Thursday, April 19, 2007

Was Imus Right...After All?


Per the Associated Press...

Rutgers women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer has signed a deal to write a book about her life, set to be published next year. The book, tentatively titled "Stepping Up and Standing Tall,'' is scheduled to be released by Crown Books in the first half of 2008.

Stringer and her players were the focus of a nationwide debate on race and gender over the last two weeks after derogatory remarks directed at them by syndicated radio host Don Imus, who was eventually fired by CBS. The remarks were made after Rutgers' 59-46 loss to Tennessee in the national championship game on April 3.

Team members spoke on national television several times, including an appearance on Oprah Winfrey's show last Thursday.

Stringer, 59, began working on a book proposal last year, basketball team spokeswoman Stacey Brann said, though negotiations with Crown did not start until last week. The amount of Stringer's advance for the book was not disclosed.

Ok, let me get this straight...so, the entire Rutgers basketball met with Don Imus last week to set the record straight. Since then, not a single team member has said a word about the incident?? Mind you, the entire team spoke extremely openly and candidly just last week whenever a tape recorder was put in their face(s).

Something is wrong here, as my intuition tells me that someone on the Rutgers basketball team would have said something by now. Unless, of course...the team has now been instructed by Coach Stringer to keep everything (which went on behind closed doors) secret?? How dare I infer such a thing...

If this is the case -- and, if Stringer plans to personally profit from her "tell-all" book...then the world will know whom was/is, indeed, the real "nappy headed ho"...

This entire ordeal was ridiculous. Don Imus made a living off making similar comments for 30+ years. If he were to be fired, it should have been because his ratings had been plummeting - not because of an off-the-cuff comment made via live radio.

And this is just my opinion...but, Stringer has been playing the country like fools for the past week-and-a-half. This has been one gigantic marketing ploy - and this new book deal only further cements this notion. If Stringer was actually offended by Imus' comments, then her publication earnings should be given a charity of good cause. Instead, Imus has made Stringer into a public figure overnight -- and Stringer has her hands cupped for more greed.

After all, wasn't it Snoop whom described a "ho" as someone "that's trying to get a n*gga for his money"? How is this scenario any different??

In conclusion, when will the day come that we (as a world) view situations as simply right and wrong...rather than black and white??

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