Growing up in the Tri-state area, I came to know Don Imus as the king of A.M. radio. Supported by his band of merry men, Imus would provide commentary and cut-ups about anything you could imagine. His humor was irreverent, but he always seemed to fall just short of the line of impropriety. That is, until now.
On Wednesday, Imus mentioned he had watched part of the championship game between Tennessee and Rutgers and then he and his cronies threw out a string of racist, sexist, and insensitive comments to describe the Scarlet Knights. I’m not going to repeat the derogatory term used for the African-American members of the team because that just perpetuates the slight. I will say that to degrade a group of players, who had been fighting to stay alive as an upstart team, a group who exemplified the core values of athleticism, by using a stereotypical slur is like bursting their bubble with a sledgehammer. By far, the use of the racist description is the worst part of this incident, but it’s also the most obvious affront, the easiest to address and the easiest to rebuke.
The dialogue between Imus and his men was offensive on other levels as well. They referred to the Rutgers players as “hos” and then went on to compare them to the Toronto Raptors with one correcting the other that they looked more like the Grizzlies. For all of the progress that Title IX has provided, women’s sports are still struggling to surpass judgments on appearance. To compare the Scarlet Knights not only to whores, but also to NBA players was to undermine their hard-fought bid for the title. Imus went on to say that the Tennessee team was “cute,” which also undercuts their achievement and is annoying in its own right, but put up against the Rutgers comments, he’s implying that it was okay for the Tennessee team to be competitive on the court because they were feminine enough. I guess make-up, bows, and perfect ponytails make women’s sports palatable. Appearance is not a part of sports, but somehow it always sneaks into the conversation whenever we’re talking about female athletes.
There’s one other point about this incident that is perhaps the most hurtful. The young women who took the court for Rutgers are really just a group of college kids, looking to have fun in a sport they love on the national stage. These aren’t professional athletes. These are 18-22 year-olds who have fragile psyches and who don’t have a full comprehension of the real world that waits for them. If an adult were the recipient of comments like these, it’d be easier to just let them roll of the back and call it ignorance. For a kid who has just had the greatest ride of her life, it’s like a punch to the gut. During March Madness, it’s hard not to think of all of these athletes as professionals because of the hype, but they’re still just kids playing a game we just happen to pay attention to.
I’ve never heard of Don Imus being a truly mean-spirited man. He does tremendous things for charity, loves his family, and just tries to make people laugh when they’re sitting in traffic in the morning. But this went well past what can be considered acceptable boundaries of humor, and chalking it up to a joke doesn’t make the situation any better. He and his crew should apologize.
So congratulations, Rutgers. You gave fans a March to remember, and hopefully you’ll be able to forget the ugliness that followed. And since you’re in the Tri-state area, stay away from the A.M. dial.
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Portions of a statement from Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer:
"I am deeply saddened and angered by Mr. Imus' statements regarding the members of the Rutgers women's basketball team. These talented, articulate young women put forth a great deal of hard work and effort this past season to reach the nation's grandest stage -- the NCAA title game.
"Throughout the year, these gifted young ladies set an example for the nation that through hard work and perseverance, you can accomplish anything if you believe. Without a doubt, this past season was my most rewarding in 36 years of coaching.
"To serve as a joke of Mr. Imus in such an insensitive manner creates a wedge and makes light of the efforts of these classy individuals, both as women and as women of color. It is unfortunate Mr. Imus sought to tarnish Rutgers' spirit and success. Should we not, as adults, send a message of encouragement to young people to aspire to the highest levels as my team did this season?
"It is of the utmost importance to be an inspiration to young people and I truly believe my team represented Rutgers University, the state of New Jersey and NCAA student-athletes across the country in the highest manner. I am proud of these young women and strongly encourage Mr. Imus to instead read the headlines and the stories that told of our triumphs the past six months."
Courtesy of ESPN
and then....
NEW YORK -- Radio host Don Imus apologized Friday for calling the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy headed hos" on his nationally syndicated program.
The National Association of Black Journalists demanded his immediate firing after the man known as "Imus in the Morning" put his foot deep in his mouth Wednesday. Imus questioned the players' looks, describing them as tattooed "rough girls." His producer compared the team -- which has eight black members -- to the NBA's Toronto Raptors.
Near the start of Friday's show, Imus said he wanted to "apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning referring to the Rutgers women's basketball team."
"It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, and we are sorry."
Gregory Lee, an NABJ officer and senior assistant sports editor at The Boston Globe, said the mea culpa did little to atone for the comments.
"You can apologize, but what does that mean when you have a history of making disparaging remarks about people?" Lee asked about the acid-tongued Imus. "This kind of behavior must be punished. I hope the company and sponsors he has take some sort of action ... to educate him."
NABJ president Bryan Monroe asked Thursday if Imus had "lost his mind" and called for the veteran radio host's dismissal.
Imus was speaking with producer Bernard McGurk when the NCAA title game between Rutgers and Tennessee came up.
"That's some rough girls from Rutgers," Imus said. "Man, they got tattoos ... "
"Some hardcore hos," said McGurk.
"That's some nappy headed hos there, I'm going to tell you that," Imus said.
Imus, a member of the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame and one of the nation's best-known radio voices, is renowned for his caustic style and politically incorrect verbal broadsides. His show is syndicated to millions of listeners at more than 70 stations around the country.
WFAN-AM, the home of Imus' show, declined comment. At MSNBC, where the radio program is simulcast on television, officials offered Imus no support.
"'Imus in the Morning' is not a production of the cable network and is produced by WFAN Radio," said a statement from the network. "As Imus makes clear every day, his views are not those of MSNBC. We regret that his remarks were aired on MSNBC and apologize for these offensive comments."
In a joint statement, NCAA President Myles Brand and Rutgers President Richard McCormick condemned Imus' slur.
"The NCAA and Rutgers University are offended by the insults on MSNBC's Don Imus program toward the 10 young women on the Rutgers basketball team," their statement read. "It is unconscionable that anyone would use the airways to utter such disregard for the dignity of human beings who have accomplished much and deserve great credit."
Courtesy of AP
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