How long before all teams use the Bill Belichick/Patriots method of dealing with the media?
The day is coming, I’m telling you.
Yes, there are those in sports who enjoy using the media and cozying up to them to get fawning coverage, whether they actually deserve it or not. There are many more, I believe, who would rather just not deal with them at all.
Each time a player or team gets burned by columnists and talk radio hosts, those around them take notice. They want to avoid the same fate.
This week, Shane Victorino found himself in the cross hairs of the Felger and Mazz program.
Shane Victorino challenges Sports Hub hosts over Cole Hamels comments – Scott Lauber (who also covered Victorino in Philly) takes a look at the conflict, which occurred when the hosts took comments that the Sox outfielder made to a Philadelphia paper, and put words into his mouth.
But that didn’t stop the hosts of the “Felger & Mazz” program from accusing Victorino of lobbying the Red Sox to cast Betts aside.
“You have a 34-year-old, breaking-down outfielder whose job is potentially going to be taken by whom? Mookie Betts, or by default, Rusney Castillo,” said Massarotti, formerly a Herald baseball writer. “And so who are we talking about, potentially, in this trade? Mookie Betts. So is that the deal? Mookie Betts is going to take his job, (and Victorino says), ‘Hey, get the kid out of here, because we can win now if we get Hamels.”
To that, Felger accused Victorino of “throwing your young players under the bus.”
What a leap. Victorino never mentioned Betts. The Philadelphia writer did.
Unsurprisingly, colleagues on the air, at both stations in town, seem to side with Felger and Mazz, they defend the right to give their precious opinions. But was this an opinion? I don’t think so. It’s a clear twisting of words, and even a fabrication of them.
Lauber, in a follow-up piece (How Shane Victorino’s non-story became a big deal) notes that “Victorino’s words weren’t twisted like a pretzel; they were put in his mouth entirely.”
Which is cool, you know, because their job is just to get attention. As Felger himself says:
Say it wherever you want. I had mine, you had yours, that’s the whole idea of us. We say something, it’s for public consumption, hopefully you are listening and reacting. That’s what I want everyone to do. And I think generally this show does a pretty good job of it, and so Shane did that. He digested, he reacted, great. Fair enough. No problem.”
In that same article, Massarotti recounted a follow-up phone conversation he had with Victorino, albeit unintentionally, and described it this way:
It was like having a discussion with my wife when she’s angry. It was that sort of discussion, if you want to know the truth.
Completely dismissive of Victorino.
Yeah, Mazz, you’re a real tough guy. For a show who’s stated intention is to provoke reaction, he’s a pretty sensitive guy to reaction and criticism. He’s one of the very few people who have blocked me on Twitter. I’ve never been profane about him, insulted his family or done anything other than say how much I dislike his “work.”
That’s not the reaction they’re looking for, I guess.
This situation made even the mild-mannered Mike Reiss sit up and take notice. He wrote this article on his personal blog:
Thoughts on Victorino, sports talk radio, the media culture in Boston and more
He concludes his piece by summing up the local environment this way:
I often wonder if the hot takes would be as hot if they actually had to be accountable to those they were talking about. I do think part of what makes them willing to go as far as they often do is that they don’t have that accountability, and don’t have personal interaction with those they are talking about. It’s much easier to fire away when there is that disconnect.
And that’s what I’ve been noticing more and more, not just with that program, but other opinion-based shows on TV that are more edgy, both national and local. I think the further you’re removed from being around the game, in the locker room, at league meetings, conversing with athletes, coaches etc., you lose a bit of touch with reality. It becomes more WWE than professional sports and that can be dangerous — and most of all misleading to the public — when in the position of powerful opinion-shaper.
Is it me, or is this more extreme than ever before?
I think I know the answer, and the fact that Victorino’s passionate remarks will probably lead to skyrocketing ratings for “Felger and Mazz” today says it all.
Sadly, he’s entirely correct.
Reiss went further in his weekly chat (Chat with Mike Reiss) in which he came as close to unbridled rage as he probably can get. His responses to certain questions were edgy and not like the usual “having all these opinions makes for a great community” responses he’ll often make when gently disagreeing with chatters.
