I gave up and haven't listened to Felger and Mazz for several months now.
Yet I check this thread every day.
Yet I check this thread every day.
Ditto, except when Perillo's on.FelixMantilla said:I gave up and haven't listened to Felger and Mazz for several months now.
Yet I check this thread every day.
soxfan121 said:
It is possible. Of course, it is equally possible that this town enjoys its sports talk on the negative tip. And there's like two decades of data backing that possibility.
I mean, if people REALLY didn't want negativity, then WZLX or WOKQ or any number of music stations would have overtaken both TSH and WEEI. But, again, that's not reality.
Ditto (well maybe not checking this thread EVERY day but a lot anyways). I come in hoping that there might be something compelling to bring me back to the show, because when the show was at its best it was engaging and entertaining. For all the reasons given in many of the posts above (the false negativaty, the HOT SPORTS TAKES!!!, etc) I haven't felt drawn to go back because it is nothing I haven't already heard.FelixMantilla said:I gave up and haven't listened to Felger and Mazz for several months now.
Yet I check this thread every day.
Mystic Merlin said:
I didn't say they were bad human beings. I think that's an uncharitable interpretation of what I wrote. And obviously it's ALL about taste, that goes without saying. I'm not expressing disbelief that my particular way of experiencing sports is not the one and only way; I'm saying that I don't understand how the heck anyone who craves this kind of experience (e.g. 16-0? Well, they won't go undefeated next year, and, hey, they weren't dominant enough for my liking) is really enjoying themselves. It's a brand of "personal taste" that I can't relate to on any level, whereas, in contrast, I can totally understand why someone would hate, or not care about, discussing stats.
So, yeah, I think if you're spending your sports-viewing time finding things to get angry about, and then seeking out echo chambers that reinforce those gripes, then you're missing out. Look, people can and do what they want, I'm not calling for a pogrom here. But the mere fact that they have a different 'taste' doesn't mean I have to respect it out of hand, or think it's a good way to experience sports. It's certainly not one that I can relate to, as I said. For all I know, these people really are enjoying themselves, but, I don't know, I kind of doubt it.
Kenny F'ing Powers said:Kill yourself.
And take Wiggy with you.
Kenny F'ing Powers said:I heard the same exact thing you did, but came away with a completely different perspective.
He was riling the masses. He very rarely comes out and says, "Well, let's see how the team does in the next game before jumping to any conclusions". He all but implied that the "Tuukka skate" game was proof that this team couldn't close the door, that it may be time to fire Clode, that it was 2010 all over again, that the Kessel trade was stupid and the B's front office fucked up...all because the Bruins won in 5 instead of 4.
I also found it pretty ironic that by the time the Stanley Cup started, an underdog B's team - and rightfully so, regardless of how well they played in the playoffs, Chicago was a fucking juggernaut throughout the season - was favored in Felger's mind and if they didn't win in 6 games, they blew it.
Smiling Joe Hesketh said:
This doesn't jibe with Rocco's oft-stated claim that WEEI was full of Ordway giving the local franchises back massages (except for hockey, which they treated with disdain).
It's not the negativity that killed WEEI. It was the overweening arrogance of everyone in the place. They had no competition, but they thought their high ratings were due to their quality and not because they had a monopoly on local sports radio talk.
Felger and Mazz are veering toward that same path, IMO.
Smiling Joe Hesketh said:Except in this case, I'm rooting for the sky to fall.
soxfan121 said:
This idea that if only there were a shiny, happy sports talk alternative, it would please everyone is a fallacy. Look at WEEI-AM's ratings since ESPN (i.e. shiny, happy national radio) took over the signal. Or, to go a bit deeper into history, it's why Sean McDonough's "Raise the Bar" efforts got no ratings (even within the crappy signal area) and didn't last very long.
soxfan121 said:
Yeah Roethlisberger, that was the joke.
Smiling Joe Hesketh said:
I was told lawyers had no sense of humor. Someone lied to me.
Hendu for Kutch said:
Funny you should bring that show up, because I loved that show. That was my perfect idea of what sports radio could be. Informed, not fanboyish, negative when warranted, but with none of the controversy for controversy's sake. When someone said something stupid and outlandish, they were told as much. When someone had a reasonable point, it was absorbed into the conversation. I don't know if it was the signal (I was living in San Diego and listening online at the time) or if it was just too plain for most, but that show was great in my eyes. Plus I got to tell off Borges once on the air, which will always give it a special place in my heart.
I think that's why I like T&R so much. They may know 10% of what F&M know, but they're honest and reasonable for the most part. It's more like a discussion I'd want to be involved in. If I were at a bar and a guy started talking about how BB doesn't sign free agents because he's cheap and arrogant, I'd stop talking to that guy.
