Felger and Mazz - Creating False Naratives one day at a time

Nite Vizhun UV

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It's hard to believe that I once actually enjoyed reading Mazz's columns way back when. He has morphed into a sports radio caricature and any baseball knowledge he may have once seemed to possess has leaked out of the gaping lobotomy hole in his head.
 

yeahlunchbox

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Mazz wasn't even the dumb one in that exchange. He claimed that he felt guys like Gwynn, who hit for a high average but didn't have power or take a lot of walks, were always overrated. I'm not sure I agree, especially about Gwynn specifically, but I can see making that argument. Felger followed up by stating he always felt Gwynn was a steroid guy late in his career and then wondered if this theoretical steroid abuse was the reason for Gwynn's cancer. Just total conjecture and totally unnecessary yesterday.
 

GreenMonster49

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Vandalman said:
Felger: So Tony, what are your thoughts on Tony Gwynn?
 
Mazz: Overrated. He was one of those hit-only guys like Rod Carew and, for the most part, Wade Boggs...
 
<<click>>
 
Carew led the Americal League in OBP four times, had a career OBP of .393, and a career OPS+ of 131.  When you can hit that well, no one ought to care exactly how you get on base 39% of the time.
 
When Boggs was playing, the knock on him was that he walked too much, not that he didn't walk enough.  Boggs led the majors in walks twice, led the majors 6 times in OBP (0.415 for his career), led the American League twice (and the majors once) in OPS.  His career OPS+? 131.
 
We get it, Gwynn and Carew and Boggs we're the complete hitter that Ted Williams was.  That doesn't mean that  any of them were overrated.
 

Nite Vizhun UV

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yeahlunchbox said:
Mazz wasn't even the dumb one in that exchange. He claimed that he felt guys like Gwynn, who hit for a high average but didn't have power or take a lot of walks, were always overrated. I'm not sure I agree, especially about Gwynn specifically, but I can see making that argument. Felger followed up by stating he always felt Gwynn was a steroid guy late in his career and then wondered if this theoretical steroid abuse was the reason for Gwynn's cancer. Just total conjecture and totally unnecessary yesterday.
 
Although the post prior to mine was the inspiration for my post, it wasn't the subject of my post. I was talking about Mazz in more of an all-encompassing aspect. As in, his level of stupidity is all-encompassing.
 

Buffalo Head

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it's great that they're devoting so much time to the World Cup and taking it seriously (for the most part), but its offensive to the ears to have Mazz talking about it like he has even the slightest clue.
 

Buffalo Head

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But, thank god, they are addressing the key element of the game yesterday that everyone is talking about today -- trashing Alexi Lalas' postgame commentary. They were talking about it to lead off the show, and I click back on at 4:50 and they're talking about it again. Bravo.
 

JayMags71

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Their argument was infuriating, because it revealed they didn't understand the game they just saw. Alexei Lalas is a "honk" because he was praising the US win. We can't be proud of the win, because Ghana had the majority of possession, and far more shots. Ergo, the US was "lucky".

Never mind that the US doesn't have enough talent to press anyone for 90 minutes, so the strategy is to absorb pressure. Then, either score on the counter, or a corner. This was amplified by Bradley's ineffectiveness.
 

Buffalo Head

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That's not even the point. Right or wrong, who gives two shits what Alexei Lalas is saying after the game? Why are they not only talking about it, but taking such umbrage over it? Of all the things to spend even 10 seconds on.
 

YouDownWithOBP?

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RedOctober3829 said:
Curious to see how they shit on the Red Sox today.
 
I tuned in after the first commercial break in the 5:00 hour and they were trashing Ortiz for his post game comments about the error that should have been ruled a hit
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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YouDownWithOBP? said:
 
I tuned in after the first commercial break in the 5:00 hour and they were trashing Ortiz for his post game comments about the error that should have been ruled a hit
 
To be fair, Ortiz deserves to be ripped for that.
 

teddykgb

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RedOctober3829 said:
"Soccer players are sallies and puss bags."
--Mike Felger
 
Glad to see the afternoon show is keeping up with Dennis and Callahan on this one.  Jesus.
 