Victorino also got attacked for not going on the Felger and Mazz show to talk to them directly. Producer James Stewart tweeted that he had contacted the Red Sox about getting the outfielder on the show, but the response was that they felt he had already said his piece.
This made it a win/win for them. They tried to get him to come on the show, but he was afraid!
At some point, I do expect more and more in the sports world to eschew the media completely and bring their message directly to the public. David Ortiz did this when he wrote this week for Derek Jeter’s The Player’s Tribune:
He takes on Dan Shaughnessy in his column:
In 2013, I came off the DL and started hot. My first 20 games I was hitting like .400. And the reporter with the red jheri curl from The Boston Globe comes into the locker room says, “You’re from the Dominican. You’re older. You fit the profile of a steroid user. Don’t you think you’re a prime suspect?”
He’s saying this with a straight face. I had taken like 70 at-bats. Anybody can get hot and hit .400 with 70 at-bats. I was stunned. I’m like, I’m Dominican? I fit the profile? Are you kidding me?
I wanted to kill this guy. But you can’t react. That’s what they want. They want you to get angry so they can bury you. So I just smiled at him and asked for his address.
“Why do you want my address?” he said.
“Because I just got tested two days ago.” I said. “I’ll mail you the f****ing results.”
While some of Ortiz’ claims in the article are questionable – he insists he had no knowledge of the 2003 test result (from today’s Globe) until he saw it on ESPN in 2009 – his larger point about how he is viewed by many in the media is valid.
WEEI this morning wanted to know why Ortiz didn’t take this to Sports Illustrated if he wanted to put this out there. They missed the entire point. He avoided the mainstream media altogether and chose this as the independent avenue to put his message out there.
He won’t be alone in this.
Last night the Globe rushed up a quick piece on the Ortiz article. They did so without mentioning the Shaughnessy stuff at all, and filed it under “Staff Reports.”
*****
A few other links and notes:
Pedro Martinez a great fit with MLB Network – Chad Finn writes about the former Sox ace joining the MLB Network this week. He also touches on a few other items, including the Victorino story.
Baseball Reporting – A fascinating look on the MLB Website about the history of coverage of baseball, written by the legendary Jack Lang in the early 1990’s.
NFL taking aim at all things Patriots – Enjoyed this from Tom E. Curran, a look at how the NFL owners meetings turned into a pig-pile on the Patriots.
Ben Volin reported in the Globe this morning that Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower had labrum surgery and could miss much of training camp. The story is making the rounds on sports flashes and link compilations, but Jeff Howe in the Herald had this news over a month ago.
Boston Sports Media Watch 
Here are the things that caught my eye in Mike’s chat yesterday:
Calling out some of the media ridiculousness:
“Peter, I think “paid propagandists” is way, way, way too extreme. The scary part of that is that if that’s what “Felger and Mazz” are pushing, and people really believe it, it’s just wrong. They were once in the same position as reporters covering a team or league and I would never have called them “paid propagandists” at that time. They were damn good reporters. They’ve crossed a line now and their role is different as entertainers, but I think it is really disingenuous of them to suggest that those covering teams are “paid propagandists”, if they are indeed doing that. I would absolutely challenge them on that. It’s about relationships and being fair, accountable, and professional to those you cover. That’s different than propaganda and to suggest otherwise is classic WWE stuff.”
Noting how childish the NFL is:
“Mike, do you think there is any chance that the league would have outlawed the ineligible/eligible plays if Peyton Manning, Sean Payton, Chip Kelly, Andy Reid, or some other offensive ‘genius’ had used it. (snip)
Mike (11:18 AM)
No, I don’t, Bill. I very much felt an anti-Patriots slant to these meetings, more from several of the teams themselves. Everyone’s pretty much jealous, it’s a highly competitive environment, and you see that sort of manifest itself in these settings when everyone is together. ”
And yet another veiled shot at his employe (while Reiss may have “pared it down”, he still posted the reader’s shot at ESPN and didn’t dispute it at all).
“Mike – Love your work. I constantly check the website throughout the day. However you work for ESPN. That network is way more guilty of over-the-top viewpoints and unsubstantiated rumors than Feldger and Maz. ESPN invented sports reporting as entertainment.
