NFLPA Players Survey Leaks // Email of the Day // The Final Word - 2/26 (Hour 4)

This is 2026. No more messing around. It's the first day of the rest of your life. Today, you are switching to Astound. Shifting your Wi-Fi and life into a new gear. Reliable, affordable connection. So you can browse, watch, and play like you've always wanted. Because slow Wi-Fi is so last year. Under budget. Full speed ahead. That's Astound. Wi-Fi starting at $19.95 per month. Restrictions apply. See astound.com for details. I think that feels like a nice package there. Yeah. Wow, look at those phones light up. It's Elger and Maz on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Before we get back to your phones, we talked about a bunch of different stuff today about the Pats receiver situation. Diggs in, A.J. Brown. I'm sorry, digs out, A.J. Brown in. And my belief that the Pats will never have a true number one receiver. But that's on the table. Anything from the Patriots from the Combine. We did a little bit of Bruins. They returned to action tonight. Trade deadline a week from tomorrow. Buy, sell, and Jeremy Swayman is out. It's one of their biggest games of the year. I mean, no joke. It wouldn't sound like that. You know, Columbus Blue Jackets on a Thursday in February. Big deal, except the Bruins are in eighth place in the conference. The Blue Jackets are ninth, four points behind you for the last playoff spot. So this is a big swing game for that playoff berth. and Swayman's out and Mac is McAvoy. Do we know if McAvoy is playing or not? It was questionable. I haven't seen any updates further than that. Okay. They've been back stateside for like four or five days. I mean, it's ridiculous. I mean, Jack Hughes played last night. Not well, but did Dave Thompson play last night? Despite all of that, Stu Thompson had a good game. Thompson played great. I just saw a clip, so I couldn't even say that, but Jack Hughes came back to the Devils and started playing like a Jersey jack hughes again meaning soft non-factor uh but i'd love the guy to death so i'm no longer good that's the old that's what the old felger would have said new felger is american hero but anyway those guys came back and played your guys are going to sit with an act with one extra day beyond that ridiculous in a game you need for the playoffs yeah ridiculous they should be again the the bruins are in a playoff race now talk about the wrong reason not to play jet lag hangover I'm not even saying that. I'm even calling them out. I think they came back. Did they hit the clubs in Miami? Did they fly back to Miami and do that thing? Yeah, they went to Club 11. Okay, so look, that was on Monday. They were in D.C. on Tuesday. Okay, sleep it off for a day. Now we're on Thursday. What are we talking about? Play. McAvoy is officially a game-time decision, by the way. Okay. Well, maybe he's ginning up some fake NHL drama. Because here comes Captain America. Is he going to play or not? No, stop it. If he doesn't play, shame on him. And if we're building fake drama, shame on them. I'm not going to be a party to it. They should both be playing. I think Swayman's going to be on 9 tonight in street clothes. Okay. Swayman, I believe. That guy. Acoustic guitar. Playing some camps. The one thing before we go back to your phones. And then the Jason Tatum stuff, which I just continues to blow my mind. uh the you may have heard that that wonderful nfl players survey that they do every year about the nfl owners went to arbitration and the arbiter ruled that the nflpa could no longer release those results and people took that to mean that the survey is going away not the case with the only thing that the arbiter ruled is that the nflpa can't release it to the media they can't officially package it and you know i don't know what they were sending i think they were sending out like basically folders yeah whether you know digital digital folders or like the whole survey yeah like they they they produced it up as a presentation and if not an actual folder a digital folder with graphs and pie charts and ranking and so and they released that to the public this is so great so the arbiter said you can no longer release that to the public but they're still doing the survey there's no way that the anyone could rule that a union or working group could not talk amongst themselves about their working conditions, which is all that the players are doing. They're discussing amongst themselves their working conditions, but they're doing it in the form of a survey. And now they're just leaking it. Which is now being leaked. Brilliant. So if you haven't heard the updates, the great one, the Patriots have climbed out of the basement apparently. Weren't they 31st last year? Yeah, they were in the 30s. But they haven't climbed out much. Okay, well, the good news is they're out of the bottom three. The bad news is they're still not very good. But if you haven't been listening to the updates, the Steelers dead last. And one of the reasons is their locker room slash bathrooms. And one of the details that came out, the best part of these details, only five toilet stalls. Five. Can you imagine? 53 players plus another, what, 25 coaches, 20 coaches? Call it like 11 a.m. after breakfast. Chili. Boys, it's chili night. 3 p.m. after lunch, bean burritos, those 370-pound giant men, can you imagine what they do to those bathroom stalls? I told you it's like 7 a.m. at Logan. Can you imagine? And also, if ownership rank last and willingness to invest in facilities, that means the plumbing's probably not good, too. So by the time that you're the 52nd player on the roster, it's like, oh, man. And it looks like chocolate soft serves coming out of one of the stalls. Like, that's got to be horrible. Can you imagine? Seriously. There's 53 guys on a team, but effectively with practice squad, there's like 65 players. Can you imagine how much air fresher they have to go through? I mean, that is just five. Five. Five. Brutal. Five. Seriously, brutal. You cheap pricks. And you know the doors on those stalls are busted. We have Patriots details now. Jimmy, what do we got? All right, so this is coming from a gentleman by the name of Joseph Pesteros. hysteris so this could have to