In 1983, ABC sports commentator Howard Cosell shocked the country during a Monday Night Football telecast when he referred to an African American player as a “little monkey.” Cosell had used the phrase before to refer to both white and black players who were smaller and quicker than others, but the backlash from this particular broadcast caused Cosell to resign from his position. Nearly a quarter-century later, controversial sports commentary has once again hit the news. But this most recent comment, made by radio personality Don Imus, has a much clearer intention than Cosell’s slip-up.
As someone who grew up listening to Imus in the Morning in my dad’s car on the way to school, I consider myself somewhat of a fan of his sarcastic humor. It’s that same humor, however, that has gotten him into trouble in the past. As long as there are radio personalities like Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern on the air, Imus will never be alone in his flirtation with obscenity, but when he called the Rutgers women “nappy-headed hos,” he went way too far. Many of the people who have called for the host’s head in the past week have never heard Imus before and know little about him, but even from my perspective as a fan, his two-week suspension is far too lenient.
From a sports standpoint, Imus’s words are especially abominable. Imus told Al Sharpton that “[he] learned that you can’t make fun of everybody, because some people don’t deserve it.” These women certainly did not deserve it. Criticizing hotheaded, overpaid professional athletes is one thing, but these are talented, unpaid women who have managed to balance school and athletics and have made an incredible run in the NCAA Tournament. What they do deserve is the respect and praise of a nation, not cheap shots from a cynical old man.
A measly suspension will not cause Imus to change the humor that has made him famous. There will always be those who walk the line, and that is, for me, what makes radio and television great. Sexist and racist comments are never acceptable, but this kind of attack on student-athletes is outrageous. MSNBC and CBS, two networks that simulcast Imus’s show, need to make a stand for these women and protect the image of student-athletes. After the “little monkey incident,” Cosell resigned from Monday Night Football, so why should Imus survive the axe?