Mike (11:22 AM)
KTP, I read your whole comment but pared it down. This is fair. That doesn’t change my viewpoint on the topic.”
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“They were damn good reporters.” Other than getting thrown off the Bruins beat, name one thing Felger ever reported?
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Just throwing out there that Felger’s dad is Jewish!!
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Bobby Fischer!!
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Come on, Bruce – Mazz was JUST ASKING THE QUESTION!!!
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I’m not saying, but………….
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The only “accountability” for Felger and Mazz is ratings. They hurl insults, insinuations and their own agenda around without a care in the world about truth or accuracy…and their listeners love it. There isn’t a sadder indictment of the media — and the listeners — in this market than the success of their show, not one. It’s going to be up to teams and players to simply cancel their relationship with outlets that air shows like theirs, I totally agree Bruce. I still can’t fathom why the Patriots use them as their “flagship”, it’s just baffling, as they could get the same ratings anywhere else.
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I like when stuff gets thrown out there! See if something sticks! The fans in this cit- uh, town are too soft! Who cares about actual games, I like storylines and takes, the hotter the better! Plus I tweet stuff! I can’t believe how much these guys get paid! I can’t claim I’m dehydrated at MY job, my boss would laugh in my face! Did I mention I tweet stuff? I do! Truth hurts, don’t it? How do I tie my shoes? Velcro, blecch, to scratchy!
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Where are you on Kraft’s Budget WBJ?
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Still waiting for you to post a link to the article explaining why Felger was taken off the Bruins beat . . .
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http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2007/11/charlie-in-charge/
“Way back in 1999, before he started covering the Patriots, the Herald’s Mike Felger called Jacobs a “thief.” (Jacobs threatened to sue, and the paper was forced to print a retraction.)”
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OK. That’s a reference to a retraction cause calling Jacobs a thief is libelous and he threatened to sue. The article says NOTHING about Felger being removed from the beat let alone why he was removed. Perhaps you should refer to the wonderful post above that calls out the twisting of words and even fabrication of them. Very enlightening.
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His sportshub bio says he covered the Bruins from 97 until 99. Suddenly, his talents were needed covering the Patriots who at that time weren’t the Patriots. It was punishment.
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Oh, so you were in the meeting where Felger’s boss said he was being moved to the Patriots beat as punishment? Or are you just saying what you think happened with no clue as to what actually did? Did the meeting go something like this: “Well, Felger, even though your libelous comment got past the editors, we’re holding you fully responsible for this incident. We’re a tabloid newspaper and we just can’t have this kind of thing hanging over our head. So, we’re taking you off the beat of the 3rd most relevant team in the city and burying you on the beat of the 2nd most relevant team. They haven’t been to a Super Bowl in two years, pal! Get the message?! Screw this up and we’ll have you covering the Red Sox before you know what hit you!”
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I was. We were supposed to have the meeting over at Foley’s – but Mike thought the area was a little to rough for his germophobia. Anyways, it was me, Mike, the track gals, Norma Nathan, borges and barncile.
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Should have been Whon Bilkes Jooth. Oh, and you forgot to include some mentions of money and spending. We know what that REALLY means. AMIRIGHT?!?!
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The descendants of Leon Czolgosz and Charles Guiteau demand recognition from you guys.
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“While some of Ortiz’ claims in the article are questionable – he insists he had no knowledge of the 2003 test result (from today’s Globe)”
I thought these tests were ‘anonymous’ and were only matched up to players by the New York paper in 2009?
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When I first saw the BDC article about Shane’s “throwing Betts under the bus”, I knew that (a) it would be a misinterpretation of what he was saying (which is basically that a bird in the hand is worth more than prospects in the bush leagues — i.e. exactly what many baseball writers have argued re: Cole Hamels and the Red Sox), and (b) it would wind up just being another example of why athletes don’t want to talk to the press in this city.
Yup.
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“WEEI … missed the entire point.” The aggravating part of this incisive (if cobbled together) statement is that I think they “miss the point” as a strategy.