be out of town guys because the local guys no he says he's local um well the established local guys you think mike reese can be releasing any of this stuff i'm unfamiliar with his work but he is fine i say that with all my love you to death but but says he's freelance covering the pats he's covered by the likes of taylor kiles and karen garegian so there's some validity here i apologize i'm not familiar with his work but either way we're going with it well but go ahead uh he writes exclusive the nfl pa has the patriots ranked 26th overall out of the 32 teams on the confidential report cards released to players this week. They've moved up. It's confidential that we're now going to share with the world. Yeah, exactly. Players cited clear improvement in culture under head coach Mike Rabel. Ah, Rabel gets a credit. He got an A grade, top 10 league wide, strong marks for the offensive coordinator, third overall, and strength and conditioning staff, and better treatment of families up to a B. I think they flipped for a game day child care. Day care set? Yeah, day care. Don't you remember? they posted the job opening and it was like oh right season seasonal part-time eight hours a day 17 weeks that's it but we need somebody they still serve him bologna sandwich it was sort of like that but i think they did hire someone for sunday's go ahead do you want the juicy stuff yes definitely but major concerns remain team travel graded an f airplane ranked last described by one player as, quote, borderline unsafe. Playing hockey in the KHL. Bottom five facilities included the weight room and training room, low food quality tied to off-site prep, bologna sandwich, and continued frustration over synthetic turf. Oh. Turf blows. All turf blows. So I wonder, it's more than the ashtrays on the planes. Yeah, because... ... ... ... ... The window's open. Marcus Jones, get out there and hit the propeller for us. All right. Push. Off to New Jersey we go. Rattling around. Who's got jumper cables? You need to have a plane that feels safe for NFL players, guys. Come on. Wow. Described by one player as borderline unsafe. Come on. But they look cool. Yeah. They're up. They're not in the 30s. They're 26th, according to the public. They must have replaced the carpet. Remember the carpet last year? Oh, the purple towels. Oh, yeah, yeah. Because they have a stain. They were once blue, but they've been washed so many times. They're so old, they're now purple. I do love that Pete Carroll cup with the bologna sandwiches. Well, the weight room and training room, that will ostensibly get better because they're building this new one, right? Yes, that's right. That would change, I would think, next year. That's right. So, yeah, up to 26. So all those soccer players, I mean, the Patriots will have a better facility working because they needed to spruce that up for the World Cup. I mean, the Patriots, they did that for, obviously, the football team. Well, so Vrabel's having an impact there, too, at least in the eyes of the players. This is why Jared Stillman calls him the great Mike Vrabel. These guys, like, might as touch, like, it's a little much. But either way, listen, you're no longer 31. So you got that going for you. As I said, head coach Mike Vrabel got an A. Players graded executive vice president of player personnel, Elliot Wolfe, a B-plus. B-plus? How? Owner Robert Kraft, a B-minus. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, an A. And defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, Zach Kerr, a B. Okay. I need more details. Yeah, the good stuff. The five stalls is exactly what I'm talking about. The Cincinnati Bengals giving the players one free meal, but the second one costs them $8.50 for the fruit cup if they come back a second time. Like that sort of stuff. You get to eat once. That's what I need. Even though you're 400 pounds. Does the pilot come on? And you have no place to take a crap after you talk. Attention, as we make our way down to Cleveland, can the offensive linemen shift to the right side of the plane for weight distribution? Coming in hot. We have an unbalanced offensive line. We'll take a break here. Come back, I promise. Right back to your phone calls. Don't go anywhere. You're all lined up right to you after these words. Get ready for more Felger and Maz on the Sports Hub. Ready or not, it's more Felger and Mass on 98.5 The Sports Hub. I think the relationship... Hi, I'm Sean Flaherty, managing partner of Catch's Law Group. And for over 40 years, Catch's Law has been more than just a law firm. We've been your neighbors. We've stood with New England families through good times and through tough times. That's why the New England Patriots chose us to be their official law firm. Because we know what this region is built on. Hard work, grit, and loyalty. At Catches Law, we fight for workers who are injured on the job, families who have been wronged, and neighbors who need a voice. When you need someone in your corner, turn to the team that's been here for decades. Visit CatchesLaw.com today. This is 2026. No more messing around. It's the first day of the rest of your life. Today, you are switching to astound. Shifting your Wi-Fi and life into a new gear. Reliable, affordable connection. so you can browse, watch, and play like you've always wanted. Because slow Wi-Fi is so last year. Under budget, full speed ahead. That's Astound. Wi-Fi starting at $19.95 per month. Restrictions apply. See astound.com for details. Hey, it's Owen. Shaking things up a bit. No formal intro. Let's see what Carlo from Auburn has to say. The biggest thing that I received out of this Awaken 180 program was that I was able to get a best friend. And when I say that, I mean the person that I look to in the mirror every morning. I would walk by the mirror and not look. Now, the Awaken 180 program has given me the ability to look in the mirror, smile, and actually enjoy and appreciate the person I am. I went from, you know, 301 down to 213. I've lost 84 pounds with Awaken 180. 