April 16, 2026 • 52 mins
We talk sports and faith with John Fanta, a prominent national broadcaster at NBC Sports, who attends Mass with his wife and young son at Our Lady of the Magnificat Church in Kinnelon, N.J. He joins Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.
John went to Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., where he became deeply involved with the Pirate Sports Network, WSOU radio, and student journalism, and laid the foundation for his national broadcasting career.
But his first break came when his first-grade teacher recognized John's talent for singing and encouraged him to be a cantor and lector at St. Bernadette Church in Westlake, Ohio, where he grew up.
Bishop Kevin also discusses the establishment of a new parish, Padre Pio, in Paterson, N.J., on April 12 (Divine Mercy Sunday).
Show Notes:
Podcast: John Fanta's Story
Seton Hall: Pirate Sports Network
Event: An Evening With Jay Wright
Related Article: Padre Pio Parish
Email questions and topic ideas to Bishop Kevin at beyond@patersondiocese.org.
Produced by Jai Agnish and Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney for the Diocese of Paterson. Engineered by Cecile Pagliarulo. Edited and theme song by Jai Agnish. Illustrations by Dennis Dalelio.
Beyond The Beacon on Instagram and Facebook. Bishop Kevin on Instagram. The Diocese of Paterson on Instagram, Facebook (English) / Facebook (Spanish).
Every three years, each Diocese in the USA has the graced opportunity to make a scheduled pilgrimage as one Diocesan family with their Bishop to the National Shrine in the nation's capital. 2026 is once again "our year!" Please note the two-day and one-day options: Oct. 16, Friday, and Oct. 17, Saturday. Visit the Diocese of Paterson website here to learn more!
On Coffee with Kupke, we have a cup of coffee and sit down with diocesan archivist, Monsignor Raymond Kupke Ph.D., to delve into the history of Catholicism in the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Hosted by Father Paul Manning and Msgr. Kupke. Listen to Coffee with Kupke wherever you get your podcasts, or watch it on the St. Paul Inside the Walls YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@stpaulinsidethewalls.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:08):
Welcome to Beyond the Beacon with Bishop Kevin
Sweeney, a podcast of theDiocese of Patterson, New
Jersey.
Join us for conversations aboutour Catholic faith, and together
let's strive to live a life offaith, hope, and love.
I'm Jay Agnish, and with me isBishop Kevin Sweeney and our
guest this week, John Fanta.
How are you guys doing?
SPEAKER_03 (00:26):
Good, Jay.
Thanks.
Thanks.
John, thank you for being withus.
SPEAKER_00 (00:29):
Happy Easter, everyone.
It's wonderful to be here.
SPEAKER_03 (00:32):
Happy Easter, Jay.
Yeah, it's been a little behinda while.
Camera there.
Yes, um, but uh uh holy weekrolled on by, Easter.
We're still in the Easterseason.
Yes, we just finished theoctave, a beautiful uh actually
historic day for the diocese onDivine Mercy Sunday.
Um we created a new parish.
(00:54):
Um the parishes of um uh St.
Bonaventure and Our Lady ofPompeii, and they call it the
Stony Road section of Patterson.
Uh you on Route 80, um uh yousee St.
Bonaventure's right there, andliterally two blocks down in the
days when um well theFranciscans had their place
there, and the Italian communityum uh had Our Lady of Pompeii,
(01:16):
and um so uh the Franciscansleft uh almost two years ago
now.
Uh and um Father Alex Nevitt hasbeen the administrator there,
and uh Father Frank Agresti formany years had served as the
pastor of Our Lady of Pompeii,but things were getting a little
challenging in terms of numbersand finances, and uh so
Monsignor George Hunt um andFather Manuel Cuayar uh went
(01:39):
together to St.
Gerard's in Patterson and alsotook responsibility for Our Lady
of Pompeii in uh uh a few blocksaway, further away than St.
Bonaventures.
That was before uh theFranciscans let us know that
they'd be moving on.
And uh once um Father Alex gotto St.
Bond's and Monsignor Hunt andFather Manuel, and the people
(02:00):
started looking um at uh howclose the two parishes were and
uh how the two could become one.
Uh and there was a lot ofconversations and meetings and
discernment and uh mass scheduleand uh and the name.
Uh and uh everyone loves PadrePio, so uh so it was uh so we
started our lady Pompeii onDivine Mercy Sunday.
(02:22):
You were there, right?
Yeah, yeah.
A little procession um afterDivine Mercy Chapel.
Kind of a steep true, right?
It was a heavy mantra, but itwas uh so um so uh yeah, that
was wonderful on Divine MercySunday, and um blessed to be at
the cathedral um for PalmSunday, the Christmas,
(02:44):
beautiful, so many priests inthe cathedral was full.
Um then Palm Sunday, beautifulwashing the feet.
SPEAKER_02 (02:50):
Wonderful um, always a striking image to see a bishop
washing someone's feet.
SPEAKER_03 (02:55):
Well, it's the way we're supposed to be, you know.
So uh uh um and uh MonsignorGino and the staff and
volunteers do such a beautifuljob with all that they do.
But um the um we have a goodFriday procession in the street
through the streets of Pattersonwith over a hundred in the cast
and staff and crew, and uh uh uhit was many hundred, if not a
(03:18):
thousand, that were part of theprocession, and um and then
privileged on Holy Saturdaynight individual to baptize more
than 20 adults and confirm andgive first communion to another
60 or so adults.
You know, those numbers havebeen up here in our diocese and
throughout the country.
Something good is happening inthe church.
Uh many young adults are um uhcoming back to the faith and or
(03:40):
or coming to the faith.
Uh so uh we have a lot to uh uhuh rejoice in Easter Joy.
Um so and uh and uh happy thatJohn is with us today, and uh
you'll do the introduction,we'll say a prayer.
But um uh we uh we had uh SteveJavi, the NBA referee on.
Uh so uh we have twosports-themed episodes, sports
(04:04):
and faith themes episode in arow, and we're not gonna be a
sports talk show, but uh we'regonna have a little more today.
Um but uh uh John comes to us asa man of faith and uh has come
to our diocese, our Lady ofMagnificat Parish, right, as a
husband and a father, and uh andso we'll be happy to hear your
faith journey and maybe we'll doa little sports.
SPEAKER_00 (04:24):
It won't be Mike and the mad dog, but we'll but we'll
try our best to a bear.
SPEAKER_03 (04:28):
It's wonderful to be here with you both.
It really is.
Thanks for coming, John.
Um thanks, John.
So maybe we'll say a prayer andthen Jay, you can do the
introduction.
Name of the Father and of theSon and of the Holy Spirit.
In these beautiful Easter days,celebrating the Lord's
resurrection, praying for peacein our country and our world, we
pray for our Holy Father Poblioand um and for peace.
(04:50):
Um we ask the help of the HolySpirit as we look forward to the
great feast of Pentecost, and wepray, Come, O Holy Spirit, fill
the hearts of the faithful, andkindle in them the fire of your
love.
Send forth your spirit, and weshall be recreated, and thou
shalt renew the face of theearth.
O God, who has taught the heartsof the faithful by the light of
the Holy Spirit.
Grant us in that same spirit tobe truly wise and always rejoice
(05:11):
in your consolation throughChrist our Lord.
Amen.
Our Lady Seed of Wisdom, Motherof the Church.
Pray for us, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us, prayfor us, Saints Peter and Paul,
pray.
Pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray forthe children.
Pray for us.
Name of the Father, of the Son,and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
And Saint Sebastian, the patronsaint of athletes, right?
Oh, popular confirmation name ofthe young men.
SPEAKER_02 (05:32):
Maybe St.
Bernard as well.
Okay.
So John Fanta is a prominentcollege basketball broadcaster,
commentator, and digital mediacontributor, known for his work
across major sports networkslike Fox Sports and NBC Sports,
blending play-by-play, analysis,and fan engagement.
His broadcasts are lighthearted,engaging, and rooted in genuine
(05:54):
enthusiasm for the game.
He and his wife and their youngson attend Our Lady of the
Magnifica in Kinelon, NewJersey.
Faith is a big part of his life.
He's a product of Catholicschool education and grew up in
Cleveland, Ohio, immersed in apassionate sports culture and
inspired by local announcers.
John attended Seton HallUniversity here in New Jersey,
(06:16):
where he became deeply involvedwith the Pirate Sports Network,
WSOU Radio and StudentJournalism, and laid where he
laid the foundation for hisnational broadcasting career.
But its first break was way backwhen his first grade teacher
recognized John's talent forsinging and encouraged him to be
a cantor and a lector at St.
(06:37):
Bernadette Church in Westlake,Ohio.
John credits his current successto his ability to adapt to
different media, radio,television, digital writing, and
podcasts, and he has a funInstagram account where he does
even more storytelling.
So thanks again for joining us.
SPEAKER_03 (06:54):
John and uh Welcome and thanks for being here.
And uh uh I guess Father Steveand and uh one of the other
people.
George and uh business uhreached out to us, which we're
always happy to get those uh uhrecommendations uh for uh
subjects and and guests.
Uh and then uh Jay shared withme the um the podcast Westlake,
(07:15):
is it?
Uh the St.
Bernard in Westlake, yeah.
And we'll link to that and Iencourage others.
It's uh uh I love the enthusiasmum and the storytelling and uh
uh classic old-time radio voice,right?
Who was that that was with you?
SPEAKER_00 (07:30):
Trapper Jack in Cleveland, Ohio, who who did a
morning show on WDOK 102.1 for anumber of years, and Father Joe
uh Menkaus at St.
Bernadette Parish.
He was recently ordained, right?
Father Joe was recently ordainedand joined Father Phil Rocco,
who's the pastor there inWestlake.
So that's the parish I grew upin.
So it was very cool to get askedby them to come back on because
(07:53):
I'm in New Jersey now, have anew parish home, but you never
forget where you came from andyour roots in Northeast Ohio.
That th those are my roots, butum now thrilled to call New
Jersey home.
And it's it's it's awfully coolto um interact with different
parishes.
Uh I don't know how many havebeen on Two Parish Podcasts, so
(08:15):
I'm honored and honored andgrateful to be able to say that.
But I have an uncle who's apastor at St.
Dominic's in Shaker Heights,Ohio, Father Tom Fanta, and I
have a cousin uh who is soon tobe an ordained priest in Father
Sean Neville.
It's amazing to say those forthe Diocese of Cleveland.
So uh we're a very, veryfaith-based family, and uh we've
(08:38):
got several relatives who canhandle a variety of sacraments.
That's great.
And you're one of how manybrothers and sisters?
I'm one of four.
Right.
I'm the oldest of four.
SPEAKER_03 (08:46):
Right, good.
SPEAKER_00 (08:47):
Um so you know, my sister and I are are 13 months
apart.
Oh, my brother and I are 13months.
Yeah, we kind of go back to bed.
It's and then there's sort of atwo-year gap, but uh, I'm the
oldest of four.
Okay, great.
And raised in the faith, huh?
By Catholic parents and family?
Raised in the faith.
So my dad uh was one of eight,one of eight kids.
SPEAKER_03 (09:06):
My parents are each one of eight.
Growing up in Ireland.
SPEAKER_00 (09:08):
There there you go.
So uh and and uh my mom uh hasuh one sister, had one sister,
so she's one of two.
Uh so there's a bit of a uh adifference there between between
the two of them.
But uh they both grew up withCatholic education being a theme
and and the Catholic school,Catholic parish you know, being
a theme for for their theirlives.
(09:31):
My dad, he lived a minute fromhis church, St.
Brendan.
Wow.
Uh and his father, faith waseverything too, super involved
in in their parish and thefather's club and organizing
donuts with on Sundays and doingthings that you know that then
was passed on to me through myparents getting involved in the
(09:53):
parish.
My my dad was the athleticdirector at St.
Bernadette.
My mom dedicated her time in avariety of ways to parish.
Heck, I worked up at the schoolduring the summers.
It was a summer job for me toclean classrooms and landscapes.
So the point is, you know, andlecturing and cantoring as well,
parish involvement was somethingthat my family it wasn't
(10:15):
something that had to be said.
It was something that wasunderstood in our household that
parish is community, that at onSunday at eleven o'clock,
there's not a question of wherewe are, we're at church.
And we're not at church becausewe have to go to church, we're
at church because we get theopportunity to go to church.
SPEAKER_02 (10:34):
I love that you say that because the bishop says
almost the same exact thingabout the opportunity that we
get.
I love that.
SPEAKER_00 (10:41):
It's one hour to unplug.
That's right.
I don't think we've ever neededit more in our world.
SPEAKER_03 (10:46):
Right, right.
And um uh and um uh Catholicschool?
Catholic school.
Grammar school and high school?
Grammar school and high schooland college.
Right.
And what led you to Seton Hall?
SPEAKER_00 (10:57):
What um That's a great I I I believe that that
God was involved.
Uh I really do believe that.
So I was looking at theNortheast part of the country
because I graduated high schoolin 2013 from St.
Ignatius High School, so jJesuit educated in in high
school.
(11:18):
And you know, I I thought tomyself there were a couple of of
universities and colleges inOhio that I was intrigued by.
John Carroll University beingone on the east side of
Cleveland.
My mother went there, uh mydad's a Mercy Hearst grad, the
Lakers of Mercy Hearst.
So I I went and looked aroundat, you know, I I I did the tour
at Ohio down in Athens, I I didthe tour at John Carroll, but I
(11:42):
wanted to go, I wanted to try tochallenge myself and go to the
Northeast.
