I’m asked all of the time why I love watching football so much and the answer has always been very easy. 

You can blame my father for my initial love of the game and the genesis of what occurred many years ago when I was a child.  You see, I was always under the impression that growing up in Queens I lived in a baseball house, but one day I realized that I would forever have a love for football that would be tied to the bond between a father and a son.  

This Sunday is Father’s Day and it’s always a bittersweet time for me.  My father passed away in December 1999, so it’s always a time of reflection for me. Now as the father of two young boys, it’s also a time to celebrate and be happy, especially since my wife and I preside over what is truly a football home.  Sheryl’s dad is responsible for her love of football and the same holds true for me.

We have both passed that on to our sons.   

I could write a whole story about my father, who I miss with all my heart, but let me tell you a story about Barry Schwartz that will help explain why football has been a big part of my life.   

My father was a crazy New York Giants fan and went to many games at the old Yankee Stadium before Big Blue became vagabonds for a couple of years as they waited for Giants Stadium to open up in 1976.  As a child, my only connection to “The House That Ruth Built” was going to baseball games. It was at a Yankees game when I realized that it was really going to be football that would shape my future. 

One day, my dad took me to the Bronx to see my beloved Yankees, but I noticed that he had a bag with him, which was unusual. When we got to the game, he opened the bag and inside was one of those old small portable televisions.  I asked him why he brought it and he said, “Son, it’s Opening Day for the Giants and I have to watch the game." He knew I wanted to go to the baseball game so he decided to kill two birds with one stone. 

The first football game that my dad ever took me to was a Jets/Bills game at Shea Stadium on Dec. 11, 1977.  It was a bitter, cold day and the Jets lost 14-10. I also had to stay home from school the next day because I got sick, but the whole experience of going to a football game was so much fun. 

I should have known better but that day I decided to defy my father and become a Jets fan even though Gang Green lost.  They were my team…win, lose, or tie and many losses and many years later, my father is definitely laughing at me in heaven.  

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From that point on, my dad took me to many Jets and Giants games and even a few college games.  It was clear to me that I was not just living in a baseball home, but it was also a football home. 

Professionally, football has played an integral role in my career as a sports broadcaster and writer.  I’ve been lucky enough to cover all levels of football for 30 years and that has allowed me to visit so many parts of our country and to make great friends for life.  My dream was always to be a football play-by-play announcer and I’ve been able to do that in the Arena Football League, XFL and through my current work with high school football on Long Island.  

And from a family standpoint, we’re all about football in the Schwartz home.

When Bradley was born, the football bond was immediately created when I told him about an hour after he came into the world that he was a Jets fan.  I did the same when Jared was born and the result was the same…endless crying!  When I was the radio announcer for the AFL’s New York Dragons, I would take Bradley to practice from the time he was in a baby carrier to the time when he was running around the field with the players. 

My father is responsible for my initial love of football so I joke that it’s all his fault. But today, I have multiple reasons to love the game and a big part of that is the bond between a father and son that comes along with football.  One of the biggest thrills of my life has been seeing Bradley, with “Schwartz 74” on his jersey, running around on the football field. I can’t wait to see Jared do the same this fall with whatever number he chooses.  

Thank you, Dad, for making me a football fan. I know you’re happy that I found Sheryl who loves football just as much as I do.  I hope you’re proud of the father that I’ve become because you had a big role in shaping who I am today.  Your grandsons love football and I know you’re looking down on them and smiling when they’re playing. I just know you always have a 50-yard line seat for everything that goes on in our lives.  

Happy Father's Day, Dad,  and to all the football dads out there!   

Peter is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network and WCBS 880 Radio in New York.  His son Bradley plays youth football on Long Island while his younger son Jared will begin playing flag football this coming fall.  Peter, his wife Sheryl and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a youth football field.