Felger & Mazz: January 24, 2014
In the first hour of Felger and Mazz, they opened the show with some talk about Jon Lester taking a discount to stay in Boston. Is it too good to be true? They touched upon Wes Welker's hit on Aquib Talib in the AFC Championship. Felger thinks it was a dirty hit, but Mazz wonders how Talib couldn't see Welker coming. Jerry Thornton from Barstool Sports called into the show said the Patriots season was a successful failure and how it's hard to deal with Peyton Manning as "Mr. Clutch." He said the Patriots need to improve depth and have a strong middle class team, while Felger believes depth is overrated. Mazz thinks they need to rebuild with top end talents.
In hour two of Felger and Mazz, they looked at Shaughnessy's column – so the Yankees spent a lot of money - how does this help the Red Sox? Is it a contest of wins per dollar spent? "Frugal, responsible spending" has gone too far with the Red Sox. They can't use the World Series as an opportunity to back off. They have to be aggressive. Patriots' play by play announcer, Bob Socci was in studio and shared his thoughts on the Welker hit on Talib. Socci mentioned that he believes linebacker Dont'a Hightower will improve and make a leap next year. Felger thinks LeGarrette Blount is overrated. All the guys agreed that they wouldn't bring back Pete Carroll if Belichick were to retire. Tankapolooza rolls on for the Celtics – Rondo as a captain is worrisome. The Celtics are serious about keeping him. Do you really want him as your captain, setting the tone? Is he a centerpiece franchise guy?
They continue with Rondo chatter: why would Wyc give captaincy to Rondo? Danny would do it to pump up his trade value, but for Wyc, the title means more to him. Keep the pressure on the Patriots to bring back another Championship – it's been too long. Chris Gasper from the Boston Globe joined the guys and talked about the Patriots: Tom Brady wasn't given many weapons. What can you expect from rookies in the Patriots' offense? They rely on guys who can't stay on the field. What does the team believe in – the system or the talent?
Brady and receivers building trust on a consistent basis. Number one priority: passing game – the team needs options. Defense fell apart after they lost Talib. Caller brings up Belichick's drafting selections – much better as a coach than general manager. One called wanted to discuss Brady vs Montana. Brady is better than Peyton Manning, but not on Montana's level. Mazz: Brady is close, but Montana wins the conversation -- Montana was 4-0 and the level of competition in the NFC was tough in the 80's. They also touched upon the future of Ryan Mallett. They ended the day with the Final Word.