Jeff McLane Launches Counter Assault on Les Bowen

The bunker photo works well here for Jeff

Take cover, Philadelphia, no corner of the internet is safe.

From the fine organization (Philadelphia Media Network) that brought you such storied colleague battles as Gonzo v. Cheese and the non-contentious Seravalli-Carchidi Steven Stamkos Source Measuring Contest, comes the latest in intracompany feuds: McLane v. Bowen.

In PMN’s most recent clash, McLane and Bowen combine the best elements of previous Inquirer-Daily News confrontations: sourcing... and sheer contempt for a colleague. 

Let’s dig in.

Earlier today, Jeff McLane threw his hat into the let’s talk endlessly about Michael Vick’s availability for Sunday ring. McLane, citing sources, reported that Vick will likely play against the 49ers.

Not so fast, says Les Bowen (hint: this is where things get good).

Another scribe-on-scribe crime. A hush befalls the crowd as a warning shot is sent across the Inquirer reporter's bow. Your move, McLane.

Stop it, Jeff, you're going to kill grandpa..

Nooo!!

Oh the humanity. Dead women and children are strewn about the street at 400 N. Broad. 

Frankly, I’m inclined to side with Les here. While questioning another reporter’s sources is poor form, there was really no need for McLane to publicly trash his colleague. The Inquirer and Daily News have enough problems- they don’t need their beat reporters dick-poking each other on Twitter. Besides, that sort of thing is for bloggers...

So far, we’ve seen virtual slaps or conflicting stories (in the case of Carchidi and Seravalli) involving Phillies, Flyers, and, now, Eagles writers at Philly Media Network. You know what that means, right? We need Kate Fagan to throwdown with - quick, who covers the Sixers for the Daily News? - Bob Cooney. Kate Fagan and Bob Cooney trading barbs over ... something good... gender issues! Perfect!

We’ll look forward to that.

As for Les and Jeff, we’ve seen no retort from Bowen as of yet... though he has indirectly responded to the issue:

Score one for Bowen.

I guess we’ll just have to wait until Sunday to see who was right. McLane may want to bring a couple of sharpened number twos with him just in case.

UPDATE: Punches thrown.

Comments

[Chris]

mclane was clowning pretty hard today with his article about the sky falling. or it might've been about the eagles, i really couldn't tell.

[mvptommyd]

Les started it. McLane came back at him hard. Then at the end Bowen said he thinks Vick will start as well. So what was the point of starting something in the first place then? All this DNL exposure has guys thinking they are stars.

[Domo]

McLane is a clown, never comes up with anything original. I don't like Les, but he knows his stuff. McLane has a big sense of arrogance around him.

[Bill]

McLane is wrong a lot...I remember him breaking a McNabb to Stl trade a couple of years back.

[Shawn]

Les does it with class.

[Ron Noel]

kick his a$$ Les

[Daniel]

I love twitter

[JMac]

they're both doosh bags - their career's are chasing nitwit athletes around begging for quotes

[Hawkfan]

Les looks like Bert from Sesame Street. Leave him alone Mclame!

[Bill Conlin]

McLane is a no talent hack pussy

[villadelph]

Bowen never directed his message @Jeff_McLane so he good have just been generally saying that. Maybe, Bowen wasn't saying 'McLane is wrong..' Just that nobody has any idea yet, to his knowledge.

[joebras]

Les Bowen is a chump. How is he a beat writer for a team when he doesnt even attend all the games. Covering sports is a young mans game and doesnt need old time whiners like bowen and pannachio anymore.

[dennis]

McClane showed no class by sharing his feelings about his colleague with the public. Its none of our business and it shows a complete lack of professionalism.

For some goddamn reason, everyone that has twitter accounts think they fucking matter when they really don't. It is hilarious how they say something stupid and backtrack as quickly as they can. Twitter is living proof of the dumbing down of society.

[Kris]

Funny that you would side with the guy accused of stealing quotes.

[ThePhillyFlash]

YAWN! Put both of those guys in a steel cage and let 'em slug it out. That's my solution!

[John E]

I always crack up at these spats over reporters over "stealing quotes" or not doing this or that properly. That's like the inside baseball of sports reporting. Yeah I'd probably be annoyed if I spent an hour doing an interview with a guy and then 10 other people just copied the same quotes I got. But readers mostly just care about interesting analysis or observations made, perhaps based on those quotes, than the quotes themselves.

Not to mention getting quotes from Eagles coaches or team reps on anything is pretty useless when they almost never tell you what the real deal is anyway.

[Cataldi's Nose]

Eskin reporting on WIP today at the Novacare complex Les Bowen just punched Jeff McLane on the side of the head during press activities..damn

[Steve]

"I will handle my business in person"...wow, he wasn't kidding!

[Drew Shervin]

Bowen doesn't attend all the games, huh! He is at every postgame press conference at Lincoln Financial Field. Where does everyone think he is, watching the game at Chickie and Petes.

[L. Cline]

Fully support McLane on this one, Bowen threw the first punch literally and on Twitter. Everyone in the industry knew who his first post was directed at...prefers to handle his sh*t personally...my a$$. He started the Twitter BS. If you want the real story on this one ... from an eye witness ... go to DEADSPIN ... then tell me who was acting professionally. Sounds like McLane hit a nerve on Bowen - and was a little to close to the truth with his comments.

[Ugg Boots]

I’m not even certain “Party Down” is my favorite show from Rob Thomas, the TV mastermind behind “Veronica Mars” and “Cupid,” but it’s undoubtedly one of the best depictions of the underbelly of show business committed to screen in addition to being really, really goddamn funny. If a cast that includes Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, Ken Marino, and Martin Starr as a group of disgruntled caterers doesn’t get you excited, then this oral history of what made the show so great will have to do. But then again, if you’re still reading this.

[Rob Parent]

Great coverage and even better writing of this major news event by you, Crossing Broad.

Oh the humanity, indeed. Whatever happened to this business that crapsites like this can sell ads?