Radio Host Tony Massarotti Apologizes For On-Air Racial Slur

Radio host Tony Massarotti is apologizing for muttering a racial slur while live on air this week ... telling his fans he had no idea the term was a derogatory one.

Massarotti unleashed the 80-second mea culpa during Thursday's episode of "Felger & Mazz" ... insisting he had no malice in his heart when he said "z*****head" during his show on Wednesday.

Massarotti was adamant he was simply trying to poke fun at his Gen Z-aged colleague ... and nothing further.

"I did want to address this," Massarotti said after his cohost, Michael Felger, gave him the floor. "Because during [Wednesday'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."

He continued, "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."

The word, of course, has often been used against people of Asian descent ... but throughout his apology, Massarotti insisted he was totally ignorant to that.

"I had no idea that the word had that meaning," he said.

The former Boston Globe sportswriter then vowed to never utter it again.

"I don't know what else to say," he added. "There was no intent behind it is all I can tell you when I apologize again to those who are offended."

This is not the first time the radio host has had to say sorry on air ... in February 2023, he cautioned Felger to be wary of two Black men who were sitting behind him, "Because the last time you were around a couple of guys like that, they stole your car."