So we looked at Syracuse, welooked at Fordham, very close to
going to Fordham, looked at St.
John's, your alma mater, lookedat St.
Bonaventure, and only theFranciscans.
And I was about to head out on asecond tour out to the
Northeast, and my collegecounselor said, Hey, while
(12:07):
you're taking a look at uh whileyou're taking a look at at
different schools in theNortheast, I believe that this
was right off of the spring ofmy junior year of college.
Um so you know, going intosenior year, she said, while
you're taking a look, why don'tyou take a look at this Seton
Hill University?
(12:28):
Now there is a Seton Hill, butshe turned, she she passed me a
brochure, and I said, It sayshere Seton Hall.
And she goes, Oh yeah, yeah,yeah, Seton Hall.
And there was sort of a kind ofa like, you just hand me this
brochure, and you know, itwasn't that she was like passing
passing on the idea of theplace, but it was brought up out
(12:48):
of the blue.
You know, while you're taking alook at some of these other
schools, you should take a lookat this place.
So I opened up the brochure andI saw they had broadcasting, and
I noticed that Bob Lee, who's anESPN ledge, right?
Bob Lee is an alum of SetonHall.
And I knew that they were in theBig East, and I thought of
growing up watching the Big Easttournament and watching you
know, Jerry McNamara forSyracuse.
SPEAKER_03 (13:10):
Did you go back to PJ Carlisle?
SPEAKER_00 (13:12):
Well, you know, I don't go back to that long, but
obviously, you know, then Ilearned uh of you know Kemble
Walker at UConn, the great St.
John's teams through the years,whether it'd be with Ron Artest
and Dwight Hardy and all thosedifferent players.
So I thought to myself, youknow, I my dad uh and my brother
and I were gonna go go out forthis particular trip.
Mom, they would break it up andwhatnot, because being the
(13:33):
oldest of four, there'shousehold to manage.
So my dad said, Why don't wetake a visit over there since
we're going all the way out thatway?
And when I got to South Orange,first off, I love the community
feel.
I I thought that theneighborhood was just
interesting and and uh and funand you could sense you know,
you you I could just sensesomething.
(13:53):
A lot of tradition.
A lot of tradition.
I saw the 1980s.
Catholic roots.
Catholic roots, and they hadmade the national championship
game in '89.
But so walked into the campus,and it it struck me very quickly
into the tour how much thecampus was about each other.
Whenever I talk with someone andasked a question, the answer was
(14:16):
selfless.
The answer was whatever youwould like to do here, we have
the resources to do.
We have more internships thanstudents.
Because there's a Seton Hall,everybody knows everybody.
It's a small the the the base ofundergraduate that are living on
campus, there's a lot ofcommuters.
So the people that, you know, Iwas coming from Ohio, the people
that were going to be living oncampus and whatnot, right,
(14:38):
you're gonna get to know eachother quite well.
And so I said, Can I talk tosomebody at the athletic
department?
They led me to the athleticdirector's office.
This is a big E school here.
This is not a low major,mid-major school, nothing
against those schools at all,but like the accessibility, a
guy by the name of Pat Lyons,who just took over as the
athletic director at theUniversity of Rhode Island.
Okay, Pat was super helpful andsaid, there's a blank canvas
(15:01):
here.
And if if you're looking for anopportunity, we can give that to
you.
And I looked at my dad, I said,Look, I said, Syracuse is known
for its legends and Hall ofFamers and Fordham, Vince
Scholars, Mike Breen.
Mike Breen, Michael Kay.
SPEAKER_03 (15:17):
Oh, sure, right, right.
SPEAKER_00 (15:19):
You know, I I I said, these places are great.
I said, the one thing is it'sgonna take two or three years
just for me to get on the air.
Right.
Now that doesn't mean that Ican't have success, but I
thought it was important, or atleast in my book, of I couldn't
sit around.
I wanted to be a doer.
And they were saying you can geton the air here right away.
And you do it.
So that's what led me to SetonHall.
SPEAKER_03 (15:37):
Uh the broadcasting was your your interest.
SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
From a very early age, I would I would listen to
an inning or watch an inning ofa baseball game, or listen to a
quarter of a game, uh a footballgame, and then I would turn the
volume down in the living roomand start calling it myself.
I thought it was the coolestthing that those people got to
talk about sports.
SPEAKER_03 (15:56):
I don't think it said enough.
Uh there's something aboutbaseball on the radio.
Um we're losing, I think, alittle bit of it.
I'm sounding old now, but uh um,but um uh um you know, as Yankee
fans, uh we had John Sterlingand Susan Waldman for the last
probably 30 years.
And uh so um but uh yeah the umuh but you heard some uh and and
you were you were hooked from ayoung age, huh?
SPEAKER_00 (16:17):
Hooked from a young age.
And you know, I would I wouldlisten to the radio.
Tom Hamilton still calls theGuardians games, and it's been
known for legendary calls.
Joe Tate would call the Cavsgames.
I was seven when LeBron Jameswas tracked by the cats.
And the Browns, long suffering.
Oh, yeah, I'm a Jet fan too.
But the TF we can relate there.
Any and all our prayers, Bishop.
(16:38):
Uh that's for sure.
Look, the the Browns, uh, asmuch as they've been suffering,
I always thought it was greatbecause the name the voice of
the team was a guy by the nameof Jim Donovan, who we lost too
soon to leukemia a few yearsback.
And you know, I liken it to whatBob was shoes and adds to the
Jets.
Bob was shoes.
You would never know the team'srecord based on the way they
call the games.
And I always thought that's asign of a really good
(17:00):
broadcaster.
They they do it with passion,they paint a picture.
And, you know, I I played sportsgrowing up, football,
basketball, and baseball.
I was a turnstile as a leftguard.
I could make I could make a shotas a basketball player, and I
pitched a little bit inbaseball, but it didn't last.
And so I thought I love sports,I love the passion associated
with it.
I think there's there'scommonalities between sports and
(17:22):
the church in terms of that wordpassion.
SPEAKER_03 (17:25):
Dedication, sacrifice, yeah, sacrifice, busy
schedule, right, right.
SPEAKER_00 (17:29):
That adrenaline rush of calling a game, I said it was
my way of playing the game.
SPEAKER_03 (18:13):
Right, right.
And uh, and uh so uh aftermeeting the athletic director uh
and you spoke to your dad, itseemed like Seton Hall uh was
the was the place you were gonnago.
And uh and what was it like whenonce you got there?
SPEAKER_00 (18:28):
It was incredible.
You know, uh the the the placehad such an amazing energy about
it.
I didn't know anyone walkinginto the campus gates.
I knew nobody.
You know, I had met people, butI didn't know them, know them.
And my parents, we drove, Imean, I was the oldest of four,
so I was the first to go awayfor college.
Eight-hour drive, eight-hourdrive, dramatic for mom.
(18:52):
And you know, I can rememberwriting my parents' letters and
leaving them back at the housewith so when they got home, they
wrote them just saying thankyou, and I'm gonna try to make
the most of this opportunity.
And look, two weeks in I was alittle bit homesick.
But when I look back at thattime, during those weeks where I
was a little homesick and tryingto figure it out, the the chapel
(19:13):
was literally fifty feet fromfrom the beautiful, beautiful
chapel.
Right, in a beautiful chapel.
So, you know, honest to God, um,I I the one thing I knew I could
do, I there's two things I knewI could do on campus.
Before, you know, I was intraining at WSOU that you don't
just get on the air immediately,but it was about a four or five
(19:34):
week thing.
I was helping with the athleticbroadcast with the Pirate Sports
Network, just as a cameraman atfirst, and then I I could tell
you how to do it.
Just hang around, do whatever'sneeded, right?
Hang around, tell you how Ifirst got out in the air.
Don't remind me of that here ina moment, because I think,
again, things happen.
But the two things I knew Icould do was one, I knew I had
to go down to the cafeteria andI could interact with some
people there, because myroommate would go home to Staten
(19:56):
Island on the first coupleweekends.
He he was he would he was closeenough to home.
And I wanted to stay in the dormand you know, learn people's
names and and figure all thatout.
I knew I could go to thecafeteria, I knew I could go to
Mass.
And so I'd go to 10 o'clock Masson Sundays or 8 o'clock Mass on
Sundays.
They had a 10 p.m.
you know, click college, collegelife.
(20:18):
And a guy by the name of FatherJohn Denehy, who is the chaplain
for CD.
Oh, yes, yes, yes, right.
Yes, and um uh Father Mac at St.
John's is on the bench with themas well.
SPEAKER_03 (20:29):
So, you know Father Richie Rock.
SPEAKER_00 (20:31):
Father, not Father Rack.
Father Rock, my my bad, FatherRock, who is the best?
See Father Rock all the time.
Very good friend.
You know, that those are thethose are the experiences that
early on helped help me in mycollege experience.
And then I I was about threeweeks on campus, I was helping
behind the scenes, laying downcourts, being a cameraman.
(20:54):
A soccer game had gotten pushedtoday due to rain and lightning,
which soccer can be played inthe rain.
We all know I mean it can be.
It takes a lot for a soccer gameto get postponed today.
It was that nasty a weather inNew Jersey.
And I was on the phone with myparents, it was a Friday
afternoon instead of a Thursday,and I said, Yeah, I'm going to
I'm going to work the game thatwasn't originally scheduled for
today, but it got pushed, andthey said, What else do you have
(21:15):
planned for the weekend?
I said, I'll figure stuff out,and you know, in my head, I'm
like, I don't know really whatI'm doing right my second or
third weekend in college, I'mstill getting to know.
Second or third weekend.
Third, third, yeah, thirdweekend or so.
So I I get to the the field, Oand T.
Carroll field, and I'm standingup there with the camera, and
the play-by-play announcer wasunable to make it because the
(21:37):
game got pushed today.
The student radio team didn'thave it in their programming
schedule.
So they didn't have a crew onsite.
They need someone to call thisgame.
So the head of AthleticCommunications walked up to me
and said, Hey, you know, um,I've listened to about two
minutes of your football tapefrom high school, because I call
a lot of games in high school,in addition to lecturing,
cantoring, grade school, didsome PA announcements.
(21:59):
He said, I've listened to abouttwo minutes of your football
tape.
Can you call this soccer game?
Which starts in seven minutes.
And, you know, I rememberthinking to myself, either you
say no out of nervousness or yougive or you take a leap of
faith.
I said yes.
Did you know soccer?
I got I knew enough about it.
I knew enough, I did pregame andhalftime shows in high school
(22:19):
because I didn't do play by playbecause I didn't know it that
well.
I thought, I've watched a coupleof games, I'm gonna try.
I gave it a whirl, I got donewith the broadcast, they came up
to me, they said, When can yoube back?
And I said, Whenever you needme.
SPEAKER_03 (22:33):
Wally piped right to the archives.
That's it.
That's it.
Um, the first baseman uh for theYankees went Lou G.
Gary took over, and then LouGarrick played the most thousand
games in a row.
Wally Pip never got hurt oneday, lost his job, and was
never.
That's it.
SPEAKER_00 (22:50):
Yeah, Wal Wally Pep, that's right.
And and then that turned intoone broadcast after the other in
a variety of different sports.
And uh it it it took off fromthere.
I got to travel over half thecountry at Seton Hall covering
the sports teams.
It was invaluable.
SPEAKER_03 (23:06):
They had a good baseball team too, right?
SPEAKER_00 (23:07):
They did, yeah.
Well, as as you may know, MikeShepherd uh was the coach for a
long time.
Now his son Rob is the coach.
But Shep was Rick Porcello, Ithink.
Rick Porcello, I mean Mo Vaughn.
SPEAKER_03 (23:19):
Right, right, yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00 (23:20):
Um Craig Biggio.
SPEAKER_03 (23:21):
Oh yeah, right?
Seton Hall, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (23:23):
Hall of Famer.
SPEAKER_03 (23:24):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (23:25):
Went to go to Cooperstown for his induction.
Did you?
Yes.
Covered it for Seton Hall.
Fantastic.
It was awfully cool.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_02 (23:32):
What um so what was did you have a favorite sport or
did you decide to go to acertain direction sport?
SPEAKER_00 (23:38):
Well, basketball, big east basketball is where I
really cut my team.
So, you know, another anotherstory.
Um, when I was a freshman atSeton Hall, the women's
basketball coach, guy by thename of Tony Bazella, who if you
ever need another guest, wouldgladly do it because he's got an
amazing story himself.
You know, met his wife at SetonHall, went to Seton Hall, now is
(23:59):
the women's basketball coach andhas been for 13 years.
Wow.
My freshman year of college washis first year on the job.
SPEAKER_03 (24:06):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (24:07):
So he noticed he noticed some things on the that
I was saying about other sportson the internet when it was the
fall.
He just noticed some things onsocial media.
I was covering the teams, I wasinterviewing players, and he
messaged me and he said, Stop byand meet with me sometime.
It looks like you're doing greatwork.
I'd love for you to cover myteam.
Well, for me, that was an entryinto basketball.
(24:29):
And that was at Seton Hallbasketball, it's the priority
sport.
It's a it's a they don't havefootball.
So being in the Big East, uh, soI went to his office and he
said, Look, anything you needwith our team, you know, we're
here, our doors are open.
We get to the Big Easttournament, and Tony paid me, a
(24:51):
college freshman, paid my wayout to Chicago to cover his team
in the Big East tournament.
