This week’s mailbag features more nuts and bolts Patriots talk than anything we’ve done here to date. Nothing like an embarrassing loss on national television to get the hard questions flowing. And you know us, we’re never afraid to engage those questions. Everyone’s in the crosshairs, from Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick, to Richard Seymour, Randy Moss and, of course, Matt Cassel. As you’ll see, many people couldn’t wait, and the emails started coming in before the fourth quarter even began.

Meanwhile, the fact checker (i.e., my editor) must have had last week off. Stay tuned for a lengthy corrections section from the report card and last weeks’ bag. (Copy Ed note: These corrections won’t include the misspellings of Jason Varitek and John Madden as well as the butchering of Tea Leoni’s name. Those were just a few of the saves, Felger. Stick to MILF talk and ripping Randy Moss). As punishment, I’ve submitted a record 7,200 words for editor-boy to read this week. Meanwhile, we keep the grab-ass to a minimum yet still manage to include dinosaurs, bananas and meekrab (I’ve got to be honest, I’m not totally sure what that means or where it comes from) in the discussion.

With the Monday night game, we’ll push everything back one day next week, so look forward to the report card Tuesday night and the mailbag on Friday. See ya….

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Hi Mike,

Maybe you can answer this for me. How did the Patriots this past off-season 1) Do nothing to upgrade an OL that was embarrassed in the Super bowl?; 2) Let Samuel walk and get no one to replace him? 3) Get no serviceable backup QB? The ``In Bill we trust'' motto is starting to get old. These three decisions are all coming back to haunt them now.

Chris,

Rhode Island

A: First of all, it's too early to be drawing any conclusions over whether the Pats have made the right or wrong moves. They've had a few bad games, but there's a long way to go this season. That's the big picture disclaimer. But that said, this question got me thinking about something: There are huge differences between the way fans and media analyze the Red Sox versus the Patriots in this town, and one of the biggest is how offseason moves are critiqued. In other words, the Pats' moves aren't. Everyone knows Julio Lugo sucks, for example, but that statement is usually quickly discarded and replaced with the following one, ``Theo really blew that one.'' The Lugo discussion is almost always centered around Epstein, whether it be his problems finding a shortstop or his 2007 signings of Lugo and JD Drew. It's almost as if Lugo himself is an afterthought. For some reason, it doesn't work that way with the Pats. Can you imagine the uproar if the Red Sox let one of their premier positional players go because they didn’t want to pay him and then replaced him first with a minimum-salary veteran who was cut in spring training and then with another guy off the street who was just released by the worst team in the league? Well, that's what the Pats did with Samuel, first going with Fernando Bryant and then former Cincinnati Bengal Deltha O'Neal, who was signed six days before the season and is now your starter. Does that feel like master planning to you? But you won’t hear Belichick and Pioli getting near the heat Epstein does -- and the two regimes have enjoyed roughly the same amount of success. It’s weird.

Anyway, I think the Patriots’ approach in the free agent/trade market any given year has turned into a huge bellwether for that upcoming season. Whenever they've gone big (2003 with Rosevelt Colvin, Rodney Harrison and Ted Washington; 2004 with Corey Dillon; 2007 with Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, Sammy Morris, Randy Moss and Adalius Thomas), they've won big. When they haven't, they've come up short. The 2008 free agent haul (Sam Aiken, Jason Webster, Lewis Sanders, Tank Williams, Victor Hobson, Marcus Pollard, Oliver Ross, Anthony Clement, John Lynch, Bryant and O'Neal) stunk. There were some obvious holes on the roster, and the Pats responded by throwing quantity, not quality, at the problems. About the only veteran addition worth anything is LaMont Jordan. So I think it's more than valid to raise the questions you do, Chris. But again, let's see how it all plays out. If, for example, Terrence Wheatley or Jonathan Wilhite, improve and provide stability at corner this year, then letting Samuel go won’t look as bad. Ditto for Cassel and the backup quarterback situation.

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Felgy,

Watching Deltha O’Neal makes me wonder what the season would look like had the Pats signed Samuel, let’s say for the same money Philly gave him. Two things to consider: 1. Like Denver with Champ Bailey, the opposing team would be forced to use essentially half the field for passing schemes, rather than throw wherever the hell they want.  2. Does Bill B. & Co. value corners they way they value WRs (Deion Branch for example)? Do they value the Defensive Front 7 positions as worthy of big money (Richard Seymour, Adalius Thomas) over those spots? To me, a shut down corner is at least as valuable as any other position on the roster outside of QB. What’s the deal?

