94.1 WIP doesn’t understand this city, and Joe Giglio saying he doesn’t want Joel Embiid back is Exhibit A

I genuinely do not know who 94.1 WIP is programming for at this point. It’s certainly not for loyal Sixers fans and it’s definitely not for anyone who actually watches the games.

The Sixers just went into TD Garden last night, without their best player, as massive double-digit underdogs, and beat the Boston Celtics 111-97 to tie this series at one game apiece.

VJ Edgecombe dropped 30 points and 10 rebounds in his rookie playoff coming-out party. Tyrese Maxey added 29 points and nine assists.

The two of them combined for 59 points in one of the most electric road playoff performances this city has seen in years. The series is headed back to Philly tied 1-1 with home court advantage suddenly very much in play.

So what does WIP decide to lead with today? Well, Joe Giglio says he doesn’t want Joel Embiid back.

Joe Giglio says he doesn’t want Joel Embiid back (LOL)

Joe Giglio says he does NOT want to see Joel Embiid return for this series. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/cL6v8HYaAU
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) April 22, 2026

VJ Edgecombe drops 30 in Boston, Sixers head back to Philly tied 1-1 with the Celtics

This Station Has a Medical Condition

This is the thing that has driven me absolutely insane about WIP for as long as I can remember. They genuinely do not know how to enjoy a positive moment in Philadelphia sports. It is a medical condition at this point. An actual, diagnosable inability to let this city have one single night of joy before dragging the conversation into the sewer.

The city just watched its Sixers steal a game on the road in Boston. Against the Celtics. In the playoffs. Without Joel Embiid. The ink on the box score is barely dry and Joe Giglio is on the air throwing shade at the franchise’s best player. Bizarre behavior. That’s the only way to describe it. At this point I’d actually be more surprised if I saw a positive Sixers clip from that station show up on my timeline.

This is what WIP does. They take the best moments in Philadelphia sports and immediately find the most negative possible angle because controversy drives more calls than celebration. It’s exhausting. It’s predictable. And it’s exactly why their ratings are where they are.

Let Me Make This Crystal Clear

Joel Embiid is one of the best basketball players on the planet when he is healthy. That is not a debatable statement. The man has given this city everything he has.

Every single time his body has allowed him to take the floor, he has competed at an elite level and dragged this franchise to places it had no business being otherwise. The injuries have been brutal and heartbreaking and deeply frustrating at times. Nobody is denying that.

But none of that changes who Joel Embiid is as a player or what he means to this team’s ceiling. The Sixers just went into Boston and won without him. Maxey is playing like a superstar. Edgecombe looks like a legitimate future cornerstone. This team has shown real resilience in an impossible situation. All of that is true and all of that is worth celebrating.

But you know what makes all of that even better? Adding the guy who was the MVP of this league three years ago back into the lineup for a playoff series against the Celtics. That’s not complicated. That’s not controversial. That’s common sense. And the fact that Joe Giglio is on the radio arguing the opposite tells you everything you need to know about how disconnected WIP is from the actual fanbase.

We Want to Believe

We want to believe. We want to gather around the TV and give our teams our undivided attention because we love them. No matter how much pain they’ve caused us. No matter how many times they’ve broken our hearts. That’s what being a Philadelphia sports fan is. You show up. You care. You ride the highs and survive the lows and you never stop believing that something special might happen.

VJ Edgecombe made NBA History on Tuesday night in Boston

The very last thing real fans want to do after one of the biggest upset wins in recent Philadelphia sports history is turn on the radio and hear some talking head explain why getting their best player back would actually be a bad thing. Nobody wants that. Nobody asked for that. And yet WIP delivers it every single time because that’s all they know how to do.

This city deserves better sports radio. Until then, just mute WIP and enjoy the moment. The Sixers tied this series in Boston. Embiid might be coming back Friday. And Joe Giglio can kick rocks.