He did that out of his own, andhe did it because he knew a
college kid was gonna get theopportunity.
And um, so I went out.
SPEAKER_03 (25:02):
Small acts of kindness, okay?
SPEAKER_00 (25:03):
Small acts of kindness, but look what it
turned into.
I am sitting at the arena, I'mdoing an on-camera hit, Seton
Hall and St.
John's, meeting in the Big Easttournament, Saturday, 2 30
Eastern time.
Cadidra Simmons leads thepirates.
I'm doing my hit.
And someone walks up to me, aman in a full suit, and he says,
Who are you?
I said, I'm John Fanta.
(25:24):
I covered Seton Hall.
He goes, What are you doinghere?
I said, Well, you know, Tony,Tony Basella blew me out.
He goes, You're the only pressmember that's currently here
right now.
He said, That says a lot aboutyou.
How old are you?
I said, 18.
SPEAKER_01 (25:36):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (25:37):
He said, My name's Rick Genteel, and uh I produce
the NFL Today in the Olympics,and now I'm in a role at the Big
East where I I overseebroadcasting.
We need to meet.
And I met Rick at a high rise inNew York City.
He hired me to start to doOlympic sports in the U.S.
I think you told that story onthe other podcast, right?
Yeah, that was a great story.
And uh and he he gave me myfirst job.
SPEAKER_03 (25:59):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (26:00):
Without Tony, a small act of kindness, slime in
Chicago, we may never meet.
SPEAKER_03 (26:04):
Wow, wow.
Um and the Lord working inmysterious ways.
SPEAKER_00 (26:07):
The Lord working in mysterious ways.
SPEAKER_03 (26:08):
Um he really does.
Uh want to get back to um afterSeton Hall and well, starting
your career.
Um, but also um uh our LadyMagnificat.
Well, two things.
Um uh you mentioned Biggie'sbasketball.
Just want to mention, as I didto you before we came on, uh Jay
Wright, uh man of faith, greatuh coach for Villanova, uh coach
(26:30):
of the two nationalchampionships.
He's gonna be with us here inthe diocese on May 6th at our um
evangelization center.
So invited John to come, want toinvite listeners, and we'll put
some information up.
Uh you can register uh thechart.
We asked for registration.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:44):
Um please.
If you have never seen or if youhave seen Jay Wright talk,
whether you have or haven't,it's a must see event because he
blends so much.
That is a terrific event thatyou're putting on.
SPEAKER_03 (27:01):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_00 (27:02):
So, folks, get get out to that.
I mean, uh it's gonna beamazing.
SPEAKER_03 (27:06):
So, um where did you meet your wife again?
SPEAKER_00 (27:09):
We met at a Christmas tree farm.
SPEAKER_03 (27:11):
Oh, yes, I heard there were during COVID evolved.
Right, in here in New Jersey.
SPEAKER_00 (27:16):
Here in New Jersey, right, right.
A neighbor uh who I had gottento know through another friend,
through another friend who wasinterning uh a summer in in New
York and was living with hismom's college friend, says, Hey,
why don't you come by?
I'm like, Look, I'm happy tocome by, but I've never met the
people hosting you.
Like, I I feel bad just barginginto their home.
(27:37):
These people were the nicestpeople, uh, Dave and Kathleen
Camposano, uh, and they theyhave two children of their own,
and we got to know uh know eachother.
SPEAKER_03 (27:49):
Did you go for the event of picking out a Christmas
tree?
SPEAKER_00 (27:52):
Well, wait, so they said they said if uh we got to
know each other in about a youknow, a little over a year into
our friendship, they said, hey,we go pick out a Christmas tree
every year.
Well, it was during COVID, soBishop, somebody offered to do
something.
I said yes right away.
And it's outdoors.
So, okay, I helped them withtheir tree and I'm helping them,
(28:12):
and I look over.
They a couple of other familiesthat were part of this Christmas
tradition also went, everybodykeeping their distance.
And I looked and I saw thisgirl, and I I just thought uh I
thought she was cute, and I Isaid to them, I said, Well, she
looks like a nice girl.
Is is she single?
And a date was set up withinfive minutes.
(28:33):
Wow.
Our first date was December 19,2020, uh, about three weeks
after picking out the Christmastree.
Our second date was New Year'sEve, and uh we haven't stopped
talking since.
SPEAKER_03 (28:43):
That's great.
SPEAKER_00 (28:43):
We got married in Our Lady of the Magnificent.
SPEAKER_03 (28:45):
Okay, is that was that her parish?
Yes, it was.
SPEAKER_00 (28:47):
She was part of the last graduating class at the
school.
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (28:51):
So I've shared before my my first visit to the
diocese, really, um, long beforeI knew I'd be coming as bishop,
was uh uh I spent someThanksgivings in Smoke Rise.
My baptismal godmother uh livedin uh in Smoke Rise, and they
were parishioners at and I wasat our Lady Magnificon for a
couple of um uh a coup uh afuneral for my my my godmother's
(29:13):
mother, uh my mom's aunt,wonderful Aunt Mary, um, and uh
the the Burgle family, mycousins, and uh so um uh uh when
I came first, it was one of thefirst places I went for
confirmation, and I said, wait asecond, I've been here before.
And uh it's such a beautifulLady Magnificon, yeah, it's
yeah, such a uh um and uh I wasburied in the chapel not too
long ago.
SPEAKER_00 (29:34):
You were oh it's amazing.
Yeah congratulations.
Um it's a beautiful chapel.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (29:39):
In the chapel.
Yeah.
Oh wow, beautiful, beautiful.
Special.
And Father Steve is a verywelcoming uh pastor, isn't he?
Yes, he is.
Yes, he is.
SPEAKER_00 (29:46):
Father Steve is is fantastic.
He does does an amazing job.
It really is a um it's a specialparish.
It's it's a such a brightparish, you know.
When you're sitting there forchurch, the the the light comes
in on the windows and the musicis awesome.
SPEAKER_03 (30:01):
It's one of the places when I when I first
arrived um that I would getthere and I would say, I'm
definitely not in Brooklynanymore.
It's uh it's for sure.
SPEAKER_00 (30:08):
You know, it's a great storm.
It's so funny that you say thatbecause when we had our wedding
in uh 2023, we got marriedSeptember 1st, 2023, and you
know, you send out invites andall this.
Well, a lot of people inNortheast Ohio, if they've been
in New Jersey, you know, theysee an image of downtown Newark,
and not that there's plenty ofgreat parishes in Newark, and
(30:29):
and I've covered many a game atthe Prudential Center and
whatnot.
They don't know that New Jerseyhas some beautiful areas in
terms of the greenery and theand the the woods.
It's called the Gardens Day fora reason, right?
Exactly.
So when they're driving to thechurch, they're like, what state
are we in?
Are we in the Pacific Northwestright now?
SPEAKER_03 (30:49):
If you didn't know driving to Our Lady of
Magnifica, it is in the woods.
Right, right, right.
Some nice vistas, yeah, yeah.
Beautiful.
Um, so um uh and your firstchild was born?
SPEAKER_00 (30:59):
Uh first child was born.
Andrew is 11 months coming up ona year old.
He was baptized at Our Lady ofMagnifica uh this past
September.
And yeah, it's been the best joyof life to be a father.
And Andrew Gerard Fanta, bornMay the 7th.
SPEAKER_03 (31:16):
Beautiful.
May the 7th.
Oh, the day before Popleo wasnamed.
Pople was May 8th.
SPEAKER_00 (31:22):
And I said to I said, good great memory, I said
to my wife, she was in labor asthis as we were waiting.
You know, I'm like, you're inlabor, and there's gray smoke.
There's gray smoke, and there'sgray smoke in this room right
now.
You know, you have to have somefun watching the coverage, and
I'm just everybody's locked intothe coverage.
It gave us a distraction whileshe was in labor.
(31:43):
But you know, I rememberthinking Andrew had had arrived,
and we're then sitting in theroom with Andrew, and there it
is.
Pope Leo.
SPEAKER_03 (31:55):
And then an hour later he comes out of the market
again.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (31:59):
Exactly.
And then he came out for thefirst time.
And then, you know, for uhAmerican Pope.
SPEAKER_03 (32:04):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_00 (32:04):
Villanova.
SPEAKER_03 (32:05):
Oh, that's right.
Yeah, that's right.
I cover the biggest.
SPEAKER_00 (32:07):
I'm like, this is all meant to be.
SPEAKER_03 (32:09):
This is all meant to be.
It was amazing.
SPEAKER_00 (32:12):
Right.
I'll never you'll never I'llnever forget where we were when
Pope Leo became Pope.
SPEAKER_02 (32:16):
I was I was thinking, could I could I cue up
a video from your Instagram tokind of get us up to speed with
modern day where you are?
Sure, sure, absolutely.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (32:26):
Absolutely.
This is fun.
SPEAKER_02 (32:27):
Okay.
SPEAKER_03 (32:28):
Well, you're always a big social media guy.
SPEAKER_00 (32:30):
How do you manage the travel in broadcasting?
Well, here's a look at a tripthat spans about 5,500 miles.
Oh, Jim told me this country toPortland, Oregon.
Come up at 4 a.m., head fromDenville, New Jersey to Newark
Airport, board a 6 a.m.
flight from Newark to SanFrancisco.
Now, this is a chance for me towork on my notes and materials.
(32:50):
Working on different things fornumber four and just gonna go to
the end of the Big Ten battle.
That's about around a six-hourjourney from Newark to San
Francisco, get a quickrefreshment, and now we're gonna
take that connecting flight,which is about 90 minutes later,
turn up in Portland, Oregon.
And it's time to head to Eugene.
(33:11):
Driving about an hour and 50minutes from Portland south to
Eugene, and I get into thehotel, get a night's rest.
Next morning, topping out,heading in the Matthew Knight
Arena, 15-year-old building,really cool hoops house,
fantastic.
I got a Hall of Fame coach andDana Allman's being a guy,
Dustin's fantastic.
(33:32):
We're gonna sit down with thecoaches, we're gonna talk with
them, we're gonna sit in onshoot-arounds, get to know these
teams even more, get a lay ofthe land, because we have a 1
o'clock local time broadcast,and so the morning is spent from
like 9 to 11 getting notes,getting a lay of the land.
Really nice club area in thisbuilding.
Get back to my seat about 11:30local time.
(33:53):
At that point, we look atgraphics, we check in with our
crew.
Now we're hearing up fortip-off, really good national.
SPEAKER_03 (33:59):
Do you have a particular partner that you work
with?
SPEAKER_00 (34:00):
Michigan top five rainbows.
SPEAKER_03 (34:05):
Oh, there we go.
SPEAKER_00 (34:07):
I get done with the game, drive about 10 minutes to
the hotel, I get changed.
I get ready for a drive fromPortland, but I gotta stop at
Dutch Bros for a good westerncoffee place.
At this point, I drive.
It looks like Kinalon.
It does! Get some gas in thecar, and then I head to a
wonderful time restaurant,Gamba, a northeast 30th Avenue.
SPEAKER_03 (34:31):
Okay.
Um before I forget, um I'll sendit to you.
Um somebody recently did um aninterview with Bill Rafferty at
um one of our parishes, HolyFamily.
Did you see it?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And there's a man of faith,right?
And uh Jay Wright um would talkabout uh having being able to go
(34:52):
out to eat with uh he uh he mustknow everything.
SPEAKER_00 (34:56):
Bill is the best.
I mean, yes.
We've gotten to work together.
Oh wow.
Which was so cool.
We've worked together about fouror five times, and he's just
he's eighty-three and he's stilldoing his job, still working.
It's amazing.
SPEAKER_03 (35:08):
But that that video is a real a sister of charity.
Yes, it's yeah, yeah.
I'm sorry, that video, go ahead.
SPEAKER_00 (35:13):
Well, it's it it sums up the the what the
lifestyle is like, which is alot happening at once.
Uh it it certainly is, but youknow, it's it's the it's a joy
to do it.
It it really is.
You're you brought up thepartner aspect.
Oh, yes.
I work with different people.
Uh I I we'll have about four orfive of the same people
(35:33):
throughout the year.
But one of the cool things abouthaving a broadcast partner uh is
you know those people were at mywedding.
They they become like they theythat there's a work family in
what we do too, because we're onthe road.
I love it.
Sometimes we're seeing them morethan we are our actual family.
There's points later.
SPEAKER_03 (35:49):
Well, Mike Breen is is great, uh, but Mike and and
well Clyde Fraser are listeningto the Knicks there.
Um, right.
Um so uh I I wrote a littlecolumn uh just before Holy Week
on um uh uh some ask uh SteveDavy had been on.
I w wanted to say somethingabout the J.
Wright event.
Um and uh the Oh, St.
(36:09):
John's had just uh wondramatically the Big East
tournament with uh um uhDarling, right?
No, maybe they beat the Kansas.
They beat Kansas at the openinground.
Yes, yes, that was it.
So um uh so um but I was saidsometimes when uh a good
homilist is often preaching tohimself, right?
If uh conversion and uh what weneed to be careful about and uh
(36:33):
priorities, and so um I said uhyou know, this year, uh as it
does sometimes, the final fourfalls on the weekend of of
Easter.
Um so uh I was encouragingreaders and others to, you know,
sports has its place, talking tomyself.
Uh but you know, obviously faithis is first, and uh um uh we're
(36:54):
all in different circumstances.