Kevin (long time chronic)

Lynnfield

A: The Pats absolutely value the defensive front seven over the corner and receiver spots. Just look at how they've used their draft picks and devoted salary cap space over the years. I don't know what other conclusion you could reach. Since Belichick has gotten here, he's spent major money on exactly one player who played either corner or receiver -- Moss. There have been contract disputes and/or departures with just about everyone else (Ty Law, Samuel, Branch, Givens, Donte Stallworth, etc). The pattern is clear, and if Tom Brady wasn't Belichick’s quarterback, you’d have to wonder if Moss would still be here either. As for Samuel, it's obvious his loss has taken a toll. I was talking to Troy Brown about this off the air at Comcast the other night. I wondered why the corners didn’t get more safety help against the Chargers, and he responded by saying the safeties can't provide double coverage on everyone. When you play San Diego, you have to account for Antonio Gates, and you have to stop Tomlinson. You just can’t have safeties running around deep all night. He said the defense has to entrust someone to cover their responsibility 1-on-1, and Samuel was usually that guy. Not that Samuel was able to shut down his side of the field 100 percent of the time, but from a scheme standpoint, that's the way the defense was able to approach it. Those days are over, obviously.

Second point: Was Samuel worth what the Eagles gave him ($20 million signing bonus; cap charges the next three years of $9 million, $10 million and $10 million)? Tough call. The Patriots obviously didn't feel they could pay both Moss and Samuel in the same offseason, so they had a choice to make. (They would have had to restructure some contracts to fit both under the salary cap, which, frankly, isn't that hard to do. To me, they were more concerned with the actual cash out, especially since Moss took home $14 million in new money and first-round pick Jerod Mayo was guaranteed another $14 million). What would you have done? Moss or Samuel? Remember the Brady factor. Again, tough call. Given how Moss has played so far, it feels like they kept the wrong guy, but that may change. They probably could have worked harder to keep both. And I say that fully acknowledging Samuel has given up some plays for the Eagles (ranked 10th against the pass) this year.

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Hey Mike,

I think a big part of the problem is the lack of good drafts that Pioli has had since ‘04 (and Wilfork got dropped on his lap in that one). Let’s take a quick look:

    2008: Jury is still out

    2007: Only Meriweather made the team (still waiting for Meriweather the impact player to show up)

    2006: Maroney -- bust? Jackson – bust. David Thomas – JAG. Garrett Mills – bust. Stephen Gostkowski -- we found a good one. Ryan O’Callaghan – JAG. Jeremy Mincey – bust. Dan Stevenson – bust. Le Kevin Smith – JAG. Willie Andrews – bust (busted, that is).

    2005: Mankins – head case since the Super Bowl. Hobbs – good No. 3 corner. Kaczur – JAG. Sanders – JAG. Ryan Claridge – bust. Cassel - good backup?

    2004: Wilfork’s a winner. Watson - never lived up to potential. Hill – RIP. Guss Scott – bust. Dexter Reid – bust. Cedric Cobbs – bust. PK Sam – bust. Christian Morton – who?

Granted, the Pats have been drafting low in rounds but that is where the genius of Pioli is supposed to prevail. I just don't see it. So when the Pats are spending money every other year on free agents, they better hope that the draft is filling in. But that hasn’t been the case from what I can see. When I see Deltha O'Neal being picked up off the street and asked to be a starter the week before the season starts, I blame Pioli and his drafts.

Ralph

A: Here’s something we all have to remember, and I’m guilty of neglecting it myself: the players Pioli and Belichick drafted from 2004-2007 were contributors to a team that had the first 16-0 regular season in league history and were three minutes away from a fourth Super Bowl title. Had Samuel hung to the ball, or had Harrison ripped it, or had Seymour brought down Eli Manning, I think we’d be looking at those picks in an entirely different context. That said, the 2006 and 2007 classes are starting to look like a black hole in the development of the roster, and it’s already started to hurt the team. Jackson was a terrible pick, and Maroney isn’t looking much better. The Pats really need Meriweather to develop into something. You’d hate to see them go two straight years and only have a kicker to show for it. The 2008 class looks very promising – Mayo, Wheatley, Wilhite, Crable – but you’re right. The jury is out. A final note on the Hobbs selection: He’s good value for where he was selected (No. 84 overall). The problem is that the Pats need him to be a No. 1 corner and he’s just not that guy. Not many cornerbacks taken in the third round are. If he were being used where he should be – as a No. 2 or a nickel back – we’d consider him a very good pick.

