When someone says to me "Hey, do you listen to any sports radio?", I have only one answer for them.
Howard "The King of Bling" mutha fuckin' Eskin.
Recently I've been noticing that not only do many people outside of the business not appreciate or care much for Howard, but also it seems, many people on his own radio network don't seem too fond of him either.
And why should they? I mean, he is only an original member of the 610 WIP crew that turned the station into the respectable station it is now. He's only #1 in the afternoon out of all other competing stations in the male demographic. He's only consistently breaking news stories first on the station and continually updates his listeners on what rumors are going on in the NFL, MLB and sometimes NBA.
I've given the other guys a shot, and no one comes close to Eskin. Period, end of argument.....
Ok, so not the end of argument, because now I'm going to lay it out there in simple writing why Eskin is, in fact, the King of Bling.
The man knows his sports, he knows what it takes to win, he knows what a team needs and what they don't need. He's not some novice joker whose going to go along with the mindless rabble and claim "Uh, the Eagles need a wide receiver, that's their #1 priority." He knows that defense is key, and that the Eagles defensive line hasn't been getting the pass rush they have in previous years. He is connected around the leagues on a level not seen since Howard Cosell. No lie, the man has so many connections, if an agent so much as mentions an interest in trading a player to another team, Eskin is the first to let the greater Philadelphia area know. Granted, sometimes these don't pan out, but as listeners we are made aware and given time to analyze and discuss, so when a trade DOES happen, we are well prepared and already knowledgeable about it.
What makes Eskin really great is his honesty. He's not like some of the other phonies on WIP, like Mike Missanelli and Anthony Gargano, who sit there and listen politely to the caller, and no matter how idiotic the point may seem, nod in agreement with a fake smile on their face. Some people are offended by Eskins' brutal and sometimes derogatory opinions, but I'd easily say that 9 times out of 10, the guy on the other line that he calls a "dope" or "moron" really is one. I mean, if someone wants to throw Donovan McNabb under the bus for simply having a bad season in a bad year for the club while playing injured, after all that he has and will do in his career, I'd mock their intelligence as well.
And what's more, it's entertaining! That's what's really important anyway isn't it? Nice isn't entertaining, nice isn't real, and nice doesn't spark my interest. He's not some stat whore or fantasy points watcher like Missanelli, or some cheap hack like Angelo Cataldi. When someone calls in and makes an idiotic point about how there is nothing wrong right now with the Phillies pitching, Eskin is the only guy who will straight up say "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!" Most importantly, he has integrity, and isn't some fair weather fan like Angelo Cataldi or a pessimist like Rhea Hughes: if something is wrong he says it but if something really isn't wrong, he doesn't jump in with the other "Philly fans" and bitch and moan.
Howard has a unique, knowledgeable and loyal audience who, at times, seem to be at war with the "other" fans of WIP sports radio. Well this is me brushing aside Howard's critics and haters and calling out the inept and lackluster performances of the other WIP hosts. Hate him if you want, but my guy would kick the ass of any one of the bums you can throw against him.
Except maybe Chuck Norris, no one can beat Chuck.
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