LISTEN: Boston Sports Radio Host Mocks Roy Halladay’s Death

Getty Former Major League pitcher Roy Halladay talks to the media prior to the game between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies on August 8, 2014 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

We live in a world of takes and there are hot takes, there are cold takes. Unfortunately there are also God awful, cringe-worthy takes, which is what we got on Wednesday from a Boston sports radio host. While talking about the death of Roy Halladay, a former Major League pitcher, Michael Felger, who co-hosts Felger and Mazz on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, went in a direction that few, if any, have gone since the pitcher died in a plane crash on Tuesday.

“It angers me,” Felger said. “Someone, who, I don’t know, is so cavalier about life and just doesn’t appreciate the tenuousness of life and is willing to screw around with life and death? Especially when you have children, or a family?”

screenshotMichael Felger (L) mocked Roy Halladay’s death Wednesday

Felger went on for ten disgusting minutes about how Halladay was selfish and foolish for even getting in the plane in the first place and the crash was his fault; he deserved to die. Felger would go on to call Halladay both an “idiot” and a “jackass” in his rant.

Halladay, who pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies before retiring in 2013, crashed into the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday in his recently purchased ICON A5. He had obtained his pilot’s license shortly after retiring, having been inspired by his father who was a pilot himself. He is survived by his wife Brandy and the couple’s two sons: Ryan and Braden.

GettyRoy Halladay was one of the top pitchers during his career with Philadelphia and Toronto.

The fact that Halladay did have a family was one of the many issues Felger had with Halladay pursuing his passion for flying, saying that “it just sorta angers me. You care that little about your life? Or the life of your family? Your little joyride is that important to you?” Yet according to a statement released in early October when Halladay bought the ICON A5, his wife was supportive of his hobby.

Felger’s take on Halladay went beyond taking issue with the man having a family and pursuing a somewhat dangerous hobby. He mocked the former Hall of Famer of numerous occasions.

“‘[In a voice mocking Halladay] Weeeee! Weeeee! Yeah man look at the G-force on this! I’m Maverick. Yeah man, look at this it’s so cool!’ And you die. Splat. And it’s over. So you’re that guy? You have to do that?”

“He’s not a militarily-trained pilot, he’s not a professionally-trained pilot, he’s a Joe Q. Citizen who buys a plane that folds up and you can put in your garage and that’s amphibious, ‘Wheee! Oh look, I just landed on the water, everybody! I’m going to tweet it!’ Splat. You’re dead. With two kids. Moron.”

And then, as if to somehow justify his controversial stance, Felger added that he felt the same way in 2001 when NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt died, saying that he was rooting for the wall.

As of Wednesday evening, The Sports Hub had yet to make a comment on Felger’s rant, according to Chad Finn of The Boston Globe.

Felger is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but has lived in Boston since 1988, having graduated from Boston University in 1992. He worked for The Boston Herald and ESPN prior to joining The Sports Hub. He is also an anchor for Comcast Sportsnet in Boston.

Felger & Mazz runs weekdays from 2pm to 6pm.