Our Story
Our Producer: Sammy Cavallaro
Sammy Cavallaro is a 20 year old studying business administration in college. In 2001, Sammy was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2. This is a rare genetic disorder that weakens muscles due to the loss of motor neurons. Most kids diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy are not able to survive past the age of 2.
At the age of 7, Sammy started falling in love with football after watching it on Sundays with his dad. Since then Sammy has also started following hockey, basketball and soccer. It is now a tradition to watch football all day on Sundays with family and friends. Sammy considers watching sports his favourite thing to do.
In 2013, Sammy decided to turn his passion for sports into an Instagram account, @sickhighlights. Although he started this for fun, the account has now amassed over 2,100,000 followers.
Sammy took the popularity of his first account and started his company Sick Media. Sick Media now has over 7 accounts on different social media platform resulting in over 4,000,000 followers.
His most recent project is The Sick Podcast. Sammy is aiming to create one of the best and biggest sports podcasts fuelled by his love for sports.
Not only did Sammy define the odds in his personal life, but he has also created one of the strongest social media networks in the sports industry.
Our Host: Tony Marinaro
Tony Marinaro’s first sports memory was in 1979. He remembers Guy Lafleur scoring the tying goal at The Montreal Forum in Game 7 of the NHL Playoffs vs The Boston Bruins. The Montreal Canadiens then scored in Overtime to win the series. They would go on to beat the NY Rangers in the final and win The Stanley Cup.
Two years later, Tony’s father brought him to a Montreal Manic soccer game at the Olympic Stadium. There were over 55,000 people in attendance. Tony, got hooked and started playing soccer. The following year, Tony watched Italy win the 1982 World Cup, beating Germany 3-1 in the Final. This cemented Tony’s love for Soccer and made him dream of being a pro soccer player. But, a back injury forced him to stop playing at just age 17.
Tony, was such a huge hockey and soccer fan that he would listen to several sports radio shows. His favourite sports radio personality was, Ted Tevan. Tony, was a regular caller to all the shows. On one occasion, Ted Tevan, sent out a message for Tony on the radio saying Tony had the goods to work in radio. That gave Tony a lot of confidence and he started knocking on the door of several radio stations.
In 1995, Tony got his first taste of radio, when Pino Asaro former GM of The Montreal Impact, asked Tony to help him out on a radio show that he was hosting on Sunday nights on CFMB. Tony, loved it and continued to call in to sports radio shows and continued to knock on doors.
In 2002, The Team 990 wanted to have a Montreal Canadiens Postgame show. Then GM Wayne Bews, asked Tony to host the show, which Tony did. A month later, Wayne asked Tony if he could also host a Montreal Canadiens Pregame Show, which he did. For four months, Tony was hosting two shows on a volunteer basis. At that point, The Team 990 decided to have an Afternoon Drive Show. Tony, was one of 8 people to audition. The audition went well, so much so that Tony was hired along with Joey Elias as The Afternoon Drive which hit the air January 06, 2003. Tony, cohosted the Drive for two and a half years and then cohosted The Morning Show for another two and half years. In 2008, Tony was given the opportunity to host his own show, which he named The Montreal Forum. Tony Marinaro, is still very passionate about sports and he calls it like it is. Tony, asks questions some don’t dare to ask, which has earned him a loyal following and much respect by everyone. Twelve years later, The Montreal Forum is still going strong on TSN 690.
Today, at age 47, Tony Marinaro, is arguably the most entertaining sports radio host in Canada.