Mike Florio and Jason La Canfora trade shots
New Year's night, a nasty exchange took place between two of the nation's top NFL insiders - Mike Florio of NBC and Pro Football Talk and Jason La Canfora of CBS. It all started when La Canfora reported fired Eagles coach Andy Reid would interview Wednesday with the Arizona Cardinals for their head coach opening. Florio published his own article on Reid linking to reports by Albert Breer and Ian Rapoport that said Reid would interview Thursday.
Now, whether or not Andy Reid interviews Wednesday afternoon, Wednesday night, or Thursday morning is of little significance in the grand scheme of things. Nevertheless, this slight discrepancy in reporting set ablaze a simmering feud between the two insiders. Florio felt the need to explain things in his PFT article and on Twitter, and thereby in the process, have a go at La Canfora. He reasoned the team was leaking Thursday to outlets while Reid's agent Bob Lamonte was leaking Wednesday (to La Canfora) to try to get a leg up for his client...
"In pointing out these dynamics, we’re not trying to pick on LaMonte; we’re just trying to peel back the curtain and help the audience get to the truth, whatever the truth may be. With LaMonte representing dozens of head coaches, coordinators, positions coaches, and executives, promoting them for jobs includes manipulating the media, many of whom gladly will rush to Twitter or elsewhere when hearing from LaMonte, without scrutinizing the underlying accuracy or agenda or reasonableness of the information."
La Canfora simply had to respond after this very unusual offensvie from Florio. While PFT comes off as a noble outlet only interested in search of the truth, it's a stunning and debatable attack on La Canfora's credibility and the identity of his sources. This isn't the first time Florio has feuded with a fellow media member either, mind you. But I can't ever remember one reporter so blatantly trying to undermine another in this very public way. La Canfora had to respond, and took his shot at Florio reporting nothing on his own and aggregating news from other sources. The two reporters then traded a couple more swings on Twitter...
Bonus points to La Canfora for creative hashtag use with that final tweet. Sadly, the fight ended there as Florio didn't respond further and this was declared a no contest. After all was said and done though, Florio added this somewhat passive aggressive note to his PFT article:
"It appears that the Cardinals are leaking that the interview will occur on Thursday to employees of NFL Network, and that LaMonte is leaking Wednesday to other reporters."
There seems to be an extra bit of venom here you usually don't see in public disputes and Twitter fights between members of the media. These are some fairly personal shots fired between Florio and La Canfora including each man trying to discredit the other's reporting skills by naming agents as sources.
You'd need to have your head in the sand to think agents are not involved in leaking NFL scoops to reporters to help their clients in some way. It's part of the reporting give and take behind the curtain as some reporters are closer to certain sources than others. For it to spill into public like this with accusations of agents pulling the strings is an extraordinary set of circumstances.
Found this site and would love to be a contributor. LaCanfora hit the nail on the head about Florio. Earlier this season when ARI def coordinator yapped on local radio how he knew whenever the Patriot run vs pass plays, etc and boasted about himself, Florio jumped on his bandwaggon immediately and agreed on PFT. Only problem, he didn't do ANY homework before ripping Belichick and the Patriots which others did and discovered the ARI coach was completely wrong and clearly serlf promoting. I emailed Mike directly criticizing him and he replied, "don't use that tone" with him. Then the very next day he proceeded to bring up every point that I made and more or less came clean. RE: He reported everything based on what others said and never did any work himself. So today I watch the guy criticize Scott Pioli and say he's just added to the list where everyone that leaves Bill Belichick is a failure. He praised BB but he's also wrong about that. If he wants to just talk pro's there's a top rated GM in Atlanta who was tutored by BB who clearly is not a failure. A guy named Newsome in Baltimore as well. Florio's a sit at home and report everyone else's stuff kind of guy, period.
For the record, my father is a sports announcer and I get the whole freedom of speech thing, but let me tell EVERYONE running this site that you have NO idea what you are talking about and everyone you decide to "call out" has worked their BUTTS off and are probably tired from working 70 hours a week....this is awful and full of haters and people who only WISH they could do what these people do. I have literally watched my father on national televison WITH A STOMACH flu throwing up in between calls. How many people can say they have done that? So this whole site is an absolute disgrace to people who work hard for their jobs. Yeah there are a few bad apples but I do remember you calling out my father in 09' RIGHT AFTER MY GRANDFATHER passed away and had to leave the funeral to get to the game. You think there wasn't something else on his mind he may have slipped up? Think about how many times you have "called in sick" to work. Well they can't and they push through. This whole site is about putting people down who have worked hard to where they are and I am appalled anyone would think to do that even in a comedic way. How about I start a site that mentions putting AWFUL BLOGGERS on blast? I understand they are in the media and they are on nationial TV but try speaking second by second 10 stories up with a staff of people you may or may not trust to make you sound good. It is 2013, everyone needs to be better people and calling out "awful" announcing is fine in the privacy of your own home; but an entire website is just disgraceful. As a human being and someone who grew up with a father who has provided for his family and worked so incredibly hard for everything he has earned; I ask that you reconsider the things you say on this site. Would you like someone calling out your every mis-step? probably not. Let these people do their job and I will probably get an ear full by saying this from my father and his announcer friends but I am sick of people talking about things they know NOTHING about. Thank you and please take this as constructive criticism...
@Tickedoffdaughter Would love an awful bloggers site. Sounds awesome. What does any of this have to do with Florio vs. La Canfora
@fire joe buck @Tickedoffdaughter This person has to be younger than 15 years old right?
@mistake by the lake @fire joe buck @Tickedoffdaughter I rarely read the comments but someone send me this. What a read. Don't know if I should laugh or cry.
Another Twitter war article. What is this, the third or fourth in less than two weeks?
AA is becoming more and more like First Take. Embrace Debate.
@JosephShinGoodkowski that may be the single most offensive comment ever posted on this website
Best one from florio : " The bespectacled head of one the reporters who has stomped his feet and insisted it will be Wednseday may explode if one more person says it is hapening Thursday"
