Philadelphia sports radio mainstay Howard Eskin was banned from Citizens Bank Park, home to the Philadelphia Phillies, following an allegation of inappropriate behavior. Eskin was accused of making an unwanted advance on an employee at the ballpark in May.
A female employee of Aramark accused the longtime Phillies broadcaster of laying an “unwelcome kiss” on her, despite her effort to move away from Eskin. Aramark provides food for Citizens Bank Park.
The incident took place prior to a game in the CP Rankin Club, an area behind home plate that used to be called the Diamond Club. Upon learning of the unrequited kiss, Aramark began an investigation and was able to corroborate the female employee’s account, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In a statement, Aramark said, “We then worked with Audacy and the Phillies to ensure that appropriate steps were taken to protect our employee and all of the Aramark employees at Citizens Bank Park.”
Eskin, 73, works for Philadelphia's SportsRadio 94WIP and Audacy is the station’s parent company. Audacy also confirmed the broadcaster’s “unwelcome kiss.”
While nowhere near the level of the serious and heinous accusations leveled against Detroit Tigers broadcaster Craig Monroe, who has been banned indefinitely by the club, the Phillies noted that the team takes the situation involving Eskin seriously.
“We cooperated with our partners at Audacy and Aramark on their investigations … We support Audacy’s decision to suspend Howard Eskin from Citizens Bank Park,” the club’s statement read.
Howard Eskin's Citizens Bank Park ban
While the Phillies and Aramark both investigated the situation, it was ultimately Audacy’s call to ban the broadcaster from Phillies home games for the remainder of the 2024 season. Despite the ban, Howard Eskin will remain on air, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, which quoted sources that chose to remain anonymous.
The fallout from the inappropriate conduct was not limited to the Phillies. The local sports radio mainstay has also been banned by the Philadelphia 76ers as well. He will not be allowed in the team’s New Jersey-based training facility “until further notice,” according to CBS News. He’s also no longer welcome at the Wells Fargo Center, where the 76ers play their home games.
Eskin had reached near legendary status as a sports radio personality in the city of Brotherly Love. He helped launch SportsRadioWIP back in 1986 and has remained a fixture on the air ever since, covering a range of sports in Philadelphia – most notably the Phillies and the Eagles.
Known as something of a polarizing figure who often takes an adversarial approach with callers – which seems to work in Philadelphia for some reason – Eskin has broadcast more than 8,000 shows over the course of his long career, the most by any American sports radio broadcaster.
Earlier this year, Eskin was chosen to deliver the commencement address for graduation ceremonies at Goldey-Beacom College. The school also presented the longtime broadcaster with an honorary Doctor of Media and Communications Degree.
Goldey-Beacom president Dr. Colleen Perry Keith noted of Eskin, “He often says he’s never had a bad day in his life.” That sentiment has likely changed following the recent allegation and his subsequent ban.
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