Michael Felger is the voice that either makes your afternoon commute bearable or sends you reaching for the dial. The Milwaukee native turned Boston sports radio king has spent over 15 years alongside Tony Massarotti on “Felger and Mazz,” delivering the kind of blunt sports commentary that keeps listeners either nodding in agreement or shouting at their radios. Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him. And that’s exactly how he likes it.
| Date of Birth | August 6, 1969 |
|---|---|
| Age | 57 years |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Occupation | Sports Radio Host and Broadcaster |
| Net Worth | $1 Million |
| Full Name | Michael Alan Felger |
| Spouse | Sara Underwood, journalist (married October 19, 2002) |
| Children | Two daughters, Emma and Tess |
| Known For | Co-host of "Felger and Mazz" on 98.5 The Sports Hub |
| Education | Boston University, College of Communication (1992) |
Biography
Michael Alan Felger was born on August 6, 1969, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in the heart of Midwest sports culture, where Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Milwaukee Brewers debates were standard dinner table conversation. His father, Rocky, played a massive role in shaping his broadcasting style. Rocky was, in Michael’s words, “a crusty old sports fan who was always bitching at the TV and complaining about the Packers coach.” Those dinner table arguments about coaches’ decisions and team strategies became Michael’s training ground for the provocative commentary.
Felger has pushed back on the idea that he grew up wealthy, saying on his Off-Air Show that his family lived in a duplex in Milwaukee and that both his parents worked as lawyers rather than anything resembling old money: his father as a city prosecutor for Milwaukee, his mother in part-time family law handling divorces and child custody cases while raising the kids. Rocky Felger passed away in February 2025. When Michael returned to air, colleagues said he spoke movingly about his father, crediting him with instilling both his love of sports and his willingness to speak critically about local teams.
At 18, in 1987, Michael headed east to Boston University. He graduated in 1992 from the College of Communication with a degree in broadcast journalism.
Career
Michael’s journalism career actually began in 1989, not upon graduation. On his first day as a sophomore, his professor Norman Moyes referred him to the Boston Herald for an internship. He started at the bottom, answering phones and typing box scores, working the same intern desk as Tony Massarotti and a young Bill Simmons. Felger and Massarotti were both eventually hired on full time; Simmons wasn’t, and instead started writing on the internet himself, a path that eventually turned him into one of the most recognizable names in American sports media. His first professional assignment came in 1995 covering the New England Revolution.
From 1997 to 1999, he served as the lead reporter for the Boston Bruins. He left that beat after calling owner Jeremy Jacobs a “thief,” a move that tells you everything about Felger’s willingness to burn bridges for his convictions.
In 1999, Michael switched to covering the New England Patriots as their beat columnist, a role he held until 2008. This period coincided with the Belichick-Brady dynasty years, giving him a front-row seat to one of sports’ greatest runs. His columns resonated with Boston sports enthusiasts, winning both praise and criticism in equal measure.
In 2006, he authored “Tales from the Patriots Sideline: A Collection of the Greatest Stories of the Team’s First 40 Years,” published by Sports Publishing LLC with a foreword by Steve Grogan and afterword by Bill Belichick. An updated edition appeared in 2017.
While still at the Herald, Michael expanded into radio. From 2000 to 2005, he co-hosted “The Big Show” on WEEI with Glenn Ordway. Between 2005 and 2008, he hosted his own program, “The Mike Felger Show,” on 890 ESPN during afternoon drive time (3 to 6 PM).
In 2008, Michael left his radio show at the end of his contract. He moved to writing online columns and served as a fill-in host for WEEI while continuing television work with Comcast SportsNet New England.
“Felger and Mazz”
On August 13, 2009, Michael launched “Felger and Mazz,” also known by the show’s formal name “Felger and Massarotti,” on 98.5 FM The Sports Hub alongside Tony Massarotti. The 2 to 6 PM weekday show quickly became essential listening for Boston sports fans. The program has been the number one rated afternoon show in Boston among men aged 25 to 54 for 47 consecutive quarters since summer 2012, regularly earning Nielsen ratings above a 25 share while crushing competitor WEEI by margins of five to one or even eight to one.
