Imus says he's defending, not offending 'Pacman' Jones


NEW YORK (CNN) -- Radio host Don Imus said Tuesday he was making "a sarcastic point" that police often unfairly target blacks when he asked about Adam "Pacman" Jones' race on his show.


Imus, who lost his job last year after comments on the Rutgers University women's basketball team, said the latest controversy is fueled by people who are out to get him.

"No man has more discussions about race than I have," he said. "Why not report on that? I know some people want to get me, but this is ridiculous."

Imus pointed out that his show has a black producer and two black co-hosts.

Jones, a Dallas Cowboys defensive back who has had run-ins with the law and is serving a suspension from the National Football League, recently announced he wanted to be known by his real name, Adam or Mr. Jones, rather than his nickname.

Jones said his decision is an attempt to disassociate himself with his well-chronicled history of trouble.

The Imus controversy erupted Monday morning when sportscaster Warner Wolf told Imus that Jones wanted to swap monikers.


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

During his Tuesday morning show, the radio host said Jones was arrested six times because police were "picking on him."

"He's a football player. He is a lovely kid. He was out there having fun," Imus said

Imus said he was defending blacks with his Monday remarks.

What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason, and I mean there's no reason to arrest this kid six times," he said. "They shoot blacks for no reason."

WABC and Citadel Broadcasting Corp. Vice President Phil Boyce told The New York Times it was unlikely Imus would face disciplinary action.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who last year called for Imus' firing over the Rutgers comments, said Tuesday that "I hope he meant what he said," referring to Imus' explanation.

But Sharpton said civil rights groups, including one that he leads, still would be taking a close look at the situation, adding it would be "less than responsible" not to question Imus about Monday's comment and Tuesday's explanation.

"If now Imus is saying he's joined the ranks of those that are raising the question of racial disparity in the criminal justice system, then he's taking a correct position. I don't have any record of him saying that in the past," Sharpton said.

Sharpton said he thought Monday's remark was disturbing "given Imus' background and his track record."

"Clearly, he did not [immediately] clarify what he meant. He left it out there," Sharpton said.

Imus says he's defending, not offending 'Pacman' Jones - CNN.com

I would cut Imus a little slack on this one,if guilty..sentence him to 100 hours as the Rev Wright's chauffer

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins

Whatver happened to freedom of speech, most athletes that do stupid things that get them arrested are black......

I for one do not buy the excuse, he shouldn't have to make one IMO......

Way to dodge that bullet... he should give his public relations specialist (the one that figured out how to turn his comment) a big fat bonus,

End of story...

Irrelevant of whether he was defending, offending, or anything in between...

He intentionally made race the issue the second he asked this question...

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

But should that be disallowed in our free society?

People often study what certain races do, what they buy, how they live, how much money they make, if they marry, are single with child, etc. For instance the one issue that always springs to mind for me is what race most likely finds themselves in prison, or which race seems to have out of wedlock children, is it wrong to point this out when it comes to athletes, does Imus have to sugar coat it for us?

Imus is too dumb to be on the air. If he is that dumb he should give it up.

Well he is intelligent enough to see that black athletes have a problem...a serious one that needs attention!

The question is not whether it was a race issue or not, but whether it was racially insensitive or offensive. Race is always an issue where there is more than one. Everone has stereotypes, whether you're white, black, brown, yellow or green (aliens, ); it is when we use those to offend that there is a problem.

With his track record this sounded really bad, but I don't see how anyone can prove he was not misinterpreted... we all say things that sometimes don't come out quite like we intended. Do I think this is one of those times? No. Do I think anyone can prove it? No.

I don't think I buy his spin. I think he said something that someone like him, Given his recent history. He should stay about a nmile away from the topic all together.
Look he is a DJ. Thats all. He is a guy with opinions. So what? So am I. Give me a show and I think I can handle the job without shooting myself in the foot all the time. He isn't owed a radio show. Its not a right.

I would add that Sharpton can be a dick. No doubt.

My quick impulse to go along with the crowd is being pushed aside here.
I could make some really cool comments that would be applauded for two or three seconds on a discussion board.
But I can't get over this feeling that Imus is more color blind than some would think.
O.K., going back to the "nappy 'ho' incident. That always sounded to me like something another black person would say-maybe not in this instance, I honestly don't know-but I've heard informal language of that type while sitting around watching a game in my living room or friend's house.
Trouble is if Imus wants to act like he's in a cozy group of friends when he's on the radio- a method that works for some genre-he's still going to have to remember he is very popular and popularity garners jealousy. Some green meanies will pick apart every sentence to degrade someone, when it is usually themselves who are the closet bigots.
Case in point -the Stromm Thurmond incident. The people yelling the loudest about a comment that clearly had nothing to do with racial prejudice were already lined up to take the speaker's job. And son-of-a-gun if one of them didn't get it!
Sorry I didn't jump on the bandwagon of Imus bashers, but that's just the way I
see it.

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Consumption is indeed important in a free economy: particularly the freedom of consumers to buy their goods in unhampered markets. However, key to long-term economic growth is investment (savings), which is the opposite of consumption. Public policies that promote consumption — such as low interest rates — do so at the expense of savings. Less savings means less investments; an economy that does not save or invest will consume all of its resources and eventually end up bankrupt.-David Saied