Veteran Philadelphia sports broadcaster Howard Eskin has been suspended from Phillies home games for the remainder of the season following allegations of misconduct. The incident involves an unwanted kiss of an Aramark employee at Citizens Bank Park.
Audacy, the parent company of SportsRadio 94WIP where Eskin works, stated they “immediately investigated” upon learning of the “unwelcome kiss.” The Phillies also supported this action, saying,
“We cooperated with our partners at Audacy and Aramark on their investigations. We take these allegations seriously.”
The fallout has extended beyond the Phillies organization. The Philadelphia 76ers have also barred Eskin from their facilities, including their training complex in Camden, New Jersey, and have requested that Wells Fargo Center deny him access for team activities “until further notice.”
Aramark, the food service provider at Citizens Bank Park, confirmed the allegations in their own investigation. They stated,
“The safety of our employees is paramount, and when we learned that an Aramark employee had been subjected to an unwanted advance by an Audacy employee, we immediately began an investigation, which corroborated the allegations.”
While Howard Eskin will continue his on-air duties at WIP, he will not be present this weekend due to unrelated reasons. The 73-year-old broadcaster has been a fixture in Philadelphia sports media for decades, having launched WIP’s first sports talk show in 1986.
Comcast Spectacor, which owns Wells Fargo Center, responded to the situation, saying,
“We respect any decision they [the Sixers] make regarding Mr. Eskin. We became aware of the incident regarding Mr. Eskin yesterday and will continue to monitor the situation.”
Meanwhile, Howard Eskin’s son, Spike Eskin, who recently rejoined WIP in the afternoon drive slot, made a brief statement on social media:
“I do my best to be a good person. Whether you like me (some) or dislike me (some as well), I will hope and expect it is based on what I do and say, and how I act.”
