UPDATED: ESPN to Fire Rob Parker for Racist Remarks on RGIII? Highly Unlikely.

by Chris Smith on December 13, 2012

In this morning’s airing of ESPN’s First Take, Rob Parker asked the question about Robert Griffin III (RGIII), “Is he a brother, or is he a cornball brother?” Parker’s remarks stirred a huge uproar among viewers of the show.

Parker, who is an African-American, continued by saying, “He’s not real. Okay, he’s black, he kind of does the thing, but he’s not really down with the cause. He’s not one of us. He’s kind of black but he’s not really, like, the guy you want to hang out with because he’s off to something else.”

He added, “We all know he has a white fiancee. There was all this talk about how he’s a Republican, which, I don’t really care, there’s no information at all. I’m just trying to dig deeper into why he has an issue. Because we did find out with Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods was like, I’ve got black skin but don’t call me black.”

For Rob Parker to bring up race is a huge mistake. It’s a path that has destroyed many people’s career in the public media. If he thinks RGIII is a cornball brother, then what does he think about Seattle Seahawks starting rookie QB Russell Wilson? Vanilla Black?

I highly doubt that ESPN will fire Parker for his remarks because maybe he’s “black”. It seems like it is okay to be black and be racist among other blacks but it is not true for other races. However there is a double standard here. Rush Limbaugh was fired from ESPN for his remark on Donovan McNabb. ESPN should do right and fire Rob Parker for his insensitive remarks concerning RGIII.

UPDATE: ESPN has suspended Rob Parker. Just as predicted he won’t be fired for his racist derogatory remarks. In the world of ESPN, it is apparent, that if you are white and make racist remarks on a black athlete, you will be let go. However, if it was a black commentator making the same remark to another black athlete, he will still have his job.

In a response to his remarks on the show, Parker took to twitter and called his critics “typical and uneducated” and “silly”. Below is a screenshot of his tweets.

 

parker-uneducated-tweet

 

 

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Chris Smith graduated from the University of Houston in 2009 with an Economics degree. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the guitar and drinking tea. Connect with him on Google+ at +Chris Smith

Chris has written 276 awesome article(s).

  • Hank

    I am friends with quite a few African Americans who are republican, hate rap, and are extremely successful. One wonderful such family lives next door to me in an estate that is clearly worth over a million dollars. The father and mom are wonderful people, as are their three teenagers. People who stereotype, regardless of race, in my humble opinion, are complete idiots.

  • Aaron

    If ESPN has an ounce of integrity Rob Parker will be fired.

  • Craig Brockman

    Once again – double standard. Imus says “Nappy headed-hoes” in a satirical format, and he loses decades worth of employment – this PoS
    Rob Parker will get a pass!

  • rob parker

    Lol hank you are fucking stupid

  • rob parker

    @Craig. Your right I should get a break

  • * •★blueburb★* •

    If we all wrote and demanded justice like black racists do we might just get it,

  • rob parker

    You all can go to hell !!! He is a Cornball brother isn’t nothing racist about that . Get a life !!!

  • Rob parker

    You are a POS !!!

  • rob parker

    Go to hell

  • * •★blueburb★* •

    Some should stick to what they do best, get their brains banged out playing football and keep their mouths shut. I have never really cared what any celeb
    says. But if you want to follow his logic, Obama isn’t black enough to be Prez either.

  • Tommy

    Rob Parker is a racist POS, ESPN has way more class than to keep this bum around. Most of us watch athletes and don’t care what color they are. Rob, go joiin Al Sharpton so you can race bait together on a channel that no one watches!!

  • Steve

    Rob you seem about as educated and intelligent as the real rob parker, well done impersonating him you non-cornball brotha!!!

  • Steve

    Rob Parker I think your being a racist jerk. What the heck you mean by Brother? You trying to be a 50 year old gangster?

  • UguysRkillin’Me

    At least he didn’t suggest that there might be a chink in RGIII’s armor

  • http://www.facebook.com/chriss.markey Chriss Markey

    Unit I read this I had no idea who Rob Parker is. Now I know he is an ass, regardless of whatever the color of his skin. ESPN is just as bad for allowing this mutt to keep his job. If he were white he certainly would already have been fired. So goes the drifting culture of obomiNation.