84 pounds and Carlo did it in just under four months and those results buddy are the results you get with Awaken 180 Do what Carlo did what I did Greg Bedard Dr Laura Carman and everybody else that's done it. Get back to liking the person you see in the mirror and choose Awaken 180 Weight Loss online at awaken180weightloss.com. ...ship with players and specifically ask about AJ has meant a lot. I've watched him grow. I've watched him mature. I'm proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I'm proud of the husband, and that has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played. So those are the things that are important. We reach out and text each other during the things that happen good to each other, and sometimes things don't go so well for the people that you're close with, and you text those as well. So it's a two-way street of support and reminders of what got us to where we are here today. The Eagles GM basically asked for trade offers for him yesterday. Is that something you might kick the tires on? Well, I think that we'll look at everything that we can possibly look at to add to our roster. There's a lot of things that go into trades. There's a lot of back and forth and taking on compensation. and so I'm sure there'll be a lot of opportunities for us to talk about trades, not only this week, but as we prepare and get closer to the draft, those are things when time ramps up. So again, that was Rabel yesterday and the whole A.J. Brown thing, which again, I just found brazen, blatant, so borderline tampering, as you raised the point early. It was so much as to wonder, they know they're not going to get him, So go ahead and talk about it. We're not tampering because we're not even in on it. And so what's the diff? I'm just trying to explore every possibility. They were really in on him. Would they make it look that blatant? Right. So it's either that it's in the bag and everybody knows it, meaning everybody around the league, like they've already decided it, or it's the opposite that, you know, they're not going to sign him and Vrabel's helping him out, you know, making him sound good so he has a good market and see you later. Otherwise, I mean, whether that's technically tampering or not, It's enough for, I mean, let's just say that it's not, where A.J. Brown goes is in the balance. It hasn't been decided. And the Eagles are weighing different options. But A.J. Brown is shooting down trade offers to other teams or telling those teams, I'm not going to sign with you. I'm not going to redo my contract for you. Because he knows Vrabel wants him. And now the Eagles can't pull off the right deal. That's when they go to the league and say, They killed our market. Vrabel was whispering in the guy's ear. He's not allowed to do that. Right. So, like, I don't know whether it's odd that Vrabel would do that if that sort of thing were in play, which leads you to believe it's probably not in play. It's either a done deal coming here or there was never a chance in the first place. And so what's the def? Yeah. You know, again, A.J. Brown went on that podcast and winked with Edelman. Well, players are allowed to do it. So that's true. Yeah. Coaches and executives from a team can't court. Yeah. or even discuss other players who are under contract with other teams. That's not allowed. Players, there's no. Yeah, so maybe behind the scenes it is that. They've told other teams, like, you know, and there's basically an agreement in place already. It's one or the other, I think. Back to your calls on everything. Ryan in Atlanta on the receiver question. Yes, Ryan. Hey, guys. Also, I wanted to add, Rabel caught himself. He almost said we talked during the season. I was like, oh, geez. But my personal reason as to why I think they won't get another wide receiver is because the owner and the remnants of whoever was left behind with Bill, they're petrified of paying the contract. If they hit on one of these guys, like when Christian Kirk got $80 million from the Jaguars stupidly, they don't want to pay $90 million for a possible Justin Jefferson second coming. They're terrified of that. Right. They just won't do it. I think they want to draft a good player, and I think they're happy for him to shoot through the roof as long as he's on his rookie contract. but when it comes time to pay that Jamar Chase or Justin Jefferson contract, they're not going to do it. Especially now. There might have been a time if they, let's say Mac Jones worked out and they were winning with Mac Jones, but Mac Jones was making mid-tier quarterback money, and so you're not paying your quarterback. You'll pay the receiver. I'm not saying they're not going to pay a guy. They'll pay a guy or two. I'm just telling you those slots are about to be taken by Drake May and Christian Gonzalez, and so you're not going to pay that receiver. So they might draft it, and they'll get the production while he's on his rookie contract, but they won't resign him. Well, the other thing now, too, that doesn't make it a horrible idea is, like, how hard is it to draft a good receiver anymore? These guys have come out like crazy. Fall out of trees. Really, there are a million of them. Every year it feels like they come in the league, and I say a million, but it's one of the hottest positions in football, it feels like, in the draft. And you feel like the only team that can't grab one. There is that. Seriously. Maz's Tears, who needs a ring the most? Connor McDavid, who needs a ring the most to validate their legacy or their career? Tommy and Worcester, go. Hey, yeah, I don't know. This is a different take. I know you guys talked about players, but you think about what about coaches? Sure. I always hear about Kyle Shanahan being like a whiz kid, and everyone talks about him so highly, but his teams never win, and they're always hurt. Great one. It is a good one, yes. Kyle Shanahan is roundly considered as a top three coach, top five coach, offensive genius, all of this. He needs one badly. That's a good one. Maybe the number one coach when I'm thinking about this. Unquestionably. Yeah, he's up there. Name me another coach. McDermott, you know, previously maybe. You've been in two Super Bowls. You had 10-point leads in both of them, and you blew it. No, that guy. You were the offensive architect behind 28-3. Yeah, he needs one pretty effing badly. How far away is Rabel from being on the list? Tier three. steven saratogi yes steve yeah hi um maz uh did you mention um did did you mention um garrett i mean uh garrett cole your comment line says garrett cole let me help you out we did not but good nominee he's another guy i mean again big money pitcher has been in the postseason crapped his pants a couple of times like you know the yankees haven't won a world series and close to, you know, what is that now? 20 years? We close it on 20 years. So, you know, yes, in play. Definitely. Whitney, go ahead. What do you got? Hey guys, I think that John Tavares and Claude Giroux should be added to that third tier. I think John's had 17 seasons. Claude's had 19. So good. Tavares, yes. Claude Giroux, was he ever considered the tippy top? Good question. Did Tavares ever win an MVP? I don't know if he did, but he was that kind of player for a time. He was. He definitely was. Why am I blanking? Oh, he was with the Islanders and then Toronto. No, he was elite, high-end, like prize-free agent, number one guy. Claude Giroux, a little underneath that, right, Kevin? He wasn't quite that guy. Tavares, I'll give you. Tavares finished in the top five for the heart at least twice. Jake in Boston, what do you got on the NFL PA survey? Any more dirt for us? Two things. One is they basically hired a consultant to deal with the wives and girlfriends this season, and it's why they had a lot more synergy than when Jen Belichick was telling them what to do. Wait, so hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, stop, shush. They didn't hire a daycare gal or a person, a daycare, someone to watch, they hired a consultant to talk to them? No, basically a consultant for the wives and girlfriends. You know, hey, I need this. I need that. Can you get me this piece of cloth? A liaison is your saying. Like a concierge. Exactly. Also on the plane, if I'm not mistaken, there was an incident with one of the engines or the tails in Florida a couple years ago on one of those planes. And then this is the same plane that they sent to Cuba to send migrants to Cuba not too long ago. Not to mention that Robert Kraft loans it out to everyone from SEC teams going to bowl games to, you know, any cause he could rally behind to get the plane. It's a PR prop, and it's not a safe plane. Okay. It's like the plane from Major League, like people are tweeting. Remember that one? I was just going to say, there was a problem with the engines of the tail. Yeah, it fell off. They don't put enough gas in it, too. You know, when they're stopped at whatever, you know, whatever road game that they're playing, they have Will Campbell go out and siphon off another plane. When they fly out west, they stop in Kansas City to refuel. The thing's knocking and pinging all the way to wherever they're going. Doug in North Andover on Jason Tatum. Hi, Doug. Doug A. Okay, babe, you can call us back. You know the number. Andrew in Milton on Jared Stillman, who you heard from yesterday. Yes, Andrew. What do you have to say about our buddy Jared Stillman? Hey, I'm not the biggest Rabel guy, so I don't want this to come off as Bobo Baloney, but, you know, we've got to stop talking like Jared Stillman's the voice of Tennessee sports. If you go on his Twitter, he has 12,000 followers. That would be like someone in Tennessee bringing on Nick Cattles, you know, to talk about, like, how bad someone is. You know what I mean? It's just it's... Well, let me tell you something, Andrew. If Nick Cattles were interesting, we'd put him on. Jared Stillman's ten times more interesting than Nick Cattles. The great Mike Rabel! And I say that with all the love and respect for Nick House. I don't care how many followers he has. It's Tennessee. He's fun to listen to. Right. That might be big in Tennessee. It's not the same markets as here. He's number three on the list in Tennessee. We're not exactly talking Chicago. What do you think about Jared Stillman? That's not what I do. If you want to do it, go ahead. I'll be sitting on the sidelines watching you talk about this for the next four months until your face turns blue. That was with Jones, wasn't it? Oh, yeah. I can understand the frustration there. Talk about a match there. Josh in the car. Go ahead, Josh. You guys are killing me. Stillman's huge in Tennessee. On Gonzalez, does it make sense for them to sign him now? Aren't we due for a TV rework? Hi, I'm Sean Flaherty, managing partner of Catcher's Law Group. At Catcher's Law, we're proud of our roots. For more than 40 years, we've been part of this community, raising families, cheering for the Patriots and fighting for our neighbors. Being named the official law firm of the New England Patriots isn't just an honor. It's a reflection of what we stand for. Loyalty, strength and community. Whether you've been hurt on the job or are suffering from years of physical wear and tear, we are here for you. Visit KetchesLaw.com or call us today to schedule your free consultation. This is 2026. No more messing around. It's the first day of the rest of your life. Today, you are switching to Astound. Shifting your Wi-Fi and life into a new gear. Reliable, affordable connection. So you can browse, watch, and play like you've always wanted. Because slow Wi-Fi is so last year. Under budget, full speed ahead. That's Astound. Gig Wi-Fi for $50 a month with a three-year price lock. Restrictions apply. See astound.com for details. Hey, it's Owen. Shaking things up a bit. No formal intro. Let's see what Carlo from Auburn has to say. The biggest thing that I received out of this Awaken 180 program was that I was able to get a best friend. And when I say that, I mean the person that I look to in the mirror every morning. I would walk by the mirror and not look. Now, the Awaken 180 program has given me the ability to look in the mirror, smile, and actually enjoy and appreciate the person I am. I went from, you know, 301 down to 213. I've lost 84 pounds with Awaken 180. 