Boston's Michael Felger: Roy Halladay 'Got What He Deserved'

BOSTON, MA — Did former Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay deserve to die for the manner in which he was flying his plane? According to one popular sports radio host in Boston, absolutely.

Michael Felger, one of Boston's most prominent - and controversial - sports personalities and the co-host of the 'Felger and Massarotti' afternoon drive program on 98.5 The Sports Hub, went on a nearly 12-minute rant Wednesday during which he made it clear he thought Halladay was a "moron" for the way he died.

Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, lost his life Tuesday while flying his plane over the Gulf of Mexico. He was 40.

Video obtained by TMZ showed the plane being operated in an erratic manner, dropping from 100 feet to just over the water. Witnesses told TMZ Halladay appeared to be showboating at times.

"This is what makes me mad," Felger said. "I don’t know why it makes me mad, but it makes me angry. Someone who is so cavalier about life and doesn't appreciate the tenuousness of life and is willing to screw around with life and death, especially with children and a family ... yet you’ve got to get your rocks off by whatever it is that you do that cheats death,” Felger said. Listen to Felger's full segment at the end of this story

The constant contrarian continued, comparing Halladay to people like 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin, who was killed in 2006 by a stingray, and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, who died in a crash during the 2001 Daytona 500.

Felger continued in a mocking tone: "You’re 40 years old and a multi-millionaire with a loving family and you have to get that thing where you can dive bomb from 100 feet to 5 above the water with your single-engine plane with your hand out the window going 'Weeeee! Weeeee! Yeah man, look at the G-force on this, I’m Maverick. Yeah man, look at this, this is so cool!’' And you die. Splat. And it's over.”

Read: What Roy Halladay Meant To Philadelphia

Co-host Tony Massarotti and third-chair Jim Murray took a softer tone, but agreed with Felger's larger point that Halladay's death was no tragedy.

"When you see the video of this thing, he was like an aerial acrobat," Massarotti said. "He was flying around, goofing up there, zipping towards the water coming back up. Once you see the video it is sorta hard to look at and think this is a tragedy."

“What bugs me about a story like this is when they use the word tragedy. A tragedy is what happened at that church in Texas or an orphanage burns down. This? You know the risks. If you’re a thrillseeker and you die his way, you know the risks. It's unfortunate circumstances, not a tragedy."

Felger said he once got into a small plane with a friend and went helicopter skiing. Both times he asked himself what he was thinking.

“If I die helicopter skiing, you have the right to do the exact same thing I'm doing to Roy Halladay. He got what he deserved,” Felger said.

Felger has a well-documented history of touching nerves with his "hot takes." Earlier this year, he criticized Boston Celtics star Al Horford for taking time off during the season to be with his wife while she gave birth to their child.

In 2011, he said on the air that then-New England Sports Network reporter Heidi Watney had an affair with Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek.

While working as a Boston Bruins beat writer for the Boston Herald in 1999, Felger was banned by the NHL from all team locker rooms after he called Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs a “thief” for putting profits over championships. He was taken off the beat and placed on the Patriots beat later that year.

At the start of Thursday's show, a remorseful Felger said that to say he was insensitive and over the top is stating the obvious.

"There is stuff that I did mean, but the presentation and tone and the hyperbole was low-class, bad, not good, I don’t feel good about it. I regret my conduct yesterday. I believe what I believe, but the tone and hyperbole were uncalled for."

He then clarified that the "He got what he deserved" quote that has been used as a headline on several sites was in reference to himself, if he died helicopter skiing, and not Halladay.

Felger then said he would take calls from listeners and questions from reporters for the rest of the show.

Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images