Longtime Philadelphia sports radio broadcaster and host Howard Eskin was banned from Citizens Bank Park for the remainder of the Phillies’ season on Wednesday after he made an unwanted advance toward a female employee at the stadium earlier this season, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Eskin, 73, was reportedly in an exclusive seating area behind home plate at the stadium before a game in May when he tried to kiss a female Aramark employee as she backed away. Aramark is the food service provider for the stadium.
After the employee reported the “unwelcome kiss,” the company and Audacy — which is the parent company of WIP-FM, Eskin’s employer — launched an investigation. It was reportedly Audacy’s idea to ban Eskin from the stadium for the remainder of the season after that investigation ended.
“We cooperated with our partners at Audacy and Aramark on their investigations,” the Phillies said in a statement, via the Inquirer. “We support Audacy’s decision to suspend Howard Eskin from Citizens Bank Park.”
Eskin is a longtime staple in the Philadelphia sports media world. He was one of WIP’s first employees and he hosted their first sports-talk radio show in 1986. Eskin has worked in a reduced role at the station for more than a decade now, but he still regularly hosts shows and covers games across the city. He will remain on the air despite not being allowed to attend Phillies games, too.
The Philadelphia 76ers also banned Eskin from their training facility until further notice on Wednesday as a result of the investigation, according to NBC Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Eagles are monitoring the situation too, according to PFT’s Mike Florio, as Eskin serves as the station’s sideline reporter during home games.
Source Agencies
