Has there ever been a full time baseball writer that knew less about the game than Tony Massarotti?
And now "Curt in the car" calling in. Today's show has absolutely been a home run.I can say that I've enjoyed today's Big Show more than any in recent memory. It's far from perfect, but it's miles ahead of Felger and Mazz, and better than a lot of the crap the Big Show used to spew. Bradford and Haggs are great guests.
I now understand the praise for Mike Francesa. He is just as agenda driven as these guys, their superior as a blowhard, and much more of a bully. But goddammit, he seldom makes a fool of himself in this way. He is cunning in the same way that a skilled trial lawyer who has no case is cunning. He carves with a stiletto. These guys wield sledgehammers, leaving the room a bloody, senseless mess.They're killing them all day, then Felger goes: "Well, they should still win the World Series."
Mazz: "At the end of the day, there should be a lesson learned. Would you rather have Bay at 4/60 or Crawford?
Using HRs as a measure of who is a better baseball player is the dumbest argument this side of "No, my dad can beat up your dad."
Don't these guys realize that the days of the 3-4 Manny-Ortiz type sluggers in the middle of the order are over with?
Pete Sheppard must be back in the fold, right?And now "Curt in the car" calling in. Today's show has absolutely been a home run.
I resemble that remark. :lol:Felger and Mazz are targeting the unthinking meathead contingent.
This might be slightly off tangent but I ask what your problem is with the management? I ask seriously. You consistently mock the Red Sox owners., Rocco This group has produced two World Series trophys, and has improved the ballpark experience. While the rest of the owners are playing checkers, this group is playing chess. HWL have consistently given the ballclub the best chance to win. Is your problem with them, that they appeal to "the pink hats"? Well they did get rid of the Dentist and some of his hokey promotions. In my opinion, I do not understand how any Red Sox fan would have any strong dissatisfaction with Henry, Werner or Lucchino. What more would you want them to do that would meet your approval?I guess they're targeting me because I've enjoyed them this week. But I don't particularly care for Sox management so a lot of that stuff probably bounces right off me.
Let's not get carried away, it was only a week or two ago that I flipped to WEEI and heard Butch Stearns voice on the Big Show and almost pulled a muscle undoing my error.This isn't meant to be another pile-on, but to be taken more as constructive criticism:
The narrative of "Felger and Mazz" has to change from what it was in August of '09. Because even though that was only a little over a year ago, the sports scene in Boston has changed quite a bit. The Patriots are 10-2 and back at the top of the NFL. The Red Sox have once again gone toe-to-toe with the Yankees and seemed to have opened up another "World Series window."
In August of 2009, the Patriots hadn't won a Super Bowl in 5 years, had some questionable drafting classes, clearly had conflict in the locker room, and all of it was ignored on EEI.
In August of 2009, the Red Sox were on their way to getting swept in the ALDS by the Angels. They lost out on Teixeira, and were set to enter a season (2010) in which interest in the team would be at its lowest since 2001.
WEEI still had 15 minute commercial breaks, and was running out a parade of Larry Johnson, Smerlas, and DeOssie in the afternoons 3 out of 5 days per week.
But the fact is, EEI has improved a bit since that time. Today Bradford and Haggerty are on "The Big Show." I haven't heard Larry Johnson on "The Big Show" in months.
The point is, this show's narrative has run stale in regards to the top two teams in the market. We get the picture, and in a lot of regards, the picture has been addressed by the teams. Now, Felger has been spot-on with the Patriots this year in my opinion, but he needs to fast forward the clock on the Red Sox. He needs to do it quickly too, because these two talking baseball is really the definition of "troll radio."
You're correct, but to be fair, I think he was only there hosting the Friday show after Thanksgiving.Let's not get carried away, it was only a week or two ago that I flipped to WEEI and heard Butch Stearns voice on the Big Show and almost pulled a muscle undoing my error.
Very perceptive, I think.This isn't meant to be another pile-on, but to be taken more as constructive criticism:
The narrative of "Felger and Mazz" has to change from what it was in August of '09. Because even though that was only a little over a year ago, the sports scene in Boston has changed quite a bit. The Patriots are 10-2 and back at the top of the NFL. The Red Sox have once again gone toe-to-toe with the Yankees and seemed to have opened up another "World Series window."
In August of 2009, the Patriots hadn't won a Super Bowl in 5 years, had some questionable drafting classes, clearly had conflict in the locker room, and all of it was ignored on EEI.
In August of 2009, the Red Sox were on their way to getting swept in the ALDS by the Angels. They lost out on Teixeira, and were set to enter a season (2010) in which interest in the team would be at its lowest since 2001.
WEEI still had 15 minute commercial breaks, and was running out a parade of Larry Johnson, Smerlas, and DeOssie in the afternoons 3 out of 5 days per week.
But the fact is, EEI has improved a bit since that time. Today Bradford and Haggerty are on "The Big Show." I haven't heard Larry Johnson on "The Big Show" in months.
The point is, this show's narrative has run stale in regards to the top two teams in the market. We get the picture, and in a lot of regards, the picture has been addressed by the teams. Now, Felger has been spot-on with the Patriots this year in my opinion, but he needs to fast forward the clock on the Red Sox. He needs to do it quickly too, because these two talking baseball is really the definition of "troll radio."
12:21
[Comment From ELprELpr: ]
Do you agree with Mazz, based on our aggressiveness of signing Crawford that we could have had Teixiera, but wimped out? Going forward, should be no more excuses?
Friday December 10, 2010 12:21 ELpr
12:22
Chad Finn:
The only time I want to hear Teixeira's name in Boston going forward is when he's striking out with two runners on in the ninth inning of a September game. Time to get over it, and that's if you believe he wasn't going to the Yankees all along. Which I still believe, by the way.
To take this comment a step further, it doesn't matter if Mazz is correct and Teixeira would have come to the Sox 2 years ago for the same money, it didn't happen and the Sox made up for that mistake by getting Gonzalez.It does not matter how many people have told Mazz that there was no way Tex was going anyplace other than New York he just keeps on saying it.
Find something new!!!
Idiocy, as Merlins notes. Felgers is being a c*** about this, pure and simple.Felger: "Anybody could have offered CC 7 years and 142 million. It's not about scouting, white papers, or negotiating acumen. It's about the ownership. Theo had nothing to do with it."
Not to sidetrack the discussion, but wasn't the primary reason regarding FO leaks to the media?Um, a big reason Theo came back after that bizarre episode back in '05/'06 is because he had guarantees that ownership/management (mainly Lucchino) would give him free reign over personnel moves.
This is no secret, it's Felger's philosophy on life. He thinks it's his job to "keep the owners honest". He's a crusader in his own mind. It's both irritating and adorable.Felger made a very telling comment a few days ago, at the start of the show. He mentioned to Mazz, rather enthusiastically, that they "were able to keep their edge" despite positive news for the Sox. As though this were the most important thing in dissecting the happenings of the local teams? Not being right, or even thought provoking. Nope, it's all about Felger and Mazz wanting to 'keep it real'.
Felger knows nothing about baseball, it is simply embarassing. It's like listening to GW Bush debate, he has a couple of talking points he repeats over and over, relevant or not. The Bob Montgomery moment when he was on EEI was hard to trump, but he did it with his Cleveland in 04 gaffe last week.I keep telling you guys that Felger doesn't improve with more exposure. His schtick was novel when he started but he doesn't know when to stop. Moderation is not a word in his vocabulary and if you told him it was a virtue he'd tell you that his job is to get ratings and create controversy, or rather to create controversy and get ratings. He doesn't care how asinine he sounds or how unsound his arguments are as long as those calls light up the switchboard. And his recent ratings triumph proves his point. He doesn't care. (I don't actually know this since I don't know him but it seems apparent if you listen to him long enough.) He doesn't care about the soundness of what he's saying. Sometimes he's right (Moss; he was pro-Brady during the Brady-Bledsoe controversy; and what else......?), but most of the time he's just ill-informed about boat loads of stuff and has a million outlets to demonstrate it. If he just talked about football, and was on for an hour or two during the day, he'd be fine. But listening to him talk about baseball or hockey -- and I used to think he knew something about hockey but he doesn't, he just has an interest in it which distinguishes him from everyone else on Boston sports radio -- listening to him talk about them is torture. I find I've been turning back to WEEI as much as I hate them.
Competition is excellent for us. I love being able to switch stations when I'm not into whatever one show is talking about. I never turn off T&R though because they are awesomeHere's the great news. We have choice! We have competition! When F&M sucks we can go over to The Big Show. When the Big Show sucks we can go to F&M. When they both suck... well we're no worse off than we were before.
We've come such a long way from the EEI only awful cohost days. I'd add that it beats the hell out of DC sports radio, except for the part where listing to Skins fans go insane is awesome.
Folks, Blacken is apparently on a maniacal quest to exterminate the entire cat population of North America in the next 6 months. And also single handedly resuscitate the profitability of the U.S. Postal Service.I am going to mail Michael Felger a dead cat for every time he goes "fact not opinion."
Fuck the USPS. FedEx all the way.Folks, Blacken is apparently on a maniacal quest to exterminate the entire cat population of North America in the next 6 months. And also single handedly resuscitate the profitability of the U.S. Postal Service.