Report: Imus was forced to grovel to Sharpton
posted at 10:59 am on August 15, 2007 by Allahpundit
All part of his pre-comeback image makeover. Willingly pandering to racial demagogues does his reputation for telling it like it is no favors, so now, conveniently, “sources” have come forward to insist he did it unwillingly. Whatevs.
More surprisingly, though, is news about why Imus suddenly turned up on the Rev. Al Sharpton’s radio show so quickly after his firing — and did a lot of press that some feel harmed him and fed the controversy. Some feel those media appearances led to his dismissal.
Now I’m told Imus was coaxed into doing them by NBC senior vice president Phil Griffin. Imus, sources say, wanted to just apologize to the Rutgers women’s basketball team he offended and leave it at that. In fact, they say, he apologized to the team several times for his derogatory remarks.
But Griffin, sources close to the action insist, pushed him into high-profile interviews on the “Today” show and elsewhere. Griffin, they say, threatened Imus with canceling his MSNBC TV simulcast if he didn’t do the big interviews. The result was that he fueled the fire instead of putting it out.
“He didn’t care about Imus,” says a source, “only NBC. He told Don he would lose the MSNBC show if he didn’t do the interviews. And then NBC canceled the show anyway.”
Not sure who’s responsible for this.
Blowback
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LOL
trailortrash on August 15, 2007 at 11:01 AM
sorry about that, this is just all so stupid words escape me…
trailortrash on August 15, 2007 at 11:02 AM
We still talking about the basketball team that LOST?
JayHaw Phrenzie on August 15, 2007 at 11:12 AM
Damn it. If I had access to youtube here from work, there would be a link to a very fitting “kiss it” scene from South Park posted in place of this excuse.
Crap…
StoutRepublican on August 15, 2007 at 11:14 AM
I hope he comes back, I miss the Cardinal Eagan bits by Bernie.
Alden Pyle on August 15, 2007 at 11:17 AM
Life imitates south park -way- too often.
lorien1973 on August 15, 2007 at 12:07 PM
If the other players don’t repudiate Vaughn’s suit, there will no long be any good guys in this situation. :::sigh::: Such is life.
baldilocks on August 15, 2007 at 12:16 PM
I agree Baldilocks, but human nature being what it is, I’d wager that other team members jump on the bandwagon. Money not earned is apprently difficult for most to resist.
Imus’s situation is still laughable in that he was consistently deferential to left-wing politicos when it came to questioning. He was labeled a centrist by the left simply because he made “commie” commnents with his faux gruff attitude. He rarely followed up on the liberal stupidity that was frequently spewed. When he was driven off the air Dems and leftist MSM whores lost a softball park to play in.
Alamo on August 15, 2007 at 12:44 PM
I hope he comes back just so Allah can do more Imus threads, complete with a picture of Imus fumbling his cowboy hat.
jaleach on August 15, 2007 at 1:14 PM
Apparently, the Rutger’s team discovered a few unemployed trial lawyers. There’s a gravy train out there and camera facetime for Sharpton and Jackson.
More fodder for South Park?
Kini on August 15, 2007 at 1:17 PM
Kissing the ring of Al Sharpton was as dumb as the remarks he made about the basketball team.
If Al Sharpton had an honest bone in his body, he would acknowledge how racist it is for media outlets to pander to him. He is a cariacature unto himself somewhere along the lines of Rev. Fred Phelps.
But MSNBC, CNN, even Fox News all give this man a platform thereby legitimizing his blather.
The Race Card on August 15, 2007 at 1:23 PM
Is the whole team a part of the suit?
baldilocks on August 15, 2007 at 1:26 PM
Not yet!
Harpoon on August 15, 2007 at 1:49 PM
Don’t look for sympathy for Imus from me. If this dirt bag had referred to any one of my daughters as a “whore” on national radio while she was still in college, I’d be suing him right out of his “wannabe cowboy” hat for slander. I personally hope he never gets near any transmitting device more powerful than a cell phone for the rest of his life.
Jonas Parker on August 15, 2007 at 2:30 PM
Irrespective of my personal opinon of Imus (that he is a bloviating moron and loudmouth a-hole), he committed an act of defamation. If the women on the team are insulted and are not satisfied by his apology, then given what was said, then the only question will be how much money Imus will pay.
As for Sharpton, Imus did NOT owe him anything. Not an apology. Not the time of day. And certainly, not publicly kissing his ass to beg forgiveness.
Imus chose to grovel. Whether he was pressured by NBC (or CBS) is not relevant. He could have simply said no and accepted the same consequences (losing his show) anyway, and saved himself the personal humiliation of leaving lipstick on Sharpton’s butt-cheeks.
Sharpton chose to interject himself and did so only to enhance his power and reputation. Just as he did in the Tawana Brawley case. Just as he did in the riots he caused a few years later. What Imus did in kissing Sharpton’s ass is (1) make this insufferable race agitator more insufferable, and (2) elevate this one man to be able to be the only one to decide WHO is heard on radio and TV and what will be said about blacks. Jesse Jackson must be drooling jealous that his insufferable fellow agitator made it, and he didn’t.
Imus should take his millions and his phony cowboy hat persona, and retire to the irrelevance and oblivion that he so richly deserves.
georgej on August 15, 2007 at 3:52 PM
One problem about the apology: the women are on record as having accepted it.
baldilocks on August 15, 2007 at 4:02 PM
Imus used to rant about how he didn’t care about the show being on MSNBC, and then goes and kisses Sharpton’s bottom to stay put.
A bit phony.
Hening on August 15, 2007 at 4:58 PM
ANYONE that kisses Sharpton’s ass should NEVER be allowed on the air again…EVER!
sabbott on August 15, 2007 at 6:14 PM
Anyone else thing if Silky finds some free time in the near future, he might represent a few of these girls if this first case goes well? Would be some great publicity for a future campaign.
PowWow on August 15, 2007 at 10:06 PM