Howard Eskin, the "king" of local sports media who's never a stranger to controversy, wants to be Philadelphia's next leader.
It all started after Eskin weighed in on Twitter following the intense security measures enacted for Pope Francis' visit to the city, which drew criticism from some.
The Sports Radio WIP and FOX 29 host posted a photo Thursday of materials from the event that hadn't been cleaned up near both stations' studios on Market Street in Old City.
Then, well, things began picking up steam. After one person responded suggesting he run (the general election is a month away, for the record) he criticized Mayor Nutter for partly blaming the media for the event's turnout being potentially smaller than expected:
Eskin then announced that he was taking a potential shot at the office more seriously:
Rob Tornoe of Philly.com picked up Eskin's political musings in an article Saturday, and that only fanned the flames. The host began dipping his toes into actual comments on civic policy, got an endorsement from chef Marc Vetri (who also was critical of the papal security), and stopped just short of officially announcing his candidacy:
To reiterate, the general election is just a few weeks away, but it would certainly make the race more entertaining having Eskin square off against Democratic nominee and likely next mayor Jim Kenney.
What would an Eskin administration look like? It's hard to say, but you have to imagine it would involve a lot of fur.
Either way, if the idea of a Mayor Eskin ignites your sense of civic pride (or terrifies you), remember to register to vote.
Registration can be completed online, and the deadline is Monday, Oct. 5.