Recent data shows some softening from peak numbers. The show recorded a 25.0 share in autumn 2022, dropping to 19.8 in winter 2024, then 17.6 in autumn 2024, and 15.7 in winter 2025. Despite the decline, “Felger and Mazz” remains dominant. ESPN’s Colin Cowherd praised it in August 2024 as “the best local show I’ve ever heard.”
The show’s success has earned impressive recognition. In 2019, Felger won the Marconi Award for Major Market Personality of the Year from the National Association of Broadcasters. He’s also won Barrett Sports Media’s award for Top Major Market Afternoon Show four times (2019, 2021, 2023, 2024). In 2022, Mike Francesa presented him with the inaugural Mike and the Mad Dog Award.
In January 2018, Michael signed a multi-year contract extension with Beasley Media Group following the station’s sale from CBS Sports Radio. At The Sports Hub’s 15th anniversary celebration in August 2024, he remarked he feels like he “will do this forever.”
Television Work
Since around 2007, Michael has worked for NBC Sports Boston as a studio host and analyst, providing pre and post-game coverage. However, January 2025 brought significant changes. His schedule was cut from five nights per week to three. He no longer hosts “Sports Sunday” or Monday programming, though he continues co-hosting “Boston Sports Tonight” with Michael Holley and Bruins pre and post-game coverage with Tony Amonte.
When asked about the reduction on air, Michael was candid. “Not all my call,” he said, elaborating via email to media reporters: “After working weekends and Sundays in the autumn for pretty much 35 years, starting as an intern there at the Herald in 1989, I was ready to give that shift a rest. But it doesn’t sound like it was going to be my choice anyway. They’ve been great. Challenging times for the business.”
The reduction coincided with NBC Sports Boston not renewing John Tomase’s contract, suggesting broader cost-cutting measures at the regional sports network.
Career Controversies
Michael’s willingness to make pointed criticism regardless of consequences has sparked several significant controversies.
On October 12, 2011, reacting on air to a Boston Globe report on the Red Sox’s collapse and Terry Francona’s ouster, Felger accused Red Sox ownership of leaking damaging personal details about Francona to the press, then turned the same scrutiny on people around the team, including revisiting an old, unconfirmed rumor that NESN sideline reporter Heidi Watney had once been involved with Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. Watney called the comments “ridiculous and irresponsible” on Twitter, then addressed it the next morning on the Sports Hub’s own “Toucher & Rich,” saying she had never even met Felger and that the rumor was false. Felger called bringing her into it “regrettable” the following day but stopped short of a full apology, saying his real target was the team’s on-field failures, not Watney. He faced no formal discipline.
The same day delivered another legendary moment. Red Sox owner John Henry, outraged by allegations he’d leaked defamatory information about Francona to the Boston Globe, arrived unannounced at the studio during the live broadcast for a tense exchange lasting over an hour. It’s now considered iconic in Boston sports radio history.
The most serious incident occurred on November 8, 2017, the day after pitcher Roy Halladay died in a plane crash. Michael called him a “moron” and “idiot” in a ten-minute rant, mocking dangerous flying behavior with sound effects. NBC Sports Boston suspended him for three days. Apologizing on air the following day, Felger said he had no defense and no explanation for his conduct, though he maintained that the most-quoted line from the rant, that Halladay “deserved to die,” had been describing a hypothetical version of himself, not Halladay, a distinction he acknowledged got lost in how it came across.
In February 2023, while Michael broadcast remotely from New Orleans, co-host Tony Massarotti made racially insensitive comments about two Black men visible behind Felger on camera. Massarotti was suspended without pay for the week, and all Beasley Boston on-air personalities underwent sensitivity training. Felger expressed regret for not correcting the comments in the moment.