84 pounds of Carlo did it in just under four months. And those results, buddy, are the results you'll get with Awaken 180. Do what Carlo did what I did Greg Bedard Dr Laura Carman and everybody else that done it Get back to liking the person you see in the mirror and choose awaken 180 weight loss online at awaken180weightloss this cap really jumps today oh yeah so bob usually does you know kind of opposite you know what the red sox are doing with a potential strike next year but hit this hard early josh they have tons of caps that's not a cap thing you know what this is a good point though it might be smart for the to do it now because the number is just going up yes in fact what was that that latest uh report out or that that the the um tv money could double yeah in the next contract the next deal tv contract like double you know and that we all know that's a huge chunk of their revenue that means the the capital explode so it might be smart to get ahead of it before that before the money doubles and every salary doubles do you think that's a reason that why they'll do it this offseason no but but but i mean if i were them i would consider it yeah for sure numbers are only going to go up so the the more people you can button down now the better off you are chuck in boston on jason tatum and jalen brown yes chuck i so i'm listening to you guys and i have just a couple things about um kateman brown that i i i in most cases great players which they both are and i agree with you Michael that they're professionals and they want to win and they're not there to you know I and I agree with Naz they have their their their brand to keep up with that said in the case of Brown and Tatum I think two plus two equals three not two plus two equals five I don't think they complement each other very well neither one of them know how to pass they both need the ball and I would trade one of them and I would do it tomorrow if I could Brown is what I understand is very bright, very mercurial. I love the guy, but he's also a guy that I worry about next year. I might want to pick up the violin and say goodbye to the guys. You don't think they, Chuck, all the winning the last seven years in the NBA Finals and the Championship, all that didn't prove that they can play together and complement each other? I think they complement each other, but I think they both need the ball. Neither one of them is on a pass. I think Tatum gives them more rebounding and more flexibility defensively and cover the guys. Yes, they both want the ball, but they went to two NBA finals and won one and have won more games than any team, I think, in the last six years or something like this. Michael, they got their butt kicked in by the Knicks last year. I agree because their stupid play style. That's why they got their butts kicked in because the dopey coach and that dopey play style with the five out and the three-point shots did them in. That's why they lost. Not because they don't compliment each other. I just reject that. and I think that dopey play style would have caught up to him the year before, but they ended up playing the five seed, the four seed. You know what I mean? It was like a good road for him. I think they complement each other. I think that offense is ridiculous and hurts them. But all these things that have been brought up are factors. I don't deny that they're factors. I don't deny that they are egos involved, and I don't deny that these players care about their brands and how they're perceived. Of course they care about those things. I just can't believe that that would prevent Jason Tatum from coming back. And I believe all the stuff on the floor is probably an even bigger thing. Like, how is the offense going to run? It's different now. When Tatum comes back, how is the offense going to run? Who's going to get the last shot? Who has the ball, so to speak? Who does the offense run through? All those things are real. They got to figure that out. I just believe they'll figure it out. I just believe that for him to not come back because of those things is preposterous. No. There's things that have changed and things that are different now with them having the success that they're having without Tatum. He's going to come back, and they have to vet and figure all that stuff out. And they will. Right? They should be able to figure it out. I think they're more complimentary to one another than he does, but I understand his point. Like, it's not a perfect match. I get that. It's still good enough. And, you know, Brown should not have the ball in his hands all the time because, again, when they play in competitive games, forget the regular season. You can run the offense through him in the regular season. It's fine. But when they get to playoff games, he's going to get ball pressure. He'll get doubled, and he can't handle it. Just Bruce Brown on him last night was enough. Yes. And it doesn't make him a bad player. It just means there are limitations. Tatum's better at that than he is. And if you were to tell me that they could go get like a true ball handler and they both would play off, I would tell you I might be okay with that depending on who the ball handler is, but whatever. You know, Brown, you can't run it through Brown in the playoffs. You can't do that. He's not good enough. And for all the love Missoula's getting right now, and he's had a great year. He deserves coach of the year consideration and all of that. What he's doing now is not nearly as hard as what it's going to be if Tatum comes back. That's a harder thing to do. He's going to have to do it. Jason Timm should not stay on the sidelines because they're going to have to figure that stuff out. No, no, no, no. He comes back and you figure that stuff out. Right now, Missoula's just getting a team to overachieve behind one singular player and maxing out their effort and all that. I knew he had that in him. Can Missoula work it out between Brown and Tatum if there's all this stuff? No. I mean, if his relationship with Tatum is that good, who better to get through to Tatum? So do your job, Joe. If this is your guy, then you get Tatum to play the way you're playing now because it's better. I mean, this is the whole point of the coach having a good relationship with the star player. And if the team's better served for Tatum to be complimentary as opposed to the guy, then you get him to be complimentary and you work with him. And all those things should be the expectation. They shouldn't be the things that get you to say, well then don't come back. Here's an update