Opinions on Felger and Fauria

Any interviews with the rookies/newcomers would be greatly appreciated too.

I watch and read all things pats but when I see Felger, I change the channel. Honestly.

Originally Posted by Sperham
Pats Fan, but more importantly PR guy from Comcast SportsNet (full disclosure here).

We are running a Pats training camp show, Pats Camp Report 2008, this week at 7:30 and I am looking for feedback. It's hosted by Michael Felger with analysis from Christian Fauria.

Do you have thoughts on the on-air talent, good or bad?
Is your fandom so serious that you will dedicate a half hour on the practice (not a game), but practice?

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I would predict that you would be very pleased with the number of viewers the show generates. Pats fans are chomping at the bit for the season to start and salivating over any information they can find. Local radio and newspapers don't fill that void, expending a large amount of their time on the Red Sox. Even though many label the Boston area as a baseball/Red Sox-first in terms of sports interest, I think that the gap between the Sox and Pats is next to nothing at this point; the NFL is now far more popular than MLB.

Even though Felger is certainly not the first choice of Pats fans, I can't imagine there would be very many not tuning in based on him being the host; the craving for info on the Pats will outweigh his contrarian views.

Who else to bring on as guests? Mix it up between the following:
1. Patriot players, such as Harrison, Vrabel, Brady, Light, Wilfork, Watson, etc. If nothing else, it's a great way to draw more viewers. Actually, these guys usually are worth listening to on local shows, as opposed to national shows where they revert to generic football cliche-speak.
2. Patriot beat writers/analysts such as Mike Reiss and Shalise Manza Young would top that list. Tom Curran, Chris Gasper and Karen Guregian come to mins also. Boston Sports Media Watch recently held a survey that listed the media personalities with the highest and lowest approval ratings. Go through that, see who covers the Pats, and you'll be able to see who else should be invited on the show - and who should join John Tomase on the uninvited list.
3. National writers, but this is a slippery slope. As mentioned earlier in this thread, Pats fans have circled the wagons after the public beating the team - and the fans - took in the media last year for spygate and the SB loss. There's not very many that would be welcome. Colin Cowherd and Bill Simmons are about the only ones from espn that would be welcome; Jimmy Johnson would be okay; maybe a guy like Dennis Dillon from the Sporting News would be alright. Albert Breer, who used to be with the Herald before moving on would be another non-local name to consider.

Typical Felger....the whole the guy who lost the Super Bowl thing...was NOT the way a training camp piece should be introduced..that ALMOST made me turn it off....typical negativity...as was his mention of a "half day Mayo holdout"?? What day was held out?? He was signed the night before and ONLY had to work out all the details et all...Calling that a "holdout" is pretty chinsey at best...MORE like a Tomase (in other words a LIE!!) Is this guy REALLY a reporter...maybe he doesn't understand that there are things like a physical and other things needed BEFORE taking the field.. Sorry...but things like that make MANY fans wish to slap Mr Felger silly...but again messing up a half a day just means he sucks at math...He was interviewing Koppen on Day 6 of camp...like...Day 6 = Tuesday?? In Felger's world t doesn't matter.... And of course, there's the obligatory swipe at Maroney by him..frankly..I really don't care for his opinion...so when he gives it..it's like nails grating on a blackboard..
I did like Fauria though...he added some sanity abd color to it all. Might have been good to have a lot of footage OF therooks and young vets instead of just talking about them..
good to see Patriot Place..but all week??
Curran Reiss...please...

I TiVoed it. Now will delete w/o watching because Felger is such a twit.

sperham said:

PatsWickedPissah - show is on Comcast As for Felger - he would tell you that he is not playing the roll of the contrarian. He says what he believes and as an outsider he feels that he is more objective than the born and bred in Boston reporter/personality.

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That's patently ridiculous. Every move the man makes is about generating attention for himself and his career. And now he's "objective" because he's not from here? Is that why he spent all last August screaming that Moss was dogging it? Because the locals refused to see it?

Seriously, man, give your viewers more credit than to try to pass that off on them. They're not stupid.

The trouble with Felger didn't originate on ESPN radio. It started on WEEI and expanded on FSNE. After Holley made the bestseller list with Patriot Reign. He's like Sybil - milktoast at home, great guy amongst his peers, total ******* on air. It's his multi-mediot personality disorder he likes to call being objective.... He honestly believes he is doing what attracts viewers, even as his shows fail to launch him into Big O territory. If he persists in treating television like sports radio he won't he around too much longer. That is unless the good old boy Boston media network stops bailing him out.

BTW I'd pay to see Felger go the full half hour with Vrabes and Rodney. Brady won't give him the time of day anymore. Not sure who Comcast can force to participate due to contractual obligations but those are the only interviews Felger can land anymore.

Saw the show. It was OK. But that's all it has to be to get me to watch if it's about the Patriots. I'll be watching tomorrow.

sperham said:

PatsWickedPissah - show is on Comcast SportsNet - channel 52 on most comcast systems. The HD feed is 852.

As for Felger - he would tell you that he is not playing the roll of the contrarian. He says what he believes and as an outsider he feels that he is more objective than the born and bred in Boston reporter/personality.

