via WIP

As sports talk radio gimmicks go, this one might be the best for a long time.

WIP afternoon host Josh Innes, the most polarizing media man in Philadelphia, led a cause with co-hosts Hollis Thomas, a former Eagles defensive lineman, and Spike Eskin, who also serves as station’s program director, to put their money—and their listeners’ money—where their (loud) mouths are.

Dallas week is a big deal in Philadelphia, and with the horrific NFC East still up for grabs, the game on Sunday night had as much on the line as a mid-season rivalry game possibly could. To add to the ire, of all weeks for the horrific photos of the damage Greg Hardy inflicted on his then-girlfriend Nicole Holder to be release, they became public during the week the Cowboys were set to face Philadelphia.

While some in the Dallas media were caught dancing around the giant, pink, criminally-abusive elephant in the room, the Hardy story, and what that man says about the culture Jerry Jones has developed in Dallas, was the stop story in Philadelphia.

With that, Innes, Eskin and Thomas wanted to do something more than just yell and scream and field calls from angry fans asking why the NFL would allow Hardy to play. They wanted to help people. From CBS Philly:

Innes’ co-host Spike Eskin created a GoFundMe campaign, as Eskin, Innes and former Eagles defensive lineman Hollis Thomas began a quest to raise money for the Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas, Texas.

The goal? $3,000.

In three days, the radio show raised ten times that amount, with fans of both the Eagles and Cowboys getting on board to help spread the word. (You can donate at this link if so inclined.)

Innes, who worked in Houston before moving to Philadelphia to essentially take over as the face of WIP, talked to fellow WIP host Angelo Cataldi on Monday and explained that the campaign stemmed from Dallas-area stations avoiding the conversation altogether.

“The idea came to mind when I heard these Dallas stations saying nothing like the cowards they are,” Innes said. “They said absolutely nothing about [the photos of Hardy’s former girlfriend].

“They barely even talked about it. I got text messages from people that live in Dallas and live in Houston that said stuff like, ‘Well now the only thing different is just pictures, that doesn’t really change anything.’ They avoided it.”

Innes has been a polarizing figure in his time in Philadelphia, routinely squabbling with co-hosts and callers and openly fighting with the rival station in town. This stunt, however, should certainly endear him to Philly faithful and sports fans around the country. Innes was quick to give the locals a pat on the back, saying, “I started it, but the Philadelphia people deserve credit.”

As a native of the Philadelphia area I would be remiss not to point out that the $31,700 raised for Genesis women’s shelter could have purchased 26,751 batteries. Or that much money could buy a complete professional snowmaking system, with enough money left over to make all the snowballs you want!

Instead, Innes and WIP threw their weight behind a great cause, and that amount of money will help hundreds of women in the Dallas area, Let’s hope other stations in other cities Dallas plays this year create similar campaigns, so at least some good can come from Hardy’s continued involvement in the NFL.

About Dan Levy

Dan Levy has written a lot of words in a lot of places, most recently as the National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. He was host of The Morning B/Reakaway on Sirius XM's Bleacher Report Radio for the past year, and previously worked at Sporting News and Rutgers University, with a concentration on sports, media and public relations.

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