Felger spent most of yesterday afternoon talking about USA Soccer and pushing that this sport is becoming huge.  He was cringeworthy at times, but there's really no reason to bucket him in with the people on EEI in the morning.  He's going nuts for this sport compared to most.
 

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teddykgb said:
 
Felger spent most of yesterday afternoon talking about USA Soccer and pushing that this sport is becoming huge.  He was cringeworthy at times, but there's really no reason to bucket him in with the people on EEI in the morning.  He's going nuts for this sport compared to most.
I think the reference is drawn on the sexist/bigoted verbage, not the disapproval of the sport.
 

Buffalo Head

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I guess its great that they are giving the World Cup so much time, and maybe I just happen to drop in at the wrong moments, but do they ever talk about anything other than Alexei Lalas? Or are they just so constrained by their overall ignorance of the topic that they only feel comfortable talking about the announcers.
 

Quiddity

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Buffalo Head said:
That's not even the point. Right or wrong, who gives two shits what Alexei Lalas is saying after the game? Why are they not only talking about it, but taking such umbrage over it? Of all the things to spend even 10 seconds on.
 
Trashing other members of the media for not being contrarian enough is a big thing for them. They're constantly bashing NESN over it. They proclaim that the Pats are treated with kid gloves by the media when its the exact opposite and so on. So them doing the same to Lalas was right in their wheelhouse.
 

smastroyin

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I have to admit, my hatred for Mazz has now extended to the point that I can't even listen to naughty Mazz on T&R
 

HomeBrew1901

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Funny, was listening to Arnold and Holley last night and a caller actually brought up Felger's idea (not sure if he actually came up with it) from a few days ago about bring and EPL team to the US to generate interest.  Not sure if anyone told them that Felger actually discussed this in detail about a week ago or not but Arnold and Holley were practically gushing about how great an idea it was.
 

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HomeBrew1901 said:
Funny, was listening to Arnold and Holley last night and a caller actually brought up Felger's idea (not sure if he actually came up with it) from a few days ago about bring and EPL team to the US to generate interest.  Not sure if anyone told them that Felger actually discussed this in detail about a week ago or not but Arnold and Holley were practically gushing about how great an idea it was.
 
I heard that too. I wondered if it was a plant or whether the guy really did "read it somewhere a few years ago". It was kind of awkward.
 

HomeBrew1901

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John Marzano Olympic Hero said:
 
I heard that too. I wondered if it was a plant or whether the guy really did "read it somewhere a few years ago". It was kind of awkward.
When the guy said that he couldn't claim credit he initially said he "heard it" and then immediately said he read it a few years ago.  Very awkward though because they were gushing over Felger's plan.
 

teddykgb

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Which is even more awkward because Felger's plan is stupid and glosses over the entirety of how teams get into the PL.  There are no expansion teams.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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teddykgb said:
Which is even more awkward because Felger's plan is stupid and glosses over the entirety of how teams get into the PL.  There are no expansion teams.
 
No. He didn't gloss over that too much. He said that the American team would have to have some sort of special rule where for the first four or five years, they couldn't be regulated. He seemed aware about how teams moved up and down the ranks in English soccer, but his point was that Americans wouldn't spend the time watching an American team play in the minors. However, if the EPL wanted to grow their brand even more and have a state-side presence, they should think about granting unique permissions to the American team.
 
I'm not sure if he's thought about it further than that and I'm not sure how many EPL teams would go for that plan, but that's a debate for a different day.
 

HomeBrew1901

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John Marzano Olympic Hero said:
 
No. He didn't gloss over that too much. He said that the American team would have to have some sort of special rule where for the first four or five years, they couldn't be regulated. He seemed aware about how teams moved up and down the ranks in English soccer, but his point was that Americans wouldn't spend the time watching an American team play in the minors. However, if the EPL wanted to grow their brand even more and have a state-side presence, they should think about granting unique permissions to the American team.
 