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Hi Mike,

You made a comment in the report card that I've been thinking about for some time. The Pats are more than Tom Brady.  One of the elements you mentioned was good personnel decisions. Lately, they haven't been so good. Look at the last few drafts: Maroney as a #1 pick has been disappointing, why else bring in Sammy Morris and Lamont Jordan? That same year Chad Jackson was the #2 pick.  Is he even in the league? Brandon Meriweather as a #1 pick is only a role player in nickel and dime situations. (Remember when Bobby Grier drafted Chris Canty #1 and was ridiculed when he said he was drafted for a nickel back role?) Last year Mayo was #1. He may be real, but have you noticed that in the last 2 games he comes out on obvious passing downs, replaced by Gary Guyton. Kind of a reverse Meriwether. Two #1 picks to get one starter? Second pick Wheatley is behind O'Neal and Lewis Sanders on the depth chart. In short, the Pats have used the draft to shore up aging positions and those personnel decisions have stunk. If the Pats are to be more than Tom Brady, they need to make better personnel decisions.

Glenn

A: Now THIS is how Red Sox fans talk.

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MF,

I agree with 98 percent of your monologue except for the last sentence or two. The Pats might not be 3-2 if Brady were in the lineup. 4-1, possibly. And, hell, who knows? Maybe 5-0. Two things would be different. 1) Miami and San Diego both would have prepared differently for a real QB, and both of their offenses would not have had the ball as much as they did. And 2) With Brady steering the ship, it’s that trickledown effect that everyone (including Moss) would play better. Half of this game is mental. They are a team deflated….the owner who lost his puppy.

John

Milford

A: First off, no one is saying the Pats would be in the same boat if Brady were playing. Of course opposing defenses would have more to prepare for. Of course opposing offenses would have fewer snaps. Obviously. But would the Pats have a different record? I don’t know. The defense gave up 38 points to the Dolphins and 30 to the Chargers. A quick check of the record shows that between 2001 and 2007 the Pats defense gave up 30 points or more 12 times, including playoffs. Brady was able to win five of those games, meaning even with the best quarterback in football the Pats have won at only a .417 clip when the defense plays in the 30’s. Maybe, based on the track record, they would have one of the two so far this season, but I think you’d have a much stronger case for 5-0 if the defense was playing in the 20’s. Either way, I think we can all agree on the following: This is not a championship-caliber defense right now. And that has nothing to do with Tom Brady.

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Mike,

I've got to disagree with the idea that this team would be 3-2 with Brady. Teams are taking chances against the Pats that they wouldn't do if Brady were pulling the trigger. Yes, our secondary is horrible - but you are correct, it's been bad since 2005 (and I have seen Samuel burned several times for Philly this year). The difference now is that teams are not afraid of the turnover and will take chances on offense. Also, how many opening drive touchdowns would Brady lead the Pats to? Do you think Miami would have been running the Wildcat when they were down 17-0 in the first quarter? The bottom line is they don't say that the ``best defense is a good offense’’ for nothing. Matt Cassel is horrible and the Pats brass dropped the ball on this big time. I say play O'Connell and start grooming him to be the back up for the future because this year is lost.

Ian

Boston

A: Again, if the Pats were merely competitive in these losses you have a better argument. But it’s not like they’re getting edged. They’re getting smoked.

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Felger,

I am disgusted with this game. I expected Cassel to struggle, but not to have a bowel movement in his pants every time someone on the defense gets within three yards of him. I mean he looks like one of the bikers in a Bronx Tale when Sunny locks the door to the bar and says ``Now you can't leave.'' I understand he hasn't played in eight years, but grow a set. And I am sick about hearing how dominant our front seven is. The excuse is always, ``the defensive line isn't meant to make tackles.'' Well if they are not meant to make tackles, and the linebackers can not make tackles, and the secondary can't cover anyone, what in the hell is the point? Screw it. I'm going to get drunk.

Joe

Winthrop

A: This should have been the lead paragraph in the report card.

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Mike,

Watching this Pats game tonight, I wanted to throw someone through the wall, as John Lackey would say. I am tired of watching Matt Cassel look downfield, check his first read then tuck the ball and run with it. I watch him play QB, and I think a high school QB is running the offense. That 4th down play on the Chargers 1 yard line was a perfect example of his lack of vision. Watson could not have been more wide open. Would Jeff Garcia or a more experienced backup be able to roll out of bed and put up 20 points per game with this offense? Also where is the pressure on the QB on the defensive side of the ball? Where is Seymour? I understand the two-gap scheme, but one would think he could get some pressure on the edge occasionally. He is not ALWAYS being doubled.  Say hi to the Wood for me.