Um uh whether it be the um finalfour on on on Easter weekend um
or just the amount of traveling,um uh your own faith, your
relationship, your wife as ahusband and father, um uh some
challenges there, I would think,right?
SPEAKER_00 (37:11):
There are challenges.
There's there's no denying thatthat there's challenges that
when you're you know, I I'msitting in the Portland airport
on Saturday night.
I had done another game actuallyout in Portland on this past
Saturday, and I was taking a redeye home, planning on having
Sunday at home with the family.
SPEAKER_03 (37:28):
Beautiful.
SPEAKER_00 (37:29):
Uh I got delayed, we got delayed until about 2 a.m.
And then they came on thespeaker and they said this
flight's now delayed till 12 30p.m.
tomorrow.
So through through NBC, was ableto get on a different plane
sooner than that.
But I didn't land until we wedidn't land until 3 30 in the
(37:51):
afternoon at JFK.
SPEAKER_01 (37:52):
Oh boy.
SPEAKER_00 (37:53):
Well, your Sunday morning is wiped out, my
Saturday night's wiped out, souh, you know, when when you're
going home to a wife and11-month-old, in that regard,
virtual mass was the option forme.
That's what I now sat, watched,listened.
Uh I when you have familymembers who are I try to bounce
around, but but having an unclewho's a pastor, I tune into his
(38:14):
live stream, I hear what he hasto say.
And you know, but I think inthat moment, life's not perfect.
It's not.
You you could and and you know,this is something that that I'm
sure everybody here has adifferent thought on of life
brings its unscripted, um, lifebrings its moments that you
(38:37):
can't fully control.
SPEAKER_03 (38:38):
And the mystery of the cross.
I mean, uh, you know, we there'suh heavier crosses and and maybe
lighter crosses, but um life'snot gonna be easy, right?
Jesus said we're gonna have todeny ourselves, take off our
cross.
So there are gonna be challengesand um that we're gonna face.
SPEAKER_00 (38:53):
And I have to remind myself too what what is the
purpose of mass?
What is the purpose of church?
It's not just for that isolatedhour, it's for the next week.
SPEAKER_03 (39:03):
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 (39:04):
It's for the next week.
And who are you outside of thechurch?
Who are you with your family?
And you know, I I I'm bouncingaround, whatnot.
I thank my wife, who I think isa saint because I have a
difficult I have a job thattakes me on the road sometimes,
as you just saw.
Well, I have a I have a kid, I'dlove to I'd love to be two
places at once, but she she'sdealing with it.
(39:25):
I'm sure there's a lot offamilies dealing with it, but I
think, you know, all we can dois try our best, all we can do
is is be good to other peopletoo.
Who who are I often people say,what are your principles as a
broadcaster?
And I say, number one, do youhave to change when you put the
microphone on?
Are you an actor or are youyourself?
And I try to be myself.
(39:46):
Number two, who are you off theair to the crew, to the person
behind the scenes.
Remind me of our wonderfulcamera.
Cecile.
Cecile is we can't do this showwithout Cecile.
She's not on camera, but wecannot do this show without her.
We can't, you can't do this showwithout a variety of different
people, things, andcircumstances.
(40:07):
So, you know, those are the twothings that I always that I
always hold myself to of like,who are you towards people off
here?
Because if you're not a niceperson, what's the point?
SPEAKER_02 (40:15):
Yeah.
Right, yeah, right, right.
Any other uh lessons ortakeaways from your, you know,
relatively young new career, butuh you're coming right along.
Uh what anyone aspiring to be abroadcaster or aspiring to move
into television or radio orradio or internet, say yes.
Say yes.
SPEAKER_00 (40:34):
You know, when when offered an opportunity knots,
opportunity knots.
I can recall a time when I wasin college, I was a junior in
college, and a guy by the nameof Dave Popkin, who's been Gary
Cohen's partner calling SeatonHall games for a long time.
Gary, the voice of the Mets.
Gary's also the radio voice atSeton Hall.
John Minko, the radio voice atSpain.
SPEAKER_03 (40:55):
Oh, John Minko, I remember from FN.
Yes, FN.
SPEAKER_00 (40:58):
So Dave has run a sports broadcasting camp for a
number of years.
I'm actually doing one thissummer in back in Northeast
Ohio.
I participate in the one that'shere in New Jersey every summer.
It's called Sports BroadcastingCamp for any parents with their
families.
If you put Sports BroadcastingCamp in on Google, you will find
this camp and the event that youwant to send your children
there.
Um I Dave had reached out andsaid, Hey, I've got a
(41:21):
connection.
Um and they're they are doingthe international uh they're
doing like a World Cup forsoftball.
The winner of the event goes tothe Olympics.
And they are do doing anAmerican feed of the broadcast,
but they're gonna produce thegames out of Montclair State.
And I had never been toMontclair State, just down the
(41:42):
road.
Just down the road, my wife andI got married at Valley Regency.
Okay.
Also just down the road.
Uh our reception was ValleyRegency.
We got married at our lady ofthe Magnificant, so I knew the
area.
Um, and but I was a junior incollege, and he said, the games
are being playedinternationally.
I think Japan or something.
I I I don't fully remember wherethey were.
But as a result, the games wereat like three and five in the
(42:04):
morning.
They were early in the morning.
And you know, he said, Would yoube able to do it?
Well, I did it for about twoweeks.
When I tell you it messed withmy entire sleep schedule, it
did.
But you know what?
By saying yes, you never knowwho's listening, who's watching.
And you know, the United Statesended up winning, so the call,
(42:25):
the the games, the games pickedup some traction in the media.
And you know, what started as at3 a.m.
about 10 people watching,because some of the highlights
got picked up on social turnedinto a million impressions.
Or my point is, as abroadcaster, or if you're a high
schooler or a college kid that'sin your respective industry, if
someone calls you and says,Would you be willing?
If you're available, find a wayto do it because you never know
(42:48):
what pathway it could lead youon.
You can control a couple thingsin life.
Number one, you can control youhow hard you work.
You can.
You might not always control thecircumstances, but you can
control that and you can controlhow you are towards people.
So for me, attitude, attitude,attitude, and and attitude is so
important.
I interned at CNBC.
(43:09):
I didn't know anything aboutfinance news.
I did some sports finance, but Ilearned I learned at CNBC, which
is actually an angle withCliffs.
SPEAKER_03 (43:17):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (43:17):
I learned I learned about being in a newsroom.
I learned about accuracy.
I learned skills that I didn'teven realize I would I would
learn.
And you know what else Ilearned?
I learned that I didn't want tobe in a newsroom.
But that's okay.
You could do an opportunity andsay, I didn't really love that.
But at least you learned aboutyourself in that.
Did an internship at WestwoodOne, did an internship at Fox
Sports.
I spent a summer in Los Angeles.
(43:39):
I lived in a hostel.
SPEAKER_03 (43:41):
Oh.
SPEAKER_00 (43:41):
For I paid, you know, what I could for rent.
And was it pretty living or fan?
No.
But it was what I needed to doin that moment.
And if you can find wherethere's a will, there's a way.
SPEAKER_03 (43:53):
Right.
Uh and then we can look back anduh be grateful for the
blessings, right?
That come along and uh um uh umwork as if everything depends on
us and pray as if everythingdepends on God, right?
Correct, correct.
SPEAKER_00 (44:04):
And you know, I'll I'll give you the most powerful
story of everything blendingtogether.
Uh and I think I share this onon another podcast I was on, but
I uh to me it sums up the itsums up that sports is a
divisive passion for me, as isfaith.
Uh faith is more important, itit is, no matter how much we
love a buzzer beater or whatnot,and I love them.
(44:27):
Uh I do.
But but to me, um, you know, bacback in January of twenty twenty
four, I got a call on a Mondaythat my my dad had passed away
from a heart attack.
Um and receiving that call isobviously a jarring experience.
Something came over me in themoment.
(44:48):
It really did.
That in that moment, I didn'thave any regrets about my
relationship with my dad.
I really didn't.
I felt like, you know, and Idon't know if that's I believe
in a higher power.
I got grace.
I think God was telling me youdid everything you could for
your dad.
Um, you know, he he was arecovered alcoholic.
(45:10):
He I I I've lived that chapter,I know what it's like.
He went and got help.
SPEAKER_03 (45:15):
And you were the oldest, so that's the first
time.
I was the oldest.
SPEAKER_00 (45:17):
Um, you know, the power of of AA and that group,
but I I did have to tell my dad,hey, you need to go and get
help.
And he did.
And he did get help.
And but there were bumps in theroad.
But you know, we had arelationship that that we could
be honest with one another.
He was a huge supporter of mine,as is my mom, who's still who's
very much still around.
(45:38):
But that that shook it shakesyou at your core, you know, when
you lose your parent like that.
Um, but I remember my wifecoming home, coming in, and um
he had gifted her a jacket, uhexcuse me, not gifts her a
jacket, he had had a jacket atChristmas Eve when we were
walking out in Cleveland, and hesaid to me, He goes, I never
(46:01):
wear this anymore.
Do you want it?
It was raining that day, and shecame in the door, and she just
so happened to have his jacketon uh by by total chance.
And you know, I rememberwrapping my arms around her, she
was she was having a harder timewith it than really in that
moment than I was.
I don't know what was comingover me.
You said the word grace.
And I I just said, I know it'sgonna be okay.
(46:23):
It's it's awful news, but I I itI believe it's gonna be okay.
And, you know, um uh let's see,a year and a half later, we give
birth to our son, and I knowhe's watching uh from up above,
and I thought life has some uhmoments you cannot explain.
(46:46):
It has its highs and lows.
But I got to s see the fullcircle of of of life, and I know
that there's a paradise, and umI pray for my dad every day, but
I know that he's watching overmy son, and you you have to
navigate the different thingsthat life brings you, and the
only way that you navigate iswith your faith.
SPEAKER_03 (47:08):
Absolutely, absolutely.
Um, and uh and and again, howgrateful um we can be for
parents that uh that pass on thefaith as the uh and uh and and
then when those experiences ofthe cross come um that the the
uh we can do all things and ourLord who strengthens us.
(47:28):
So um and uh and um you knowsometimes a little easier to say
uh looking back, but but thatyou're able to say even through
that such difficult moment uhsomething was there uh that gave
you that um that ability to keepgoing.
SPEAKER_00 (47:43):
I didn't even get to the the the story of sports and
faith blending.
We are at the f we are at thechurch.
Well, first off, at the funeralhome, uh because it was in the
middle of the basketball season,guys, um a lot of people that
that would have liked to bethere in person just couldn't be
there because of games andthings like that, totally you
know, out of town and whatnot.
(48:05):
So the f the showing of flowersfrom people that just couldn't
make it.
You know, the funeral homedirector was a family friend,
said I I just have never seenit.
I'm like, well, they they wantto be here.
I'm like, it's just so we got tothe church and we were about we
were five minutes from the massstarting, and the funeral home
director came back up to me andhe said um some flowers just
arrived.
(48:26):
Is it okay if we put them on thealtar?
I said, Of course.
I said, that's great.
I I said where are they from?
And at noon that day, um St.
John's was playing Connecticutat Madison Square Garden, a game
I was supposed to be atcovering, but I you know when
when life happens, life happens.
And he said, they're from UConnMen's basketball.
(48:49):
They're from Dan Hurley and andUConn.
And you know, Coach Hurley uhSt.
Anthony with his dad, and JerseyCity guy, man of of he is always
at church.
And I thought to myself, this isin my mind, this is dad's way of
saying everything's gonna beokay.
Look at the world that you'rein, look at these people that
have helped you, and so thoseflowers from the Rainy National
(49:11):
Champions were at were at theLambo, the ambo.
SPEAKER_03 (49:14):
Um thank you, John, for for for your time, for uh
your witness to the faith.
And uh uh I hope you'll be areturning guest as well.
Things come up and uh we mightbring it back to uh give your uh
insight and also give bring usup to date on on how you're
doing.
Um uh uh it's great to have umsomeone it's to who's been able
(49:34):
to go pretty quickly uh um uh upthe ladder, let's say, in terms
of um uh what you've been ableto do in terms of your career.
But as we again remember, uh ourfaith is first in family and uh
and to hear your testimony aboutyour faith and your and your
family is uh a real blessing forus.
So so thanks.
SPEAKER_00 (49:53):
I appreciate you both having me and uh it means a
lot.
Happy Easter to everybody.
SPEAKER_03 (49:57):
Thank you.
Thanks, John, for being a partof this.
Really appreciate it.
We'll keep in touch, huh?
SPEAKER_00 (50:01):
Sounds great.
And maybe we'll get to the game.
SPEAKER_03 (50:03):
Maybe we'll yeah, and maybe we'll see you on uh
May 6th, which are great.
That would be great.
SPEAKER_00 (50:07):
We'll definitely get to a game, for sure.
SPEAKER_02 (50:09):
All right, so before we go.
What are you watching now thatMarch Manus is over?
SPEAKER_03 (50:15):
Uh well uh the Yankees are back on, which is
great.
Well, not so good until lastnight.
Um finally after the five in arow, they came back and won a
game.
But um uh not as much to watchuh this confirmation season.
So um uh if I'm watching a game,it's I usually get home around
the seven inning or so.
I'm looking very much forwardlooking to um the Knicks in the
(50:36):
playoffs.
Uh so um uh but um it was greatto watch a little bit of the
Masters on Sunday evening.