BTW, Ortiz’ recounting of the Ortiz story should be read in the context of Shaughnessy’s radio-and-TV gurst-spot campaign immediately following the incident, where he repeatedly claimed that he was “just asking the question on people’s minds” and pulled out that canard that he — as well as the fellows interviewing him, of course — are all part of some exhalted priesthood of “The Voice of the Fan.” If his “You’re Dominican” racist bigotry were more widely known at the time, I wonder if the radio and TV slobbering dogs would be quite as supportive.
Actually, I know the answer: they would be.
And the Globe’s whitewash of this is just shameful. I hope someone sends Bruce’s piece on this to John Henry and Mike Sheehan. Joe Sullivan is a lost cause.
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Liked that Reiss did weigh in on the situation, since it does affect his job, even though it’s not his sport. Sadly, I always wonder if he’s got a red stapler on his desk:
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I also wonder if he’s allowed to listen to the radio from 9 to 11 every morning–at a reasonable volume.
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Reiss listening to sports talk radio? I think he’s well aware of the dangers concussions can cause from being in NFL lockerrooms.
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nice to see Reiss fighting back (so to speak) he’s one of the few responsible, rational, class acts in the sports media… I’ve said it a million times. The only way to kill off the Felger & Mazz types is to kill their ratings. We know that ain’t gonna happen, so the beat goes on.
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agree – reiss is the best
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Unfortunately ESPN just destroyed what was left of Reiss’s blog. Even more crap is mixed in with Reiss’s stuff and as soon as you click on an entry you get taken to a completely generic NFL feed. So Mike’s content is almost completely marginalized.
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I loved the shot Finn put on Felger at the end of today’s Media Notes column. Basically called him an orifice particular to females only.
I’m only surprised he doesn’t do it more often: he’s smarter than their ilk, more informed, and has the platform. Maybe he needs read some Mushnick for inspiration?
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Despicable that Mazz would twist Victorino’s words and even fabricate them. DISGUSTING. And when Mazz gets called out for doing so, he just dismisses Victorino. UNREAL. No accountability. SMH.
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Disagree. You don’t have to agree with F&M’s opinion but I don’t think it’s a fabrication or “twisting,” as Bruce calls it. It’s not exactly a leap of logic to think that Victorino would prefer if Betts was gone. Do you really expect Victorino to say that explicitly? He’s not stupid. He would say it in generic terms, exactly the way he did.
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Betts is in center. He’s not even in competition with Victorino
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Breaking news: The Jets have filed tampering charges against the Patriots relating to Shane Victorino’s comments about Cole Hamels.
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Felger and Mazz is not a talk show for sports fans, it’s a Soap Opera for people that enjoy contrived drama.
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Callahan is a pathetic turd. I mean it’s one thing when athletes issue, for example, the boiler plate apology statements that are obviously written by attorneys, but I don’t see how anyone can arrive at a definitely honest conclusion that Ortiz didn’t write that piece.
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In addition to Shaughnessy being referred to as RJC (Red Jheri Curl) from here on out, can Callahan now be PTH (Pathetic Turdstain on Humanity)?
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I’m shocked that Gerry would overlook the possibility that Ortiz might have been a METCO Dominican.
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well done bruce. felger and mazz should be bashed for there hideous shriekfest of a show b/c some people actually listen. for shank (or is it gheri curl?) who cares…him and his paper haven’t been relevant for 10+ years
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I’d be surprised if any athlete wrote something like he did; There’s a thing called copywriting.
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The CHB responded to Ortiz today. I won’t bother to link it, you can find it you really need the punishment.
Sports are a form of entertainment and people like the CHB are the sports version of a movie/television/restaurant critic.
The only element of sports that should be taken as seriously as people like the CHB want us to is public funding for stadiums (and the olympics).
Wake me up when that angle is the CHB’s sole focus, instead of his simply trying to annoy and outshine the performers.
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“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
Didn’t realize that old TR knew the CHB.
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Bruce…it is very very rare that I disagree with you so greatly…let’s see how much hate I can generate.
