"I blew it and I’m sincerely sorry."
So says Rob Parker in a long message via Twitter Wednesday nearly a week after his racially-charged comments about Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. on ESPN's "First Take." ESPN suspended Parker, a Detroit-based sports journalist who most recently has been working at WDIV-TV.
"I completely understand how the issue of race in sports is a sensitive one and needs to be handled with great care. This past Thursday I failed to do that. I believe the intended topic is a worthy one. Robert’s thoughts about being an African-American quarterback and the impact of his phenomenal success have been discussed in other media outlets, as well as among sports fans, particularly those in the African-American community. The failure was in how I chose to discuss it on First Take, and in doing so, turned a productive conversation into a negative one."
Parker said he has contacted Griffin's agent so that he might apologize to the quarterback directly.
"As I reflect on this and move forward, I will take the time to consider how I can continue to tackle difficult, important topics in a much more thoughtful manner."