from Big Jim Murray. We're right back. Final segment. Thoughts, calls, emails when we return. More Belger and Maz and you on the way on the Sports Hub. This is your home for the... Useless questions. That's normal. What are you, some kind of idiot? Belger and Maz, the Sports Hub. Just try it. Phones. Do a couple emails, that usual thing. Here's Rajiv in California. Go ahead, Rajiv. What do you got? Hey, I know earlier you were talking about Olympic hockey, and I think that's sort of the importance of it. Unlike Mark Bertrand saying that only diehard hockey fans would be watching, though, I think it's the opposite. I think your casual sports fan, people like me, ended up watching me. Watching it is people like Conor Hellebuck, who's been in the league for years, won a number of awards, but I actually didn't know who he was, even though I watched the Four Nations tournament. So that's why I think that's what's the importance of Olympic hockey. And then in regards to Jack Hughes, I think do you think it's the case of the players playing up to the skill level in the Olympics and playing better, And then when they come back into NHL, they sort of play back down to the normal level. That second one I'm curious about. These best-on-best things. I watch certain players. Jack Hughes is a different guy the last two weeks than anything that I'd watched with him with the Devils. And there's other guys like that. McAvoy's one of them. If you look at the Four Nations and how he performed overall during the tournament in the Olympics this year, he's a completely different guy, I think. So I didn't think he had a great Olympics this time. I thought his Four Nations was outstanding. So, but there's just something about certain guys when it's best on best, it just comes out. He's more willing to throw his body around, I think. Yeah, it's also best with best, right? I mean, you're playing with a higher quality teammate. So maybe some guys get elevated or, you know, and not necessarily in a bad way. I mean, they're capable of playing at a higher level, but in the NHL they don't have the people that can necessarily keep up with them all the time. The thing you said about how this was for, I actually agree with Beatle. if I'm not sure exactly what he said, but along the lines of this was for hardcore hockey people, it was until you got to the final and now they're in the gold medal. And it's, you probably, the casuals probably turned in at around nine 30, 10 o'clock and okay, I'll watch the final period. And sure. The three on three, we, but to follow the tournament, you had to is in the middle of the day during work. It was on F and peacock. Sometimes they didn't have a between periods. like the the the the other semi-final game started on the peacock and had no between period commentators and i'm not even talking murray about michael ruzzioni i'm talking about just a zamboni going around they just turned the camera on inside the stadium and you got the organ music and the zamboni driving around it was just a still shot and they had nothing like it was on live barn or yes exactly like a live feed like uh c-span honestly uh so no this was no to follow to really follow this tournament you had to be a hardcore this was they and this was sort of a disappointment that or work weird hours or unemployed there was one game you talked up it might have been canada finland or one of there was some canadian canadian game during the run that it was on i'm like i was running around i can't see this no they they they they put on the middle of the day uh and i know that there's a time difference so it's in a lot of these cases it's hard but to have the gold medal game at eight is just preposterous that's not for casual that it drew a huge audience because it's america and it's a gold medal game and i'm sure by the end of it people had woken up and they're in it they have a chance if they were down five to two going into the third it would have done nothing no casual fans are watching that so i don't it was one of my disappointments with NBC. I do not think NBC featured it. I don't think NBC gave it special treatment. I think NBC absolutely cheaped out on the commentary and the commentators, and there was no hockey panel. Again, this bothered me. So no, no, no, no, sir. They did not. That was for until you got to Sunday. That was for hockey people, not the casuals, which I personally don't care about. Like, I love the thing, and I'm obsessed with the thing, so that's all I need. I'll watch it whenever. And wherever I got to go, I'll watch it. But not casuals. If you're trying to draw casual fans, you don't play it at 8 a.m. on Sunday when you could have played it Saturday night the night before. Like, what precluded them from playing that? They played the bronze medal game Saturday night. I know they should have played Saturday night. And when I say Saturday, Saturday night Italy time, that was an afternoon game here in the States. a 9 p.m. start there is 3 p.m. here. 3 p.m. Sunday is box office. 3 p.m. even Saturday would be better. But I don't think they really cared about the hockey, which is unfortunate. As evidenced by the fact that the Italians decided to put up the rink with like three weeks to go until the games and then didn't even bother to measure the thing properly. Chet in Somerville. Hi, Chet. I think they did it on purpose. Hey, thanks for taking the call. I just want to respond. I preface this, I come from an objective lens. I'm not a green team or bozo. But what I'll say is regarding Tatum's fit back into the lineup and that previous caller in Jay Williams, I think that if you get the version of Jason Tatum when they won the championship in that Indiana series and against the Mavs, over those nine games, I think he probably had roughly 75, 80 assists. I mean, he was averaging eight or nine a game. And I take everything Jay Williams has to say with a grain of salt after he went on ESPN the day after Giannis and Dame Lillard debuted together. And he said, they've done more in one game in frigging October than seven years of Tatum and Brown. Not a green team bobo. That's kind of a ridiculous take. I'm not here to rip on Jay Williams. I'm not doing that. But his commentary reflects what