The Krafts are agressive marketers. That led to something called Patriots Friday on ESPN Boston. Unfortunately it is hosted by a guy who by his own admission doesn't generate a lot of eye contact in that locker room any more.
Felgie thinks it somehow makes him look good, or fuels ratings, for him to ask the kind of questions he knows these guys can't answer honestly. He at times frames the questions so agressively you almot sense it makes them subconsciously want to backhand him. I think they chose Vrabel and Light as his prime guests for a reason. They're both bright guys not easily impressed by a mere mediot trying to climb the ladder at their expense, both tend to be able to cop just enough thinly veiled contempt to give the impression that while he's an annoying prick to deal with he's not good enough at what he's attempting to do to get the better of them. Too easy to just toy with or even occasionally **** a little with him...because he needs them to appear more than they need to appear. Listening the first week you could tell that Vrabes had given him a behave yourself look out of the gate, and Felger chose to ignore it.
Miller was a great guest when he first came on. By year two Felger was acting like Miller was his inside guy, and Miller gradually became uncomfortable enough with being unable to joke his way around that impression and some of the pointed things Felger was spouting while he was on (implicating Miller was how he knew things), that he started bailing out on the show.
They don't tend to let anyone they don't trust implicitly within 20 yards of Felger miked up any more. Because they know he's not looking for insight, he's looking for a soundbite he can capitalize on. Ordway and Co. and D&C get a lot more out of their guests because they have built a resevior of trust with them. There seems to be little more than contempt for Felger from any of them any more.
Willie nailed him as an emerging rumor monger and **** stirrer, but his actual problems in that locker room date back to his gradual transition to mediot for hire on WEEI and FSNE. Back in the day (2000-2002), when he was a simple football beat reporter, he was a player and management favorite not to mention a joy for fans to listen to compared to who he was on with - until his desire to make waves (and his personality bones) on the air led to some slips in prior confidences and stuff he was told in background. Not to mention his legendary hatchet job on Pedro that actually got him knocked out of the WEEI rotation for a time at Lucchino's behest.
Once you break trust with the guys from Foxboro, you are dead to them. Felger has 0 access these days and is left to rely mostly on secondary sources like the malcontents from PFW and Tomasse's drop a dime sources. Vrabel and Light will take one for the team by appearing on Friday's because they're consumate pros, but it's pretty clear they'd rather be taping in the weight room with prissy boy ducktaped to the heavy bag.