  • http://www.facebook.com/chriss.markey Chriss Markey

    from 2012 and 2003, ESPN has
    learned little. except of course heightened hypocrisy … (the last 3
    paragraphs are interesting) …

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/20/idUS343235232820120220
    Feb 19, 2012

    ESPN has fired one employee and suspended another for using the same racist
    word in connection to New York Knicks’ guard Jeremy Lin.

    In both cases, an employee used the word “chink” in reference to Lin, a Palo
    Alto native of Chinese descent.

    “We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin,” ESPN wrote. “His accomplishments
    are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the
    Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved editorial
    practices and controls, and response to constructive criticism, we will be
    better in the future.”

    One employee used the word in a mobile headline — “Chink in the Armor” –
    after the Knicks lost to the New Orleans Hornets Friday night.

    http://articles.cnn.com/2003-10-02/entertainment/limbaugh_1_rush-limbaugh-show-mcnabb-comments-governmental-representative?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ
    October 02, 2003

    Limbaugh said on Thursday he stepped down late Wednesday from the show “Sunday
    NFL Countdown” to protect the network from the uproar caused by his
    statement that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated
    because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.

    “I think what we’ve had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The
    media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well,” imbaugh said. “There is a little hope invested in
    McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he
    didn’t deserve. The defense carried this team.”

    http://espn.go.com/gen/news/2003/1001/1628537.html

    Thursday, October 2, 2003

    Negative reaction did not come immediately. But on Tuesday, McNabb told the
    Philadelphia Daily News: “It’s sad that you’ve got to go to skin color. I
    thought we were through with that whole deal.”

    From there, the firestorm spread quickly. Democratic presidential candidates
    Wesley Clark, Howard Dean and Rev. Al Sharpton called for ESPN to fire
    Limbaugh. Others in both political and athletic circles also lashed out at
    Limbaugh’s comments.

    The National Association of Black Journalists also called for ESPN to
    “separate itself” from Limbaugh.

    “”ESPN’s credibility as a journalism entity is at stake,” NABJ
    president Herbert Lowe said in a news release. “It needs to send a clear
    signal that the subjects of race and equal opportunity are taken seriously at
    its news outlets.”

  • MaskedMan

    My take on Rob Parkers comments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AelcvR-VW0

  • coleman rimer

    But by Rob Parker’s idiot analysis, that’s why he is President.

  • RepoUSA

    Rob Parker is a dispicable representative of ESPN. He should be fired TODAY!

  • TB

    Why is it ok that an educated black man wants another highly skilled, positive roll model black man to become a hood rat? Rob Parker is an angry, jealous, small minded man who thinks he is “speaking for the street”..

  • Anderson Jr

    Ofcourse he should be fired. His remark was also racist towards white people. Imagine a white southerner journalist on
    ESPN saying that some white QB is a “cornball (meaning race traitor)
    because he won’t identify as white first and has a black wife. Al “punk
    fa@@ot” Sharpton would be all over that with his race hustling and
    poverty pimping black posse and the white journalist would be fired.

    THIS IS BLACK RUN AMERICA

  • straightticket

    we can only hope….i live in detroit and have to listen to this guy on a regular bases as a sports caster on channel 4..hopefully they get rid of him also….

  • Eddie

    Rob Parker is a rascist. He gets a pass because he is a Democrat, is Black, and works for ESPN. RGIII has more intelligence and class in his little finger that Parker has in his whole body. If ESPN was not owned by ABC and Disney, who agree with his vile racist views, he would have been fired long ago. He is nothing more than another type f Jesse Jackson- Al Sharpton bigot- race hustling scammer. Know him for what he is.

  • paul_rogers

    Fire this dumbass now.

  • Jay

    OMG, such racism. If Parker were white, he’s already be fired. What a stupid, ignorant comment. MLK Jr. is rolling over in his grave saying, “This is not what I meant, Parker, you moron.”

  • cwb456

    I am a black man and I find Parkers comments to be racist and outrageous. Parker should be terminated immediately.

  • is_it_2016_yet

    It would be a blatant double-standard if they don’t. Considering how they handled the Rush incident with McNabb.

  • KJH

    im trying to figure out how rob parker doesnt see a cornball when he looks in the mirror each morning

  • Rush L

    Rob should keep his job. No one should be fired for making stupid racist remarks.

  • Cloud98

    Do you live in Bel-Air next to the Fresh Prince?

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