Rutgers Players Rip Imus

Following Don Imus' airball of a joke, the Rutgers women's basketball team has launched a full-court press to get an explanation.

The women the shock jock referred to as "nappy-headed hos" slammed Imus at a news conference today for his "sexist," "racist" and "despicable" attempt at humor, but refused to call for his immediate ouster. Instead, the team said they would to his request to meet with him and hear his apology in person before casting judgment.

"We were insulted, and yes, we were angry. Worst of all, my team and I did nothing to deserve [these] horrible comments," said Rutgers player Heather Zurich. "Our families were upset and for good reason, instead of enjoying our day off and our Easter holiday, this was the topic of conversation."

Team captain Essence Carson added: "We have agreed to have a meeting with Mr. Don Imus. We would like to express the great hurt that he has brought us."

The Rutgers press comments came a day after Imus' employers, CBS Radio and MSNBC, announced that his syndicated radio show would be suspended for two weeks starting Apr. 16 for remarks that have sparked outrage from the African-American community, threats of a boycott and demands he be fired. Imus has also offered several onair apologies for his remarks and called his suspension an "appropriate" punishiment.

Speaking to reporters, the players, eight of whom are African-American, told how they were personally offended by the remark, which Imus made last Wednesday while talking to producer Bernard McGuirk about the women's college basketball finals, which Rutgers lost to the University of Tennessee a day earlier.

"Unless they've given 'ho' a whole new definition, that's not what I am," said team member Kia Vaughn.

Some of the female athletes said they wanted to question the radio personality as to why he would attack them in such a way since they did nothing to deserve the animosity.

"I could say that we honestly don't know what to expect from Don Imus. What we will plan on asking him is his reasons," another player, Matee Ajavon, said. "Right now I can't really say if we have come to a conclusion of whether we will accept the apology. What I can say I think this meeting will be crucial for us, the state of New Jersey and everybody representing us."

"I believe we present ourselves well both on and off the court," added  Zurich, "even though Mr. Imus seems to think differently even though he knows not one of us."

The team's head coach, C. Vivian Stringer, defended her team and lashed out at Imus.

"These young ladies are the best this nation has to offer and we are so very fortunate to have them at Rutgers. They are young ladies of class, distinction. They are articulate. They are gifted," she said, labeling Imus' comments "deplorable, despicable, abominable and unconscionable."

For his part, Imus kept the mea culpas coming.

In a feisty interview with Matt Lauer on The Today Show, Imus suggested that he'll do his best to curb the kind of controversial commentary that's been a hallmark of his 30-plus years on radio, adding that he will  "to try and serve [his suspension] with some dignity."

"This is a comedy show. I’m not a news man," the radio star said.  "There’s a difference between premeditated murder and a gun going off accidentally...this was a comedy routine. It wasn’t a malicious rant. I wasn't angry or drunk...I’m not a racist. I’ve demonstrated that in my words and my work."

When asked if he can censor himself from those kind of repugnant remarks in the future, Imus acknowledged that "perhaps I can't."

"I have a history of keeping my word and what I did was make a stupid, idiotic mistake in a comedy context," the former marine explained. "I didn't open the microphone and said this is what I think of these Rutgers women. But should I be excused for it, absolutely not.

"As bad as I feel, I don't feel as bad as those young women at Rutgers do," he added.

Meanwhile, one of Imus' harshest critics, the Reverend Al Sharpton, also appeared on the segment and said Imus' reprimand was "too little, too late."

Despite Imus' apologies and suspension, Sharpton, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the NAACP and the National Association for Black Journalists continue to call for a boycott of Imus in the Morning, with Staples and Proctor & Gamble among the major corporations pulling ads.

But so far the condemnation hasn't seemed to hurt Imus' guest list. While baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripkin canceled his planned appearance to plug a new book, Tuesday's show still featured Bill Maher, CBS News political analyst Jeff Greenfield and former Carter administration official Hamilton Jordan.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain, also a frequent guest of Imus, said that he was still willing to go on the show.

"He has apologized. He said that he is deeply sorry. I'm a great believer in redemption," the Arizona senator said.

Asked what President Bush thought of the matter, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said, "The President believed that the apology was the absolute right thing to do. And beyond that, I think that his employer is going to have to make a decision about any action that they take based on it."

Even Howard Stern chimed in, criticizing his longtime radio nemesis not for apologizing, but for caving in to his critics in the first place.

"He's apologizing like a guy who got his first broadcasting job," Stern said. "He should have said, 'F--- you, it's a joke.' "

Stern aside, few people are laughing.

Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic Hope, whose organization held a rally in front of CBS radio's Los Angeles headquarters earlier today, told E! Online that the suspension wasn't good enough and community activists' "opposition remains unchanged."

"We're still demanding he be fired and not just given a two week vacation until the sweeps come in May," Ali said, adding that his group and others will continue to target Imus' sponsors and advertisers.

"That's the unanimous decision from most of the major black leaders across the nation. We're all of one accord."