I'm hearing all over the place. Because it was on this morning. I was watching it. So I pulled it. I'm not attacking Jay Williams. but his the opinions i've heard all over the place nick wright was saying the same stuff the day before and if i turn on any show i guarantee they saying roughly the same stuff it driving me nuts i think it ridiculous um i mean look when he it really that part of it should be simple If and when he ready to play he plays And everything else you figure out. Everything else, I'm not saying doesn't exist. Of course it exists. But if you're just about winning, you figure it out. Of course. Or you try. Of course. Listen. That's everyday life. And I'm not telling you that it's going to succeed. Maybe they come back and it does get gummed up between how they were playing with Brown and how they play with Tatum. And maybe that doesn't work when they come back. And they don't figure it out. You have to try. You don't sit there and go, well, I'm not going to come back because I don't know if we're going to figure out whose ball it is. That's just preposterous. You try and figure it out. Mike in the car. Go, Mike. Yeah, Joe Mazzula, Joe B coach or deserves coach of the year. And by the way, how is he a joke if he's won an NBA title, has never had a losing season, and has won 73% of his games? The Celtics didn't lose to the Knicks because of play style. They lost because Porzingis was a zombie and Tatum blew his Achilles. Down 3-1. You really believe that? You poor green teamers. I blame guys like Joe, Murray, and Scazz. That there are actually people out there who think you lost that series because Tatum blew his Achilles out. They were down nine points with two minutes to go. You had lost that game. You were down 3-1 with a healthy Achilles. It's your fault, Joe, Scaz. Do you people actually believe that? There's people out there who believe that. No, it's the talk radio equivalent of inciting a mob. Don't take that, Joe. I won't. And quite frankly, they choked. How many times can we tell you they choked? Thank you. Well, tell the caller. He's under this delusion. How can you be a dopey coach and coach of the year? Let me see. Mike Budenholders won it twice. Mike Woodson's won it once or twice. Do you know that seven of the last 10 NBA coaches of the year have been fired? Oh, I'm not surprised. In fact, in that league, it's almost sometimes that if you win the championship, it's more of a reason to get fired. Because it means you've got the best player, you better win. No, dopey coach is just, I'm just being a little strong on that. His offense is dopey. That is a dopey ass offense they were running the last couple of years. The five out, Chuck and Duck, just shoot the three. Dopey offense. That I stand by. Real quick, email. Before we do the final word, ciao. It's the Coleman Electric Email of the Day. Dear Felga, I really hate you. And I think Maz is a boob. It's electric. The Coleman Electric email of the day. It's electric. Send yours to Felger at 98.5 thesportshub.com. Email of the day brought to you by Coleman Electric, a bunch of really good electricians helping homeowners like you. When you need an electrician, call Coleman. It's electric. That's the new leader in the clubhouse right there. Paul Perillo. It's electric. K-U-H-L-M-A-N Panel replacements, old wiring As usual, a million tier suggestions Our buddy Sean sent us one that I just do feel like mentioning Because it was probably a miss Forgot one in the NBA, Maz Chris Paul, tier 3 He's retired Oh! He's out of the league now, he's retired You said active, didn't you? Yes, Chris Paul has retired No longer active Well, put that on your bagel and spread it there, Sean Yeah, put that in your pipe and smoke it, Sean. That take right there was tea bagging with Maz. Also, I know it's Maz's tea. Maz's tea. It's time for teeing it up with Maz. Brought to you by Bigelow Tea. I'm not even joking. Official hot tea of the Boston Red Sox. Bigelow. Grab a mug and tea proudly. Chris Paul has retired. Got to get that sponsor in. Oh. Then I've got quite a few backing me up where Jimmy Stewart had an elbow spasm when I said I've, I had this take in the past about how the Pats will never have a number one wide receiver and no one wanted to believe me. Thomas in East Boston, you did say the Pats will never have a number one. Felger, I'm a P1 listener for the last 15 years, grew up on you guys and never miss a segment. You 100% said in the past the Pats will never get a number one receiver and under Kraft ownership, I agree. Just wanted to let you know you're not crazy on this one. Jay Stu needs a better memory. I want to hear it. New writes in. I ultimately backed it, though. I have definitely heard you say this on the air before. Tom Lowell went so far as to say, dear Felger, I clearly remember this take and I found the proof for you. Type this one into the YouTube search bar. Felger colon Patriots will never, all caps, add or pay a number one receiver. Bedard and Holly debate on BSD. It doesn't count. What do you mean? It doesn't count. It has to be here. How the hell are we supposed to hear it when it's somewhere else? I absolutely said it here. I have takes on the shower. It doesn't mean that they apply. Let me tell you something. It's rare that what I say on TV isn't said here at some point. Rare. Well, in this case, it is one of those rare times that didn't happen. So I got, oh, and finally this one. Saving the good stuff for night. Felger's Geo Fail. Dear Felger. Point that one out to Mary. Did you skip every geography class ever? Can we dispense with the American idiocy about the world? It's not that hard. Great Britain is the island that includes England, Scotland, and Wales. Thus, Andy Murray can be Scottish and British, but he cannot be Scottish and English. Correct. I think we got that right, ultimately. No, you could be British and English, but it's a little different. English and British are not, as Big Jim said three times over, one and the same. Oh, it basically is. Oh, he's Welsh. You're British. Get lost. Try saying this in a Scottish pub and see how that goes, Murray. Well, the Scots are different My God, men, please look at a map for 10 seconds So wait a minute English and British are