The media’s buzzing in Dallas about a tiny incident that took place this week between Dallas Cowboys WR Terrell Owens and ESPN’s Ed Werder. As Owens held court by his locker, the media swarmed him and began to pepper him with questions. Early in the video you can see Werder standing next to Owens. Two times during the scrum – at 2:08 and 3:43 – you can hear someone off camera ask questions. Both times, Owens bluntly responds, “Next question” – much like his agent once did during a bizarre scene a couple of years ago. A media source in Dallas tells us that both of those questions came from Werder. (This is the second time it’s happened with Werder this month.)

Could this have to do with Werder’s report that the Cowboys were unhappy with Brad Johnson and “internally” there was talk about Brooks Bollinger becoming the starter? Werder’s words on ESPN.com are one thing; when he’s reporting this on TV to a national Sportscenter audience, it’s another. (It should be noted that Werder previously worked in Dallas for the Morning News and Star Telegram before landing at ESPN.)

This would be the second “incident” for Werder in hostile Dallas territory in the last month – in early October, he went face-to-face with a Cowboys fan who writes for the team website, and expletives were dropped.

This might be looking too far ahead, but an interesting scenario could begin to unfold across the country where we see more and more local reporters and perhaps even athletes butting heads with some ESPN reporters. (Wendi Nix nor the Patriots have any comment; not that we asked.) It will be interesting to monitor this backlash, which has been bubbling for over a year now.

Most of the time, the ESPN TV stars/reporters – Sal Pal, Werder, Rachel Nichols, Pedro Gomez, etc. – are making more money than everyone else in the room, they have more exposure  (TV, radio, internet), and in a climate where journalism jobs are being lost, working for ESPN is as safe as it gets. And the biggest point of contention, of course, is scoops.

Can’t we all just get along?