Pete L

Plainville

A: I agree that the fourth-and-1 play at the goal line was Cassel in a nutshell. For some reason, his lack of poise and field vision is at its worst in the red area. The coaches went with a pass on three of the four snaps from the one, and there were open receivers on every snap. I think there are two things that could eventually cost Cassel his job, and bad red zone production is one of them (the Pats are currently 27th in the league with seven TDs in 17 trips). The other is if he started turning the ball over a lot, which hasn’t happened yet.

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Mike,

Cassel is a free agent at the end of the season. If he proves himself -- unlikely but could happen -- he would most likely command more dollars than the Pats' salary structure allows for a second-string QB. If he fails and shows he is not the guy, then I would suspect he would not be retained. Either way, we are right back where we started -- no backup with any experience. That being said, shouldn't we be looking at O'Connell? At what point do you think we will?

Mike

Putnam, CT

A: Again, if Cassel has many more goal-line series like he did in San Diego, that would do the trick. And knowing the Pats, no one will even be aware a change has been made until one Sunday when O’Connell walks out on the field with the offense to start the game.

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Felgy,

I could not have agreed with you more that day back in August when the Jets cut Chad Pennington and you told Patriot Nation ``I think Pennington would be a nice quality back up if the unthinkable happens.'' Well guess what? The unthinkable did happen, and Belichick was asleep at the wheel. Off goes Chad to the Dolphins and here comes Cassel. Pennington would have been the perfect fit here and Bill didn't even give it a thought. Looks like the old ball coach is loosing his fastball with free agent signings. Pennington would have come here in a heartbeat to piss off the dough boy coach that cut him. Meanwhile, Lawrence Maroney gets the JD Drew award for the last 2 weeks. This guy needs to contract what Kellen Winslow had just be sure his testicles are still attached. Cougar of the Week is Diane Lane.

Pete

N. Attleboro

A: No way Pennington would have come here with a starting job awaiting him in Miami, Pete. Not a chance. And even if he would have considered New England, the Pats would have passed on him like they’ve passed on every veteran backup quarterback the last two years -- a list including Billy Volek, Brad Johnson, Trent Green, Kerry Collins, Gus Frerotte, Todd Collins and Garcia. I'm past the point of expecting them to make any move other than to O'Connell. Vinny Testaverde wasn’t signed by Belichick in 2006 until November, so maybe he’s still an option, although I doubt it. The bed has been made. The time to upgrade the position was when they were building the roster this past March, or in March 2007. No mater what you hear on this radio station, Pete, it's a legitimate second guess. Three words on Diane Lane: Yes, yes and yes!

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Felger,

Randy Moss hasn't made a big jump-ball catch since the middle of last season. The beginning of last year Brady would throw it up and Moss would come down with it. Not this year. He doesn't seem to have the mojo. Cassel isn't great but he is not giving up 30 points. Belichick is right to not bench him.

Brudad

Hanover, NH

A: This is my point with Moss. I don’t think he’s playing terribly. But he’s not doing anything special – and he’s a special player with special abilities. I’ll ask the question again, how many "Moss moments’’ have we had this year? How many catches has he made where you said, "Only a handful of guy in the league come down with that ball?’’ I can think of one – the touchdown against Kansas City. Last year, he made those grabs nearly every week. Brudad is right. In 2007, Moss routinely took balls away from the defender. This year, they’re taking balls away from him.

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Mike,

I know it's unfair to compare Cassel to Brady, but I think Brady would be better then Cassel if Brady were to play in a wheel chair. This guy sucks....And you blame Moss? On the long ball Moss had to slow down to wait for the ball. If he was led it would have been a TD. I thought he had possession and fumbled on the other long ball that was ruled incomplete. I do blame moss on the play Cassel missed him. Moss had a bad read...he should have ran the corner post because the safety bit inside. Obviously Moss has no confidence in Cassel.  Why does Belichick?

Mike J

Rochester NY.

A: Do you not remember how many times Brady underthrew Moss last year and Moss still made the play? I’ll show you an entire highlight reel of those plays if you like. And again, I’m not blaming Moss per se. I’m saying he’s not playing as well as he did last year – and the Pats need him to be better.