The players and the teams (coaches/owners) are not going to stop talking to the media. Even with the veil of secrecy in Foxboro there is still the paid appearances on Patriots Monday of both Brady and Belichick. Other players during the week…usually well vetted veterans like Vince Wilfork or Jerod Mayo or Matt Slater show up on other shows on both Talkers. Why? Because the Brands (both the players and teams) demand the attention/fame. Its how they pay the bills. When no one knew about the NFL back in the 1940’s players needed offseason (and sometimes in season) real jobs to put food on the table. With the explosion of the leagues popularity (insert the song Popular…rrr from Wicked here), the need for more press/coverage has created a circle. As arrogant as the NFL is they do not believe they can make it without all of the free publicity they receive from all of the newspapers, radio stations, tv stations, websites, etc that talk about and pitch their product daily. $10 bill in revenue last year says I am mostly right.
So with that in mind, MLB with its 162 game season is even more beholden to the Media. They grant unbelievable access because they have to. Make no mistake about it, the biggest fear on 5th Ave (MLB Headquarters) is apathy. If the players stop talking and the media gets bored…then MLB is dead. They know this. The players know this. Most importantly the players agents know this.
MLB players especially veterans are in a vicarious position. Due to the strength of their union they have guaranteed contacts that pay them millions of dollars that dwarf what NFL players make. Only NBA players make similar money. They make this money because of TV and Radio. TV and Radio is driven by fame. Its entertainment. If they stop speaking then there is no incentive to cover 162 games. Without the 162 game coverage there is no MLB. At the same time fans are frustrated a team can’t get rid of an underperforming player and start an up and coming prospect because of the money guaranteed. It takes a pure baseball decision and makes it a business decision…only Larry Lucchino could love this set up.
A player like Victorino is both lucky and scared at the same time. Were he a football player his contract would not be guaranteed, he would have to earn his spot on the team each year, and when it got to the point where his skills have deteriorated (like this year with his inability to hit from the left side so far in the Spring because of injury) he would be cut. But because he has the $13 mill guaranteed contract he thinks he has leverage. He arrogantly believes he deserves a starting position because he is paid as a starter. He thinks he possesses a position of leadership on the team where he can say things that he shouldn’t say (he should not be openly coveting a player under contract with another team!) and not be held accountable. He is wrong.
Now I understand he did not say trade x player who happens to be competing with me for a job to Philly for Hamels. He made a more general statement, one that we as fans make all the time…trade prospects for Player X….okay caller which prospects…I don’t know… let the teams work that out…just do it. The problem Victorino has is he did not perform up to his contract last year and it does not look like he will do so this year. So media types and fans are frustrated with his act and his seeming inability to get and stay healthy. When he lashes out at the media, and by extension the fans, he plays into the fans perception that he is not doing all he can to be a better player and thus help the Sox win. Instead he is falling back into the roll of entitled baseball player with guaranteed contract. Felger has brilliantly and correctly lampooned that specific attitude while mocking the BBWA’s cult like acceptance of it for several years.
The media is guilty of a lot of things…throw a dart at almost any piece of media coverage of the Patriots and you will find issues. I don’t think they are wrong in circling the wagons and openly exposing Victorino as being a pseudo tough guy and going so far as to question his worth as a teammate. Its Victorino’s job to prove them wrong by his actions on the field. He should know he cannot possibly win the war of words…not ever…they have the microphones.
By the way, the same argument can be made about Ortiz and his frustration over his rep as a PED user. There are questions without answers. No player in the modern era deserves the benefit of the doubt any more. Felger but more importantly Tony Mazzoroti has done good work showing the line of players who never failed a test who were guilty of using. The players union by defending the cheaters, the players who did not stand up and demand their sport be cleaned up, and the complicit media who did not ask questions all are at fault for creating an environment where 39 year old Dominican players who go 30/100 are questioned. If Ortiz does not want the questions then he should be more transparent. If he won’t be or can’t be or if he keeps opening up more cans of words by saying things like…”I never failed an official test ” or “I never knowingly put a PED into my body” using legalese to skirt the issue. When he does these things the media is right to question it. When he talks about it and complains…the media has every right to make it into a story. The fact that Ortiz does not understand why he brought this on himself is more telling to me than any story written so far.
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“let’s see how much hate I can generate”… lol.. that’s what Felger and Mazz say before each show
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I think it is in their contracts!