Um and so uh and I hope torather be um on the golf course
than watching it on TV a littlebit in in the coming weeks.
So um so hopefully uh itsweather is it's quite lovely.
Warming up, thanks be to God.
SPEAKER_02 (50:54):
So um um so good time of year.
Absolutely.
All right, well, thanks again,John.
And thank you all for joiningus.
Please subscribe, comment, andleave a positive rating.
Get to know us better byfollowing Bishop Kevin's
Instagram and beyond the beaconon social media.
Read the bishop's weekly columnon beaconnj.org and get in touch
if you have a question for thebishop or a podcast topic idea
(51:17):
and discover our other podcasts.
See you next time.
SPEAKER_03 (51:20):
And thanks, Father Steve and George, right, our
Lady Magnificon, for therecommendation for connecting
us.
SPEAKER_00 (51:25):
George Castigret, a huge Nova Nation man.
Oh, okay, great.
SPEAKER_03 (51:31):
That's right, that's right.
Thanks, everybody, God blessyou, happy Easter.
Welcome to Beyond the Beacon with Bishop Kevin
Sweeney, a podcast of theDiocese of Patterson, New
Jersey.
Join us for conversations aboutour Catholic faith, and together
let's strive to live a life offaith, hope, and love.
I'm Jay Agnish, and with me isBishop Kevin Sweeney and our
guest this week, John Fanta.
How are you guys doing?
SPEAKER_03 (00:26):
Good, Jay.
Thanks.
Thanks.
John, thank you for being withus.
SPEAKER_00 (00:29):
Happy Easter, everyone.
It's wonderful to be here.
SPEAKER_03 (00:32):
Happy Easter, Jay.
Yeah, it's been a little behinda while.
Camera there.
Yes, um, but uh uh holy weekrolled on by, Easter.
We're still in the Easterseason.
Yes, we just finished theoctave, a beautiful uh actually
historic day for the diocese onDivine Mercy Sunday.
Um we created a new parish.
(00:54):
Um the parishes of um uh St.
Bonaventure and Our Lady ofPompeii, and they call it the
Stony Road section of Patterson.
Uh you on Route 80, um uh yousee St.
Bonaventure's right there, andliterally two blocks down in the
days when um well theFranciscans had their place
there, and the Italian communityum uh had Our Lady of Pompeii,
(01:16):
and um so uh the Franciscansleft uh almost two years ago
now.
Uh and um Father Alex Nevitt hasbeen the administrator there,
and uh Father Frank Agresti formany years had served as the
pastor of Our Lady of Pompeii,but things were getting a little
challenging in terms of numbersand finances, and uh so
Monsignor George Hunt um andFather Manuel Cuayar uh went
(01:39):
together to St.
Gerard's in Patterson and alsotook responsibility for Our Lady
of Pompeii in uh uh a few blocksaway, further away than St.
Bonaventures.
That was before uh theFranciscans let us know that
they'd be moving on.
And uh once um Father Alex gotto St.
Bond's and Monsignor Hunt andFather Manuel, and the people
(02:00):
started looking um at uh howclose the two parishes were and
uh how the two could become one.
Uh and there was a lot ofconversations and meetings and
discernment and uh mass scheduleand uh and the name.
Uh and uh everyone loves PadrePio, so uh so it was uh so we
started our lady Pompeii onDivine Mercy Sunday.
(02:22):
You were there, right?
Yeah, yeah.
A little procession um afterDivine Mercy Chapel.
Kind of a steep true, right?
It was a heavy mantra, but itwas uh so um so uh yeah, that
was wonderful on Divine MercySunday, and um blessed to be at
the cathedral um for PalmSunday, the Christmas,
(02:44):
beautiful, so many priests inthe cathedral was full.
Um then Palm Sunday, beautifulwashing the feet.
SPEAKER_02 (02:50):
Wonderful um, always a striking image to see a bishop
washing someone's feet.
SPEAKER_03 (02:55):
Well, it's the way we're supposed to be, you know.
So uh uh um and uh MonsignorGino and the staff and
volunteers do such a beautifuljob with all that they do.
But um the um we have a goodFriday procession in the street
through the streets of Pattersonwith over a hundred in the cast
and staff and crew, and uh uh uhit was many hundred, if not a
(03:18):
thousand, that were part of theprocession, and um and then
privileged on Holy Saturdaynight individual to baptize more
than 20 adults and confirm andgive first communion to another
60 or so adults.
You know, those numbers havebeen up here in our diocese and
throughout the country.
Something good is happening inthe church.
Uh many young adults are um uhcoming back to the faith and or
(03:40):
or coming to the faith.
Uh so uh we have a lot to uh uhuh rejoice in Easter Joy.
Um so and uh and uh happy thatJohn is with us today, and uh
you'll do the introduction,we'll say a prayer.
But um uh we uh we had uh SteveJavi, the NBA referee on.
Uh so uh we have twosports-themed episodes, sports
(04:04):
and faith themes episode in arow, and we're not gonna be a
sports talk show, but uh we'regonna have a little more today.
Um but uh uh John comes to us asa man of faith and uh has come
to our diocese, our Lady ofMagnificat Parish, right, as a
husband and a father, and uh andso we'll be happy to hear your
faith journey and maybe we'll doa little sports.
SPEAKER_00 (04:24):
It won't be Mike and the mad dog, but we'll but we'll
try our best to a bear.
SPEAKER_03 (04:28):
It's wonderful to be here with you both.
It really is.
Thanks for coming, John.
Um thanks, John.
So maybe we'll say a prayer andthen Jay, you can do the
introduction.
Name of the Father and of theSon and of the Holy Spirit.
In these beautiful Easter days,celebrating the Lord's
resurrection, praying for peacein our country and our world, we
pray for our Holy Father Poblioand um and for peace.
(04:50):
Um we ask the help of the HolySpirit as we look forward to the
great feast of Pentecost, and wepray, Come, O Holy Spirit, fill
the hearts of the faithful, andkindle in them the fire of your
love.
Send forth your spirit, and weshall be recreated, and thou
shalt renew the face of theearth.
O God, who has taught the heartsof the faithful by the light of
the Holy Spirit.
Grant us in that same spirit tobe truly wise and always rejoice
(05:11):
in your consolation throughChrist our Lord.
Amen.
Our Lady Seed of Wisdom, Motherof the Church.
Pray for us, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us, prayfor us, Saints Peter and Paul,
pray.
Pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray forthe children.
Pray for us.
Name of the Father, of the Son,and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
And Saint Sebastian, the patronsaint of athletes, right?
Oh, popular confirmation name ofthe young men.
SPEAKER_02 (05:32):
Maybe St.
Bernard as well.
Okay.
So John Fanta is a prominentcollege basketball broadcaster,
commentator, and digital mediacontributor, known for his work
across major sports networkslike Fox Sports and NBC Sports,
blending play-by-play, analysis,and fan engagement.
His broadcasts are lighthearted,engaging, and rooted in genuine
(05:54):
enthusiasm for the game.
He and his wife and their youngson attend Our Lady of the
Magnifica in Kinelon, NewJersey.
Faith is a big part of his life.
He's a product of Catholicschool education and grew up in
Cleveland, Ohio, immersed in apassionate sports culture and
inspired by local announcers.
John attended Seton HallUniversity here in New Jersey,
(06:16):
where he became deeply involvedwith the Pirate Sports Network,
WSOU Radio and StudentJournalism, and laid where he
laid the foundation for hisnational broadcasting career.
But its first break was way backwhen his first grade teacher
recognized John's talent forsinging and encouraged him to be
a cantor and a lector at St.
(06:37):
Bernadette Church in Westlake,Ohio.
John credits his current successto his ability to adapt to
different media, radio,television, digital writing, and
podcasts, and he has a funInstagram account where he does
even more storytelling.
So thanks again for joining us.
SPEAKER_03 (06:54):
John and uh Welcome and thanks for being here.
And uh uh I guess Father Steveand and uh one of the other
people.
George and uh business uhreached out to us, which we're
always happy to get those uh uhrecommendations uh for uh
subjects and and guests.
Uh and then uh Jay shared withme the um the podcast Westlake,
(07:15):
is it?
Uh the St.
Bernard in Westlake, yeah.
And we'll link to that and Iencourage others.
It's uh uh I love the enthusiasmum and the storytelling and uh
uh classic old-time radio voice,right?
Who was that that was with you?
SPEAKER_00 (07:30):
Trapper Jack in Cleveland, Ohio, who who did a
morning show on WDOK 102.1 for anumber of years, and Father Joe
uh Menkaus at St.
Bernadette Parish.
He was recently ordained, right?
Father Joe was recently ordainedand joined Father Phil Rocco,
who's the pastor there inWestlake.
So that's the parish I grew upin.
So it was very cool to get askedby them to come back on because
(07:53):
I'm in New Jersey now, have anew parish home, but you never
forget where you came from andyour roots in Northeast Ohio.
That th those are my roots, butum now thrilled to call New
Jersey home.
And it's it's it's awfully coolto um interact with different
parishes.
Uh I don't know how many havebeen on Two Parish Podcasts, so
(08:15):
I'm honored and honored andgrateful to be able to say that.
But I have an uncle who's apastor at St.
Dominic's in Shaker Heights,Ohio, Father Tom Fanta, and I
have a cousin uh who is soon tobe an ordained priest in Father
Sean Neville.
It's amazing to say those forthe Diocese of Cleveland.
So uh we're a very, veryfaith-based family, and uh we've
(08:38):
got several relatives who canhandle a variety of sacraments.
That's great.
And you're one of how manybrothers and sisters?
I'm one of four.
Right.
I'm the oldest of four.
SPEAKER_03 (08:46):
Right, good.
SPEAKER_00 (08:47):
Um so you know, my sister and I are are 13 months
apart.
Oh, my brother and I are 13months.
Yeah, we kind of go back to bed.
It's and then there's sort of atwo-year gap, but uh, I'm the
oldest of four.
Okay, great.
And raised in the faith, huh?
By Catholic parents and family?
Raised in the faith.
So my dad uh was one of eight,one of eight kids.
SPEAKER_03 (09:06):
My parents are each one of eight.
Growing up in Ireland.
SPEAKER_00 (09:08):
There there you go.
So uh and and uh my mom uh hasuh one sister, had one sister,
so she's one of two.
Uh so there's a bit of a uh adifference there between between
the two of them.
But uh they both grew up withCatholic education being a theme
and and the Catholic school,Catholic parish you know, being
a theme for for their theirlives.
(09:31):
My dad, he lived a minute fromhis church, St.
Brendan.
Wow.
Uh and his father, faith waseverything too, super involved
in in their parish and thefather's club and organizing
donuts with on Sundays and doingthings that you know that then
was passed on to me through myparents getting involved in the
(09:53):
parish.
My my dad was the athleticdirector at St.
Bernadette.
My mom dedicated her time in avariety of ways to parish.
Heck, I worked up at the schoolduring the summers.
It was a summer job for me toclean classrooms and landscapes.
So the point is, you know, andlecturing and cantoring as well,
parish involvement was somethingthat my family it wasn't
(10:15):
something that had to be said.
It was something that wasunderstood in our household that
parish is community, that at onSunday at eleven o'clock,
there's not a question of wherewe are, we're at church.
And we're not at church becausewe have to go to church, we're
at church because we get theopportunity to go to church.
SPEAKER_02 (10:34):
I love that you say that because the bishop says
almost the same exact thingabout the opportunity that we
get.
I love that.
SPEAKER_00 (10:41):
It's one hour to unplug.
That's right.
I don't think we've ever neededit more in our world.
SPEAKER_03 (10:46):
Right, right.
And um uh and um uh Catholicschool?
Catholic school.
Grammar school and high school?
Grammar school and high schooland college.
Right.
And what led you to Seton Hall?
SPEAKER_00 (10:57):
What um That's a great I I I believe that that
God was involved.
Uh I really do believe that.
So I was looking at theNortheast part of the country
because I graduated high schoolin 2013 from St.
Ignatius High School, so jJesuit educated in in high
school.
(11:18):
And you know, I I thought tomyself there were a couple of of
universities and colleges inOhio that I was intrigued by.
John Carroll University beingone on the east side of
Cleveland.
My mother went there, uh mydad's a Mercy Hearst grad, the
Lakers of Mercy Hearst.
So I I went and looked aroundat, you know, I I I did the tour
at Ohio down in Athens, I I didthe tour at John Carroll, but I
(11:42):
wanted to go, I wanted to try tochallenge myself and go to the
Northeast.
So we looked at Syracuse, welooked at Fordham, very close to
going to Fordham, looked at St.
John's, your alma mater, lookedat St.
Bonaventure, and only theFranciscans.
And I was about to head out on asecond tour out to the
Northeast, and my collegecounselor said, Hey, while
(12:07):
you're taking a look at uh whileyou're taking a look at at
different schools in theNortheast, I believe that this
was right off of the spring ofmy junior year of college.
Um so you know, going intosenior year, she said, while
you're taking a look, why don'tyou take a look at this Seton
Hill University?
(12:28):
Now there is a Seton Hill, butshe turned, she she passed me a
brochure, and I said, It sayshere Seton Hall.
And she goes, Oh yeah, yeah,yeah, Seton Hall.
And there was sort of a kind ofa like, you just hand me this
brochure, and you know, itwasn't that she was like passing
passing on the idea of theplace, but it was brought up out
(12:48):
of the blue.