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Mike,

There couldn't be a greater contrast than watching Larry Fitzgerald in the Cardinals - Dallas game just prior to the Pats game and then watching Moss. Fitzgerald catches everything, dives on the ground, jumps over defenders and rips passes that are off target away from d-backs.  It was really eye opening. I am a Moss fan but there could not have been a starker difference between players who play the same position. Fitzgerald would certainly make Cassel's life a lot easier.

A: My point exactly.

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Felger,

Your report card is pretty accurate but I have to disagree with your wide receivers grade. What's up with all the Moss hating? Just because he had a couple of drops doesn't mean he's dogging it. He dropped balls last year too but the offense, and the team as a whole, was so nasty that no one noticed. On top of that you're grading the entire receiving core so even IF you think Moss is sucking and just "going through the motions," that doesn't mean his effort should so vastly overshadow the efforts of Welker and Gaffney, who've played pretty well. The receivers are really the least of the Patriots problems. On a side note, posted Monday 11:12pm?? Typical Felger.

Alex

A: While we’re on the receiving corps, I think the loss of Donte Stallworth hurts more than folks realize. He’s a legit deep threat, much more so than anything the Pats have left on the roster other than Randy. The result is that safeties can now shade Moss' side with impunity. Last year, they played it just a bit more straight up, especially early in the year. Of course, I’m not going to pretend Stallworth is lighting it up in Cleveland right now. He played his first game for the Browns on Monday night after missing the first four with a hamstring injury and caught two balls for 19 yards. Finally, what’s your problem with Monday Night posting?

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Mike,

Is Randy Moss the softest receiver in the NFL?  He's always running out of bounds early to avoid contact.  He never jumps to get a ball.  Anything that would cause him to take a hit, he avoids. I don't see any other receivers playing like that.  

Brian S

A: Watch it, Brian. Don’t you realize that’s Matt Cassel’s fault?

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Mike,

The difference between Matt Cassel and Drew Bledsoe is that Drew had a long resume of happy feet. In Matt Cassel’s defense, we need to see more evidence before labeling him as a quarterback with no pocket presence. I see improvement and by the end of the year we could really have something. Mike, remember you want the Pats to be playing their best football after thanksgiving. Doesn’t that go for the quarterback as well?   

Russ

Walpole

A: At least someone has some optimism.

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DB,

Given the inconvenience of travel and the advances in technology, wouldn't it make sense for Richard Seymour to stop attending Patriots games and simply watch them from home on his high definition television?

Scott D. Shuster

A: Now that’s sarcasm we can all sink our teeth into. Seymour certainly started strong against the Chiefs and Jets. But in the three games since then, he has three unassisted tackles with no sacks and no knockdowns. I think teams are back to double-teaming him on a more consistent basis, but the bottom line is hard to argue: His production is disappointing.

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Felger,

Do you think that the league has figured out how to beat the Pats’ gap-control defense? I am sick and tired of hearing about how good the Pats front is. I mean, come on. They are never in the backfield.

Jamie Scherban

A: The Pats two-gap style certainly isn’t conducive to getting at the passer, and the Pats’ defensive linemen would be the first to tell you that. Their first responsibility is to read and react, not get into the backfield. As a side note, I also think the league has gotten used to the 3-4 alignment in general. When Belichick came to New England in 2000, the Pats and Steelers were the only teams who ran it. Now several teams do (Cleveland, Miami, Dallas, San Diego, San Francisco and the Jets – just to name a few). That being said, the Pats have the talent to get to the passer, they just aren’t doing it. Their seven sacks as a team puts them on pace for about 22 on the season. By comparison, they had 47 last year and have never finished with fewer than 29 under Belichick. In their Super Bowl winning seasons they had 45 (2004), 41 (2003) and 41 (2001). They were two-gaping those years, too. So something is wrong here.

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Felger,

The Patriots lack the toughness they used to have. They need a big hit like they had back many years ago, when Brian Cox laid out that dude (Jerome Pathon) and everyone followed. We're missing tough guys.

Thank you,

Wayne

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Mike,

Bring back Duane Starks. Deltha O'Neal is the worst cornerback in recent Patriots history. The Chargers activate a receiver who hasn't played all season (Malcolm Floyd) to exploit the O'Neal matchup. How bad can the rookie draft picks be if they can't  beat out O'Neal. Let's throw in the towel. Play O'Connell, Guyton, Wilhite, and hope for a top draft pick to replace Maroney. It's over.