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Curious as to what people think of the Sunday Skate show on WEEI? It is a bit quirky but it’s a fun show early on a Sunday morning. On top of that, the guys really know hockey. They tell all kinds of behind the scenes stories from the interview room, the press box, and hit on things you miss watching on tv. They have decent interviews and avoid the hot takes. Their interaction on social media enhances the show. It may be hard to do on a daily basis but this sort of hybrid thing might be the way sports radio should trend. I believe WEEI tried this years ago with Mut and Bradford on Saturday mornings and that was fun too, but more of an all encompassing show.
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I had a similar thought about the new offseason Sunday Football show on WEEI from 9-11. It will be interesting to see where they go with that in May/June/ early July. Both shows are good ideas…how they are executed however.
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So what color does Shank think his hair is, sandy brown?
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Just For Men: Kumato
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I don’t think I was wrong at all. My contention is, was and always will be that athletes have to be aware that they make their money because they are famous. They are famous because they either perform or they are interesting. When they do not produce, as Victorino did not last year and appears that he will not this year, in relation to the contract AND when they say something/anything that can be construed as being the least bit seemingly entitled while not being interesting, they get hammered by both the fans and the more importantly the media.
What you are missing is the actual story. That is player X (victorino) positions himself as entitled to a position (Right Field) due to his being a veteran and his having a $13 mill contract. Unless Victorino performs at a $13 mil level he is already public enemy number 1 because he is blocking Mookie Betts (as an aside shouldn’t Pedroia be taking more heat for blocking Betts…that might be better for a different thread). Felger and Mazz mocking Victorino had little to do with what he said/didn’t say and everything to do with his general attitude of entitlement coupled with the lack of critical writing by the BBWA. It became a story and Victorino got crucified during the story because he took their bait and proved he was thinned skin by addressing Mazz directly.
I completely agree his comments were at best innocuous. It was his reaction that got him into trouble…and in my mind soured fans on him. The media rallied around Felger and Mazz as they are want to do mostly because Victorino lied when he said he does not listen.
I think the general public/fans have a lot of built up resentment towards MLB players because of the guaranteed contracts. Compare that with the NFL where they are not guaranteed, and where there seems to be less entitlement. There is nothing that a fan hates more than seeing a manager have to play someone because of a contract. Victorino is about to feel that wrath this year. It just started early.
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I’m not missing the story, there isn’t a story in the first place. That’s the main reason for the lack of critical writing by the BBWAA. We’re really supposed to be upset because Shane Victorino said he’d be happy if the Sox traded for his former teammate and good friend, who also happens to be really good? Talk about thin skinned.
You’re providing a lot of conjecture regarding what Victorino thinks and what he will or will not do. We really have no way of knowing at this point what his contributions will be during the upcoming season. We also have no way of knowing whether or not he has any kind of “sense of entitlement” to be a starter because he’s a veteran making $13 million. If he wants to be the starter, which I imagine he does, it could be because he’s a competitive person (a requirement for any professional athlete) and feels obligated because of his big paycheck. What, would you rather he be content to sit on the bench game after game and collect his salary? I also don’t think he showed himself to be thin skinned by responding. I think anyone in his position would object to being accused of saying something he didn’t. I know I would.
And anyone that let Victorino’s reaction sour their opinion of him probably didn’t have a very high opinion to begin with. Given that he had a few big hits that helped us win both the ALCS and World Series in 2013, it’s going to take a lot more than him getting upset with the likes of F&M to sour my opinion of him. And I’m willing to bet I’m not in the minority there. Seriously, who cares? Guys like them are more focused on being entertainers and drawing attention to themselves than being the moral arbiters of the sporting world.
The guaranteed contracts are hardly unique to MLB. Both the NBA and NHL guarantee contracts as well. And even with the NFL not having all of the contract guaranteed, a good portion of it is. If you want to get mad at someone, get mad at the front office who signed said player to a bad contract. (And I’m not prepared to lump Victorino into that category yet. You obviously are, but I’m not.) And again, we have no way of knowing what he will or will not do this year. It’s pointless to paint him as an entitled veteran who feels he deserves the starting position because of his name, contract, and nothing more, when he has given absolutely no indication that he feels that way.
