My first experience with football wasn’t very enjoyable.

It was December 11th, 1977 when my father took me to my first NFL game. The New York Jets were against the Buffalo Bills at Shea Stadium. There are a number of reasons why it wasn’t a great day including the fact that it was really cold, the seats were too low to see much of anything (here’s a tip for those who haven’t been to a football game but want to go: Don’t sit in the lower level. You want to be up a little higher), and the Jets lost to the Bills 14-10.

Despite the experience of that day, I still decided to be a Jets fan even though my father was a Giants fan. I just felt like since my first game was a Jets game then I should be a Jets fan. I’m laughing as I’m writing this because my father is probably looking down on me from heaven and laughing his butt off! 

The following season, my father took me to the Jets home opener, and it was a much better experience. It was a bright sunny day on September 3rd, 1989 at Shea Stadium when the Jets beat the Dolphins 33-20.

I obviously felt better that day about my decision to be a Jets fan, but there have certainly been more downs than ups over the years rooting for that team. But regardless of wins and losses, going to my first two Jets games certainly set the tone for what was going to lie ahead for me as I got older and eventually establish a career in sports. I really fell in love with football and the sport has really had a huge impact on my life in many ways.

Professionally, I’ve covered football in a number of different ways including covering both the Jets and Giants for various outlets in New York, doing play by play in the original XFL, in the Arena Football League, and for high school football games on Long Island. Because of football, I’ve been able to travel to cities all across the country that I may never have had it not been for game assignments. I’ve hosted shows about football, written stories about football, and then came the two best things that football has given me…
In 2002, I met my wife Sheryl who is an avid football fan and then in 2010, I became a football dad.

That was the year that my older son Bradley started playing tackle football. It’s been a journey that has taken us through all of the levels of youth football, to him being a part of the U.S. National Team Program, middle school football, and now onto high school football.  My younger son Jared has played flag football for four years now and he just might want to give tackle football a try when he gets to middle school.

We’re a football family as we’re generally at a football field at least twice a week from August until November. Plus, we go to Jets games as a family and watch them on television. 

Football has given so much to me as a fan, a journalist, a husband, and a father.  

Personally, it’s been a joy to share and enjoy the great game with my family as we’ve experienced so much including trips to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.  

Football is a great game and it’s had a huge impact on my life.

Peter is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network and WFAN Radio in New York.  His son Bradley is a freshman in high school and is a participant in the U.S. National Team program while his younger son Jared enjoys playing flag football.   Peter, his wife Sheryl and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a high school or flag football field.