Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Imus Calls Pacman Jones a "Lovely Kid"
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 25, 2008
Modified Jun 25, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 25, 2008
Modified Jun 25, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
After many questioned his Monday morning remarks about Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, radio shock jock Don Imus defended them, explaining he was being "sarcastic."
On Monday, newsreader Warner Wolf had mentioned Jones's desire to drop the Pacman nickname, hoping to drop the associations with his many legal troubles. Imus had asked Wolf, "What color is he?" to which Wolf said, "He's African-American." Then Imus said, "Well, there you go. Now we know." Many people didn't catch the sarcasm, including Jones himself, who told the Dallas Morning News, "I'm truly upset about the comments. Obviously Mr. Imus has problems with African-Americans. I'm upset, and I hope the station he works for handles it accordingly. I will pray for him."
Yesterday, Imus told listeners, "Obviously, [the police] are picking on him. So I asked Warner what color he was. Well, obviously, I already knew what color he was. What people should be outraged about is they arrest blacks for no reason. There was no reason to arrest this kid six times. Maybe he did something once, but I mean everyone does something once." He also said Jones is a lovely kid. "He was out there having fun;" and added "What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason, and I mean there's no reason to arrest this kid six times. They shoot blacks for no reason."
The Reverend Al Sharpton, who voiced concerns about the remarks yesterday (and whose radio show Imus appeared on after his Rutgers women's basketball remarks), said he hoped Imus meant what he said, "If now Imus is saying he's joined the ranks of those that are raising the question of racial disparity in the criminal justice system, then he's taking a correct position. I don't have any record of him saying that in the past." Still, Sharpton says he's examining the remarks.
The Lede asked a good question: "Have Americans all lost the ability to detect sarcasm?"
Tagged
Adam "Pacman" Jones
Adam Jones
al sharpton
don imus
racial remark
radio
reverend al sharpton
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Feds blame NYC's sanctuary policies for violent ICE arrest in Marble Hill
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE agents were unaware a child was in the vehicle they fired on during the arrest.
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 9, 2026 at 12:37 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 9, 2026 at 1:09 p.m. ET
NYPD rushed man shot by ICE to hospital in police SUV, bodycam footage shows
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said ICE officers fired at Oscar Belgal multiple times when he was in a car with his 5-year-old son.
By
Ben Feuerherd
News
NYPD rushed man shot by ICE to hospital in police SUV, bodycam footage shows
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said ICE officers fired at Oscar Belgal multiple times when he was in a car with his 5-year-old son.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Pencils down: NYC lawmakers want to switch back to paper tests as state mandates screens
By
Jessica Gould
Penn Station’s future could be determined by midterm elections
By
Stephen Nessen
ICE mistakenly arrested 2 men in the Bronx, then mounted cover-up, US judge rules
By
Arya Sundaram
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .