Jonathan Vilma and Peter King Bicker Via Twitter

After the New Orleans Saints signed linebacker David Hawthorne on Tuesday—the third linebacker the Saints have signed in less than two weeks—Sports Illustrated NFL columnist Peter King fired off a tweet at linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

King was insinuating that New Orleans was bringing in talent at linebacker because of the investigation into the Saints bounty program that could lead to player suspensions, namely Vilma's.

Vilma responded with a wise crack, then later attacked.

King responded by saying that he was just reporting on the investigation.

And then Vilma, swiftly and smoothly, ended the conversation.

Twitter is—and will continue to be—an incredibly open and public avenue for journalists, players and coaches to vent. As those with a voice continue to tweet first before thinking about the consequences, we're going to be seeing a lot more of these skirmishes online.

For the record, King saying that he was just reporting on the investigation is laughable. Dozens of journalists have reported on the bounty investigation and even the Saints signing multiple linebackers of late.

Only King decided to take an online swing at Vilma.