The WIP mid-day show just sabotaged its own interview with LeSean McCoy.

Somehow, Mike and Ike, who were joined by Seth Joyner, got Shady to call in. [To their credit, I’m guessing Reese or Joyner was responsible for making it happen.] They took turns asking McCoy about his return to Philly and engaged in a genuinely good back-and-forth with regard to his comments basically accusing Chip Kelly of being a racist. McCoy denied that’s what he meant and said he’s moved on, but he also refused to back down from the comments. Barkann and Joyner pressed on as McCoy continued to dance around the actual meaning of his words, before Joyner completely ruined the best part of the exchange– Barkann cornering McCoy with his own words [thanks to Jim on the transcribe]:

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Barkann: If you’re intimating that someone is doing things because of the color of somebody’s skin, you’re impuning somebody’s character. To suggest that somebody is like that, and you’re not taking it back, which is leaving it hanging out there that yeah, this guy is making personnel decisions and letting go of black players over white players and that’s the only reason that I’m asking you one more time: You’re standing by that?

McCoy: I mean like I just told you, I’m not gonna make it a racist thing, a black and white thing. You know, umm, I’m not even gonna get into that topic. That’s old, it is what it is, but like I said … if people wanna take it that way, they can, or if they don’t … I mean if you really know me, you know who I am. I embrace all colors, all people … you’ve been around me. I’m not trying to call nobody racist, I’m just honest. If they wanna take it that way, that’s fine. Everybody’s entitled to their own opinon. I’ve seen different people say something similar to that or whatever it is, but it seems like when I said it, it’s a way bigger thing. So that’s why I’m not really gonna get into all the different things about him.

Joyner: Like Ike said, we’ve all been down that road where we spend some significant time here and then moved on. You know, I been through it, he’s been through it, you just went through it. And my thing is, it’s a highly emotional thing because like you said, this is your home and someone took it away from you. In the moment of those comments that were made, do you think the emotions got the best of you? Or do you really, solidly, two-feet planted in the ground, just stand on the things that you said and that’s it.

McCoy: Lemme ask you this, what exactly did I say that you keep harping on? What exactly did I say?

Barkann: Hang on one second, Seth. You said: “You see how fast he got rid of all the good players, especially all the good black players, he got rid of them the fastest. That’s the truth. There’s a reason. It’s hard to explain with him, but there’s a reason he got rid of all the black players. The good ones. Like that.”

Great job, Mike! Let’s see how he responds:

Joyner: Michael, hold on, see … Shady … I don’t even wanna go there, to be honest with you. What I’m trying to get to, is the emotion side of it, because you know what, when I left Philadelphia it was highly emotional for me. Not only for me, but for the connection that I had with the fans here. And that’s what I’m driving at. I don’t care what was said.

Oh.

Joyner: My last question is: I’m speaking to the emotion of LeSean Shady McCoy at that moment, because I think the fans need to see and know that it’s not something malicious that was said, it’s to me emotion. When I saw it I was like, that’s the emotion of no longer being a Philadelphia Eagle and being in the city of Philadelphia.

Unbelievable. Despite being a sort of all-puprose go-to host and emcee, Barkann can conduct a decent interview. He came prepared and had McCoy’s comments ready to go. McCoy, who inexplicably tried to deny his own statement, was forced to address it head-on… until Joyner, sounding like McCoy’s lawyer, completely hijacked the exchange and pulled the rip cord on the difficult part of the interview, buddying up to McCoy while Reese chomped at the bit to regale with his “Little Bro.”

This is why ex-athletes make shitty “media members.” If I were Barkann I would’ve yanked Joyner’s headset out of the receiver. Is he even on the show anyway? This is the Philly sports story of the year, and someone finally had McCoy on the line to address his ridiculous comments without a safety net… and Joyner pulls the ex-player card. Shameful. Just brutal.

Listen to the full interview here.