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Michael Felger Apologizes For Roy Halladay Comments: 'I Have No Defense, I Have No Explanation'

BOSTON (CBS) -- On Wednesday, 98.5 The Sports Hub host Michael Felger generated controversy with his comments about the death of former MLB pitcher Roy Halladay.

To open Thursday's show, Felger addressed the situation.

"In a nutshell I would say that I feel bad about what happened on a lot of levels. I feel bad about what I said and how I conducted myself. To say it was over the top and insensitive is really stating the obvious. It was obviously those things," Felger said to start the show.

"I could come in and say 'I apologize if I offended anyone,' but that's fake and hollow and everyone hates that, don't you? Isn't that the worst, when someone comes in and says that?" he continued. "Besides the only folks that I would really want to extend that to are the loved ones of Halladay. They're the ones dealing with enough right now not to have to have me come over the top and do what I did yesterday. So, sorry doesn't do that justice as it relates to them. That one's going to stick with me for a while, as it relates to them."

Felger also apologized to his coworkers for having to "answer for my poor judgment" over the past 24 hours, and said that his Dale Earnhardt comment was poorly constructed hyperbole.

"I meant part of what I said yesterday, and there were parts I didn't mean. It was just dumb hyperbole. The Earnhardt thing falls in that second category. That was just dumb hyperbole. I didn't mean that," Felger said. "There is stuff that I did mean, but the presentation and the tone and the hyperbole was just low class, bad, not good. I don't feel good about it.

"I regret my conduct yesterday. I believe what I believe, I do, but the tone and the hysterics were really uncalled for. To say 'inappropriate and over the line' is just stating the obvious, they're clearly those things and it really goes without saying," he reiterated. "I have no defense, I have no explanation. I'm not asking for any sympathy or a break or anything. ... What I've gotten, I've deserved. I've deserved what I've gotten in the last day or so."

Felger did issue one brief correction, in that the quote that says he believes Halladay deserved to die was misattributed. He referenced how Deadspin's headline claimed that Felger believed "Roy Halladay Deserved To Die." Felger clarified that he was referring to himself in a hypothetical scenario when he said those words.

"I'm talking about me there. I'm not telling you that I've been treated unfairly, because parts of that diatribe were so over the top, and the overall tonality was so bad that I deserve whatever headline I get. But just so you know, that's where the 'Roy Halladay deserves to die' line came from. I was referring to me with that line," Felger said. "Now there are maybe 20 other lines in that rant that you could pick out and make a bad headline out of and you could put in quotes, and I would feel bad about those, too. But since that's the one that's at the front of everyone's mind and everyone's lips, I just thought I'd play that little piece for you. It's up to you whether you [believe]. I'm telling you I was talking about me, not him. But again, that's up to you. ... If you don't buy that, that's up to you. You can believe what you want to believe. The rest of it was inappropriate enough where you don't have to give me the benefit of the doubt."

Felger then opened the phone lines to take calls from those who have questions for him.

Listen to Felger's full comments in the video above or the audio below:

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