USA - Rutgers women to meet with controversial Imus

PISCATAWAY (NCAA) - The Rutgers women's basketball team has agreed to meet with radio host Don Imus, who called the players "nappy-headed hos" on his nationally syndicated program last Wednesday.

MSNBC and CBS Radio suspended Imus two weeks for his racially insensitive comments. However, many black groups and public leaders have called for the firing of the often caustic Imus, who has apologized on the air.

Imus also asked to meet with the Rutgers players and coaching staff to apologize in person. That offer was accepted by the players, who expressed their anger with Imus' comments at a news conference on Tuesday.

"We are here today to express our hurt, anger and disgust by Mr. Don Imus' comments," Rutgers captain Essence Carson said. "We are deeply saddened and have agreed to have a meeting with Mr Don Imus at an undisclosed location in the near future. We want to get a better understanding of why he made these remarks that have caused such hurt and sadness for us."

"What hurts the most is that Mr Imus does not know one of us personally," Rutgers sophomore Heather Zurich said.

"We did nothing to deserve Mr Imus and (producer) Mr McGuirk's despicable comments."

Imus' suspension will begin next Monday.

"I think it's (the suspension) appropriate and I am going to try to serve it with some dignity," Imus said on his show Tuesday morning. "What I did was make a stupid, idiotic mistake in a comedy context."

But Rutgers women's coach C. Vivian Stringer did not accept that explanation.

"This is more than just about the Rutgers women's basketball team, it's about all women," Stringer said at Tuesday's news conference. "We can't just forgive and forget because it's a slip of the tongue when this person is in a position to speak on the airwaves."

Imus' radio show originates from WFAN in New York and is syndicated nationally by Westwood One, both of which are managed by CBS. The show is telecast by MSNBC.

The firestorm started a day after the Rutgers team lost to Tennessee in the women's national championship game. Imus was speaking with the show's producer Bernard McGuirk and said, "that's some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos."

McGuirk responded by saying "some hardcore hos." Imus agreed, saying, "That's some nappy-headed hos there, I'm going to tell you that."

The Rev Al Sharpton appeared on the "Today" show on NBC Tuesday morning and called for Imus' resignation.

"I just don't know how anyone could have heard this and not have been personally hurt or offended," Stringer said.

"These ladies have done nothing wrong to deserve this. They are hard-working women that have made this university very proud."

NCAA president Myles Brand and Rutgers president Richard L. McCormick issued a statement on Sunday, calling Imus' comments "unconscionable."

Hall of Fame baseball player Cal Ripken Jr. was supposed to appear on Imus' show later this week to promote a book, but canceled the appearance.

FIBA