Don Imus Makes New Racially Charged Comments

Don Imus Makes New Racially Charged Comments
Copyright 2007 Peter Kramer / Getty Images
Don Imus, only a little more than a year after losing a CBS radio show and MSNBC telecast due to inappropriate remarks, has made new race-themed comments on his new radio program. Click here to listen.


On Monday morning, in a conversation about Adam "Pacman" Jones, the following exchange occurred between Imus and sports announcer Warner Wolf:

Wolf: "He's been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005."

Imus: "What color is he?"

Wolf: "He's African-American."

Imus: (chuckles) "There you go. Now I know."

In a statement released Monday, Imus offered by way of explanation for his remarks: "I meant that he was being picked on because he's black."

Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton also released a statement about the incident, saying: "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. 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."

Imus was embroiled in controversy in 2007 after referring to members of the NCAA champion Rutger's women's basketball team as "nappy-head hos." Imus did apologize after that event and met with the young ladies to attempt to make amends.

Published 6/23/08 by the Insider

Comments (13)

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  • Just as a follow up, the Rutgers girls basketball team was presented as a collection of future doctors, lawyers, chemists and other professionals. I wondered at the time just what career fields they would end up in. We all know how scholarships are...
    Anonymous 6/24/08 Reply
  • The issue of who is "racist" and who is "not racist" is interesting on a certain level, but hardly illuminating. Before we start calling folk "racist" we need a definition of the word "racist?" That discussion shouldn't take more than 100 years.
    Anonymous 6/24/08 Reply
  • He was a racist 40 yrs ago in Cleveland. For that matter, we all racist. Deny it and you're a racist.
    Anonymous 6/24/08 Reply
  • What color is he? African American! Now he understands why the guy was arrested so many times in such a short time. Because he's black and being picked on. LOL Honestly, I think he wants out of this contract, and his remarks can be taken just as he...
    Anonymous 6/24/08 Reply
  • Take him off the air. He's a racist and America does not need a racist to have a public forum.
    Anonymous 6/24/08 Reply
  • I cant stand Imus, hope the arrogant nut gets fired again!
    Anonymous 6/24/08 Reply
  • what an idiot! he's like a 2 year old who cant bear to hold his tounge for 1 second. he probably is going to get kicked off the network again.
    coolwebmom 6/24/08 Reply
  • why do they let this guy stay on the air??
    purplepeaches4 6/24/08 Reply
  • sad that he is on the air,
    now that Tim Russert died his audience is half of what it was.
    Anonymous 6/24/08 Reply
  • I am beginning to think that he can't help himself.
    Victorius348 6/24/08 Reply
  • I didn't realize the cryptkeeper was a bigot. Yikes!
    Anonymous 6/24/08 Reply
  • Okay. First of all, Imus of course is Racist. But seriously, aren't you that yourself? There are so much more people who are more racist than him. They just don't get into newspapers. And it's true that many people pick on people because of their...
    Anonymous 6/24/08 Reply
  • imus is a pig!
    Arasto 6/23/08 Reply