I'm not sure if he's thought about it further than that and I'm not sure how many EPL teams would go for that plan, but that's a debate for a different day.
Agreed, feasible or not, and quite frankly I don't have a clue, it was a well thought out plan and discussion point which is really when Felger is at his best. 
 
I could be mistaken, but the idea was to have someone buy a lower level team to bring to the US as well.  Not to grow it organically.
 

soxfan121

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No shit, I've heard media covering the EPL talk about the "onerous travel" that some clubs endure from (example) Swansea to Sunderland. Which is 354 miles. 
 
Boston to Baltimore is 404 miles. 
 
EPL clubs do not travel much; oh god, you should hear the whining and complaining when Tottenham (based in London) has to travel to Bucharest for ONE Europa Cup game (miles: ~1300). Boston to Kansas City is 1400 miles. 
 
For that reason, and that reason alone, the idea of an EPL team in America will never go anywhere. Because the English are travel whiners (weiners? whiners? both).
 

URI

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soxfan121 said:
EPL clubs do not travel much; oh god, you should hear the whining and complaining when Tottenham (based in London) has to travel to Bucharest for ONE Europa Cup game (miles: ~1300). Boston to Kansas City is 1400 miles.
When was that? The last time Spurs played a Bucharest team was in 07, and it was in London.
 

soxfan121

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URI said:
When was that? The last time Spurs played a Bucharest team was in 07, and it was in London.
 
Aw shit, I should have known you'd come in demanding authentic examples when I just wanted to make a general point. 
 
You are correct, Spurs fans haven't whined about a trip to Bucharest recently. I don't recall where your most recent European Vacation was but I'm pretty sure that some Spurs fans whined about the travel distance. 
 
You do agree that, in general, the EPL clubs are complete and utter whiners about travel, right?
 

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soxfan121 said:
Aw shit, I should have known you'd come in demanding authentic examples when I just wanted to make a general point. 
 
You are correct, Spurs fans haven't whined about a trip to Bucharest recently. I don't recall where your most recent European Vacation was but I'm pretty sure that some Spurs fans whined about the travel distance. 
 
You do agree that, in general, the EPL clubs are complete and utter whiners about travel, right?
Eh, I live in Rhode Island. The natives pack lunches when they have to go to South County from Providence, and avoid Newport because it's 2 bridges.

The complaint, if there was one, was probably having to travel to Tromso, Norway in November, when the average temperature is -843C
 

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At the beginning of the show, Felger said that the trade meant that the Celts were doing SOMETHING. He didn't know or care about any of the principals in the trade ("I'll let Wiggie and Rusillo Jr. discuss them later), but was glad that Ainge was at least active.

He wanted to talk more about NFL Training Camps opening in two weeks and what 1-2 things callers were most interested in finding out about the Pats.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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To be fair, they have spent a shit load of time talking about Lebron, so they are at least discussing the NBA.
 

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It's funny -- or maybe sad -- but within minutes of the news coming down about AJP's release, Felger and Beetle were totally mocking the "BBWAA," predicting that it wouldn't even last 24 hours before the Red Sox media would be putting out the smear campaign against Pierzynski with stuff that they didn't write about him when was here, but as soon as he leaves, the knives are out, doing the bidding of team management as they always do.
 
Sure enough...
 
http://deadspin.com/red-sox-dfa-a-j-pierzynski-smear-him-on-his-way-out-1602887707?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
 

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Buffalo Head said:
It's funny -- or maybe sad -- but within minutes of the news coming down about AJP's release, Felger and Beetle were totally mocking the "BBWAA," predicting that it wouldn't even last 24 hours before the Red Sox media would be putting out the smear campaign against Pierzynski with stuff that they didn't write about him when was here, but as soon as he leaves, the knives are out, doing the bidding of team management as they always do.
 
