Howard Eskin Is Truly the Worst of Philly
Plus, city workers sue the city over Mayor Parker's return-to-the-office demand.
Howard Eskin, seen here in 2023, finds himself embroiled in yet another scandal after the Phillies banned him from Citizens Bank Park for the remainder of the season. (Getty Images)
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Howard Eskin Is Truly the Worst of Philly
Our monumental 50th anniversary edition of the Best of Philly comes out in August. We’ll be declaring hundreds of new Best of Philly winners. And we’ll be celebrating winners from over the years, even going back as far as 1974. Back in those days, Best of Philly actually used to be the Best and Worst of Philly. We’re limiting this August’s issue to the best. But if we were doing the Best and Worst of Philly, I don’t think I’d have to argue too hard that Howard Eskin deserves a place at the top of the Worst of Philly list.
It was just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday when the Inquirer broke the story: “Howard Eskin Barred from Citizens Bank Park Following Unwanted Advance Toward an Aramark Employee.” And within a couple of hours, there were Howard Eskin headlines in the New York Times, the New York Post, and USA Today.
You’ve probably heard the news by now and, well, if not, the Inquirer headline is of the variety that are so self-explanatory that you can’t blame yourself for not reading the story. In short, an Aramark employee working at Citizens Bank Park accused Delco’s own Howard Eskin of giving her an unwanted kiss at the ballpark back in May. An investigation ensued. And though it appears that he’ll keep his job blabbering, ranting and pontificating on the radio (he shouldn’t but, well, ratings), the Phillies have banned Howard Eskin from Citizens Bank Park for the remainder of the season. The Sixers have since banned him, too, and there are calls for other teams to follow suit.
But Howard Eskin didn’t just earn the Worst of Philly distinction for this one instance, though he easily could have. The truth is that Eskin has been a problematic and polarizing figure in the Philly media landscape for decades. His rotten stench has lingered for far too long.
Way back in 2010, my colleague Sandy Hingston, responding to an odd PLCB ad in which Howard Eskin the Sommelier was suddenly hawking wine, wrote that Eskin is “the definition of obnoxiousness, a slimy, smarmy suckup to the mighty and a bullying braggart to the common man.”
I couldn’t have said it any better myself. His radio schtick and general aura are both repulsive, his self-aggrandizement on a Trumpian level. The fur coats. The jewels. And who can forget the time that a Pennsylvania man named Raymond Stumpf killed (and nearly decapitated) his wife, Marlene Stumpf, in a fit of jealous rage after Eskin sent Marlene a dozen roses. That particular torrid Eskin tale made its way to Time magazine, the Chicago-Tribune, and numerous other media outlets across the country. That was way, way back in 1997.
So congrats, Howard Eskin. Not only are you the Worst of Philly. You have been for a very, very long time.
Can a Lawsuit Thwart Mayor Parker’s Back-to-the-Office Plan?
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has made it perfectly clear that she wants all city workers to return to the office. No more of this working from home biz. She’s set a deadline of July 15th for them to show their lovely faces once again. But AFSCME, the union representing thousands of city workers, has cried foul in a just-filed lawsuit, arguing that Parker’s plan would “cause substantial harm for city workers” and “throw city services into chaos.” The union has asked a judge to issue a preliminary injunction preventing the Parker administration from implementing the requirement. A hearing on the injunction is scheduled for July 11th. Parker has had pretty good luck so far getting what she wants. But never underestimate the power of the city’s unions.
By the Numbers
11: Federal Donuts locations that will exist after the company’s first-ever South Jersey location debuts.
10×10 feet: Maximum size of a “shade providing structure” that beachgoers in North Wildwood can bring with them now that officials have walked back a much harsher ban on beach tents, canopies and cabanas.
10: Additional hours per week that Pennsylvania bars and restaurants will soon be allowed to offer discounted drinks. For many years, happy hours have been limited to 14 hours per week. But a new bill just passed in Harrisburg upping that number to 24 hours per week.
