Howard Eskin in 2016 Photo credit: WIP

Howard Eskin is fighting back.

The legendary, albeit controversial, Philadelphia sports radio host surprisingly departed from 94WIP just before Christmas, and now, we have a clearer picture of what led to his messy exit.

A recent report by Philadelphia Inquirer journalists Matt Breen and Jeff McLane has filled in the details, casting light on Eskin’s tumultuous final days at the station. Their reporting followed comments made by former WIP host Angelo Cataldi, who hinted at a significant incident that prompted Eskin’s unexpected resignation.

Earlier in 2024, Eskin was banned from covering the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park after an alleged inappropriate advance toward an Aramark employee who worked at the stadium. WIP’s parent company, Audacy, launched an investigation after the employee accused Eskin of giving her an unwanted kiss.

The Phillies also issued a statement backing WIP’s decision to ban Eskin from the ballpark.

That was just the tipping point. There was another incident.

The incident that led to his abrupt departure reportedly occurred during a remote broadcast at Chickie’s & Pete’s, a popular Philly sports bar, while Eskin was broadcasting live with Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham. Eskin allegedly shouted at a female WIP employee.

Later, Cataldi revealed that Eskin had also placed his hands on her.

Eskin has since fired back on social media, accusing a small group of WIP employees of waging a “vicious smear campaign” against him.

“I had hoped to avoid commenting on my departure from WIP but the vicious smear campaign being waged against me by a small group of employees at the station forces me to defend myself,” he wrote. “There was absolutely no ‘physical altercation’ between me and a female employee at the station. I did not ‘forcibly grab’ anyone.

“The employee interrupted me during an important conversation with Brandon Graham and I raised my voice irritated at the interruption. She stormed away and I followed her and tapped her arm to get her attention to apologize and explain why I was upset. I did not grab her. I apologized three times. She wouldn’t accept my apology or hear me out.

“The amount of piling on since has been disappointing to say the least. I am only commenting because in all the years of a very public life I have never put a hand on anyone. I can’t tolerate these lies. As they say, don’t believe everything you read in the paper or on social media.”

His statement may very well be in response to Cataldi, who revealed the “truth” about Eskin’s departure on Friday. It’s worth noting that Eskin and Cataldi had a long, often tumultuous relationship despite mutual respect. Cataldi hosted the morning show while Howard anchored the afternoon slot at WIP, and their clashes were well-documented over the years.

“The Inquirer story was not correct, you understand? He did not get forced to resign because of shouting at a woman executive from Audacy,” Cataldi explained. “He got fired because he made physical contact with her three times. He grabbed her arms. She asked him after the first time he grabbed her not to do that anymore… He was just upset because he was under instructions to get Brandon Graham out of Chickie’s and Pete’s. And he grabbed her. And she said, ‘Don’t touch,’ and he grabbed her again.

“But, he was just in the moment — and that’s what ended it for him. It wasn’t that he shouted at her. Shouting would not get him fired. So, that’s the real story. It’s everywhere. The fact it isn’t in the media is mind-boggling — it’s everywhere. There were dozens of witnesses to this and no one reported the real story. That story that ran [Thursday], it took them 11 days to get half the story. It wasn’t that hard to get. I got it, and I’m retired.”

The Inquirer later updated its reporting to include that Eskin also allegedly placed his hands on the same employee.

[Howard Eskin on X]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.