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Felger is horrible, and not very well liked here at PatsFans. He's so negative, but it's more than that. He has been negative on stories that could not possibly have a negative slant. It has been down right bizarre, and that's why so many thought "he must be playing a role"

Moreover, he takes position after position that ends up being wrong. It's uncannny how poor his record is for knowing what the heck he's talking about. I think what irks many is that when he says something that the rest of us know is wrong, he does it with this childish "I know more than you" smirk, that makes him look like a fool.

Other than that, he's top notch.

I will not watch or listen to anything that includes Felger. I do not like people who are negative for the sake of being negative. Or worse yet, negative for the sake of self-promotion.

I like Fauria. Curran is the best, IMO.

I watched a little more of it this moring as it was on at 6AM. Liked the interview with Koppen. Fauria did add some insider things and I look forward to more.

Fuaria sounds like a homer, which I really like.

sperham said:

Looking forward - who do you think would be good?

Vrabel?
Bruschi?
Brown?
Harrison?

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All of those are excellent. Rodney is my favorite player and I enjoy his on-screen, irreverent personality. Ditto for Vrabel. Both are good to listen to. Troy Brown would be great as he's an ex-Pat and can talk more freely, as someone else said.

I will watch any program with Curran. Great insight. Ditto for Reiss or Breer. I will go out of my way and if they're regulars, I'll step up to a level of Comcast I don't already own in order to watch them.

See that's the difference with the no names or disreputables. Tomase I wouldn't watch, period. Or Borges. I've turned off Felger in mid-show in the past. Those three are simply irritating.

But these other guys warrant an upgrade in cable service.

Now, if they can do it, what I'd particularly like to see is a current or previous player who's been with the system a few years and could break down a game and comment on plays. (Troy Brown, McGinest, Vrabel, Bruschi, Seymour, Rodney, obviously Brady, Faulk, Light, Watson, Gaffney).

I liked it. Bottom line the only show right now that's all about the pats and nothing else. Just because of that I'll be watching it.

Thanks for all the comments.

I hear you all on the negativity. That said we are never going to do a show without criticism. I know you know that and for whatever reason the contributors to this space see Felger as more caustic than authentic.


To the contributor who said I wasn't giving fans credit, I would beg to differ. If anything Felger is authentic and let's be honest, he has had success in the market. Is it luck that the week after his show ends on ESPN he pops up on WEEI? I think not.

What do you guys think about the mix of Felger and Tanguay. Both will be very active in our Pats coverage.

Anybody EXCEPT smug superior attitude Felgie would be great.

I watched last night show and ate up everything they offered. However, I would rather see ****erson in the host chair rather than the unpopular Felger (see the BSMW poll). Fauria has a great personality, good looks and the football background. As mentioned in previous posts, Fauria needs to take some classes on how to present himself and speak clearly without the "uh" in between statements.

Overall I like the info they are presenting.

What do you guys think about the mix of Felger and Tanguay. Both will be very active in our Pats coverage.

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Amazing. .... You just keep pitching this Felger line. Are you his agent or do you really work for Comcast?

I had no intention of posting to this thread; but after reading positive after positive commetn about Fauria and nothing better than 'i'll stomach Felger just cause the subject is Patriots'; and then the brilliant 'talent' idea you have is to switch out Fauria for Tanguay.

How about Fauria and tanguay. Send Felger his walking papers.

Why not have Marshall Faulk, Mike Ditka, Easterbrook etc. Make them run an obsticale course designed by Pats fans. Include running across Rt 1 in traffic with clam chowder dumped on it. That kind of thing. That is where the ratings are.

Seriously I would watch, but the minute Felger gets negative I'd turn it off. I like All Access and anything like that would be interesting.

I do work for Comcast. I think I've been pretty upfront about that.

sperham said:

I know you know that and for whatever reason the contributors to this space see Felger as more caustic than authentic.


To the contributor who said I wasn't giving fans credit, I would beg to differ. If anything Felger is authentic and let's be honest, he has had success in the market. Is it luck that the week after his show ends on ESPN he pops up on WEEI? I think not.

What do you guys think about the mix of Felger and Tanguay. Both will be very active in our Pats coverage.

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It isn't just here at this site. Felger is unpopular among most Pats fans. That said, I'm not going to sit here and question your programming choices. Do what you think is best.

However, it seems like you really aren't hearing us. We like Fauria and we don't like Felger. Why on Earth would you suddenly pitch Felger and Tanguay at us? Or maybe we misunderstood you.

Other writers I trust and like: Reiss, Breer, Young, Curran are all good.

Other sources: Globe, Projo, (NOT the Herald - I will eternally boycott them), Boston Sports Media Watch, Patriots.com, KFFL.

Current Players I would like to see on the show: Faulk, Welker, Jordon, Izzo, Harrison, Tank Williams, Gaffney, Watson, and any of the rookies or other FA's signed this year that I didn't specifically call out.

Past Players - Troy Brown, Corey Dillon, Ty Law, Bruce Armstrong, David Patten, McGinest, and Vinatieri ... although it might be hard to get guys that are playing on other teams to talk about the Pats.

Don't knock you for defending your choice in Felger, but you did ask for our opinions, so please at least take them into consideration. I don't believe they are isolated to this site. The show should do good regardless because Pats fans are eager for camp news.