My take on Don Imus' comments

Amid all of the hoopla surrounding Don Imus’s comments (see full statement at bottom of entry) about the race of NFL player Pacman… er… Adam Jones… one thing really stood out to me. He referred to him as a “lovely kid,” which was a pretty foolish statement.

I don't profess to know Adam Jones. But I do know he has been questioned by authorities 12 times and arrested six times in the span of three years.

Now, you could be arrested one time and still be a "lovely kid" who was unfairly targeted. You could be arrested twice and still be a "lovely kid,” just have really bad luck. Heck, you might even be able to be arrested THREE times and still be a "lovely kid.” (Though, at that point, you really should probably consider getting some new friends or a change of surroundings.)

Once you cross over into your fourth arrest, you are officially not a "lovely kid.” And six times? Nothing lovely about that. Pretty tough to blame it on your race.

Jones has admittedly said he needs to change his ways. That's why he says he doesn't want to be "Pacman" anymore. He's trying to shed his old persona. The self-proclaimed lover of strip clubs even swore off those joints for the next "three or four years.” That's kind of sweet. I'm being sarcastic.

And perhaps Imus was being sarcastic as well with his overall commentary on Jones… maybe he did mean to point out that blacks are unfairly targeted by police. Regardless, he should’ve been smart enough to realize he should have qualified his statement, especially given the controversy he’s generated in the past. And for that I say his co-workers failed him by not asking, "what do you mean by that?"... to give him that chance to explain and avoid all of this.

Who knows? Maybe Adam Jones will become a "lovely kid"!

And then Imus could look like a prophet.

That would be good since I'm still waiting for him to be funny.

Here are the original on-air comments between Don Imus and Warner Wolf:

WARNER WOLF: Defensive back Adam “Pacman” Jones, recently signed by the Cowboys, here’s a guy suspended all of 2007, following a shooting in a Vegas nightclub.

DON IMUS: Well, stuff happens. You’re in a nightclub, for God’s sake. What do you think is gonna happen in a nightclub. People are drinking, and doing drugs. There are women there and people have guns. So there, go ahead.

WARNER WOLF: Also, he’s been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005.

DON IMUS: What color is he?

WARNER WOLF: He’s African-American.

DON IMUS: Well there you go, now we know.