In all seriousness, the recent string of atatcks on policemen has taken its toll on me. it is pretty depressing, an I only hope that guys gets drawn and quartered. But we have to put our faith in the police and hope they get that guy soon. But I thought I would try to lift some spirits, and discuss a topic we all enjoy...


Sports talk. Some of us listen regularly, some only to pre and post game shows, and still some, just listen casually. No matter what your level of interest, there are some names at the very top of the sports talk show host list – Bruno, Gargano, Macnow, Didinger, Jodie Mac. These names represent the best of Philadelphia sports hosts. From the incredibly funny, to the incredibly knowledgeable, there is no doubting their skill level and their value.

However, this list will not decide who the best in Philadelphia is. To be honest, the list of good hosts probably ends after the names above. This list will focus on the very worst of the Philly sports scene, and with any luck, the airwaves will be struck by lightening the next time these shows are scheduled to air. In reverse order (from almost worst to the very worst) is listed below.


#5 The Fantoo Girls/Don Tollefson (Saturday mornings, 8AM-12PM, 950)
Tolly – congrats on your recent nuptial. But I think that’s all I can give you. Even the commercial for The Other Side of Sports makes me want to change the channel. What athletes do in their spare time should be a side-note, not the basis of a whole show. Breaking news – Korver had a softball game. Nunez gave out turkeys. Thanks for the updates. And the girls… Ever since I heard their in-depth description of the NFL QB rating, I was locked in. The insight is unspeakable.

#4 Mike Kern (Random times, 610)
Luckily, I don’t have much to say because Mike isn’t on too often. But if you ever want to be sure his program is airing, just look around you when you are driving. If you see people's ears bleeding, there is a good chance he is lighting up the dial. It is funny how a professional writer can have such unbelievably poor grammar.

#3 Rhea Hughes (Mornings, 610)
The laugh. The repetitive jokes. The commercials. The worst news and weather reports. I don’t have much more to say. The funny thing is, when she had her own show on Saturday mornings, it wasn’t too bad. But when she takes on her persona on the Morning Show as the… I am not sure what her roll is, other than just to be annoying. On a show that lacks any depth, insight, or value, she doesn’t bring much. So Rhea, some advice. Be a real sports journalist because your solo act isn’t half bad. Your daily act is absolutely horrible.

#2 Angelo Cataldi (Mornings, 610)
How many times can a group of people do the same thing over and over? The answer appears to be daily for 10 years and running. I’m lumping everyone in this spot – Al, Joe, et al. They are just so tired and boring. Is anyone still entertained by Angelo calling every girl in Philadelphia drop dead gorgeous? Do the “subtle” sexual comments make you laugh? I must admit that I have attended wing bowl more than once. And yes, it was fun. But day after day after day, week after week, month after month….the novelty of idiocracy has worn out, and the show is just plain horrible.


And here it is… the number 1 worst in Philly is…

Howard Eskin (610 Afternoons)
Last but not least. To some, this may be a shock, as Angelo has been pretty consistent in his terribleness over the last few years. But the number 1 rank has been overtaken. I am convinced that Eskin knows absolutely nothing about sports. He provides ZERO insight, is combative and argumentative to hide his shortcomings, and does nothing but yell. Today I heard a typical exchange (if you missed it, don’t worry, the same thing happens every day):


Caller: “Howard – I think the Colts might win because the size of their corners match up well with the Pats receivers. What do you think?”

Howard: “Don’t worry about it, Pats will win.”

Caller: “But what do you think about the Colts corners against the Pats rec…”

Howard “WHAT ARE YOU DEF? I SAID DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT!!!”

Click.

And then the next caller. And on it goes.

He has zero skill, zero knowledge. He likes to claim that he is the most informed broadcaster in the country. He tries to achieve this by kissing as much ass as he can possibly find. But when his “sources” are wrong, he goes back on his original argument. How many times have you heard him say “I never said (fill in the blank).” Meanwhile, anyone who was listening the day before knows exactly what he said.

Howard still tries to support the idea that adding legit free agents or making solid trades DOES NOT improve a team. And when someone who is actually informed brings up teams like the Red Sox, Patriots, or Celtics, he somehow makes himself beehive that our teams will be better off in the long run.

So congrats Howard, you are officially the worst sports caster in Philly. Don’t worry, though, Cataldi isn’t going to give up his title that easily. I am sure he has some trick up his sleeve – maybe transvestite wrestling.