You know, while you're taking alook at some of these other
schools, you should take a lookat this place.
So I opened up the brochure andI saw they had broadcasting, and
I noticed that Bob Lee, who's anESPN ledge, right?
Bob Lee is an alum of SetonHall.
And I knew that they were in theBig East, and I thought of
growing up watching the Big Easttournament and watching you
know, Jerry McNamara forSyracuse.
SPEAKER_03 (13:10):
Did you go back to PJ Carlisle?
SPEAKER_00 (13:12):
Well, you know, I don't go back to that long, but
obviously, you know, then Ilearned uh of you know Kemble
Walker at UConn, the great St.
John's teams through the years,whether it'd be with Ron Artest
and Dwight Hardy and all thosedifferent players.
So I thought to myself, youknow, I my dad uh and my brother
and I were gonna go go out forthis particular trip.
Mom, they would break it up andwhatnot, because being the
(13:33):
oldest of four, there'shousehold to manage.
So my dad said, Why don't wetake a visit over there since
we're going all the way out thatway?
And when I got to South Orange,first off, I love the community
feel.
I I thought that theneighborhood was just
interesting and and uh and funand you could sense you know,
you you I could just sensesomething.
(13:53):
A lot of tradition.
A lot of tradition.
I saw the 1980s.
Catholic roots.
Catholic roots, and they hadmade the national championship
game in '89.
But so walked into the campus,and it it struck me very quickly
into the tour how much thecampus was about each other.
Whenever I talk with someone andasked a question, the answer was
(14:16):
selfless.
The answer was whatever youwould like to do here, we have
the resources to do.
We have more internships thanstudents.
Because there's a Seton Hall,everybody knows everybody.
It's a small the the the base ofundergraduate that are living on
campus, there's a lot ofcommuters.
So the people that, you know, Iwas coming from Ohio, the people
that were going to be living oncampus and whatnot, right,
(14:38):
you're gonna get to know eachother quite well.
And so I said, Can I talk tosomebody at the athletic
department?
They led me to the athleticdirector's office.
This is a big E school here.
This is not a low major,mid-major school, nothing
against those schools at all,but like the accessibility, a
guy by the name of Pat Lyons,who just took over as the
athletic director at theUniversity of Rhode Island.
Okay, Pat was super helpful andsaid, there's a blank canvas
(15:01):
here.
And if if you're looking for anopportunity, we can give that to
you.
And I looked at my dad, I said,Look, I said, Syracuse is known
for its legends and Hall ofFamers and Fordham, Vince
Scholars, Mike Breen.
Mike Breen, Michael Kay.
SPEAKER_03 (15:17):
Oh, sure, right, right.
SPEAKER_00 (15:19):
You know, I I I said, these places are great.
I said, the one thing is it'sgonna take two or three years
just for me to get on the air.
Right.
Now that doesn't mean that Ican't have success, but I
thought it was important, or atleast in my book, of I couldn't
sit around.
I wanted to be a doer.
And they were saying you can geton the air here right away.
And you do it.
So that's what led me to SetonHall.
SPEAKER_03 (15:37):
Uh the broadcasting was your your interest.
SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
From a very early age, I would I would listen to
an inning or watch an inning ofa baseball game, or listen to a
quarter of a game, uh a footballgame, and then I would turn the
volume down in the living roomand start calling it myself.
I thought it was the coolestthing that those people got to
talk about sports.
SPEAKER_03 (15:56):
I don't think it said enough.
Uh there's something aboutbaseball on the radio.
Um we're losing, I think, alittle bit of it.
I'm sounding old now, but uh um,but um uh um you know, as Yankee
fans, uh we had John Sterlingand Susan Waldman for the last
probably 30 years.
And uh so um but uh yeah the umuh but you heard some uh and and
you were you were hooked from ayoung age, huh?
SPEAKER_00 (16:17):
Hooked from a young age.
And you know, I would I wouldlisten to the radio.
Tom Hamilton still calls theGuardians games, and it's been
known for legendary calls.
Joe Tate would call the Cavsgames.
I was seven when LeBron Jameswas tracked by the cats.
And the Browns, long suffering.
Oh, yeah, I'm a Jet fan too.
But the TF we can relate there.
Any and all our prayers, Bishop.
(16:38):
Uh that's for sure.
Look, the the Browns, uh, asmuch as they've been suffering,
I always thought it was greatbecause the name the voice of
the team was a guy by the nameof Jim Donovan, who we lost too
soon to leukemia a few yearsback.
And you know, I liken it to whatBob was shoes and adds to the
Jets.
Bob was shoes.
You would never know the team'srecord based on the way they
call the games.
And I always thought that's asign of a really good
(17:00):
broadcaster.
They they do it with passion,they paint a picture.
And, you know, I I played sportsgrowing up, football,
basketball, and baseball.
I was a turnstile as a leftguard.
I could make I could make a shotas a basketball player, and I
pitched a little bit inbaseball, but it didn't last.
And so I thought I love sports,I love the passion associated
with it.
I think there's there'scommonalities between sports and
(17:22):
the church in terms of that wordpassion.
SPEAKER_03 (17:25):
Dedication, sacrifice, yeah, sacrifice, busy
schedule, right, right.
SPEAKER_00 (17:29):
That adrenaline rush of calling a game, I said it was
my way of playing the game.
SPEAKER_03 (18:13):
Right, right.
And uh, and uh so uh aftermeeting the athletic director uh
and you spoke to your dad, itseemed like Seton Hall uh was
the was the place you were gonnago.
And uh and what was it like whenonce you got there?
SPEAKER_00 (18:28):
It was incredible.
You know, uh the the the placehad such an amazing energy about
it.
I didn't know anyone walkinginto the campus gates.
I knew nobody.
You know, I had met people, butI didn't know them, know them.
And my parents, we drove, Imean, I was the oldest of four,
so I was the first to go awayfor college.
Eight-hour drive, eight-hourdrive, dramatic for mom.
(18:52):
And you know, I can rememberwriting my parents' letters and
leaving them back at the housewith so when they got home, they
wrote them just saying thankyou, and I'm gonna try to make
the most of this opportunity.
And look, two weeks in I was alittle bit homesick.
But when I look back at thattime, during those weeks where I
was a little homesick and tryingto figure it out, the the chapel
(19:13):
was literally fifty feet fromfrom the beautiful, beautiful
chapel.
Right, in a beautiful chapel.
So, you know, honest to God, um,I I the one thing I knew I could
do, I there's two things I knewI could do on campus.
Before, you know, I was intraining at WSOU that you don't
just get on the air immediately,but it was about a four or five
(19:34):
week thing.
I was helping with the athleticbroadcast with the Pirate Sports
Network, just as a cameraman atfirst, and then I I could tell
you how to do it.
Just hang around, do whatever'sneeded, right?
Hang around, tell you how Ifirst got out in the air.
Don't remind me of that here ina moment, because I think,
again, things happen.
But the two things I knew Icould do was one, I knew I had
to go down to the cafeteria andI could interact with some
people there, because myroommate would go home to Staten
(19:56):
Island on the first coupleweekends.
He he was he would he was closeenough to home.
And I wanted to stay in the dormand you know, learn people's
names and and figure all thatout.
I knew I could go to thecafeteria, I knew I could go to
Mass.
And so I'd go to 10 o'clock Masson Sundays or 8 o'clock Mass on
Sundays.
They had a 10 p.m.
you know, click college, collegelife.
(20:18):
And a guy by the name of FatherJohn Denehy, who is the chaplain
for CD.
Oh, yes, yes, yes, right.
Yes, and um uh Father Mac at St.
John's is on the bench with themas well.
SPEAKER_03 (20:29):
So, you know Father Richie Rock.
SPEAKER_00 (20:31):
Father, not Father Rack.
Father Rock, my my bad, FatherRock, who is the best?
See Father Rock all the time.
Very good friend.
You know, that those are thethose are the experiences that
early on helped help me in mycollege experience.
And then I I was about threeweeks on campus, I was helping
behind the scenes, laying downcourts, being a cameraman.
(20:54):
A soccer game had gotten pushedtoday due to rain and lightning,
which soccer can be played inthe rain.
We all know I mean it can be.
It takes a lot for a soccer gameto get postponed today.
It was that nasty a weather inNew Jersey.
And I was on the phone with myparents, it was a Friday
afternoon instead of a Thursday,and I said, Yeah, I'm going to
I'm going to work the game thatwasn't originally scheduled for
today, but it got pushed, andthey said, What else do you have
(21:15):
planned for the weekend?
I said, I'll figure stuff out,and you know, in my head, I'm
like, I don't know really whatI'm doing right my second or
third weekend in college, I'mstill getting to know.
Second or third weekend.
Third, third, yeah, thirdweekend or so.
So I I get to the the field, Oand T.
Carroll field, and I'm standingup there with the camera, and
the play-by-play announcer wasunable to make it because the
(21:37):
game got pushed today.
The student radio team didn'thave it in their programming
schedule.
So they didn't have a crew onsite.
They need someone to call thisgame.
So the head of AthleticCommunications walked up to me
and said, Hey, you know, um,I've listened to about two
minutes of your football tapefrom high school, because I call
a lot of games in high school,in addition to lecturing,
cantoring, grade school, didsome PA announcements.
(21:59):
He said, I've listened to abouttwo minutes of your football
tape.
Can you call this soccer game?
Which starts in seven minutes.
And, you know, I rememberthinking to myself, either you
say no out of nervousness or yougive or you take a leap of
faith.
I said yes.
Did you know soccer?
I got I knew enough about it.
I knew enough, I did pregame andhalftime shows in high school
(22:19):
because I didn't do play by playbecause I didn't know it that
well.
I thought, I've watched a coupleof games, I'm gonna try.
I gave it a whirl, I got donewith the broadcast, they came up
to me, they said, When can yoube back?
And I said, Whenever you needme.
SPEAKER_03 (22:33):
Wally piped right to the archives.
That's it.
That's it.
Um, the first baseman uh for theYankees went Lou G.
Gary took over, and then LouGarrick played the most thousand
games in a row.
Wally Pip never got hurt oneday, lost his job, and was
never.
That's it.
SPEAKER_00 (22:50):
Yeah, Wal Wally Pep, that's right.
And and then that turned intoone broadcast after the other in
a variety of different sports.
And uh it it it took off fromthere.
I got to travel over half thecountry at Seton Hall covering
the sports teams.
It was invaluable.
SPEAKER_03 (23:06):
They had a good baseball team too, right?
SPEAKER_00 (23:07):
They did, yeah.
Well, as as you may know, MikeShepherd uh was the coach for a
long time.
Now his son Rob is the coach.
But Shep was Rick Porcello, Ithink.
Rick Porcello, I mean Mo Vaughn.
SPEAKER_03 (23:19):
Right, right, yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00 (23:20):
Um Craig Biggio.
SPEAKER_03 (23:21):
Oh yeah, right?
Seton Hall, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (23:23):
Hall of Famer.
SPEAKER_03 (23:24):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (23:25):
Went to go to Cooperstown for his induction.
Did you?
Yes.
Covered it for Seton Hall.
Fantastic.
It was awfully cool.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_02 (23:32):
What um so what was did you have a favorite sport or
did you decide to go to acertain direction sport?
SPEAKER_00 (23:38):
Well, basketball, big east basketball is where I
really cut my team.
So, you know, another anotherstory.
Um, when I was a freshman atSeton Hall, the women's
basketball coach, guy by thename of Tony Bazella, who if you
ever need another guest, wouldgladly do it because he's got an
amazing story himself.
You know, met his wife at SetonHall, went to Seton Hall, now is
(23:59):
the women's basketball coach andhas been for 13 years.
Wow.
My freshman year of college washis first year on the job.
SPEAKER_03 (24:06):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (24:07):
So he noticed he noticed some things on the that
I was saying about other sportson the internet when it was the
fall.
He just noticed some things onsocial media.
I was covering the teams, I wasinterviewing players, and he
messaged me and he said, Stop byand meet with me sometime.
It looks like you're doing greatwork.
I'd love for you to cover myteam.
Well, for me, that was an entryinto basketball.
(24:29):
And that was at Seton Hallbasketball, it's the priority
sport.
It's a it's a they don't havefootball.
So being in the Big East, uh, soI went to his office and he
said, Look, anything you needwith our team, you know, we're
here, our doors are open.
We get to the Big Easttournament, and Tony paid me, a
(24:51):
college freshman, paid my wayout to Chicago to cover his team
in the Big East tournament.
He did that out of his own, andhe did it because he knew a
college kid was gonna get theopportunity.
And um, so I went out.
SPEAKER_03 (25:02):
Small acts of kindness, okay?
SPEAKER_00 (25:03):
Small acts of kindness, but look what it
turned into.
I am sitting at the arena, I'mdoing an on-camera hit, Seton
Hall and St.
John's, meeting in the Big Easttournament, Saturday, 2 30
Eastern time.
Cadidra Simmons leads thepirates.
I'm doing my hit.
And someone walks up to me, aman in a full suit, and he says,
Who are you?
I said, I'm John Fanta.
(25:24):
I covered Seton Hall.
He goes, What are you doinghere?
I said, Well, you know, Tony,Tony Basella blew me out.
He goes, You're the only pressmember that's currently here
right now.
He said, That says a lot aboutyou.
How old are you?
I said, 18.
