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When the Eagles announced that Michael Vick would be their starting quarterback around 5:50PM yesterday, they informed the media that there would be a conference call with Andy Reid at 6:30. Just as that call was about to commence, tweets started popping up from the Eagles beat writers complaining that 97.5 The Fanatic was holding up the call.  They wanted to carry the conference call live on the air.  The only problem is that it was a two-way line, and when they dialed in they began broadcasting their air (Mike Missanelli at the time) to all participants on the conference call. It happened a few minutes later with WIP.

Check out some of these furious tweets:

JonathanTamari Idiot radio station leads to cancellation of conference call. Press conference will take place at NovaCare.#Eagles

LesBowen Unbelievable. #Eagles can't get conf call going because of 97.5 broadcast playing on speaker

sprtswtr Eagles teleconference cancelled due white noise from WIP and 97.5 who can't figured out how to mute a phone line.

BleedingGreen The Eagles can't do their conference call because 97.5 the Fanatic has called in and is piping their air over the call. Epic fail 97.5

The conference call eventually had to be moved to the auditorium.  

More about the curious timing after the jump.

Just imagine the frustration of Reid and Co. as they sat there, waiting to begin a call they must have dreaded, and there's local radio hosts bloviating their opinions about what was going to go down. Priceless.

The press conference was moved to the auditorium at the Nova Care Complex and Reid was forced to answer the questions in person.  Just brilliant. 

A lot of people have been talking about the curious timing on the press conference (just prior to a huge Phillies game).  The Eagles are perceived to have a bit of an inferiority complex and seem to have most of their major announcements during big Phillies moments (McNabb trade on Opening Day etc).  

I'd argue that the other way, especically in this circumstance.  

They had to know they were going to get second-guessed and criticized for flip-flopping on the decision to start Vick.  By announcing their noon-time decision at 6 o'clock, the local media had very little time to prepare for it and even less time to talk about it.  CSN was to carry the Phillies game at 7:00, WIP has the Flyers game at the same time, and most fans would be somewhat distracted by Halladay going for his 20th win.  The only media outlet on-air was 97.5, but they, of course, were competing with Scott Franzke and Larry Anderson on 1210.

Curious timing, but it may have actually have been to avoid the attention.