What did Tony Massarotti say? Radio host comes under fire over muttering Z-slur live on air

Tony Massarotti, a longtime Boston sports radio host on 95.5 The Sports Hub has drawn criticism for seemingly using a racial slur on Wednesday's broadcast. During a segment, on October 16, he used a negative word to describe Gen Z.

While speaking with his co-host Michael Felger, Massarotti, who hosts the afternoon drive show Felger & Mazz on The Sports Hub, jokingly said:

"I've determined, incidentally, that the 'Z' stands for 'zi*perhead.'"

As per Urban Dictionary, people of Asian heritage have been subjected to this term. Frontline soldiers who had run over enemy troops in jeeps during the Korean War coined it. According to the soldiers, the jeeps' tire tracks created a pattern along the bodies that resembled a closed zipper.

Once the show's clip was uploaded on X on October 17, netizens took to the comment section to criticize Massarotti. Some asked the authorities to "fire him," whereas some tagged him as a "dummy."

"Legitimately, fire him," wrote one X user.

"Tony is a dummy," said another one.

"Dude should be EXILED," asserted an X user.

Other X users also preached to the choir. Some called him "racist," whereas others questioned the channel for not firing him for his comment.

"Fired," one X user simply commented.

"GASPED at this one," expressed another one.

"How isn't he fired by the end of his show? That is racist and screaming to be offended is one thing but that is actually straight out racist," argued another person.

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Tony Massarotti has faced fire before due to his alleged racist comment

Tony Massarotti has been tagged as a racist (Image via Getty Images)

This isn't the first time that Massarotti, 56, faced fire for saying something racially insensitive. Last year, he was suspended from a radio show after he got into trouble for using racial remarks.

He was placed on unpaid leave, after making offensive comments during a show when his co-host Michael Felger was working remotely from a hotel in New Orleans with two African-American men seated behind him.

As per NY Post's October 17 article, Tony Massarotti was speaking to Felger, when the former mentioned the two African-American individuals and said:

"I wanna know now who the two guys behind you are. They can't hear us, right? OK, so I would be careful if I were you. Because the last time you were around a couple of guys like that, they stole your car."

Later, Tony Massarotti explained that he was merely attempting to "poke fun" at Felger, who allegedly had his car stolen in the fall in New Orleans. In addition, the local media personality acknowledged that his joke went too far and "hurt the case" of people who want social and racial equality.

On February 21, 2023, he further took to X to apologize and said:

"Late in the show on Friday, I made some comments that angered and upset some people, and rightfully so. 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 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."

Meanwhile, following his recent comment, neither Tony Massarotti nor the Sports Hub said anything about the comment or the backlash on social media.