Courtesy My Fox Philly

(January 6, 2011) The simmering radio feud between local sports talk radio station WIP 610 and upstart ESPN 97.5 The Phanatic is getting ugly, after ESPN started a rumor last weekend that Michael Vick could be benched against the Green Bay Packers.

Long-time WIP host Howard Eskin had Vick on his radio show on Tuesday, and he asked Vick what he thought about a rumor started by ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio that the Eagles could bench the star quarterback.

Vick dismissed the story but Eskin couldn’t help from calling out Paolatonio again in public on his high-profile interview with Vick.

“Sal’s a good reporter, 50 percent of the time,” Eskin tod Vick, and Vick said he agreed.

On Monday, Eskin called out Paolatonio on his weekly show with Andy Reid.

Our Fox 29 sports contributor Mike Missanelli, who also works at ESPN 950, wouldn't comment about Paolantonio but told our Good Day show on Monday the idea of a Vick benching was "crazy."

Then on Monday night, Howard Eskin brought up Paolantonio's report to Eagles' head coach Andy Reid on 610 WIP's weekly show with Reid.

Reid was incredulous and then Eskin said the report came from Paolantonio, "the master of misinformation." (Eskin's WIP and ESPN 950 are bitter rivals in the Philadelphia radio business.)

Reid then declared adamantly that Vick was the team's quarterback.

Within hours, the blog Pro Football Talk, which is owned by NBC, was floating out the idea that Vick wouldn't finish the Packers' game. The same blog floated out the Paolantonio's rumor last Sunday.

NBC also passed on showing the Eagles' game nationally this Saturday and chose the New York Jets - Indianapolis Colts game instead.

No one connected with the Eagles expects Vick to be benched, unless he is badly injured.

But the business in starting talk about Vick is big business.

Minor stories involving Vick, like a dog ownership comment (which he made on previous occasions) and a silly comment from Tucker Carlson, made national headlines because of the intense interest in Vick on the Internet.

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