‘Fake sports radio caller’ talks going viral for his Delco Eagles fan satire

Gabe Mahalik (@dj_gabereal) grew up obsessed with sports-talk radio.

Macnow. Cataldi. Gargano. Missanelli. 

To the Delco native, these aren’t mere names, they’re titans of broadcast who he grew to love by tuning into a radio propped on the bedroom radiator in his Collingdale home.

After graduating Widener University in 2009 with a degree in communications, Mahalik tried to break into the business, but after an internship with 97.5 The Fanatic, his dream faltered and he instead pursued a career in sales.

So how, more than a decade later, did he become one of the hottest voices in the local sports media landscape? 

On this Studio 2 extra, executive producer Kevin McCorry sat down with Mahalik to discuss how he went from being rejected at radio stations across the region to becoming a viral social media sensation with hundreds of thousands of views — cultivating the ‘Don from Darby’ character based on his family’s blue-collar roots.

Listen to hear Mahalik’s take on this weekend’s Eagles vs. Commanders NFC Championship game, plus insights on his personal journey to faith and sobriety that he uses to navigate his newfound stardom as an influencer.