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Imus Makes Questionable Race Comments Again

June 23, 2008 6:40 PM

Don Imus this morning, on his nationally syndicated WABC-AM morning talk show on Citadel Broadcasting Corporation, made some questionable comments when discussing suspended NFL defensive back Adam "Pacman" Jones.

"Here's a guy suspended all of 2007 following shooting at a Vegas nightclub," said sportscaster Warner Wolf. "He's been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005."

"What color is he?" asked Imus.

"He's African-American," said Wolf.

"Well, there you go," said Imus. "Now we know."

You can listen to a clip HERE.

Asked Monday by the New York Times what he meant, Imus responded, according to the paper, "I meant he was being picked on because he's black."

Even still, Imus' comment caught the attention of Reverend Al Sharpton, who released a statement late Monday.

"It has been reported to me that statements were made by Mr. Imus this morning and National Action Network has monitored his show since his return," he said.

"I find the inference of his remark disturbing because it plays into stereotypes. Any use of stereotypes is always counterproductive. We will determine in the next day or so whether or not his remark warrants direct action on our part as we did in April of last year."

- jpt

WABC-AM program director Phil Boyce, also a Citadel vice president, tells espn.com that Imus's explanation suffices, and that "some people may be misunderstanding what he meant." Boyce says Imus will explain his remarks on tomorrow's show, and it's not likely that he will face disciplinary action.

June 23, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (79)

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the reason that all this happens is only because we pay attention to any expexresion or frase. Thear is not racistmo if the person look at life and feel sorry for the ignorance of certein humas been that like to see color and race in every one of us. As a manority hispanic and after beeng tired of working and living sorround by predigists I made my own resolution they have a problem not me. Mr. Al should stop activating the races it is time to stop .

Posted by: pilar | Jun 24, 2008 2:00:08 PM

poor "pacman" Jones. What a model citizen -must be an Obama supporter -there you go.

Posted by: geevill | Jun 24, 2008 9:40:14 AM

That is why this presidential election is going to be a joke. Any negativity toward Obama will be blamed on race.

Posted by: larry flynn | Jun 24, 2008 8:52:28 AM

Imus should look in the mirror and be very, very grateful that he even has a job! Who cares about his opinions?

Posted by: bluedogmoos | Jun 24, 2008 5:45:20 AM

Oh, please, get off Don Imus? It's the companies who SPONSOR the Don Imus show, that keep him going. The advertisers are rolling in money. Your money. As long as y'all go on buying products advertised on Don Imus radio stations, you keep Don on the air. Fat and happy. Is that really what you want? Until you talk about who pays for Don - the advertisers, not the radio station - you'll never get what you want: their attention.

Posted by: Charlie | Jun 24, 2008 5:16:03 AM

Arrested 6 times since being drafted in 2005. LOL - Of course he's black Imus, we know you asked, but you already knew the answer.
Now all the libtards will have a self flaggellation fit and beat their heads against a brick wall.
Not a single libtard will name a single white dradft arrested 6 times since 2005, but no doubt there are more black ones who've pulled that number off.
Nevermind libtards, your insane brain doesn't need more bricks slamming up against it, but the rest of us know you cannot help yourselves.
No worries! We've asked not what you can do, but what the government censors can do for you, and how much free money and welfare checks they can send you and your favorite criminals.

Posted by: Slickico | Jun 24, 2008 3:19:15 AM

Ok, so I guess this "pacman" guy got arrested for sitting home in the evening reading the Bible, right? And it was racist when OJ got arrested, and it was racist when they arrested Michael Vick, and every rap star out there who has to beat someone up or be involved in a shootout or whatever. If they didn't want talked about in the first place, then they should behave themselves. Every one has their right to freedom of speech and freedom of thought in this country. If they want Imus censored, then I want every rap song that mentions a white person in any connotation banned. I'm no fan of Imus, and I've never even heard his show, but if we have to listen to this degrading rap crap being played in store and restaurant parking lots and on city streets in front of our children where someone is supposedly being "an artist" by calling women profanities and encouraging people to kill whites and authority figures, then everyone else can stand it when Imus opens his mouth. Or you can simply not listen to it. I doubt that it was one of his ardent fans that reported what he said. I'm sure Sharpton and company has been listening and waiting for him to slip up since he got back on the air. Sharpton needs to tend to his own issues, like all of the tax returns and hundreds of thousands in back taxes that he has failed to pay over the past several years. Sharpton would have served his audience better to advise them not to glorify and hero worship someone who had been arrested six times in less than three years, and admonished "pacman" to get on the straight and narrow. If he wasn't in the middle of a shootout in a strip club, then he could not have been arrested there. And "pacman's" issue that they were talking about was people using HIS name. I believe "pacman" is the name of an arcade game that has been around for years and I am sure is patented or copyrighted, and the owners of that name probably wish someone with his criminal record would quit using THEIR name. This is such a non-issue and I really hope this "six months worth of apologizing to every one in the country" doesn't get started again. Those of us in the real world have to put up with insults and put downs all the time. Sharpton and company need to quit whining and grow some skin of their own. I file and pay my income taxes every year. The only thing I want to hear out of Sharpton is that he has gotten around to filing and paying his.

