# Rutgers team response to Don Imus **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534 "2007-04-10T19:57:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/1 "2007-04-10T19:57:04Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/10/imus.rutgers/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/10/imus.rutgers/index.html) > [@](#): > > “I would like to express our team’s great hurt, anger and disgust toward the words of Mr. Don Imus,” Carson said. “We are highly angered at his remarks but deeply saddened with the racial characterization they entailed.” OK, that’s pretty classy. Yet I yearn for the day when the subjects of such inane racial remarks respond simply with something like: “Well of course we’re all struggling with this, struggling very hard to figure out who this little man is, and why anybody should care what he says or thinks. We seem to be in agreement that he is beneath noticing, but as a general comment, our critics are always invited to meet us on the court to demonstrate what they’re made of. We extend this same invitation to Don Imus provided that he is able to pass a physical examination showing that he would not be grievously injured while in the process of being humiliated.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/2 "2007-04-10T20:12:05Z")
Okay, the bluntness would have been nice, but I think it goes without saying that one of the best college teams in the country (or any player on it) could beat a senior citizen in basketball. That might have been an appropriate answer if the dopes were criticizing them as basketball players - but they weren’t. They were insulting them as people. The players’ response is fine with me, although “we don’t care what these people say” would have been just as good. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/3 "2007-04-10T20:17:20Z")
I wish they had come out and simply said, “Don who?” ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/4 "2007-04-10T20:19:17Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Okay, the bluntness would have been nice, but I think it goes without saying that one of the best college teams in the country (or any player on it) could beat a senior citizen in basketball. [/quote] It would have been a theatrical taunt, not a realistic suggestion. It would signify “we’re not concerned about the words of someone who isn’t even close to being in our league.” ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/5 "2007-04-10T20:27:20Z")
Damn, apparently someone decided to go Passive-Aggressive rather than Active-Aggressive. Active would have made better spectator sport. 🙂 -Joe ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/6 "2007-04-10T20:55:40Z")
Next week: Rutgers hoops team to meet with Hip-Hop artists over the use of bitches & hos in their music. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/7 "2007-04-10T23:02:30Z")
Off to **IMHO**. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/8 "2007-04-10T23:11:21Z")
[QUOTE=HubZilla] Next week: Rutgers hoops team to meet with Hip-Hop artists over the use of bitches & hos in their music. [/QUOTE] Admittedly, there’s a difference between “bitches and hos” versus “ **you’re** a ho.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/9 "2007-04-10T23:17:53Z")
I see one player also said “all of our accomplishments were lost” due to the comments. That’s assigning it too much importance. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/10 "2007-04-10T23:31:37Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] I see one player also said “all of our accomplishments were lost” due to the comments. That’s assigning it too much importance. [/QUOTE] I understand what they meant, even if that point wasn’t well-stated. The spotlight was taken away from their accomplishment and it became “All About Imus” instead. There’s no denying the sports story paled in comparison to the controversy. ---
**Author:** ![GuyNblueJeans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9bcb4/32.png) [@GuyNblueJeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyNblueJeans)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/11 "2007-04-10T23:31:36Z")
There will never be _peace in the valley_ as long as there’s so much racial anger and mistrust as there is in the world. So sad.☹ May God help us all. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/12 "2007-04-10T23:45:06Z")
I was driving a bit today, and was shocked that NPR, of all places, was giving Imus tons of airtime. Why should I care about this? How is this more important than Anna Nicole’s baby daddy and of roughly equal importance to the war in Iraq? ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/13 "2007-04-10T23:56:25Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] I understand what they meant, even if that point wasn’t well-stated. The spotlight was taken away from their accomplishment and it became “All About Imus” instead. There’s no denying the sports story paled in comparison to the controversy. [/QUOTE] Well, Rutgers did _lose_ the game, rather decisively. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/14 "2007-04-11T00:16:28Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] I understand what they meant, even if that point wasn’t well-stated. The spotlight was taken away from their accomplishment and it became “All About Imus” instead. There’s no denying the sports story paled in comparison to the controversy. [/QUOTE] When was the spotlight ever on their “accomplishment?” Prior to this comment virtually no one knew that Rutgers ever even got their ass handed to them by Tennessee. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/15 "2007-04-11T00:17:05Z")
[QUOTE=HubZilla] Well, Rutgers did _lose_ the game, rather decisively. [/QUOTE] I don’t follow sports, womens or otherwise, but my understanding is that they came back from a shitty position to play the final game. That is an accomplishment, even though they lost. Is that incorrect? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/16 "2007-04-11T00:22:21Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] I don’t follow sports, womens or otherwise, but my understanding is that they came back from a shitty position to play the final game. That is an accomplishment, even though they lost. Is that incorrect? [/QUOTE] No. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/17 "2007-04-11T01:35:47Z")
Speaking as a professional broadcaster, Imus got off pretty lightly with a two-week suspension. That a broadcaster of his stature would say what he said into an open microphone is almost beyond my comprehension. Good God, I think even Howard Stern was offended by that! ---
**Author:** ![Gbro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Gbro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gbro)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/18 "2007-04-11T02:22:20Z")
The problem is that Imus was using ebonic terminology. Who dose he think he is? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/19 "2007-04-11T02:29:39Z")
[QUOTE=Brain Wreck] [http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/10/imus.rutgers/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/10/imus.rutgers/index.html) OK, that’s pretty classy. Yet I yearn for the day when the subjects of such inane racial remarks respond simply with something like: “Well of course we’re all struggling with this, struggling very hard to figure out who this little man is, and why anybody should care what he says or thinks. We seem to be in agreement that he is beneath noticing, but as a general comment, our critics are always invited to meet us on the court to demonstrate what they’re made of. We extend this same invitation to Don Imus provided that he is able to pass a physical examination showing that he would not be grievously injured while in the process of being humiliated.” [/QUOTE] I agree. Unfortunately the mindset behind this has created a windmill that needs slaying. It is now possible to crush the souls of our youth with the utterance of a single word. Had Imus said the word we-dare-not-speak he may have killed the entire basketball team. Still, it’s fun to watch him twist in the wind. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534/20 "2007-04-11T02:52:48Z")
[QUOTE=Magiver] Still, it’s fun to watch him twist in the wind. [/QUOTE] Not really. I wish MSNBC or whomever would do us all a favor and take him out to pasture. If anyone is being punished over this shit, it’s _us_. This is just protracted agony. More important things need to be discussed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rutgers-team-response-to-don-imus/399534.md?page=2)