NY: ESPN pundit and sports commentator Rob Parker has been criticised for his controversial and racially charged remarks about Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.
Speaking on the sports broadcaster's morning show 'First Take', Parker, who is African-American asked if the former Heisman Trophy winner is 'a brother or a cornball brother?'
Rushing to distance themselves from the growing race row, ESPN said that the comments were 'Inappropriate' and that they would 'evaluate its next step.'
According to the Daily Mail report, Parker, 48, a former Detroit News columnist openly questioned the blackness of Robert Griffin III and claimed that he was not an authentic representative of the black community.
Speaking live on air, host Stephen A. Smith immediately answered back to Parker, 'What does that mean?'
Parker then launched into a confused diatribe about the rising star quarterback's color.
'Well, he's black, he kind of does his thing,' said Parker.
'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 the guy you'd really want to hang out with because he's off to do something else.'
Bayliss pushed Parker along with other members of the panel to explain himself.
'Because that's how I - I want to find out about him. I don't know because I keep hearing these things. We all know he has a white fiance,' said Parker.
'There was all this talk about he's a Republican. 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 got black skin, but don't call me black.' People got a little wondering about him early on.'
Having spoken about his fiance and his racial roots, Parker was then prompted into talking about the man's hair.
'Now that's different. Because to me, that's very urban and makes you feel like - I think he would have a clean cut, if he was more straight-laced or not like - wearing braids is, you're a brother. You're a brother if you got braids on.'
Parker's questions come one day after Griffin answered questions about the relationship between his race and his career and identity.
'For me, you don't ever want to be defined by the color of your skin,' Griffin said on Wednesday, via Tom Corbett of USA Today Sports.
'You want to be defined by your work ethic, the person that you are, your character, your personality. That's what I've tried to go out and do.'
Having heard enough, Smith decided to end the topic there and then.
'Well first of all let me say this: I’m uncomfortable with where we just went,' said Smith to the other panelists.
'RG3, the ethnicity, the color of his fiancee is none of our business. It’s irrelevant,
'He can live his life any way he chooses. The braids that he has in his hair, that’s his business, that’s his life. I don’t judge someone’s blackness based on those kind of things.
'I just don’t do that. I’m not that kind of guy.'
Following Parker's comments ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys (@espnmikes) tweeted a statement:
'Have been asked for comment on Rob Parker comments: The comments were inappropriate and we are evaluating our next steps.'
