen is the more emotional of the two, and expertly cajoles Ray into taking the same stands. A native of Buffalo, NY, Glen has earned his Philadelphia bona fides with a couple decades in Philly, including a long stint with the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is also our community's leading food critic (not that silly Craig LeBan), having conducted detailed study's on the area's best burgers, pizza, cheeseteaks and more.
With a very honorable and respectful mention to Merrill Reese and Mike Quick, who unfortunately just don't work as many occasions but who are also awesome, we should all be grateful for the talk-radio pairing of Didinger and Macnow. Let's not wait until Chris Wheeler and some bobo take their slot before we acknowledge just how good they are.
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