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Tony Massarotti comes under fire again after an obvious racist insult

Tony Massarotti comes under fire again after an obvious racist insult

A longtime Boston sports radio host has come under fire for appearing to use a racial slur on the radio Wednesday.

Tony Massarotti, host of 95.5 The Sports Hub's afternoon drive show “Felger & Mazz,” used a derogatory term when describing Generation Z in a segment.

Speaking to co-host Michael Felger, Massarotti said: “By the way, I noticed that the 'Z' stands for 'Zipperhead,'” using a slur that was used against people of Asian descent after its origins during the Korean era Vietnam wars.

Warning: offensive language

The Committee of 100, an organization that advocates for issues important to the Chinese American community, lists the term as racist because it “lumps all people of Asian descent into one group while portraying them as weak and dangerous “.


Tony Massarotti (right) made this comment during Wednesday's show.
Tony Massarotti (right) made this comment during Wednesday's show.

The former Boston Herald columnist and Sports Hub host since 2009 was criticized on social media for his language.

“You are an af king joke @TonyMassarotti. Using insults in general is bad, but dropping one on live television and radio? Eat a bunch of shit,” one angry user wrote on X.

“Tony is 56 years old, making him part of Generation X,” wrote another. “I looked. In his case, X must stand for xenophobe. Even if it somehow only happens unconsciously. I can’t say I’m the least bit surprised.”

“Think Mazz clearly didn't mean this as a racial slur, but still being incompetent enough to say this will or won't go live on air by accident is confusing,” wrote another.

The Sports Hub did not immediately respond to The Post when reached for comment.

Massarotti was suspended without pay in 2023 after he made racially insensitive comments during a segment in which Felger was working remotely with two black men sitting behind him at a hotel.


Tony Massarotti was suspended in 2023 for comments he made on the show.
Tony Massarotti was suspended in 2023 for comments he made on the show.

“Now I want to know who the two guys behind you are,” Massarotti asked Felger, who appeared on the show at a hotel in New Orleans, according to WCVB. “You can’t hear us, can you? OK, so I'd be careful if I were you. Because the last time you were with a bunch of guys like that, they stole your car.”

He later apologized for his words.

“Late in the show on Friday I made some comments that upset and angered some people, and rightly so,” Massarotti said after his comments in 2023. “I wish I could take them back.” I can't. They were callous, they were hurtful, and frankly, they damaged the cause of 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 border, which is what made things so difficult in a lot of ways.”

Massarotti has not yet responded to Wednesday's post on social media.

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