SPEAKER_01 (25:36):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (25:37):
He said, My name's Rick Genteel, and uh I produce
the NFL Today in the Olympics,and now I'm in a role at the Big
East where I I overseebroadcasting.
We need to meet.
And I met Rick at a high rise inNew York City.
He hired me to start to doOlympic sports in the U.S.
I think you told that story onthe other podcast, right?
Yeah, that was a great story.
And uh and he he gave me myfirst job.
SPEAKER_03 (25:59):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (26:00):
Without Tony, a small act of kindness, slime in
Chicago, we may never meet.
SPEAKER_03 (26:04):
Wow, wow.
Um and the Lord working inmysterious ways.
SPEAKER_00 (26:07):
The Lord working in mysterious ways.
SPEAKER_03 (26:08):
Um he really does.
Uh want to get back to um afterSeton Hall and well, starting
your career.
Um, but also um uh our LadyMagnificat.
Well, two things.
Um uh you mentioned Biggie'sbasketball.
Just want to mention, as I didto you before we came on, uh Jay
Wright, uh man of faith, greatuh coach for Villanova, uh coach
(26:30):
of the two nationalchampionships.
He's gonna be with us here inthe diocese on May 6th at our um
evangelization center.
So invited John to come, want toinvite listeners, and we'll put
some information up.
Uh you can register uh thechart.
We asked for registration.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:44):
Um please.
If you have never seen or if youhave seen Jay Wright talk,
whether you have or haven't,it's a must see event because he
blends so much.
That is a terrific event thatyou're putting on.
SPEAKER_03 (27:01):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_00 (27:02):
So, folks, get get out to that.
I mean, uh it's gonna beamazing.
SPEAKER_03 (27:06):
So, um where did you meet your wife again?
SPEAKER_00 (27:09):
We met at a Christmas tree farm.
SPEAKER_03 (27:11):
Oh, yes, I heard there were during COVID evolved.
Right, in here in New Jersey.
SPEAKER_00 (27:16):
Here in New Jersey, right, right.
A neighbor uh who I had gottento know through another friend,
through another friend who wasinterning uh a summer in in New
York and was living with hismom's college friend, says, Hey,
why don't you come by?
I'm like, Look, I'm happy tocome by, but I've never met the
people hosting you.
Like, I I feel bad just barginginto their home.
(27:37):
These people were the nicestpeople, uh, Dave and Kathleen
Camposano, uh, and they theyhave two children of their own,
and we got to know uh know eachother.
SPEAKER_03 (27:49):
Did you go for the event of picking out a Christmas
tree?
SPEAKER_00 (27:52):
Well, wait, so they said they said if uh we got to
know each other in about a youknow, a little over a year into
our friendship, they said, hey,we go pick out a Christmas tree
every year.
Well, it was during COVID, soBishop, somebody offered to do
something.
I said yes right away.
And it's outdoors.
So, okay, I helped them withtheir tree and I'm helping them,
(28:12):
and I look over.
They a couple of other familiesthat were part of this Christmas
tradition also went, everybodykeeping their distance.
And I looked and I saw thisgirl, and I I just thought uh I
thought she was cute, and I Isaid to them, I said, Well, she
looks like a nice girl.
Is is she single?
And a date was set up withinfive minutes.
(28:33):
Wow.
Our first date was December 19,2020, uh, about three weeks
after picking out the Christmastree.
Our second date was New Year'sEve, and uh we haven't stopped
talking since.
SPEAKER_03 (28:43):
That's great.
SPEAKER_00 (28:43):
We got married in Our Lady of the Magnificent.
SPEAKER_03 (28:45):
Okay, is that was that her parish?
Yes, it was.
SPEAKER_00 (28:47):
She was part of the last graduating class at the
school.
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (28:51):
So I've shared before my my first visit to the
diocese, really, um, long beforeI knew I'd be coming as bishop,
was uh uh I spent someThanksgivings in Smoke Rise.
My baptismal godmother uh livedin uh in Smoke Rise, and they
were parishioners at and I wasat our Lady Magnificon for a
couple of um uh a coup uh afuneral for my my my godmother's
(29:13):
mother, uh my mom's aunt,wonderful Aunt Mary, um, and uh
the the Burgle family, mycousins, and uh so um uh uh when
I came first, it was one of thefirst places I went for
confirmation, and I said, wait asecond, I've been here before.
And uh it's such a beautifulLady Magnificon, yeah, it's
yeah, such a uh um and uh I wasburied in the chapel not too
long ago.
SPEAKER_00 (29:34):
You were oh it's amazing.
Yeah congratulations.
Um it's a beautiful chapel.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (29:39):
In the chapel.
Yeah.
Oh wow, beautiful, beautiful.
Special.
And Father Steve is a verywelcoming uh pastor, isn't he?
Yes, he is.
Yes, he is.
SPEAKER_00 (29:46):
Father Steve is is fantastic.
He does does an amazing job.
It really is a um it's a specialparish.
It's it's a such a brightparish, you know.
When you're sitting there forchurch, the the the light comes
in on the windows and the musicis awesome.
SPEAKER_03 (30:01):
It's one of the places when I when I first
arrived um that I would getthere and I would say, I'm
definitely not in Brooklynanymore.
It's uh it's for sure.
SPEAKER_00 (30:08):
You know, it's a great storm.
It's so funny that you say thatbecause when we had our wedding
in uh 2023, we got marriedSeptember 1st, 2023, and you
know, you send out invites andall this.
Well, a lot of people inNortheast Ohio, if they've been
in New Jersey, you know, theysee an image of downtown Newark,
and not that there's plenty ofgreat parishes in Newark, and
(30:29):
and I've covered many a game atthe Prudential Center and
whatnot.
They don't know that New Jerseyhas some beautiful areas in
terms of the greenery and theand the the woods.
It's called the Gardens Day fora reason, right?
Exactly.
So when they're driving to thechurch, they're like, what state
are we in?
Are we in the Pacific Northwestright now?
SPEAKER_03 (30:49):
If you didn't know driving to Our Lady of
Magnifica, it is in the woods.
Right, right, right.
Some nice vistas, yeah, yeah.
Beautiful.
Um, so um uh and your firstchild was born?
SPEAKER_00 (30:59):
Uh first child was born.
Andrew is 11 months coming up ona year old.
He was baptized at Our Lady ofMagnifica uh this past
September.
And yeah, it's been the best joyof life to be a father.
And Andrew Gerard Fanta, bornMay the 7th.
SPEAKER_03 (31:16):
Beautiful.
May the 7th.
Oh, the day before Popleo wasnamed.
Pople was May 8th.
SPEAKER_00 (31:22):
And I said to I said, good great memory, I said
to my wife, she was in labor asthis as we were waiting.
You know, I'm like, you're inlabor, and there's gray smoke.
There's gray smoke, and there'sgray smoke in this room right
now.
You know, you have to have somefun watching the coverage, and
I'm just everybody's locked intothe coverage.
It gave us a distraction whileshe was in labor.
(31:43):
But you know, I rememberthinking Andrew had had arrived,
and we're then sitting in theroom with Andrew, and there it
is.
Pope Leo.
SPEAKER_03 (31:55):
And then an hour later he comes out of the market
again.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (31:59):
Exactly.
And then he came out for thefirst time.
And then, you know, for uhAmerican Pope.
SPEAKER_03 (32:04):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_00 (32:04):
Villanova.
SPEAKER_03 (32:05):
Oh, that's right.
Yeah, that's right.
I cover the biggest.
SPEAKER_00 (32:07):
I'm like, this is all meant to be.
SPEAKER_03 (32:09):
This is all meant to be.
It was amazing.
SPEAKER_00 (32:12):
Right.
I'll never you'll never I'llnever forget where we were when
Pope Leo became Pope.
SPEAKER_02 (32:16):
I was I was thinking, could I could I cue up
a video from your Instagram tokind of get us up to speed with
modern day where you are?
Sure, sure, absolutely.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (32:26):
Absolutely.
This is fun.
SPEAKER_02 (32:27):
Okay.
SPEAKER_03 (32:28):
Well, you're always a big social media guy.
SPEAKER_00 (32:30):
How do you manage the travel in broadcasting?
Well, here's a look at a tripthat spans about 5,500 miles.
Oh, Jim told me this country toPortland, Oregon.
Come up at 4 a.m., head fromDenville, New Jersey to Newark
Airport, board a 6 a.m.
flight from Newark to SanFrancisco.
Now, this is a chance for me towork on my notes and materials.
(32:50):
Working on different things fornumber four and just gonna go to
the end of the Big Ten battle.
That's about around a six-hourjourney from Newark to San
Francisco, get a quickrefreshment, and now we're gonna
take that connecting flight,which is about 90 minutes later,
turn up in Portland, Oregon.
And it's time to head to Eugene.
(33:11):
Driving about an hour and 50minutes from Portland south to
Eugene, and I get into thehotel, get a night's rest.
Next morning, topping out,heading in the Matthew Knight
Arena, 15-year-old building,really cool hoops house,
fantastic.
I got a Hall of Fame coach andDana Allman's being a guy,
Dustin's fantastic.
(33:32):
We're gonna sit down with thecoaches, we're gonna talk with
them, we're gonna sit in onshoot-arounds, get to know these
teams even more, get a lay ofthe land, because we have a 1
o'clock local time broadcast,and so the morning is spent from
like 9 to 11 getting notes,getting a lay of the land.
Really nice club area in thisbuilding.
Get back to my seat about 11:30local time.
(33:53):
At that point, we look atgraphics, we check in with our
crew.
Now we're hearing up fortip-off, really good national.
SPEAKER_03 (33:59):
Do you have a particular partner that you work
with?
SPEAKER_00 (34:00):
Michigan top five rainbows.
SPEAKER_03 (34:05):
Oh, there we go.
SPEAKER_00 (34:07):
I get done with the game, drive about 10 minutes to
the hotel, I get changed.
I get ready for a drive fromPortland, but I gotta stop at
Dutch Bros for a good westerncoffee place.
At this point, I drive.
It looks like Kinalon.
It does! Get some gas in thecar, and then I head to a
wonderful time restaurant,Gamba, a northeast 30th Avenue.
SPEAKER_03 (34:31):
Okay.
Um before I forget, um I'll sendit to you.
Um somebody recently did um aninterview with Bill Rafferty at
um one of our parishes, HolyFamily.
Did you see it?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And there's a man of faith,right?
And uh Jay Wright um would talkabout uh having being able to go
(34:52):
out to eat with uh he uh he mustknow everything.
SPEAKER_00 (34:56):
Bill is the best.
I mean, yes.
We've gotten to work together.
Oh wow.
Which was so cool.
We've worked together about fouror five times, and he's just
he's eighty-three and he's stilldoing his job, still working.
It's amazing.
SPEAKER_03 (35:08):
But that that video is a real a sister of charity.
Yes, it's yeah, yeah.
I'm sorry, that video, go ahead.
SPEAKER_00 (35:13):
Well, it's it it sums up the the what the
lifestyle is like, which is alot happening at once.
Uh it it certainly is, but youknow, it's it's the it's a joy
to do it.
It it really is.
You're you brought up thepartner aspect.
Oh, yes.
I work with different people.
Uh I I we'll have about four orfive of the same people
(35:33):
throughout the year.
But one of the cool things abouthaving a broadcast partner uh is
you know those people were at mywedding.
They they become like they theythat there's a work family in
what we do too, because we're onthe road.
I love it.
Sometimes we're seeing them morethan we are our actual family.
There's points later.
SPEAKER_03 (35:49):
Well, Mike Breen is is great, uh, but Mike and and
well Clyde Fraser are listeningto the Knicks there.
Um, right.
Um so uh I I wrote a littlecolumn uh just before Holy Week
on um uh uh some ask uh SteveDavy had been on.
I w wanted to say somethingabout the J.
Wright event.
Um and uh the Oh, St.
(36:09):
John's had just uh wondramatically the Big East
tournament with uh um uhDarling, right?
No, maybe they beat the Kansas.
They beat Kansas at the openinground.
Yes, yes, that was it.
So um uh so um but I was saidsometimes when uh a good
homilist is often preaching tohimself, right?
If uh conversion and uh what weneed to be careful about and uh
(36:33):
priorities, and so um I said uhyou know, this year, uh as it
does sometimes, the final fourfalls on the weekend of of
Easter.
Um so uh I was encouragingreaders and others to, you know,
sports has its place, talking tomyself.
Uh but you know, obviously faithis is first, and uh um uh we're
(36:54):
all in different circumstances.
Um uh whether it be the um finalfour on on on Easter weekend um
or just the amount of traveling,um uh your own faith, your
relationship, your wife as ahusband and father, um uh some
challenges there, I would think,right?
SPEAKER_00 (37:11):
There are challenges.
There's there's no denying thatthat there's challenges that
when you're you know, I I'msitting in the Portland airport
on Saturday night.
I had done another game actuallyout in Portland on this past
Saturday, and I was taking a redeye home, planning on having
Sunday at home with the family.
SPEAKER_03 (37:28):
Beautiful.
SPEAKER_00 (37:29):
Uh I got delayed, we got delayed until about 2 a.m.
And then they came on thespeaker and they said this
flight's now delayed till 12 30p.m.
tomorrow.
So through through NBC, was ableto get on a different plane
sooner than that.
But I didn't land until we wedidn't land until 3 30 in the
(37:51):
afternoon at JFK.
SPEAKER_01 (37:52):
Oh boy.
SPEAKER_00 (37:53):
Well, your Sunday morning is wiped out, my
Saturday night's wiped out, souh, you know, when when you're
going home to a wife and11-month-old, in that regard,
virtual mass was the option forme.
That's what I now sat, watched,listened.
Uh I when you have familymembers who are I try to bounce
around, but but having an unclewho's a pastor, I tune into his
(38:14):
live stream, I hear what he hasto say.
And you know, but I think inthat moment, life's not perfect.
It's not.
You you could and and you know,this is something that that I'm
sure everybody here has adifferent thought on of life
brings its unscripted, um, lifebrings its moments that you
(38:37):
can't fully control.
SPEAKER_03 (38:38):
And the mystery of the cross.
I mean, uh, you know, we there'suh heavier crosses and and maybe
lighter crosses, but um life'snot gonna be easy, right?
Jesus said we're gonna have todeny ourselves, take off our
cross.
So there are gonna be challengesand um that we're gonna face.
SPEAKER_00 (38:53):
And I have to remind myself too what what is the
purpose of mass?
What is the purpose of church?
It's not just for that isolatedhour, it's for the next week.
SPEAKER_03 (39:03):
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 (39:04):
It's for the next week.
And who are you outside of thechurch?
Who are you with your family?
And you know, I I I'm bouncingaround, whatnot.
I thank my wife, who I think isa saint because I have a
difficult I have a job thattakes me on the road sometimes,
as you just saw.
Well, I have a I have a kid, I'dlove to I'd love to be two
places at once, but she she'sdealing with it.
(39:25):
I'm sure there's a lot offamilies dealing with it, but I
think, you know, all we can dois try our best, all we can do
is is be good to other peopletoo.
Who who are I often people say,what are your principles as a
broadcaster?
And I say, number one, do youhave to change when you put the
microphone on?
Are you an actor or are youyourself?
And I try to be myself.
(39:46):
Number two, who are you off theair to the crew, to the person
behind the scenes.
Remind me of our wonderfulcamera.
Cecile.
Cecile is we can't do this showwithout Cecile.
She's not on camera, but wecannot do this show without her.
We can't, you can't do this showwithout a variety of different
people, things, andcircumstances.
(40:07):
So, you know, those are the twothings that I always that I
always hold myself to of like,who are you towards people off
here?
Because if you're not a niceperson, what's the point?
SPEAKER_02 (40:15):
Yeah.
Right, yeah, right, right.
Any other uh lessons ortakeaways from your, you know,
relatively young new career, butuh you're coming right along.
Uh what anyone aspiring to be abroadcaster or aspiring to move
into television or radio orradio or internet, say yes.
Say yes.
SPEAKER_00 (40:34):
You know, when when offered an opportunity knots,
opportunity knots.
I can recall a time when I wasin college, I was a junior in
college, and a guy by the nameof Dave Popkin, who's been Gary
Cohen's partner calling SeatonHall games for a long time.
Gary, the voice of the Mets.
Gary's also the radio voice atSeton Hall.
John Minko, the radio voice atSpain.
SPEAKER_03 (40:55):
Oh, John Minko, I remember from FN.
Yes, FN.
SPEAKER_00 (40:58):
So Dave has run a sports broadcasting camp for a
number of years.
I'm actually doing one thissummer in back in Northeast
Ohio.
I participate in the one that'shere in New Jersey every summer.
It's called Sports BroadcastingCamp for any parents with their
families.
If you put Sports BroadcastingCamp in on Google, you will find
this camp and the event that youwant to send your children
there.
Um I Dave had reached out andsaid, Hey, I've got a
(41:21):
connection.
Um and they're they are doingthe international uh they're
doing like a World Cup forsoftball.
The winner of the event goes tothe Olympics.
And they are do doing anAmerican feed of the broadcast,
but they're gonna produce thegames out of Montclair State.
And I had never been toMontclair State, just down the
(41:42):
road.
Just down the road, my wife andI got married at Valley Regency.
Okay.
Also just down the road.
Uh our reception was ValleyRegency.
We got married at our lady ofthe Magnificant, so I knew the
area.
Um, and but I was a junior incollege, and he said, the games
are being playedinternationally.
I think Japan or something.
I I I don't fully remember wherethey were.
But as a result, the games wereat like three and five in the
(42:04):
morning.
They were early in the morning.
And you know, he said, Would yoube able to do it?
Well, I did it for about twoweeks.
When I tell you it messed withmy entire sleep schedule, it
did.
But you know what?
By saying yes, you never knowwho's listening, who's watching.
And you know, the United Statesended up winning, so the call,
(42:25):
the the games, the games pickedup some traction in the media.
And you know, what started as at3 a.m.
about 10 people watching,because some of the highlights
got picked up on social turnedinto a million impressions.
Or my point is, as abroadcaster, or if you're a high
schooler or a college kid that'sin your respective industry, if
someone calls you and says,Would you be willing?
If you're available, find a wayto do it because you never know
(42:48):
what pathway it could lead youon.
You can control a couple thingsin life.
Number one, you can control youhow hard you work.
You can.
You might not always control thecircumstances, but you can
control that and you can controlhow you are towards people.
So for me, attitude, attitude,attitude, and and attitude is so
important.
I interned at CNBC.
(43:09):
I didn't know anything aboutfinance news.
I did some sports finance, but Ilearned I learned at CNBC, which
is actually an angle withCliffs.
SPEAKER_03 (43:17):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (43:17):
I learned I learned about being in a newsroom.
I learned about accuracy.
I learned skills that I didn'teven realize I would I would
learn.
And you know what else Ilearned?
I learned that I didn't want tobe in a newsroom.
But that's okay.
You could do an opportunity andsay, I didn't really love that.
But at least you learned aboutyourself in that.
Did an internship at WestwoodOne, did an internship at Fox
Sports.
I spent a summer in Los Angeles.
(43:39):
I lived in a hostel.
SPEAKER_03 (43:41):
Oh.
SPEAKER_00 (43:41):
For I paid, you know, what I could for rent.
And was it pretty living or fan?
No.
But it was what I needed to doin that moment.
And if you can find wherethere's a will, there's a way.
SPEAKER_03 (43:53):
Right.
Uh and then we can look back anduh be grateful for the
blessings, right?
That come along and uh um uh umwork as if everything depends on
us and pray as if everythingdepends on God, right?
Correct, correct.
SPEAKER_00 (44:04):
And you know, I'll I'll give you the most powerful
story of everything blendingtogether.
Uh and I think I share this onon another podcast I was on, but
I uh to me it sums up the itsums up that sports is a
divisive passion for me, as isfaith.
Uh faith is more important, itit is, no matter how much we
love a buzzer beater or whatnot,and I love them.
(44:27):
Uh I do.
But but to me, um, you know, bacback in January of twenty twenty
four, I got a call on a Mondaythat my my dad had passed away
from a heart attack.
Um and receiving that call isobviously a jarring experience.
Something came over me in themoment.
(44:48):
It really did.
That in that moment, I didn'thave any regrets about my
relationship with my dad.
I really didn't.
I felt like, you know, and Idon't know if that's I believe
in a higher power.
I got grace.
I think God was telling me youdid everything you could for
your dad.
Um, you know, he he was arecovered alcoholic.
(45:10):
He I I I've lived that chapter,I know what it's like.
He went and got help.
SPEAKER_03 (45:15):
And you were the oldest, so that's the first
time.
I was the oldest.
SPEAKER_00 (45:17):
Um, you know, the power of of AA and that group,
but I I did have to tell my dad,hey, you need to go and get
help.
And he did.
And he did get help.
And but there were bumps in theroad.
But you know, we had arelationship that that we could
be honest with one another.
He was a huge supporter of mine,as is my mom, who's still who's
very much still around.
(45:38):
But that that shook it shakesyou at your core, you know, when
you lose your parent like that.
Um, but I remember my wifecoming home, coming in, and um
he had gifted her a jacket, uhexcuse me, not gifts her a
jacket, he had had a jacket atChristmas Eve when we were
walking out in Cleveland, and hesaid to me, He goes, I never
(46:01):
wear this anymore.
Do you want it?
It was raining that day, and shecame in the door, and she just
so happened to have his jacketon uh by by total chance.
And you know, I rememberwrapping my arms around her, she
was she was having a harder timewith it than really in that
moment than I was.
I don't know what was comingover me.
You said the word grace.
And I I just said, I know it'sgonna be okay.
(46:23):
It's it's awful news, but I I itI believe it's gonna be okay.
And, you know, um uh let's see,a year and a half later, we give
birth to our son, and I knowhe's watching uh from up above,
and I thought life has some uhmoments you cannot explain.
(46:46):
It has its highs and lows.
But I got to s see the fullcircle of of of life, and I know
that there's a paradise, and umI pray for my dad every day, but
I know that he's watching overmy son, and you you have to
navigate the different thingsthat life brings you, and the
only way that you navigate iswith your faith.
SPEAKER_03 (47:08):
Absolutely, absolutely.
Um, and uh and and again, howgrateful um we can be for
parents that uh that pass on thefaith as the uh and uh and and
then when those experiences ofthe cross come um that the the
uh we can do all things and ourLord who strengthens us.
(47:28):
So um and uh and um you knowsometimes a little easier to say
uh looking back, but but thatyou're able to say even through
that such difficult moment uhsomething was there uh that gave
you that um that ability to keepgoing.
SPEAKER_00 (47:43):
I didn't even get to the the the story of sports and
faith blending.
We are at the f we are at thechurch.
Well, first off, at the funeralhome, uh because it was in the
middle of the basketball season,guys, um a lot of people that
that would have liked to bethere in person just couldn't be
there because of games andthings like that, totally you
know, out of town and whatnot.
(48:05):
So the f the showing of flowersfrom people that just couldn't
make it.
You know, the funeral homedirector was a family friend,
said I I just have never seenit.
I'm like, well, they they wantto be here.
I'm like, it's just so we got tothe church and we were about we
were five minutes from the massstarting, and the funeral home
director came back up to me andhe said um some flowers just
arrived.
(48:26):
Is it okay if we put them on thealtar?
I said, Of course.
I said, that's great.
I I said where are they from?
And at noon that day, um St.
John's was playing Connecticutat Madison Square Garden, a game
I was supposed to be atcovering, but I you know when
when life happens, life happens.
And he said, they're from UConnMen's basketball.
(48:49):
They're from Dan Hurley and andUConn.
And you know, Coach Hurley uhSt.
Anthony with his dad, and JerseyCity guy, man of of he is always
at church.
And I thought to myself, this isin my mind, this is dad's way of
saying everything's gonna beokay.
Look at the world that you'rein, look at these people that
have helped you, and so thoseflowers from the Rainy National
(49:11):
Champions were at were at theLambo, the ambo.
SPEAKER_03 (49:14):
Um thank you, John, for for for your time, for uh
your witness to the faith.
And uh uh I hope you'll be areturning guest as well.
Things come up and uh we mightbring it back to uh give your uh
insight and also give bring usup to date on on how you're
doing.
Um uh uh it's great to have umsomeone it's to who's been able
(49:34):
to go pretty quickly uh um uh upthe ladder, let's say, in terms
of um uh what you've been ableto do in terms of your career.
But as we again remember, uh ourfaith is first in family and uh
and to hear your testimony aboutyour faith and your and your
family is uh a real blessing forus.
So so thanks.
SPEAKER_00 (49:53):
I appreciate you both having me and uh it means a
lot.
Happy Easter to everybody.
SPEAKER_03 (49:57):
Thank you.
Thanks, John, for being a partof this.
Really appreciate it.
We'll keep in touch, huh?
SPEAKER_00 (50:01):
Sounds great.
And maybe we'll get to the game.
SPEAKER_03 (50:03):
Maybe we'll yeah, and maybe we'll see you on uh
May 6th, which are great.
That would be great.
SPEAKER_00 (50:07):
We'll definitely get to a game, for sure.
SPEAKER_02 (50:09):
All right, so before we go.
What are you watching now thatMarch Manus is over?
SPEAKER_03 (50:15):
Uh well uh the Yankees are back on, which is
great.
Well, not so good until lastnight.
Um finally after the five in arow, they came back and won a
game.
But um uh not as much to watchuh this confirmation season.
So um uh if I'm watching a game,it's I usually get home around
the seven inning or so.
I'm looking very much forwardlooking to um the Knicks in the
(50:36):
playoffs.
Uh so um uh but um it was greatto watch a little bit of the
Masters on Sunday evening.
Um and so uh and I hope torather be um on the golf course
than watching it on TV a littlebit in in the coming weeks.
So um so hopefully uh itsweather is it's quite lovely.
Warming up, thanks be to God.
SPEAKER_02 (50:54):
So um um so good time of year.
Absolutely.
All right, well, thanks again,John.
And thank you all for joiningus.
Please subscribe, comment, andleave a positive rating.
Get to know us better byfollowing Bishop Kevin's
Instagram and beyond the beaconon social media.
Read the bishop's weekly columnon beaconnj.org and get in touch
if you have a question for thebishop or a podcast topic idea
(51:17):
and discover our other podcasts.
See you next time.
SPEAKER_03 (51:20):
And thanks, Father Steve and George, right, our
Lady Magnificon, for therecommendation for connecting
us.
SPEAKER_00 (51:25):
George Castigret, a huge Nova Nation man.
Oh, okay, great.
SPEAKER_03 (51:31):
That's right, that's right.
Thanks, everybody, God blessyou, happy Easter.
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