Sure enough...
 
http://deadspin.com/red-sox-dfa-a-j-pierzynski-smear-him-on-his-way-out-1602887707?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
 
And now I've read those Deadspin comments, and want to throw bleach in my eyes.
 

Buffalo Head

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So between yesterday and today, a theme they're trotting out there is that Ainge fucked up by making the trade with Cleveland because it let Lebron go back to the Cavs and now Love might go there too, yada yada...
 
Do they really think that Cleveland would not have found suitors for that trade if the Celtics weren't part of it? They make it seem like Danny bailed out the Cavs without considering the consequences. Isn't it far more likely that Danny realized the Cavs were going to shed the cap space one way or another, and if was inevitable, isn't it actually smart to grab the players and the draft pick, rather than get nothing at all?
 
Or is that line of thinking just not good radio?
 

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Your last sentence is most accurate.
 
I understand the NBA CBA less than everyone other than my mother, but I got the feeling the trade exemption the C's had was a pretty unique thing to be able to exchange in this scenario, which put the Celts in the drivers seat.
 
I could easily be wrong.  Ask my mom.
 

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I'm surprised TODAYZ HOTTAKE isn't "Trader Danny cares more about helping to screw / getting revenge against Pat Riley than he does about helping the Celtics."
 

Buffalo Head

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Could you imagine getting stuck in an elevator with Mike from Attleboro? Yeesh.
 
His HOTTAKE today was that Cleveland fans are pathetic for welcoming back Lebron and MIKE FROM ATTLEBORO! would never do that.
 
Even Felger pretty much called him a tool.
 

erfus

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I really enjoyed today's show without Mazz.  I liked the way Keefe fit in too, even if it was as a foil for some silliness.  There seemed to be some genuine camaraderie with those guys and it was nice to be without Mazz's garbage.  Unfortunately, it's the last day of his vacation.
 

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Buffalo Head said:
Could you imagine getting stuck in an elevator with Mike from Attleboro? Yeesh.
 
I'd like to get stuck on an elevator with him and that other ballbag who's name and location escapes me who rants and raves for five minutes about nonsensical bullshit, all the while reading from a script like that other fraud Butch from the Cape used to as Mike sits there with that goofy look of approval on his face until he throws out his fake laugh and moves on to the next caller.
 
Once I've got the two of them on an elevator, I'd knock the escape tile out of the roof, cut the cable and watch the two of them plunge to their deaths.
 
 

soxfan121

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teddykgb said:
Today's show was great, I was laughing my ass off at Gasper trolling beetle and felger and beetle all over Keefe trying to get him to sing
 
I concur. Beetle's maniacal laugh at Pat Riley, Gasper trolling Felger, Keefe being grumpy...it was a good, entertaining, mostly-stupid-free afternoon show.
 

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Keefe is really good. Esp w NBA talk. Hes rationale for the most part and doesnt seem obsessed w a hot take. Hes a good twitter follow too. His snarkyness comes through well.
 

jimv

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erfus said:
I really enjoyed today's show without Mazz.  I liked the way Keefe fit in too, even if it was as a foil for some silliness.  There seemed to be some genuine camaraderie with those guys and it was nice to be without Mazz's garbage.  Unfortunately, it's the last day of his vacation.
Agreed, Keefe and Bertram often teamed up against Felger, which is how the the show should work, rather than Tony's "You're absolutely right Mike"
 

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I recently tried moving over to MadDog on Sirius because to be honest, I'm getting a bit tired of these guys.  Too much of anything can wear out.  
 
MadDog alone isn't NEARLY as good as it was with Francesa.  He rants, and its funny and interesting, but he's talking to no one.  Sometimes he talks to their version of a flash guy, and thats pretty good, but the flash guy is dull as mold and it never really goes anywhere.  Also the national scene is only good when something interesting is going on.  Otherwise he's stuck talking about MLB pitching matchups and golf favorites.  I don't hang on too long there.