Posted by: Melanie | Jun 24, 2008 3:13:38 AM

Amazing how so many of you are saying Imus told the truth, and Imus is saying: "That's not what I meant."

Posted by: Spartakus | Jun 24, 2008 2:15:39 AM

CBS Radio fired Imus about
a year ago. He sued and
CBS settled by paying him
more than the remaining part
of his contract was worth.

He may be trying to pull the
same kind of shock jock slurs
and stuff at ABC Radio. Get
fired and settle for more money.

Posted by: anon | Jun 24, 2008 1:32:17 AM

who says that he thinks all profootball players are criminals. he asked if a repeated criminal was black. Blacks have much much higher incarceration ratesthan any other race. that is a fact. look it up. it is what it is. he made a statement that is backed up by statistics. are we blaming the messenger here, folks?

Posted by: jessyNtown | Jun 24, 2008 1:26:25 AM

Greedy. Before this is all over people will see the real Obama. Study up on the kind of politics that got him where he is. Yeah, he's smart along with a alot of other things. You don't get to where he is in that short period of time without the people around you that can write the book on the "making" of a president.

Posted by: RL in Illinois | Jun 24, 2008 12:45:51 AM

Not true, Jason. The people complaining about money are Holier than thou Obama supporters as they refer to Hillary Clinton's debts. I have news people, a very large amount of the corn crop here is under water. Already at least at a 30% increase in food prices and 100% in grain prices because of ethanol, it's going to get WAY worse. This is a program that Obama pushed which I'm sure has nothing to do with the fact he is backed here and in Iowa by ethanol lobbyists and companies.

Posted by: RL in Illinois | Jun 24, 2008 12:36:37 AM

You call it greed, I call it smart. Smart because he's seen how Bush used his money. Smart because, who wants 85m when you can have 250+mil. Call me greedy but I'll take the 250+mil. And I'll call McCain stupid. Additonally, there's nothing he can do with the money after the GE is over anyway. Republicans have had a Monopoly on the White House for 8years

Posted by: Jason | Jun 24, 2008 12:27:38 AM

Jason: I believe it's called a "Greedy Man."

Posted by: RL in Illinois | Jun 24, 2008 12:24:12 AM

The only people that actually care about Obama Money Scandal are the Republicans...They know that McCain couldnt raise half of what he can. So now he'll be able to counter those "swiftboat" style attacks that will soon be coming. This will have no affect on the General Election. Republicans will try to make it though. Republicans have alot more to worry about than a few million dollars. Like how they lied us into a war. Like why the economy is almost as bad as Haiti's...Why our money is almost the equivalent to Monopoly money. Like how are people going to pay for fuel, rent, provide food, and day care for the children. No one cares about how Obama is getting his money...These are the things people care about. If you are concerned about this obviously, you aren't paying enough for gas, or you have enough money that you don't have to worry like the rest of us.

Posted by: Jason | Jun 24, 2008 12:22:30 AM

The only time I see what Imus says is here in the news and I ignore that.

Posted by: comelately | Jun 24, 2008 12:21:09 AM

At least he's man enough to say that he's gone against his word. Most people can't say that. Such as the million different flip flops as to why this war continues in Iraq. WMD...Mission Accomplished...Stablize Iraq...Train Iraqis....Fight Al Qaeda...Global War on Terrorism...Got My Point.

Posted by: Jason | Jun 24, 2008 12:16:21 AM

PS-Nowadays it's politically incorrect to tell the truth.

Posted by: RL in Illinois | Jun 24, 2008 12:15:09 AM

Phil:11:44:34 When are you going to admit that Obama got $100 million from the Republicans in '07? When are you going to admit Obama in light of raising record amounts of money from corporations and bundlers is now going back on his "campaign finance reform" so the sky will be the limit in his fundraising? I mean, how much money does one person want? Every time I get an email from the DNC poor mouthing it-I send a return email to please take me off their list. He's a liar and a phony. Illinois candidates get to keep their money. Is that what he's doing now? Maybe he should just turn it all over to the DNC, after all he's already bought the superdelegates. Isn't that what you call promising contributions to their own campaigns?

Posted by: RL in Illinois | Jun 24, 2008 12:12:57 AM

I won't say whether he should or should not be fired. As our Constitution states, all Americans will have freedom of speech. What I will say, is let the people that listen to him decide what should be done. By all together stop tuning in. I however doubt that will happen because the people that listen to him are very much like him. As far as Sharpton goes, he needs to just sit down and shut up. Every time a black gets offended he wants to run to the rescue and make it even worse. He doesn't help, he just looks just as racist as the person that made the comments. As a black man, I'd be more impressed if he were to do the same if roles were reversed.

Posted by: Jason | Jun 24, 2008 12:12:02 AM

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