These days, the King bears a heavy crown.

Howard Eskin, the unchallenged king of sports talk radio since WIP-FM went all-sports in 1986, was barred from Citizens Bank Park in May after forcing a kiss on a female Aramark employee during a Phillies game in one of the ballpark’s reserved seating areas, according to a Tuesday article in The Inquirer. Audacy, the parent company of WIP, imposed the ban.

The Sixers made the decision to lock out the King as well before midday on Wednesday following a meeting with team executives about the issue. Eskin will not be granted access to the 76ers’ training complex until further notice, a representative for the team informed The Inquirer. For the foreseeable future, the team has also requested that access to its games and team activities be denied by the Wells Fargo Centre, where it is a tenant.

Well done to them.

Up until further accusers come forward, the Eagles have no plans to restrict Eskin. Up until the time of publication, the Flyers had not replied to a request.

When asked why Eskin will continue to be broadcast, an Audacy spokesperson had not yet replied as of the time of publication. Following the publication of the news on Tuesday, Audacy sent out an email to all employees confirming the occurrence, citing its internal investigation, outlining its response, and classifying it as “harassment.”

Regarding Eskin’s ambitions and the reason the incident remained under wraps, the Phillies were called. They remained silent.

Regarding the Eagles and Flyers’ future plans for Eskin, they were also approached. The Sixers were the only team to respond officially. Eskin has not reacted to inquiries for comment from the Inquirer.

It is a precarious position.

We’ve seen bigger names undone in similar circumstances: Former Minnesota Sen. Al Franken resigned after one similar allegation levied in November 2017 blossomed into several more within a month. No other victims have stepped forward to accuse Eskin, though the matter only became public less than 24 hours ago.

How should we regard this?

Should he be canceled? Semi-canceled? Non-canceled?

One thing is for certain: Whether or not Eskin survives the scandal, this will define his complicated legacy.

Eskin has been a lightning rod in Philly for nearly four decades. The fallout from his continued presence could be extremely ugly — from organized protests to boycotts of the station to vulgar and aggressive verbal attacks levied at Eskin in public and on social media.

I completely understand if some folks want a harsh penalty for Eskin. I wouldn’t argue with them. What was done is completely unacceptable and maybe illegal.

Pennsylvania law classifies an unwanted kiss as sexual harassment, as defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and can be considered sexual assault. No criminal or civil actions have been brought so far, and none are planned, according to a professional sports source.

This is not the first time a Philadelphia media member faced accusations of inappropriate behavior.

The late Bill Conlin, a former colleague of mine as a columnist at the Daily News, abruptly retired in 2010 after The Inquirer published accusations of rampant child molestation. These accusations never were proved or adjudicated, but they were heinous. Conlin simply disappeared from all print and broadcast media. Eskin frequently referenced to Conlin’s disgraced exit.

These are not apples-to-apples comparisons — the allegations against Conlin are far more dire than Eskin’s unwanted kiss — but no unwanted advances should be allowed. None.

If you think this isn’t a big deal, consider if it was your wife or daughter Eskin kissed. Pretty sure your perspective might change.

The way the ban has been levied, it sounds as if Eskin will be allowed back at the Bank either for the 2024 playoffs or for the 2025 season. And, again, Eskin will remain on the airwaves.

This raises lots and lots or questions.

One: Why did it take so long for this news to surface? A tip from a league source recently told The Inquirer about the Audacy ban after Eskin’s absence had been noted by several observers. It might be an Audacy internal policy to not make public internal discipline, and it might be a labor rights matter. The way it went down makes Audacy and the Phillies look like they covered up a sexual harassment incident.

Two: Why would either the Phillies or Audacy ever put Eskin back on the site where he did what he did? Don’t they understand how traumatic this might be for the victim?

Three: How will the public react to Eskin’s reemergence on radio? What does Audacy expect to gain? Isn’t there a catastrophic risk that listeners might revolt? Will Eskin discuss the issue? What listener is going to ignore the incident?

Four: Is Eskin’s celebrity status protecting him? Probably. Would a low-level producer or a less significant on-air talent be dealt with more harshly by the station and the teams? Probably.

Five: Is a ballpark suspension enough? Feels light. But is this a fireable offense?

This last one I will answer. But first, some background and context.

For the past four years, I have been a part-time host at WIP. In fact, I am scheduled to host late Friday night and late next Wednesday night. Tune in.

Howard’s son, Spike Eskin, pursued and hired me for this role when he was the station’s program director. Spike has since left, returned, and now is an afternoon host himself.

I’m not the only Inky scribe with connections. My fellow Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski also is a WIP employee. He has had a regular show on Saturdays for more than a year. Many, if not all, of the writers on the Inquirer staff appear as call-in guests on the various shows.

Like every longtime journalist in Philadelphia, where I’ve worked for 28 years, I have a history with Howard.

In the past few years, on the air, he’s accused me of being a racist, which went unpunished. In the past few weeks, on the air, he’s accused me of fabricating sources; he was directed to apologize and retract that accusation.

Once or twice, I’ve teased Eskin in print about his provocative style of questioning at press conferences and his pejorative style as a radio host. That said, I’ve always respected his hard work — he’s everywhere — his reporting, and his grasp of sports gambling: He was the original betting adviser, “Vegas Vic,” in the Daily News.

I’ve never been a fan of Howard. Believe this: This opinion carries as little bias as I can muster.

Thus:

I disagree that Eskin ought to be let go.

May is when Audacy should suspend Eskin, in my opinion. That would mean that the incident occurred a full year ago.

This would take Eskin out of the picture for the Eagles’ preseason, regular season, potential postseason run, free agency, and draft—all significant events on the Philadelphia sports calendar. Eskin would also be hidden from view for baseball free agency, spring training, opening day, and the Phillies’ incredible 2024 season and probable postseason run.

I would also advise all teams to suspend Eskin for the entire season. Should the Flyers or Sixers manage a postseason run, the suspension would be extended until June 2025.

Being king isn’t always a wonderful thing.