After Atalanta

Dave Zirin has a column in the LA Times about the return of Imus to the airwaves next week. He doesn't really say anything new--but that's okay because at this point, it's more important to keep the discourse going which is harder in our 24/7 news culture. Plus he's a good writer; intelligent and just the right amount of snarky. (I've been using that word a lot lately--I must be feeling kind of snarky myself.) Some highlights: Imus' punishment in retrospect appears like a massage on the wrist: He received a $20-million settlement from CBS for cutting his contract short, he took a nine-month vacation, and now he's returning to commercial radio. We are relentlessly sold the idea that our games -- our precious sports -- are a safe space from this kind of political abuse. Sports are a "field of dreams" where hard work always meets rewards. We treasure this idea. When the Rutgers basketball players defy the odds and make the NCAA finals -- and get call...

We all knew it was coming. The plans for Imus to go back on the radio have been in the works for a while. Rumors about negotiations with WABC, we knew, we more likely truer than not. And so it will be that Don Imus will return to the airwaves on December 3. Coach Stringer says she knew Imus would work again but she's still angry at the comments, though she reiterates that she has forgiven him. She also seems to think this experience has humbled him and that he will emerge a changed man when he shows up for work in a month. Does she really believe that or is it just what she says to the press? I hope the latter because I really think Stringer is smarter than that. Imus had his already slightly sketchy reputation tarnished a little more. He did not have his consciousness raised. And speaking of the Imus situation. It has been a hot topic here in Pittsburgh where the annual North American Society for the Sociology of Sport conference is being held. [The conference is also the reason f...

CBS must think that the general public has short-term memory. The spot left blank after they fired shock jock Don Imus for his disparaging, racist, homophobic and sexist comments about the Rutgers basketball team is going to be filled by Craig Carton and Boomer Esiason. Carton is one half of the New Jersey duo Jersey Guys and his track record is not much better than Imus's--his comments have just been limited to the Jersey area. This article details his past indiscretions that include offensive remarks and actions towards women, Hispanics, and Asians. Lovely. CBS does not think it will be a problem, however, because Carton and Esiason are doing a sports show. Dan Mason, president of CBS Radio said "this show is not as much about controversy as it is about sports." Because there is no controversy in sports which has always been open to and accepting of and equal in its treatment of non-white peoples, gays, and women. And in case anyone was worried about Imus, he and CBS h...

There has been a troubling component to the post-Imus discourse that centers on all the publicity women's basketball--and some even say, all women's sports--is now garnering. The phrase "they couldn't have paid for this publicity" has been liberally thrown about. The subtitle of this column by Bill Gloede is "Why Imus' flagrant foul may actually help women's sports." Every sentiment of this sort has the requisite, "of course, what he said was wrong" provision but then launches into the lack of publicity women's sports receive. Gloede cites the difference in ratings between the women's championship game and the men's. Of course the men's game gets broadcast on CBS--a basic cable channel; while the women's game is on ESPN--a channel available to people who spend around $50/month on cable. I have seen columnists rather unapologetically admit they didn't even know about the unusual road the Rutgers team took to the c...

What is this strange new feeling I am having? I think it must be success. Don Imus will no longer be doing his radio show. CBS and WFAN have fired him just a day after MSNBC decided to stop simulcasting the program on television. ABC News calls it a "stunning fall"; and I have to admit I am feeling a little stunned. I am sure there were a lot of intersecting factors at play in this situation that resulted in the firing of Imus but I guess I had become so cynical as to believe that a lot of people would protest--and rightly so--and there would be some form of punishment. When the two-week suspension was announced I figured that that was it. When MSNBC made their announcement I figured that was the best we would do and hoped the Imus show would die a slow death with people refusing to go on the show, ratings dropping, etc. But this is better. I think. I do wonder about the backlash. The this-was-PC-gone-amuck backlash. This column and all the issues of racism, homophobia, and ...

MSNBC has decided, during its ongoing review process and in consultation with its employees (probably the ones that can predict how much ad revenue they would lose) to stop simulcasting Don Imus's radio show . Pressure is still on the radio station WFAN and CBS to stop the show altogether. So write to MSNBC and say thank and write to WFAN and tell them to follow MSNBC's wise decision to disassociate themselves from this man.

Imus has been doing the apology tour. I have to say it's far more extensive than any other celebrity-says-something-bad apology binge. And his remarks about the Rutgers basketball team have earned him a two-week suspension . But there is speculation that when one is required to apologize repeatedly and for 13 minutes at a time, one is not long for the public airwaves. So please keep (or start) writing letters. Create enough noise to show MSNBC and others that the privilege of speaking on the airwaves is not one that Don Imus deserves. As always the power is with those who hold the purse strings. If advertisers begin to pull their support of the show MSNBC may be forced to drop Imus. I have only found three of the show's sponsors: The New York Stock Exchange. Simon and Schuster, and Random House. The only contact information I could find for S&S is this link to a customer service form . At Random House you can try emailing customerservice@randomhouse.com . [Ebuz noted the em...