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Michael Felger’s Circular Jets Arguments

November 19, 2011 By

Michael Felger of “98.5 the Sports Hub”, has spent the last three years purposely tweaking Patriot fans over the New York Jets.

Those who listen to Felger daily know that while he might admit he’s wrong from time to time, he loves to play the “lone wolf” card. He viciously attacked Claude Julien all season last year, portraying him as a coach whose style was unwinnable. Even though he admitted he was wrong about the Stanley Cup Bruins he couched his argument many times mentioning that the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t have Malkin or Sidney Crosby. Of course, you’ll never hear this argument when he discusses the Steelers and Colts winning Super Bowls when the Patriots were without Tom Brady or Rodney Harrison. It doesn’t fit his argument.

Felger, loves to state he is not trying to be contrarian but that’s not true. He’s all about being contrarian, and I don’t begrudge him that. It’s what gives him the lead in the ratings and makes him very successful. Just don’t think I am one of these lemmings who call him up and pat him on the back on how he saved us all from WEEI.

This brings me back to the New York Jets. There is joy in New England today over what looks like another unfulfilled season for the New York Jets. I say “looks” because with their schedule and their resiliency I would not count them out yet. I expect many callers to be taking Felger to task for his constant propping up of the Jets on the radio and in TV. I don’t expect him to back down. He has the high ground. If the Jets fail, he brings up the Patriots loss last year and the fact they went “farther” than YOU the last 2 seasons. By the way, that whole farther-than-you argument is so ridiculous. Mazz has been spouting that crap since he joined the airways. “The Steelers and Colts have been in Super Bowls and won more recently than you.” Well, Tony from 2001 to 2009 the Jets were hardly even in the AFC discussion. It’s a fallacious argument. The Patriots were undefeated during the 2007 regular season and choked in the big game. In 2008, Brady was out for the season and the next year, although Brady played well, he still went into a playoff game with “unconfirmed” badly bruised ribs and without his prime target.  You got me on 2010, bad loss.

Don’t fall into the trap with Felger. He always presents the circular argument. If we’re talking about the Jets then we are talking about the Jets. And today the discussion is that Rex Ryan, who I think is a very good coach, guaranteed a Super Bowl three years in a row and still hasn’t delivered.

“There are no points for second place.” – Viper in Top Gun or the media folks who dismiss the fact that the Patriots were there in 2007.

The Ron Borges of the world love to talk about Belichick’s success being tied to Brady. Like somehow that’s a novel concept. How about Sexy Rexy with Ray Lewis (HOF), Ed Reed (HOF), Terrell Suggs (perennial pro-bowler) in Baltimore and Darrelle Revis, the “hands-down best defender in all of the NFL” with him in New York.

I like Rex Ryan, I think he’s a character. What I don’t love is the way the media gushes over him like a bunch of schoolgirls. “He’s a breath of fresh air.” “He’s great for the game.” I see and hear this all the time and it makes me think wow, if Bill Belichick started doing this he would be considered not just the greatest coach of all time but the greatest MAN THAT EVER LIVED. That’s how easy it is to curry favor with the media.

Ask Philadelphia Eagle fans what they think about Andy Reid’s four losses in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl defeat at the hands of the Patriots in 2004. Let’s just say they are not content with the last 11 years.

If you are going to make it about a title, which is what Rex has done, then it’s about titles. You can’t cherry pick your argument.

I have heard Felger and others rag on Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid and the Eagles for never winning anything. The Jets have 2 Division titles and no Super Bowl Appearances in 42 years!!!

The Red Sox didn’t start getting respect they do today until they WON the World Series. Beating the Yankees would not have been enough.

Bruce Allen was right in his column earlier this week when he talked about perspective. As much as I have been on Belichick lately, Patriot fans have been spoiled in the Kraft Era.

  • 10 AFC East Titles.
  • 5 Super Bowl Appearances.
  • Six AFC Championship games.
  • Two Hall of Fame coaches

Oh, and one more thing, we keep hearing, in the biggest matchup in Patriot/Jets history New England lost to their archrival at home. Well, in 2006, the Patriots were just 2 years removed from their 3rd title in 4 years. They had lost a game earlier in the season at home to “Mangenius” and the Jets. The Patriots beat them pretty soundly at home and went on to lose to the Colts. That game had a lot more intrigue to it, Belichick/Mangini, the handshake, another end to the Patriot dynasty. But nope, it didn’t count because Rex wasn’t there. I guess based on personality the media decides what is historic and what isn’t.

Filed Under: Guest Column
About George Cain

From Woburn, MA, George has been an avid follower of the Boston sports scene (teams and media) for 30 years and has been a contributor to BSMW since 2009.

Feel free to send him your feedback in the comment section below, or ping him on Twitter at @GeorgeCain72

  • Tony

    Felger's insufferable. I know that most of it is an "act" but that doesn't mean I have to watch it. There are plenty of Hollywood actors whose movies I avoid like the plague, too. Felger's act is one that I usually choose to miss.