Patrick

A: First of all, Floyd has played, he just didn't have a reception until Sunday night. Meanwhile, Maroney is a disaster, no doubt about it. Ask any of the media who talked to him at San Jose last week and they'll tell you he was a mess. They say it's one of the rare occasions where the quotes (``I have issues'') actually sounded worse live than in print. But good God, Patrick, you want to spend another high draft pick on a running back? I think the Pats should keep drafting for defense until they get that side of the ball straightened out.

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Felger,

Your column and report card are dead on with the exception of the coaching grade. Me thinks that the coaching staff are getting off easy in the 'C' range when I think back to the blowouts of last year and no playing time for Cassel. Every bit of experience would have helped even if we were up by 30. He can dink and dunk and move the chains but can not work in a crowd which is inevitable in the red zone. Also, you are spot on with regards to the team being 3-2 even if Brady were playing. No Pass Rush and no coverage means no chance. Brady would probably be hurt if he wasn't already hurt.

Bill

Sandwich

A: Point taken on not getting Cassel work last year. As for the game on Sunday, I think it was more a matter of the Pats losing 1-on-1 battles all across the field (Moss vs. Jammer, Seymour vs. McNeil, O’Neal vs. Jackson, Koppen vs. Williams, etc.) than it was getting out-coached.

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Subj: Positive thought from the Chargers game

Felger, 

Probably Maroney's best game of the year!!

Brendan

Billerica

A: Yikes.

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Felgy,

Couldn't Shawn Crable help with the lack of a pass rush? Also, the Pats secondary is a disaster. Ellis Hobbs is a morphing into Chris Canty -- a trash talking stiff who can't back up his mouth and dance routine. And Deltha O'Neal has always been a trick or treat CB. Meriweather always looks to me like he's chasing someone as if he's out of position. What's going on with this team? I predict the Colts putting up 45 points on this defense next month.

Kevin

Acushnet

A: The Broncos and the Colts scare me if I’m the Pats because both can run the ball if the Pats over commit to the pass. San Francisco and Mike Martz weren’t about to do that. And we’ve all seen that when the Pats have to play the pass out of their base defense, they’re in big trouble. Overall, Belichick has to be losing sleep over what he’s seen from his secondary. The thing he hates above all others is big plays, and so far his defense has given up a lot of them. They’ve allowed five completions of over 40 yards, matching the team’s total from all of last year. They’ve also given up 15 pass completions over 20 yards, which projects to 48 on the season. They gave up just 31 such plays last season, and that’s even with them struggling against the pass many weeks. Suffice it to say, it’s trending in a very bad direction.

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Hi Felgy,

Why the hell was LT still in the game in the 4th?  The Chargers are up by 3 touchdowns and Norv has a limping LT still in the game. I don’t get it.

Smitty

Franklin

A: Isn’t that typical? Tomlinson wouldn’t play in a frigid AFC title game at Gillette with a bad knee, but he’s more than willing to keep playing on a bad toe in an October blowout at home.

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Felgy,

How ironic that the title of your report card is ``Pats flunk out.’’ Let me guess -- you learned to spell with hooked on phonics. The word is enumerate – not innumerate. How unlucky is it for you that, yes, innumerate is a word too, only “not (the one) you were looking for.”  So Bill Gates could not bail you out with a red underline on your word processor.

Innumerate – being unfamiliar with mathematical concepts and methods; unable to use mathematics; not numerate.

Enumerate - to mention separately as if in counting; name one by one; specify, as in a list.

Ron in Boston

A: So, so right Ron. If not for spell check my writing would probably look like a different language. But even that marvelous invention is powerless against homonyms. Then again, I don’t think that innumerate/enumerate (or moot/mute, for that matter) is even one of those.

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Felgy,

I agree with your assessment of last Sunday’s game, but I have one nit-to-pick in your report card. You refer to Dom Capers as “the imminently qualified Dom Capers.”  Unless you meant to refer to Capers as so-to-be qualified, I think you meant “the eminently qualified Dom Capers” Just because you’re writing for weei now doesn’t mean you have to adopt Fred Smerlas’ command of the English language.

Dan Haines

A: Fred would never make that mistake, Dan. At least it’s an actual homonym. Or is it?

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Mike,

You made a slight error in your column today. You said the Bolts wore the powder blues when they crushed the Pats 3 years ago. They wore their Dark Blue uniforms. A little research goes a long way. Miss hearing you on the radio every day. You did a great show. Keep up the great work on CSN.