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Anyone else think it’s odd how Zolak seems more “fired up” calling in to F+M as “Scott From Wrentham” than co-hosting his own show? Speaking of that, Bertrand and Zolak is awful. Unfortunately, every time I switch the station and try EEI, Benz reminds me that static is more pleasant to listen to than either show.
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I’m in total agreement with you about how this show sucks now. Anytime time I put it on all I hear is some awful singing.
I have switched to mfb and for some reason I don’t find Benz that annoying anymore. I think he has toned down the asswhole mode.
I am curious to see the ratings on the mfb show if they have flipped into their favor.
I liked the gresh and zo show . Dumb dumb dumb
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I found Bertrand and Zolak so miserable to listen to this morning that the first thing I did was come here to grouse like the old man I am (in spirit).
I accidentally turned it on a couple of weeks ago, and Bertrand was in full FAUX OUTRAGE about the Patriots, maybe MAYBE looking at Greg Hardy.
Of course: nothing came to happen. But it gave the LAZY OUTRAGED MAN a boring thread to pick at.
Today Bertrand was in full FAUX OUTRAGE at the Patriots working out…some guy (yeah I know that doesn’t help) with a big wrap sheet.
Can we at least wait until they’ve signed the dude to fill the air with white hot pseudo-rage about the decision?
Meanwhile — Zolak is nowhere to be found. Silence. Dude wasn’t even talking. It was so bad (and I’m not exaggerating) that as I first turned it on I wondered if Bertrand was hosting the show by himself today.
G+Z were frat bros, and would annoy me constantly. But at least (especially during football season) I could get some actual sports talk. Like. You know. About the games.
Not Bertrand talking about a Cubs prospect not being called up, and the Patriots *maybe* working out a guy they’re not going to end up signing.
Goodness gracious.
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I’m glad you brought this up because I’ve been thinking about this as well.
On your first point;Scott sounds almost depressed on his show from what I can gather from various throw away comments about the Felger show mindset infiltrating the midday(his exact words). I suspect he feels like Felger sabatoged his show by forcing Gresh out. And yes I do believe that is what happened. He has a history of using his power for evil. Look no further than Thornton being suddenly pulled off the Sunday football show AFTER he went to WEEI. How convienient.
Also,just look at the disdain Felger has had for years towards that midday show and specifically towards Gresh. The way he mocked him and how he talked about football.
So Gresh out and another member of the Felger Youth gets a promotion. How convienient.
I think this is why Scott has been calling in to F&M. He’s trolling them. You can tell the Felger wasn’t happy about it and that’s why they stopped taking his calls.
Felger already has Scott’s replacement on hand and when it’s decided that it will be Scott’s fault if this pairing doesn’t work out,another Felger clone;a charter member of the Felger Youth will be there to slide right on in the seat next to the other clone.
Let me say this. I don’t think Murray moved all the way back up from Atlanta doing his own show to be just a flash guy.
The writing is ALL OVER THE WALL on this one.
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I’ve never totally bought the theory that Tim Benz was only hired because of his father since Dana Farber gets more from WEEI than the other way around (unlike if his father was CEO of Dunkin Donuts or Giant Glass) but it will be interesting to see if this impacts Tim’s employment. http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/03/31/dana-farber-president-retire-next-summer/zCI9eJWcPJNlfMjkTwe0TP/story.html?hootPostID=9daa692ce397849ccc25a6b59b6c2612
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Kinda telling, too:
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Via Alex Speier’s 108 Stitches: Dan Shaughnessy examines the state of the 2015 Red Sox and doesn’t see the gait of a division winner.
Via the Globe Archives from the 2013 MLB preview:
Shank: “…In a potentially dull season…”
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/03/31/jackie-bradley-offers-red-sox-fans-hope-for-coming-season/0U1fxb1ZILe7hPAPYHCVAN/story.html#
Shank picks the Blue Jays to win the AL East and the Yankees as a wild card team.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/2013/03/30/mlbpicks/VCfJst9OqqRNZaE6i08kGI/story.html
Dude’s a broken record.
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Oh, I’m completely with you on that one.
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