    Regarding the whole Belichick thing: I was astonished (insert sarcasm avatar here) that Mike Smith of the Falcons wasn't labeled "arrogant" for going for the first down on fourth and inches from his own 29 against the Saints in OT last week. I mean, it's "arrogant" when a head coach does that, isn't it? The Boston media has set the precedent, because Belichick did that twice during the 2009 season–once at home against Atlanta, which worked, and once on the road at Indy, which famously didn't work. Each time the local media labeled him "arrogant" for doing that. So naturally, I expected to hear Smith called "arrogant" all week long. I'm shocked that I didn't hear it (sarc/off).

  • JSR

    Wait, so Fred Smerlas wrote this, right?

    • bostonsportsmediafan

      Not a chance. There's a nicely articulated argument above here with salient points that backup a viewpoint, and you don't feel dirty like you're being sold or being conned to going to some guys restaurant.

  • MarkB

    Felger is not a contrarian. A contrarian goes against the consensus opinion.Felger chooses to constantly criticize the local sports team's managements. It's not players he criticizes. It Felger was a contrarian,he'd attack Brady. He doesn't. He attacks Belichick.And Red Sox ownership, and the Bruins coach. So why does he do it, when most of the teams have been spectacularly successful? This comes out of the post-Watergate journalism schools, where students were taught the 'the establishment' is always trying to pull something over on the people, and the secret misdeeds of the White House and the CIA and corporations had to be revealed. Sounds weird, but think about it. Felger thinks he's the Woodard and Bernstein of Boston sports, and Belichick is Nixon.

    • Tony

      On that theme, which local sports talk radio host kept having Gregggggg Easterbrook on his show during the 2007 season? It was Felger. If you'll recall, Greggggggggg was constantly telling the nation that BB was evil, that the Colts were good, and that Goodell and Co. were "hiding something" about the whole Spygate thing. Felger, in fact, once referred to Greggggggg as "The Woodward and Bernstein of the Spygate story." He wasn't, of course. He was just another ignorant, agenda-driven, dishonest, BB-hating media moron….but Felger should did enjoy his "work" that season.

      • Jackson

        Interesting that Felger, given his ethnicity, would give air time to Easterbrook who is a documented anti-Semite. Just shows Felger's lack of a conscience.

  • Jackson

    Interesting that Felger, given his ethnic background, would entertain Easterbrook's viewpoint, given that Easterbrook is a documented anti-Semite.

  • alex

    The more I've thought about the F&M radio show, the more I feel like my problem is with
    Massarotti and not Felger. I expect Felger to say the things he says, but I always hope for a voice of reason to check in afterwards and lead the conversation back to a normal, levelheaded place. Instead all I hear is "you're absoloutely right, Mike."

    It sucks.

    • Rick

      Amen!

  • NutCracker

    I agree 100% with George. Felger feels more comfortable whining, ranting and raving. He's not a contrarian; he's an alarmist. Why have an intelligent and honest debate about a topic when you can rile the fan-base into a froth with disparaging innuendo? As noted with the Claude Julian example (as well as Tim Thomas, Zdeno Chara, Peter Chiarelli), he's often wrong but that's besides the point. The goal is not to be correct but to win the ratings war. Felger understands that mission and he's succeeding. When 98.5 first came on the air, I like many others, rapidly bailed on The Big Show and switched to F&M. The problem with Felger's bombastic style is it gets annoying after awhile and now I find myself tuning him out. He's become way too predictable. We know what he's going to say and what position he'll take and that makes him less interesting. The guys all over the place (now CSNNE) but I predict he'll eventually become over-exposed and have to change his style if he wants to stay at the head of the class.

    • Big Fat O

      Bingo, An alarmist sums it up perfectly.

  • Classless

    Great stuff on that NFL Turning Point show, showing the Jets Defense completely predicated by where Revis lines up. Since Revis was gassed and behind in getting to his assignment during the Pats no-huddle, the Jets were completely disorganzied. Since when is basing your entire defense on a cornerback an effective strategy?

    • Angry Old Bastard

      yes, "Turning Point" is GREAT..and THIS is what I'm talking about! You watch that show you actually LEARN SOMETHING about the game of football. As opposed to Sports Talk Radio and most print media where you only get CRAP such as, "DUH, why isn't Ocho catchin' more balls?"…"Duh, has Belichick lost his touch?….."Duh, Brady threw a pick, WHAT's -duh- WRONG WITH BRADY!?…Duh…

  • Willard Nixon

    Felger is simply an a**hole. He was born one and has worked at it all his life. What I find anusing is that he was despised on WEEI, but suddenly became popular on 98.5. What changed about the DB? He is absolutely predictable. He always goes against the popular opinion, whether he believes it or not. He becane so popular because the WEEI haters finally got a competitor on a station that could actually be heard. Any one of a number of people could have done the same thing. I really wish it had been Bob Ryan, Michael Holley, or even Shaughnessy.

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