Kevin

A: You mean you missed me getting things wrong every day on the radio? Isn’t the damage controlled much better now that I’m a fill-in guy? As for the uniform thing, I got confused (shocker!) The Pats were in their alternates that day, not the Chargers.

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Mike,

You have to expand your horizons. Stop reading US Weekly and try a novel or some history books. FUBAR was modern slang to John McCain's dad. It has been in use in the US Military for over 60 years.

Rick

A: Well FUBAR was new to me – so therefore I qualify it as modern.

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Felger,

I know you will take the corporate line with this, but does Brian Daubach have nude pictures of someone's wife? Or is it possible he is just holding a seat for Millar when he hangs them up. 

Jamie Scherban

A: Just so he doesn’t have nude pics of MY wife I could care less.

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Felgy,

Your wife is hotter on Fox 25 than she was on WBZ. She is getting it done! Way to go!

Sean

A: Now they’ve just got to put her and Maria together on the anchor desk. We’ll call it the MILF-Cast.

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Felger,

I'm a little disappointed in you. Unless I missed it on Sport Tonight, did you not even mention dumping the Cooz? Is this a case of you not wanting to rock the company boat, because it seems this is normally a story you would be all over.

Mo

Somerville

A: I definitely have no interest in rocking the company boat, Mo. I like my job at Comcast very much. But since you asked, I’ll admit I liked Cooz on the air because he could be negative – and that’s something every hometown broadcast needs. But I also have to be honest: I barely noticed he did the games anymore. He did only nine last year.

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Mike,

I will pay you whatever you need to show up on the Fifth Quarter on Sunday. Since Lobell left, it’s vanilla at best, and you added the salt to the pepper. I used to record those to watch later…win or lose. Name your price.

John

A: Are you saying I was ivory to Burton’s ebony? Or are you saying you actually valued my negativity? That would definitely put you in the minority, John.

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Felger,

To be considered a good manager that did a good job on any given night, it doesn't matter if you make 100 good decisions if the last decision you make is a bad one. This is especially true when the "bad" decision (bringing in Timlin when Byrd was ready in Game 2 in Tampa) is so obviously bad to everyone watching and costs your team a playoff game. If the Sox don't make it to the World Series, this could be considered the boneheaded decision that caused it. Felger, that being said, I believe that Francona is usually a great manager and I love all he has done for this team and this town, but he had a whopper of a terrible night. He shouldn't get a free pass on this one. He blew the game....and an extremely important one at that.

Steve O'Brien

Belchertown

A: I think Josh Becket blew that game, Steve. He was staked to three different leads in five innings and lost the lead every time. The offense put up eight runs and the bullpen pitched over six innings of scoreless baseball. So it really fell on Beckett. All that being said, Timlin has no business being on a postseason roster, never mind in a tight ALCS game.

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Felger,

Let's leave the BC-BU hate aside for a couple of minutes, Felger. How impressed are you by Matt Ryan's play for Atlanta?

John

Malden

A: Are you implying I have residual hatred for the maroon and gold? Nothing could be further from the truth, John. I think Ryan is going to be a very good NFL quarterback. I just hope he can avoid the crack houses (Kevin Stevens), racist ‘roid rages (Bill Romanowski), rape charges (Mark Chmura) and heroin addictions (Chris Herren, Chris Sullivan) of his predecessors.

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Hey Felgy,

Love you work and miss you up the dial on that other station. Just wanted your thoughts on the Bruins this year. Seeing as you are one of the three guys who will even acknowledge they exist. Yes, I am a die hard and a season ticket holder, but I do not drink the black and gold Kool Aid and think this team is going to win the cup this year, but I do like their chances to go a couple of rounds and keep building on last year. My only question is on the goaltending, and like you I would love to see Tuukka take over and be the #1 guy. I just am not sold on Timmy (Thomas).

Thanks

Chris

Chelmsford

A: Boy, Bruins talk. Okay, quickly: The thing that sticks out to me about the Eastern Conference is the parity. Or, if you prefer, mediocrity. The B’s were the 8th seed last year with 94 points. Montreal was the first seed with 104. That 10-point range is pretty small. By comparison, Detroit won the Western Conference with 115 points while the eighth- seeded Predators had 91, a difference of 24 points. Anyway, the point is that the B’s don’t have to improve very much to be in the middle of the playoff picture, or even at the high end of it. But, in my opinion, they aren’t good enough to be a multiple-round playoff team unless they get elite goaltending, and Tim Thomas isn’t that guy. Maybe Manny Fernandez is, but I doubt it. That’s why I keep bringing up Tuukka. I have no idea if he’s as good as everyone says. I just know the other guys are not good enough to cover for the type of middle-of-the-road roster the B’s currently have.

