Philadelphia sports radio host Howard Eskin, shown here at an Eagles game against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021, was suspended from Phillies home games for the rest of the season after investigations showed he kissed a worker for Citizens Bank Park’s food service provider without consent. (AP)

In a move surprising in its abruptness and timing, Howard Eskin announced Friday he’s stepping away from SportsRadio 94WIP, marking the end of his 38-year tenure as Philadelphia’s resident provocateur on the airwaves.

Known for his polarizing opinions, flashy fur coats, and an ego as big as the Eagles’ Super Bowl dreams, Eskin, 73, shared the news on social media. He did not offer a reason for his abrupt departure, which was confirmed by parent company Audacy.

Eskin has been a fixture of Philadelphia sports talk since 1986, when he helped launch WIP’s sports format. And while some listeners loved his no-holds-barred style, others found his condescending tone and penchant for dismissing callers a little. .. grating. For better or worse, his reputation as Philly’s sports radio king was cemented, even if it came with eye rolls as well as applause.

In recent years, Eskin had moved out of the limelight, hosting a Saturday morning show and serving as a sideline reporter for Eagles broadcasts.

WIP afternoon host Spike Eskin, Howard’s son and a former WIP brand manager, gave a heartfelt nod to his dad’s legacy on air.

“I didn’t think there would be a world where Howard Eskin was not on WIP,” the son said. “Without him, first of all, WIP is not where it is today. But specifically for me, I would not be here … I am appreciative of him, I’m glad for the time he spent while he was here, I’m glad for the knowledge I picked up of what to do and what not to do over the years, and that’s about it.”

It has been a trying year for the senior Eskin, who disappeared from WIP’s air waves for weeks in the wake of a July 1 story from the Inquirer. The Inky reported that Eskin had been banned from Citizens Bank Park for the rest of the season after making an unwelcome advance and kissing an Aramark employee before a Phillies game at the ballpark’s CP Rankin Club this May.

He returned to the air on Saturday, July 27. “I apologized to her at the time of the incident and I apologize again now. I’m truly sorry that this did occur,” Eskin told the WIP audience.

The 76ers also banned Eskin from the team’s training facility in Camden, New Jersey, NBC10 reported.

The announcement, coming on a Friday afternoon was timed much like a sports team firing a manager or coach. Even so, fans took to social media to express a wide range of emotions.

Eskin rose to prominence at WIP in the 1980s with his belligerent, outspoken style. He developed a love-hate relationship with callers, whom he labeled “dopes,” “morons” and, sarcastically, “geniuses” when they disagreed with him. He has also been a TV staple for decades, most notably on NBC10. Eskin’s abrasive, bombastic style rubbed many the wrong way and he courted conflict with athletes, most notably Allen Iverson.

Eskin stepped back from his full-time radio duties in 2011, but has remained a fixture in Philly’s sports scene, with his 8-10 a.m. Saturday slot at WIP and sideline duties for Eagles radio broadcasts. He had remained a frequent questioner at big press conferences.

While Eskin had maintained his silence regarding the allegations this summer, other former Philly sports talk legends didn’t. WIP’s longtime morning host, Angelo Cataldi, took to his personal blog to address what he called “the Howard Eskin mess.”

“My contentious history with Howard goes back three decades, and I am fully aware of the glee all of the Eskin-haters are expressing in the aftermath of the report. (I have been inundated with emails and text messages.),” Cataldi wrote. “I will not join that chorus. I have no idea what really happened. It would be ridiculous for me to speculate.”

Eskin has been involved in non-sports-related controversy before. In 1997, he sent roses to a Pottstown woman. The roses sent the woman’s husband into a jealous rage and he killed her. Eskin said the two were not romantically involved and he had sent the flowers to cheer her up. The husband pleaded guilty to third degree murder in August 1997.

Kevin Donahue is the editor of Billy Penn and senior director of news specialty products at WHYY. With extensive experience from roles at the Philadelphia Business Journal, Rodale Inc., Philly.com and...