not the same? No, because British encompasses a bigger entity How do they sound? It's the same It's not the same I mean, if you're English, you're also British I understand, so you can be English and British at the same time Yes, you can So what do you mean? He's wrong No, because it only works one way In other words, if you're English, by definition, you're British. Right. If you're British, you're not necessarily English. Right. You could also be Scottish or Welsh. Correct. Yes. I get it. They are a little different. But saying English and British are not one and the same? No, they are one and the same. No, they're not. I'm going with the same. I'm with Murray on this one. They're not the same. Can I have one last email? John Lincoln Pound Sand. Yes, 100%. Tommy Fleetwood is English. I'm looking at his Wikipedia page. Thomas Paul Fleetwood is an English professional golfer. He's British. Go ahead. From Jim and Melrose to Felger. Headline It ain't my fault. When you get emails saying how come you didn't do five questions today after you teased it yesterday. It's not my fault. I sent the questions. Mike was yelling about Jason Tatum too much. That's entirely true. Jim and Melrose. We'll have to do it tomorrow. Five questions have nothing to do with sports tomorrow. Tomorrow. Yeah. Final word is now. Hey, it's Belger here. Now on Belger and Mads. It's the final word. Recapping this four-hour show in four minutes, which leads to the question, does it really need to be four hours long? No. All right, final word brought to you by Town Fair Tire. If you're looking for the best deal on tires, there is only one place to go. It's Town Fair Tire. The best prices and great free services. Nobody beats Town Fair Tire. Nobody. All right, that whole thing with the take about the wide receivers, fairness of the show. You know what? The audio has been found. So let's recap that whole thing from earlier today. Let me ask you overall your thoughts about the Patriots and the receiver position. I said this take at some point in the last couple of years. I forgot I said it. I remembered it, thank God, because I think it's a strong take, and I'm going to stick with it. Do you remember me saying, I don't think the Patriots will ever have a true number one receiver, ever? No, I don't remember you saying that. I said it. I've taken me. Do you have it on? Do you have that tape of it? Nope. But I said it. If not in my dreams, maybe to myself in the car. Jimmy, is your elbow okay? Oh, this is the biggest bunch of BS I've ever seen. You're safe. Wait a minute. I'm with Jimmy. A little bit of an elbow spasm? This is me. Okay? Wait a minute. I swear to God I said it. You guys are all a bunch of dicks. I said it. Brandon in the car. Lead us off. Brandon, go ahead. Hey, Felger, you did say that, so we have to bow to you. Thank you. It was on April 4th of 24. Yeah, it was your hot take on BST. Okay, there we go. We'll track it down. April 4th, 2024. So it was on BST, though. It was said. Yep. It wasn't said here. It doesn't count. Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know if you had another point, but what other point is there other than I've said it? Yeah, if it didn't happen here, it didn't happen. All right, you want my hot take? Yeah, let's hear the hot take. I don't think the Pats will ever get a number one receiver. Oh, I don't think that was coming. they will ever have a number one receiver. Oh! Woo! The heat check. Yeah, that was the heat check. Holly with the heat check. That was his laser. Woo! Don't touch that one, Joe Murray. Woo! A little too hot, my friend. Don't touch this, Joe. We got a half-hour show. We've had full shows for the last three weeks. So it's now going to be about 26 minutes because we went too long. Sorry. That's fine. That's okay. I love the Tatum come back or not story. just for the simple fact he can hold them over a barrel a little bit because last night, like, they couldn't do anything without him last night, and I just think it showed how important he is. So start there. Yeah, you know, your best player is typically important. Yes. So that's it. Tomorrow's a gender-free front. Hi, I'm Sean Flaherty, managing partner of Catcher's Law Group. At Catcher's Law, we're proud of our roots. For more than 40 years, we've been part of this community, raising families, cheering for the Patriots, and fighting for our neighbors. Being named the official law firm of the New England Patriots isn't just an honor. It's a reflection of what we stand for. Loyalty, strength, and community. Whether you've been hurt on the job or are suffering from years of physical wear and tear, we are here for you. Visit KetchesLaw.com or call us today to schedule your free consultation. This is 2026. No more messing around. It's the first day of the rest of your life. Today, you are switching to astound. Shifting your Wi-Fi and life into a new gear. Reliable, affordable connection. So you can browse, watch, and play like you've always wanted. Because slow Wi-Fi is so last year. Under budget, full speed ahead. That's Astound. Gig Wi-Fi for $50 a month with a three-year price lock. Restrictions apply. See astound.com for details. Hey, it's Owen. Shaking things up a bit. No formal intro. Let's see what Carlo from Auburn has to say. The biggest thing that I received out of this Awaken 180 program was that I was able to get a best friend. And when I say that, I mean the person that I look to in the mirror every morning. I would walk by the mirror and not look. Now, the Awaken 180 program has given me the ability to look in the mirror, smile, and actually enjoy and appreciate the person I am. I went from, you know, 301 down to 213. I've lost 84 pounds with Awaken 180. 84 pounds and Carlo did it in just under four months. And those results, buddy, are the results you'll get with Awaken 180. Do what Carlo did, what I did, Greg Bedard, Dr. Laura Carman, and everybody else that's done it. Get back to liking the person you see in the mirror and choose Awaken 180 Weight Loss online at awaken180weightloss.com. Friday, including five questions that have nothing to do with sports. Sorry about that. My bad. See you tomorrow. See you, Mike. Hey, stay tuned for more Felger and Maz, okay? Thanks.