Bad Eskin! Bad, Bad Eskin!

Well, it finally happened. Howard Eskin’s big mouth finally is going to cost him – big time. As of yesterday, “The King of Bling” will not be heard on Philly’s 610 WIP sports talk radio until October 14th, after he lost a lawsuit for defamation of character. It seems that Howard took it upon himself to accuse Richard Sprague – Allen Iverson’s lawyer – of paying off witnesses and corrupting justice in AI’s wanton terrorizing of an apartment in the summer of 2002.It seems to me that the biggest problem here wasn’t Eskin’s comments – which are usually abrasive and inflammatory to begin with – but with this simple arrogance in the face of being wrong. His comments and questions about Sprague are borderline libel, but I’m sure that when confronted with the lawsuit, his usual haughty attitude and holier-than-thou tone offended not only Sprague and his attorneys, but most likely the judge, arbitor or jury as well.

Eskin is not a universally-loved man in this town, as feeling are either wholly positive or totally negative, and any jury in this town would have some pre-conceived impressions of the sports talk personality, known for belittling those who call into his show.Nor is Eskin a stranger to controversy. According to the Philly.com article (need a login now – sorry!), Eskin has been sued in the past for his comments and suspended other times for run-ins with other employees. Rumor is that Mike Missinelli – one of WIP’s stronger hosts – left because he couldn’t work with Eskin anymore.

Other rumors abound, and there are repeated incidents in which Eskin finds himself on the loser end (100+ mph on Rt. 561 in Voorhees, sending flowers to another man’s wife). This guy – much like the NBA star he maligns quite often – is out of control, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see WIP phase his ass out in the near future. Eskin has never been the best guy on the station – just the most recognizable. His 30-day suspension won’t affect his stint on NBC 10, but I think that it might signal that the management at WIP has finally figured out that he is a loose cannon just waiting to go off. I expect to see Glen MacNow take the afternoon drive spot permanently by the end of the year. How do you like them apples, cuz? Am I getting through to you NOW, moron?

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