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Hi Mike,

(Last week) was the first time reading the mail bag and I thought it was great. I could hear your voice in my head as I was reading the answers. I wonder, this is the same stuff  you say when you are on EEI, why is it when it comes off of your fingers rather than out of your lips people just love you more? Or do you hit the delete button and we don't get to see ``Mike you are a DB or an a-hole.’’

Amy B

Canton

A: My fingers have always been a strength, Amy. Must be all the hand cream. And the only thing I delete are the compliments. Every insult makes it.

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Felger You DB! (see, Amy?)

So given recent events for the local football and baseball squads, how long is it before local health plans stop covering bandwagon related ankle injuries, because there sure seems to be a lot of ``die haahd’’ fans jumping ship. Sure things don't look good right now for either team but who would have guessed that the humanoids would bail faster than Winthorpe's crew from Trading Places. BTW, what are the odds that J.J. is sitting in the corner office at Delaware North with a big meekrab eating grin on his face repeating over and over to Chiarelli ``They're all just like us again Peter! There all just like us!’’ The writing was on the wall people. Brady gets hurt not even a quarter into the season and you don't think there will be a few bumps in the Pats road as a result? And the pile of injuries the Sox had to absorb is finally starting to exact its price. They were lucky to get by the Halo's as easily as they did, largely because the Angels basic fundamentals and execution were about as sound as Clint Malarchuck's gun safety. But apparently the last few years of incredible success has spoiled the Mousketeers so much that they are all ready to turn in their ears. All you hear the last few days is, ``why didn't the Pats trade for Garcia?’’ Or ``Why didn't the Sox keep Manny?’’ I swear Massengill sales for the Northeast will skyrocket with all the wussbaggery going on around here. We have been showered with unprecedented success, and yet here are the same yahoos who booed Keith Foulke in '05 after he immolated himself to win the title in '04 who think they could have done a better job running things this year. This isn't Orlando people. Happy endings and main street parades are not guaranteed with each pass to the park. These donkeys want a refresher of what things were like before 2001? It's called Bruins.

Mike

Attleboro

A: Meekrab IS modern slang, right? And why did you have to kill my Bruins buzz, Mike? I was just getting excited. Good point Wednesday in Montreal, by the way. Down 3-0 and they come back?

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Felger,

Quick hits from a fan in Cambridge: Did the Sox get old in the last two days or are the Rays that good? Is Bill Belichick the KC Jones of the NFL - Bird in his prime, Brady in prime equals multiple championships - or is he really a genius? Are Sarah Palin and Madonna ranked 1 and 2 in the Felger Cougar fantasy draft rankings?

Dave

A: The Rays are that good. Belichick = KC Jones? Come on. And Madonna is definitely up there, but Palin is not. She’s tremendous looking, no doubt. But she’s not 50 – and that’s the age that I think really delineates a real cougar. Only the true greats can still bring it past that age. But more than that, I find right-wing, religious zealotry unattractive. I’m into Tiny Fey, though.

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Mike,

One thing I took from your old radio show was that bananas might go extinct (as first reported on our program by Bill Ballou of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette). I never questioned that until I did a little research. It is an urban legend. You know like the guy waking up in a bathtub full of ice after getting both kidneys stolen. Like the Nigerian royalty that needs you to get his money out of country. The type of banana in stores, the Cavendish, is made from grafting and is technically a clone. Technically, a blight in South East Asia could wipe them out. Technically, oceans are huge. But without particularly stupid people who know about it, infected soil from Thailand will not be introduced to Columbia anytime soon. If it is (never underestimate stupidity) we have other varieties of bananas. And, no, I don't mean Plantains. It’s like if pugs were in danger of going extinct, we still have other annoying little yapping dogs (to use for breeding) instead of going back to wolves as breeding stock. Plantains are to Wolves as the Cavendish is to Pugs as other little yapping dogs are to other bananas.

William Berry

A: Wow. We actually talked about this stuff on the Mike Felger Show. And I wonder why we didn’t get ratings. Then again, I could never resist good banana talk. Hey now!

Mike Felger can be seen nightly on Mohegan Sun’s Sports Tonight on Comcast Sportsnet. Reach him at mfelger@weei.com.