Boston radio host sparks controversy by refusing to give Celtics' credit for blowout win [Credit: CelticsUnite18 on Twitter/X via NBC Sports Boston]
NBARadioBy Sam Neumann on

Known for its impossibly high expectations, the Boston sports media holds the city’s four major sports teams to a championship standard, often leading to intense criticism when performance falls short of these lofty expectations.

Despite exceeding expectations, the Boston Celtics’ success—especially in recent weeks—can sometimes be met with negativity from specific media figures.

A recent video circulating on social media showcases some of that prickliness. Renowned Boston sports commentator Michael Felger appears less than enthusiastic about the team’s dominant 140-88 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

https://twitter.com/CelticsUnite18/status/1765035473120977040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1765035473120977040%7Ctwgr%5E26442e7f0865046a68e20961240ddeda6e273254%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FCelticsUnite18%2Fstatus%2F1765035473120977040

This comes even though the Celtics hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 48-12 record and riding an 11-game winning streak. Felger’s lukewarm reaction, captured in the viral video, was as if to say he wasn’t impressed with a 52-point victory.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Felger has made a nice career for himself in the greater New England area. He co-hosts the Felger and Mazz radio show on WBZ-FM (98.5 FM) alongside Tony Massarotti, a former Boston Herald columnist. He also serves as a television host for NBC Sports Boston.

Despite his professional ties to Boston, Felger remains a loyal fan of his hometown team, the Milwaukee Bucks, which can sometimes color his commentary on the Celtics.

“I’m not blaming you for, you know, blowing doors,” Felger told his co-host. “I’m just saying it didn’t tell me anything. I guess what I am criticizing is anyone who takes that and says, ‘See, we’re ready.’ Like, ah, you hit some 3s in the first quarter, man; really?”

Co-host Tony Massarotti (Mazz) relayed a conversation from a previous caller accusing him of being overly critical of the Celtics, claiming he wouldn’t acknowledge a win and would have been “killing them” if they had lost. Mazz responded, “Correct,” while laughter erupted in the background.

As one would imagine, those comments sparked quite a controversy on social media.

In saying the quiet part out loud, the radio hosts essentially gave away the game by admitting they would’ve killed the Celtics if they had lost. They are refusing to give them credit for another 50-point win, which also saw the Warriors held to their lowest total all season.

Given the radio hosts’ openly expressed bias, it is fascinating to consider how they might react to the Celtics’ loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. We wouldn’t bank on either radio host giving the NBA-leading Celtics any benefit of the doubt.

[CelticsUnite18 on Twitter/X]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann