Our Favorite (Hungry) Fan of the Week: Daina Falk
#FFOTW
Daina Falk, aka The Hungry Fan, has channeled her lifelong passion for sports into a career curating game day experiences for fans. You don’t want to miss her #sportsfood recipes and ideas for #fangating, whether you cheer from home or the parking lot.
Daina’s passion for sports comes from childhood: she grew up at sporting events and around professional athletes who were clients of her father, David Falk, a pioneer of the sports agent industry.
What is your first sports memory?
I can’t actually say that I remember this, so let’s call it the first sports experience that I know I had…When I was in my mother’s stomach, she took me along with her, my dad, and a collection of NBA stars traveling on a basketball exhibition tour throughout Italy. Needless to say, I’ve been attending sporting events pretty much my whole life, and then some. (This also probably explains my natural proclivity for Italian food.)
What is your favorite sports tradition?
Growing up in Maryland, my family and I would go across the street to our neighbors the Castles’ house to watch the Super Bowl. The Castles are family friends and Mr. and Mrs. Castle were expert party-throwers. There were always a ton of cool, interesting people there to talk to and cheer with, including the head coach of Maryland’s men’s basketball, and even sometimes the governor of Maryland.
The best parts for me? Sitting on the hearth (Mr. Castle made the best fires, and we never used to make fires in our fireplace, so it was a great winter treat), eating Mrs. Castle’s strawberry salad, and going to town on the port wine cheese she would always set out.
What is your favorite sports moment ever?
When I was a senior in high school, my dad let me skip school and travel with him to Minnesota to watch the NCAA Final Four. I had already gotten into Duke early admission (don’t hate me) so I was super excited to go watch Duke play. It was Duke, Maryland (where I’m from but I was not a fan), Michigan State, and Arizona. Duke beat Maryland in the Final Four and went on to beat Arizona to win the National Championship. The celebration after was insane. I remember clinging onto Elton Brand for dear life (he was a client of my dad’s) as we tried to navigate through a lobby full of partiers and excited Duke fans at the Duke hotel before making it to a quieter room with Coach K, where I got to hold the trophy. So freaking cool.
The icing on the cake? I went back to high school in Maryland and they TP’d my car, so I strutted through the halls all day in my Duke blue and white beads, fully clad in National Championship attire — the sweatpants, T-shirt and hat. Aaaamazing.
Which sports figure (living or dead) would you name your child/pet after?
Kristi Yamaguchi. I want a dog so badly! So maybe Guchi the poochie? When I was a kid I wanted to be Kristi Yamaguchi, so I tried figure skating. I was way too tall and way too chubby — there was no hope at all. But I was such a fan of hers.
How do you take your hot dog?
I’ll take an all-beef frank with a toasted bun. Add the ketchup and mustard, sauerkraut, and smashed up salt and pepper potato chips. The chips give it an extra crunch that’s unbelievably satisfying.
EXTRA CREDIT: What is your at-bat/walk-up song?
“Let It Rock” by Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne.
