Phillies

The Radio Host Who Insulted Roy Halladay Proves Himself To Be a Hypocrite

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Nov 9th, 2017 · 1:53 PM EST

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Once an asshole, always an asshole.

I think that’s how the saying goes.

Listen, Michael Felger, of 98.5 in Boston, did have a point when he said that Roy Halladay showed carelessness in the thrill-seeking pursuit that ultimately killed him, leaving his wife without a husband and sons without a father.

But if Felger really cared about that family, or had a shred of human decency, he could have waited more than 24 hours to marginalize a tragedy or at least frothed through his diatribe with some tact.

So it’s somewhat strange that the guy who excoriated Halladay for abandoning his family also thinks that paternity leave is a joke, based on this April exchange with a co-worker:

Here’s that Boston sports radio host – FAMILY MAN – crushing athletes for taking paternity leave https://t.co/wM0LrzSx02

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) November 9, 2017

It was… rather uncomfortable to listen to that argument with Michael Hurley, who writes for CBS Boston. Felger had jokingly teased Hurley about taking time off to be with his newborn, but Hurley wasn’t amused.

Felger: I mentioned our co-worker Michael Hurley, who is taking like a six-week paternity leave, when all he really does is come in here for 45 minutes a day and write whiny Deflategate articles. What? You can’t take 45 minutes away from the kid to write whiny Deflategate articles? Apparently he didn’t like that and took umbrage to it and wanted to respond. So Michael Hurley, go ahead and respond.

Hurley: Felger, what the hell is wrong with you? What went wrong in your life? This is what the etiquette is when someone has a baby, when your co-worker has a baby: ‘how’s the mother doing? how’s the baby doing? oh, that’s nice.’ That’s about as much as you’re allowed to weigh in on someone else is having a child. I don’t know where it went wrong. I know you’re a little bit older than me but I’ll teach you about life – that’s how normal humans interact in this world. They don’t go on rants about their co-workers being ‘soft,’ or ‘babies,’ or whatever the hell you were saying the other day. So, I don’t know what went wrong in your life.

Felger: So my qualifier is always that, as long as the mother and child are okay…

Hurley: Well, you didn’t say that. I got out of the hospital and didn’t think that was part of what was going on. It’s usually a joyous occasion. You don’t have people on the radio and TV blasting you as soon as you get home from the hospital.

Felger: I always say it. I said it with (Al) Horford, I said it with Jackie Bradley a couple of years ago, I said it with Eddie Rodriguez, of course, if there’s a medical concern, then that’s a whole different story.

Hurley: This is what life is like for people who don’t summer in Nantucket. I’m thankful I work for a company that gives me time to take care of my family.

Felger: Why do you think I get to summer in Nantucket? Because I worked my ass off. And when my wife had a baby, I went into work two days later because my work is important to me. I didn’t think you were serious. You’re serious. You want a tissue? Why do you think I summer in Nantucket? You think that was handed to me? You asshat? Because I worked my ass off and I prioritized work. That’s important to me and important to my family. I didn’t spend two weeks going, ‘goo goo ga ga.’ And if you have to, if someone’s hurt, do it. But don’t put your crap on me either now.

If we’re being honest here, neither guy is in the wrong.

If Hurley needs to take paternity leave to be with his child, go do it. If Felger feels like he should go back to work after 48 hours, then amen. And if he built up his career to be able to afford nice things, then that’s the American dream, yeah?

But don’t be a hypocrite. You can’t rip a co-worker for prioritizing his family and then scold Roy Halladay for not prioritizing his family. Make up your mind.