Rocco Graziosa said:Just to let you know where I'm coming from, as I've aged I've completely lost interest in the local teams. I've tried VERY hard to watch the Red Sox this year, but couldnt' do it. Ten years ago I didn't miss a pitch. I like the NFL but have never been a big Belichick guy, so I don't really follow the Patriots other than the games, and follow/care about my fantasy teams much more. The Celtics are going to stink for the forseeable future. I bonded with my daugther over the Bruins run this spring which was nice.
But now that I've entered my 40's the ammount I CARE about these teams has almost dissapeared. So when I turn on Felger I just want to be entertained..........if its entertaining I stay. If not, I turn the channel. I think he's more entertaining when he's shitting on people.
judyb said:Shitting on people who don't deserve it isn't entertaining, it's creepy.
swyman18 said:I do understand the shrieking can be a bit much, and the bridge jumping mentality should be a thing of the past considering the overall level of success over the past decade.
Now don't get me wrong, Mazz annoys the crap out of me in general, but what I don't understand is the level of contempt when he expresses even a little concern or doubt regarding the Red Sox. It's like the fan base has completely reversed itself. Sometimes I think I'm listening to Dodgers fans or something.
swyman18 said:Today, Mazz was discussing his concerns about facing the Rays pitching. That was followed by at least a couple of irate callers blasting Mazz for not being more positive about the upcoming series.
So, apparently John Henry said on WEEI today that he admitted he would rather the Sox have faced Cleveland. He also discussed his concerns about facing the Rays because of their pitching.
Oh my God, John, why do you have to be so negative!!
swyman18 said:Today, Mazz was discussing his concerns about facing the Rays pitching. That was followed by at least a couple of irate callers blasting Mazz for not being more positive about the upcoming series.
So, apparently John Henry said on WEEI today that he admitted he would rather the Sox have faced Cleveland. He also discussed his concerns about facing the Rays because of their pitching.
Oh my God, John, why do you have to be so negative!!
swyman18 said:
Today, Mazz was discussing his concerns about facing the Rays pitching. That was followed by at least a couple of irate callers blasting Mazz for not being more positive about the upcoming series.
So, apparently John Henry said on WEEI today that he admitted he would rather the Sox have faced Cleveland. He also discussed his concerns about facing the Rays because of their pitching.
Oh my God, John, why do you have to be so negative!!
swyman18 said:Oh believe me, I do understand the general frustration with Mazz. I guess I just get uneasy when it seams a once rabid fan base is gradually turning into a shiny, happy, pom-pom waving fan base. But I guess that isn't necessarily a Felger and Mazz problem, so perhaps a topic for a different day.
riboflav said:I think there's part of the fan base that is pretty nostalgic for the pre-2002 days. It's not that they want Boston teams to lose, but they really have a hard time finding their way in this new winning environment. They've lost part of their identity and as a result, they search desperately for every potential fatal flaw in their favorite teams and players.
"1986 was godawful painful but it was also part of who I am today and to cut that out would be like cutting of my own arm. I'll never let go."
And you're right, it doesn't mean I love to lose.
John Marzano Olympic Hero said:
Let's look at this logically:
The point of sporting event is winning.
When part of your identity is losing, that goes against the point of sports.
Therefore, at no particular point in your fan experience should losing be "a part of who you are". Otherwise, you're a loser.
Because I don't know about you, but if the Sox won in 1948, 1975, 1978, 1986 and 2003 that would be pretty awesome. Because it sucks to lose. And trust me, I'm not Johnny Rah-Rah, but ask a person from Cleveland if their "pain makes them stronger" or a Cubs fan if they enjoy being called "America's lovable losers" or whether Pittburghers enjoyed 21 years of futility. Because I can guarantee you that every single one of them will say no.
There is no poetry or solace in losing. Ever.
Smiling Joe Hesketh said:
Why does rabid fandom have to equal negativity? Were fans really happier when our teams sucked or routinely lost in nut-crushing fashion?
PBDWake said:Is this really happening? They're not-so-subtly casting steroid allegations on Ellsbury? Today?
They're just harping on how 1 year he had 30 HR, it was out of character, relating him to Brady Anderson, talking about some kind of "assistance" that year, etc. etc. etc.thehitcat said:Can I ask what they are saying? I'm out of market and unable to get the stream.
John Marzano Olympic Hero said:They've been saying this all year.
Yep. Especially if a player has any kind of positive accomplishment. No one does anything of note in Felger's world without "ahem!" assistance.soxfan121 said:
Felger has been saying that everyone, everywhere, in every sport is on some kind of PED for his entire radio career.
John Marzano Olympic Hero said:I only listened to them for a little over an hour, but I thought that they were pretty good today. They gave the Sox a lot of props and didn't really go down the contrarian side of the street too much.
I enjoyed them.