Ad Disclosure
RADIO WARS: Bill Colarulo Unleashes Attack Drones Targeting Spike Eskin Rage Bait Installations
Published:
The 94 WIP Afternoon show went negative on Monday, much to the surprise of nobody at all.
They dedicated a portion of their program to Bryce Harper, arguing about base running and his postgame Saturday comments after hitting for the cycle:
“I’ll tell you what: I don’t really care what people think about my base running because that’s how I’ve always played,” Harper said. “I’ve done it since I was 7 years old. I don’t really play a different way when I know I can try to get to second base. I’ve made mistakes on the bases. I’m going to. Little kids are going to do the same thing. And I’ll preach to them that they just play the game hard. If they get thrown out at second or third, then so be it. If I don’t do that tonight, then I don’t have the opportunity to hit for a cycle.”
Spike Eskin called Harper a “selfish player” and the @AfternoonsWIP account posted a stupid fucking poll:
Is Bryce Harper getting on your nerves?
Wow, great poll! I sitting there on Sunday evening, after Harper went 7-9 with four RBIs in games two and three against the Mets. And I was thinking to myself, “you know what? Bryce is really getting on my nerves. Yeah, sure, he hit for the cycle, and the Phillies put 21 runs on the Mets while winning another series, but I am so offended by his comments to the media. I may never watch the Phillies again.”
WIP’s tomfoolery garnered a response from Bill Colarulo at the Fanatic:
“I just don’t get how we can take a moment where your star player hits for the cycle for the 11th time in franchise history, instead of being here on Monday at 4:30 enjoying it, we have people out there trying to spin it into a negative. And I guess I get it a little bit. The A.J. Brown conversation has ended. The Jalen Hurts conversation has run its course. There’s no more Nick Sirianni conversation so people out there need to create topics, and what way can you can create a topic by saying something ridiculous that you probably wouldn’t have the guts to say to Bryce Harper’s face. So you go on and you can say it into a microphone. Why don’t you say it to Bryce Harper’s face, why don’t you call him a selfish player to his face, and tell him how much he annoys you to his face, instead of being a tough guy behind a microphone. Because that’s what we have out there in the city of Philadelphia.”
The “tough guy behind a microphone” thing is pretty funny considering that Harper is an admitted WIP listener. You may recall that time back in 2023 when he went on with Marks and Reese, and then Chuck from Mount Airy called in and Harper went 0-19 over his next several games. Chuck totally mushed him and should have been put in the bathroom.
But Colarulo is right; this is predictably sad rage bait and Negadelphia from WIP, which has become a one-trick pony. They don’t know how to do anything else. The Phils smoked the Mets on Saturday and Sunday and yet the flagship radio station found a way to put a damper on a fun weekend. Great work!
I often wonder if the Phillies and Eagles care about this. They are longstanding radio partners with WIP, which is the most cynical media outlet in Philadelphia. Most of the negativity that exists within the Philadelphia sports ecosystem comes from this radio station and its brand of hot take rage bait. Doesn’t that bother the Eagles? Doesn’t someone over there think, “you know, all of this Jalen Hurts bullshit is being amplified and perpetuated by our partner.“? Or do they just not care? They’re the big topic every single day and WIP is paying big bucks for the radio rights. So I guess the Eagles and Phillies receive their millions and care not that the radio partner constantly shits all over the players and coaches, who, by the way, sit down with the hosts at training camp and spring training and everybody acts like it’s all Kumbayah.
So, to answer the question – no, they would never say it to the guy’s face.
And the reason we can’t detach ourselves from WIP entirely is because they are grandfathered in with these Phillies and Eagles relationships. They get access that nobody else gets, and exclusivity. We can’t blacklist WIP because they’re gonna have football and baseball stuff that nobody else gets, because they pay for it.
We’re kind of stuck in that regard. We can choose not to listen, but they’re going to occupy their place in Philly sports as long as the Eagles and Phillies allow it.
Anyway, go ahead and say it:
“this is what WIP is looking for… you’re giving them what they want!”
Yes yes, they have received our attention. They have farmed for engagement and received their engagement, but is this engagement currency? How have they monetized it? Are they making millions of dollars from hate responses on Twitter? No. Do they have angry people calling the station on Tuesday? We’ll see. Do advertisers line up to buy more commercials because WIP said some dumb shit again? I don’t think so. I just think they have the market cornered on low IQ football and baseball fans, of which there are many in this area. Case in point – 9.9% of dumbasses voting yes to the poll above.
That’s why the WIP strategy continues to work in 2026, because of myriad imbecilic listeners.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com