A Chat With Philadelphia Sports Media Icon Angelo Cataldi
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – We're kicking off a new series called "A Chat With" on CBS3. Each week, Jessica Kartalija will sit down with local celebrities and newsmakers to get a unique look at who they are.
The first guest is Philadelphia sports radio icon Angelo Cataldi.
Q: How much do you love what you do every day?
"Obviously enough to do it for 29 years and to get up at three o'clock every morning for all those years. I left my hometown of Rhode Island because I wanted to go to a real sports city and I haven't regretted it one day because it is a real sports city. I haven't regretted it one day because it is a real sports city. The passion, the fun, this is the place I was born to be."
Q: Do you ever stop and go, 'it's a game?'"
"How much does any of this really matter? I watch the news and that's reality. I'm trying to avoid that. That's why I went into sports because nothing is that big a deal in sports."
Q: What in Philly would you give 10 out of 10?
"Ten out of 10 in Philly? Citizens Bank Park, spectacular ballpark. I love Independence Hall. I love the Ben Franklin museum. I think those are fantastic. Kimmel Center is amazing. I love all of it."
Q: Off the top of your head, what's the best call you've ever gotten?
"My son called me 11 years ago on the air to say, 'Dad, we're having a baby.' And then there was a pause and he said, 'it's twins.' That is far and away – there's no better."
Q: What do your grandchildren call you?
"Chooch. They all call me Chooch, which is Italian for jackass. I'm best in short doses. I completely out-kick my coverage with my wife, she's spectacular in every way."
Q: What's next?
"I'll tell you. The next couple years, doing this then comes the part that really scares me and that's retirement and trying to decide what I'm going to do then because I don't have any hobbies. I love sports, my life is sports. I ran it by my wife, my retirement and she said, 'we don't need any more time with you than we have already.'"
Q: What do you want your legacy to be other than wing bowl?
"Simple – that who I was on the air is who I am. That simple. … If that's my honest opinion, I put it out there and lines are open. They can tell me I'm an idiot and they will. But I've got no regrets, man, I tell you. I've been doing this for a long time. The way I am going to look back on this, I've had a hell of a run."
"A Chat With" airs every Friday night at 11 p.m. on CBS3.