Most recently, in October 2024, Massarotti used an anti-Asian slur on air, claiming ignorance of its meaning. He apologized and withdrew from teaching a Boston University course, though no suspension was announced.
Personal Life
Michael met Sara Underwood, then a WBZ-TV news anchor, on a television set in 2000. Their second date was to Nantucket, an island that would become central to their family life. They married in a private ceremony on October 19, 2002, attended by close friends and family.
Sara, a UCLA graduate and Emmy Award winner for breaking news, anchored for Boston 25 News until stepping down from her full-time role in August 2021. She briefly returned in March 2023 for a one-month fill-in stint.
Their marriage has occasionally weathered public scrutiny. In December 2010, Michael stirred controversy when he asked his listeners to vote for Sara in a Barstool Sports “hot Boston reporter edition” poll, drawing criticism for how he framed the ask on air. Sara never publicly commented on it.
Children and Family Life
Michael and Sara have two daughters. Emma was born in 2004 and graduated college in 2026, a milestone the family marked with a trip through Spain and Italy. Tess was born in 2011 and is currently in high school. While Michael and Sara keep their children away from the media spotlight, Sara occasionally shares key moments on social media.
The family maintains residences in Boston’s Seaport District and on Nantucket. Michael has vacationed on Nantucket since 1993, initially through a college roommate who had “a little shack out in Wauwinet.” They rented a home there for summer getaways at first, then bought a home on the island in April 2010, not 2008 as some earlier reports suggested, for $685,000.
For Michael and Sara, a perfect day involves lounging at the beach with their daughters, unwinding with friends, and enjoying quality time together. The family participates annually in the Daffodil Festival antique car parade, driving a cherry red 1975 Volkswagen “Thing.”
On August 9, 2025, Michael had a frightening accident on Nantucket. He was riding his bike on Saturday night, fell, and cracked his neck on the handlebars. He initially went home and slept, but woke Sunday with neck pain. At his daughter’s urging, he went to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, where a CT scan showed air pockets “in places they shouldn’t have been,” potentially indicating a torn esophagus or windpipe.
He was airlifted via Boston MedFlight to Massachusetts General Hospital. After 12 to 18 hours of testing, doctors found no damage requiring surgery. Michael returned to air Tuesday, August 12, calling himself “a dope” and “big dummy” while thanking medical staff. “Oh my God, am I lucky,” he said.
Net Worth
Financial information about Michael remains largely private, and when asked directly on his Off-Air Show whether his daughters were spoiled by his money, he pushed back on the framing: “I don’t think I have wealth. I have some money. I make good money.” Felger’s exact salary at 98.5 The Sports Hub has never been disclosed, and online estimates for it are all over the place, ranging from the low six figures to several million dollars a year, none of them tied to any real source. A more grounded benchmark comes from industry reporting on major-market afternoon drive-time hosts with Felger’s tenure and consistently dominant ratings, which typically puts compensation in the high six figures to low seven figures annually, the same range his overall net worth estimate of around $1 million is built from.
His income sources include the radio show, NBC Sports Boston appearances, book royalties, and limited endorsements. Specific contract terms from his January 2018 multi-year extension with Beasley Media Group weren’t disclosed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Michael Felger? Michael Felger was born on August 6, 1969, making him 57 years old.
Is Michael Felger married? Yes, Felger is married to Sara Underwood, a television news anchor, and the couple has two daughters, Emma and Tess.
What is Michael Felger’s net worth? Felger’s net worth is estimated at around $1 million, built mainly from his radio and television income plus book royalties and endorsements.
What is Michael Felger’s salary? His exact salary has never been disclosed, but industry estimates for a host with his tenure and ratings at a major-market station put it in the high six figures to low seven figures annually.
Who is Michael Felger’s co-host? Felger co-hosts “Felger and Mazz,” also known as “Felger and Massarotti,” with Tony Massarotti on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston.
Where did Michael Felger go to college? Felger graduated from Boston University’s College of Communication in 1992 with a degree in broadcast journalism.
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