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 Don Imus is at it again.
The controversial shock jock was fired last year for referring to the Rutgers women’s basketball players as “nappy-headed hos.†Last week, Imus effectively immersed himself in hot water again as a result of what some are calling a racist interchange. In a discussion of the legal misfortunes of Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman†Jones, Imus asked on air, “What color is he?†When sports announcer Warner Wolf responded that Jones was “African-American,†Imus replied, “Well, there you go. Now we know.†Imus later denied that his question was intended to be disparaging. He insisted that he was referring to the fact that blacks in this country are arrested for no reason. But given his previous comments, many observers, the Rev. Al Sharpton among them, were reluctant to cut him any slack. Fortunately for Imus, WABC, his new employer, stood by the embattled talk guru. And no wonder. Imus’ ratings on WABC are higher than they were on WFAN, his former employer. For now, Imus’ job seems safe, even as criticism of his comments continues. Imus isn’t the only media personality who has managed to cram both feet in his mouth, nor is he likely to be the last. The same week that Imus tripped over his tongue, NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller was forced to issue an apology for comments he made about Rocco Mediate, the golfer who lost to Tiger Woods in a playoff for the U.S. Open title. Miller said that Mediate “looks like the guy who cleans Tiger’s swimming pool.†Miller later said he was trying to convey his “affection and admiration for Rocco’s everyman qualities and (my comments) had absolutely nothing to do with (Rocco’s) ethnicity.†Mediate is of Italian heritage. Miller, like Imus, got off with neither a reprimand nor a suspension. But not every talking head who talks before using their head is as fortunate. Earlier this year, another golf analyst, Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel, was reprimanded and suspended for two weeks after suggesting that the only way Tiger’s competitors could beat him was to “lynch (Woods) in a back alley.†Woods, class act that he is, dismissed Tilghman’s remarks as a “non-issue,†knowing full well that, while her comments were insensitive and inappropriate, they were made in jest and weren’t intended to be malicious or mean-spirited. The recent spat of on-air “political incorrectness†brings to mind Rush Limbaugh’s brief tenure as an NFL commentator on ESPN’s football show in 2003. Limbaugh suggested that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was “coddled†by the media because he was black. Fearing a media and fan backlash, ESPN quickly severed ties with Limbaugh. But the “World Wide Leader†could hardly plead innocent in the affair. Limbaugh was hired specifically to stir controversy and to increase ratings, both of which he did. Even though ESPN got what it bargained for, it couldn’t take the heat and turned on the delivery person. Perhaps the most politically incorrect commentator working today is Charles Barkley, the former NBA star and long time basketball analyst for TNT. Barkley has uttered comments that could be interpreted as racist and insensitive by virtually every sex, color and ethnic group in the universe. Examples include, “People have a right to be gay, but after seeing Beyonce, why would you want to be?†Barkley, who is black, also referred to the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson as “race-baiters,†conservatives as “fake Christians,†and once responded to a reporter’s question by commenting, “This is why I hate white people.†Yet Barkley not only remains employed, but almost universally loved and respected. Why? Perhaps it’s because Barkley is an equal-opportunity offender. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Or maybe it’s because he refuses to blame others for his own faults and accepts the blame for his short-comings, as he did recently in admitting that an unpaid gambling debt at a Las Vegas casino was solely his responsibility. Whatever the reason, Barkley appears to be insulated from the political correctness standards to which other media personalities are held. Whether that’s good or bad is an open question.
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Jordan Kobritz is a regular contributor to the Business of Sports Network. He is a former attorney, CPA, and Minor League Baseball team owner. He is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Eastern New Mexico University, teaches the Business of Sports at the University of Wyoming, and is a contributing author to the Business of Sports Network. Jordan can be reached at
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