About FRO
Football Reporters Online is a group of veteran football experts in the fields of Coaching, Scouting, Talent Evaluation, and Writing/Broadcasting/Media Placement. Combined, our group brings well over 100 years of expertise in these areas.
John Fennelly Is FRO’s Content Editor/Webmaster who worked in the financial industry for 25 years before foraying into the fields of freelance journalism and documentary film making.
Based in New York City, he has a degree in Media Studies (which encompasses film, new media and both print and television journalism) from Queens College and has been involved in several dozen internet endeavors over the course of the past two decades. He has been at avid follower of Giants football for 45 years, attending his first game in 1967. In addition to being the Senior Writer / Editor of SNY’s Giants Football Blog, where he is also an on-air contributor… John is the founder and publisher of Pro Football NYC, a new website that captures the synergy of the fan bases of both the Giants and the Jets. He is also the Lead Host of the Pro Football NYC show each week(Tue. night), and a Co-host of the Thursday night FRO show, both heard on Blog Talk Radio.
Jon Wagner is our Sr. Contributing Writer. He has covered the CAA extensively for the past several years(back when it was the A-10 conference), and is a graduate of the conn. school of Broadcastings’ long Island campus, as well as having a stint with the Queens ledger. He is a1994 graduate of Hofstra University’s broadcasting program and the 2004 Broadcasting workshop. Jon also works for the National Consumer Panel’s internet ratings unit.
Ralph Garcia is FRO’s Sr. writer southeast. He covers the NFC South/AFC South, SEC , ACC, and OVC conferences, and is based in Nashville Tn. He also has an extensive background covering H.S. Football in the Nashville area for over a decade. Ralph is a Graduate of DeVry University’s Chicago campus, and also served in the U.S. Navy. He played his H.S. Football in NYC at Evander Childs H.S. in the 1970′s
Don Stokes is Football Reporters Online’s newest appointed Senior Writer. Don has nearly 40 years of following the NFL, USFL, WFL and both the Arena and American Football leagues. He will bring a fans prospective of covering action on the gridiron. A transplant from New York City, Don will cover all aspects of the game from the Southeastern Ohio region. Don will also cover the Big Ten Conference and the Mid American Conference. Don was an urban quarterback legend from the streets of the Bronx many years past. During the late 1970′s and 80′s he played with numerous sandlot and semi-pro football teams in the New York area. His wife Cindy Stokes will assist him with photos of all levels of football from pro to college to high school. Don attended Columbus State in Columbus Ohio.
Annrose Fumai-Chachkes is our Director of Marketing Operations, and is responsible for our e-commerce website (Currently under re-organization), and well as being our Staff Photographer. She relentlessly prowls the sidelines at practices and games working to get the best shot possible. She is also the Department Coordinator for the Marketing unit of a well known Cable Tv provider in the Tri-State area. You can also purchase some of her photos through the link on the top row of the site.
Frankie Underwood Is our Senior Fantasy Football Writer. A contributor to many Fantasy Football sites and podcasts. He Is constantly “plugged In” to the most updated Information. He writes the ” FRO’s Favorite Five Fantasy column” each week.
T.J. Rosenthal Is our very opinionated NY Jets Columnist. In Addition to Recaps and Previews of Gang Green, he also posts a weekly Video Cast on the Jets here and on You Tube. You can also follow him on Twitter @thejetreport
Anthony Carrillo-is FRO’s newest contributing writer. He currently covers Top 25 FBS football and has an eye on the current Heisman Trophy race as well. Anthony played quarterback at the high school and college level. During his senior year , He led his team to a 10-2 record, and made it to the state championship at Giants stadium. He then took his talents to Frostburg State University, where as a true freshman he was named the starter over a few worthy upperclassmen. After a shoulder injury and his father having a near fatal accident, he came home and played in a league called the CDFL (College Developmental Football League in the hudson valley region of NY, where he was the 4th overall pick out of 110 players. Moving to Lackawana Junior College, he played one semester of spring football there, until returning home to help out his family through hard times.
Matt Marino Is also a New Contributor to the FRO/PFNYC efforts. He attended Both Villanova University for his B.F.A in communications and Neumann University for his MS. in Sports Management. He was also a Soccer Player for Villlanova’s Team from 2001-2005, and attended the summer Sports Communications Institute in 2004 at Fordham University. He has written for Draftsite.com, and has also worked In the NFL recruitment section at Gamebreakers Sports, and currently works for TKO Agents of NYC In Recruiting.
Dr. Bill Chachkes is the Managing Partner of FRO and The Executive Editor. After serving in the U.S. Army as a Chief Warrant Officer flying Helicopters (first for the 229th Avn. Batt.,1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st. Cavalry Division, and then for the 160th Sp. Avn. Battalion-which would later become the “160th Special Operations Avn.. Regiment (SOAR)”-partly the subject of the book and movie “Black Hawk Down”), he returned to college while completing his Service commitment as a US Army Reserve Flight Officer with the 10th Avn. Brigade-10th Mountain Div. & the 42nd Resv. Avn. Brigade of the 42nd Inf. Division (NYS National Guard/Reserve), first at Fordham University’s Broadcast program, Then at CUNY/Lehman for his B.F.A.(1990). He also has advanced (Masters) degrees from NYU (1993), Teachers College at Columbia (1995), and a Doctorate of Professional Studies from Long Island University (2006). His first college experience resulted in an associate’s degree in criminal jurisprudence from CUNY/John Jay (1979). He played his H.S. Football at Christopher Columbus H.S. in NYC, and also played Inter-service football for the U.S. Army’s 229th Avn. Batt., 1st Brigade Combat Team, First Calvary Division, Based at Ft. Hood Tx. He is a decorated combat aviation veteran with service time in Central America, The Middle East, and In Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury(October of 1983) where he was awarded multiple commendations.
Dr. Chachkes has over a quarter of a century in football journalism, coaching, and scouting and evaluation. He was a founding member of THE STADIUM GUIDE to Football in 1987, and has also written for the Fantasy Football Review, The AOL sports forums, the Bronx Press Review, the Pigskin Parlor (published by the Albany Times-Union), and Fieldposition.com. He also currently contributes to the NFL Business Blog, the NFL Draft Magazine Blog, Yardbarker.com, and the Bleacher Report. He has also worked for Next Level Scouting (2000-2006). The year 2011 saw Bill obtain a press credential for the NFL Draft for the 26th straight year (a record), and has attended a total of 38 NFL drafts going back to 1973. In 2006, Dr. Chachkes and Mr. Zenophon Abraham, the CEO of SBS inc. created the first “Live Streaming Coverage” of the NFL Draft in it’s history (13 Hrs. across both days). Recently, after over 25 years of teaching and coaching, Bill took a medical restoration retirement from the NYC dept. of education. He is currently focused on Making FRO a recognized force in the world of Football Information, as well as continuing to scout and evaluate players for future drafts. He is also developing the text of his first novel. He is also the Media& Public relations coordinator for the
BEYOND SPORTS NETWORK, an organization focused on HS & college Athletes Networking
