Barrett Media produces over 20 stories per day on the music, news, and sports media industries. Stay updated on the latest happenings by signing up to receive our newsletters straight to your inbox.
98.5 The Sports Hub afternoon host Tony Massarotti has apologized after coming under fire from listeners after using a racial slur against Asians during Felger & Mazz on Wednesday. Massarotti was discussing his issues with Gen Z with co-host Mike Felger. He shared that he believes the Z stands for a slur directed at Asians that originated during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
At the beginning of today’s episode Felger gave Massarotti the floor to address what happened.
“I did want to address this because during yesterday’s show while we were discussing baseball’s Gold Glove Awards, the voting and the data that went into it, I made reference to Tyler Milliken and people his age and their reliance on some of the metrics and how I didn’t believe in them. And in so doing, I used a derogatory term that was unbeknownst to me.
“I didn’t know that this term had a derogatory connotation, but I used it in reference to Milliken and his Gen Z brethren, for lack of a better term. I have since come to the realization that historically, there is some derogatory context for that term, which I assure you I did not know. Nonetheless, in so doing, if you are among those who I offended, I apologize for that. It was not my intent, I can assure you of that. I had no idea that the word had that meaning.
Massarotti continued, “As such, I won’t use it again. You’ll never hear me use it again, on the air or off, and I don’t know what else to say. I mean, there was no intent behind it is all I can tell you, and I apologize again to those who are offended.”
