by FERN SHEN

     We should be finishing our post on TEDx MidAtlantic, but we couldn’t resist this quick-and-dirty dispatch from the world of Old Media.

     Baltimore journos-of -a-certain-age (like their beleaguered colleagues across the land) felt a wave of nostalgia upon hearing about the recent newsroom scuffle involving distinguished Washington Post journalists. (Real punches were thrown, we don’t mean some dime-a-dozen metaphorical brawl!)

    Yes, we know it’s highly meaningful and quite sad and blah, blah, blah, a Pulitzer prize-winner snaps because he’s reduced to editing a &^%$#-ing “charticle” — and a not-very-good one, at that. But, it’s, well… funny!

     One such altercation being recalled locally these days has some uniquely Baltimorean touches. Along with the standard testosterone and turfsmanship, it highlights the deep rivalry between the Morning and Evening Sun and it features Orioles legend Jim Palmer nearly in tears.

((Bonus feature: an excellent video send-up of the Posties getting physical entitled “Fisticuffs at the Post!” Among the cast of characters: former Baltimore Sun Moscow correspondent, Erika Neidowski.))

     As former Evening Sun editor Jim Day recalled it in a list serve, this (near) brawl occurred in the office of Morning Sun editor Jim Houck, and it occurred the day Jim Palmer announced his retirement. (This story is basically as Day told it, with parenthetical explainers supplied by Joan Jacobson.)

     Palmer broke down and left the press conference after only about 45 seconds. The photographer (shared by the Sun and rival Evening Sun) missed getting a shot. (Sun photographer) Gene Sweeney, who was off that day, shot it and was going to sell it free lance to New York outlets.

     Mike (Davis, Evening Sun assistant managing editor for sports) and I lured Sweeney into (Evening Sun managing editor Jack) Lemmon’s office and got his agreement for exclusive Baltimore use of the Palmer photos. (Nothing made the snooty Morning Sun angrier than getting scooped by the scrappy Evening Sun, so it wasn’t surprising when (the Morning Sun’s editor Jim) Houck blew his top at the afternoon news meeting when he was told they didn’t have a staff photo for the next day’s front page. Weyman Swagger, Sun pix editor, ran into Sweeney in photo printing the pix and demanded a copy of it. We ended up in Houck’s office — Davis, Day, Sweeney, Swagger, Houck — with Davis yelling at Houck from the door way about you SOB’s aren’t going to steal this one and similar verbiage.

     Houck was yelling back and both started moving toward each other until ole Day’s big referee’s belly bumped Davis out the door. I’ve always regretted not standing aside long enough to see if Mike would really do it. We knew before going into Jim’s office that we’d have to give up the pix . . . and Reg Murphy did make us give it up . . . but Mike was determined to make his point. I didn’t stop laughing for several days.

     Here’s the excellent spoof composed by Washington City Paper.