Boston Sports Talk Radio Host Gives Emotional Apology After ‘Hurtful’ Comments About Black People

Boston sports talk radio host Tony Massarotti gave an emotional apology on Monday after he made a “hurtful” joke about two Black men on Friday.

Massarotti’s co-host Mike Felger did their Felger & Mazz radio show on 98.5 The Sports Hub in a remote hotel common area where two Black men sat behind the radio host as his show was on the air. Massarotti seemed interested in the two men who were in the room with Felger.

“I wanna know now who the two guys behind you are,” Massarotti said. “They can’t hear us, right? Okay, so I would be careful if I were you cause the last time you were around a couple of guys like that, they stole your car.”

Massarotti could not contain his laughter after he made the comments.

His mood quickly changed on Monday after he had all weekend to sit around and think about what he said to close out the week.

“Late in the show on Friday, I made some comments that angered and upset some people, and rightfully so,” Massarotti said. “I wish I could take them back — I can’t. They were insensitive; they were hurtful, and frankly, they hurt the cause for those of us who believe in racial and social equality and all of those things.”

“And I do; I’m on that side of the line. Which is what made this thing so difficult in so many different ways, so I owe everyone an apology. It’s not who I am; it’s not who we are,” he said.

The Felger & Mazz co-host understands if listeners don’t consider his apology sincere.

“I can tell you that until I’m blue in the face,” Massarotti said. “Those of you who know me will believe it. Those of you who don’t, won’t. And you probably shouldn’t. If I saw and heard what you did, I’d feel the same way. The only thing I can really do is apologize for it.”

“There is a line somewhere, and I can assure you I stand on the right side of it,” he said. “But again, that doesn’t excuse what I said or did on Friday.”

Massarotti apologized to Felger and co-host Jim Murry for “dragging you into it.”

“It just came out wrong, and I wish I could give you a better answer than that ’cause we’re in a business where we should be careful about what we say and how we say it, and I wasn’t,” Massarotti said.

Watch above via NBC Sports Boston.