One Last Read

Now Available in Paperback!

Ray Didinger is known as the Godfather of Philadelphia sports. In his 53-year career as a writer, radio host and TV analyst, he has seen the best of times and the worst of times in America's most passionate sports city. And he chronicled it all while becoming known as "the world's slowest sportswriter."

This new paperback edition of his 2007 One Last Read includes a wistful new afterword now that he has retired. Here, Didinger recalls covering all six Philadelphia sports championships during his storied career—most notably the Eagles winning Super Bowl LII— throwing out the first pitch at a Phillies game, a surprising email from Mike Schmidt, hosting his last radio show on WIP, and receiving the Maxwell Club’s Reds Bagnell Award for contributions to the game of football.

Didinger compiled his favorite columns and profiles throughout the years in One Last Read. This anthology features chapters on each of the professional Philadelphia teams—the Phillies, the Flyers, the Sixers and of course, The Eagles—as well as Didinger’s coverage of college sport and the Olympics. There is also the full text of the speech he delivered in Canton, Ohio when he presented his boyhood idol, Tommy McDonald, for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Engaging, warm, witty, and insightful, this essential collection of Didinger's work by the self-proclaimed “world’s slowest sportswriter” was worth the wait.

Praise for Ray Didinger’s One Last Read

“There can be no debate that Ray Didinger (is) the best sportswriter ever in Philadelphia.”
—Angelo Cataldi, former 94WIP Sports Radio host

“One of the best books of the year. . . . Wonderful portraits . . . and strong opinion pieces . . . Worth reading for the elegance of the prose and the diligent reporting.”
—Philadelphia Daily News

“Ray’s writing takes you to the corner of Broad and Pattison. I’m blown away by his insight and perfect perceptions of an imperfect sports scene.”
—Peter King, NBC Sports

“A perfect gift for your dad or any other cranky old Philly sports fan. It’s also a heartening reminder that, yes, there have been Philly sports teams that could legitimately call themselves ‘champions.’”
—Philadelphia magazine