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Rutgers coach says Imus' apology accepted

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- The Rutgers University women's basketball coach said Friday her players have accepted radio host Don Imus' apology for racist and sexist comments toward the team and they are "in the process of forgiving."

"We still find his statements to be unacceptable, and this is an experience that we will never forget," said coach C. Vivian Stringer.

Imus met with the Rutgers athletes Thursday night hours after CBS fired him for calling the players "nappy-headed hos" in a broadcast last week. (Watch Stringer discuss what happens next )

"These comments are indicative of greater ills in our culture," Stringer said. "It is not just Mr. Imus, and we hope that this will be and serve as a catalyst for change."

She said it was time for Americans "to all hold ourselves to a higher standard."

"I personally am looking forward to joining forces with other people who want to bring about change for the right reasons," the coach said.

The decision to accept Imus' apology was the result of a vote taken at the end of the meeting, a source who was at the session said Friday.

The source said some of the players spoke to Imus and his wife, who was crying, and asked "Why us?"

"Because the players played rough," the source said Imus replied.

In her statement, Stringer commented on how Imus acted during the meeting.

"I thought that he was expressive of himself, that he shared with us the context in which it happened," she said. However, she added, that does not absolve him of what he did.

Stringer emphasized Friday that the basketball team had never called for Imus to be fired.

"It would sadden me for anyone to lose their job," she said. "And he came [to the meeting] in spite of the fact that he lost his job. So let's give him credit for that."

CBS 'deeply upset'

CBS' decision to dump Imus came a day after NBC Universal decided to cancel his TV simulcast on MSNBC cable channel and followed nearly a week of cries for the firing of the radio host.

"I believe all of us have been deeply upset and revulsed by the statements that were made on our air," said Leslie Moonves, CBS president and chief executive officer, in a statement announcing the decision. (Watch what led to CBS' decision )

CBS, which carried Imus on 61 radio stations, initially had said it would suspend his show for two weeks.

CNNMoney.com reports "Imus in the Morning" generated about $20 million in revenue last year, about 1 percent of CBS Radio division's total. (Full story)

Wife: 'Hate mail must stop'

The Rutgers team -- including the 10 players, their parents, coaches, administrators and religious leaders -- met with Imus at the New Jersey Governor's Mansion in Princeton.

Imus' wife, Deirdre, who filled in for him on a radio fundraiser Friday morning, also attended the meeting with the basketball team.

"They gave us the opportunity to listen to what they had to say, why they are hurting, and how awful this is," she said. "I have to say that these women are unbelievably courageous and beautiful women." (Players talk of hurt, seeking understanding)

She added, "The hate mail that's being sent to them must stop. This is wrong. If you want to send hate mail, send it to my husband."

Asked about the hate mail Friday, a team spokeswoman told The Associated Press there had been "two or three" negative e-mails, but that the team had also received "over 600 wonderful e-mails."

About half the people asked in a recent poll conducted for CNN by the Opinion Research Corporation had unfavorable views of Imus. Among African-Americans, 45 percent had a negative view; 51 percent of whites polled felt unfavorbaly toward Imus. The poll was conducted by telephone April 10-12 among 1,218 adults. (Poll results)

Imus: 'I've apologized enough'

Amid the outcry over his on-air racial slur, Imus said Thursday that he had "apologized enough" and that he will not go on "some talk-show tour." (Gallery: Other controversial comments aired on Imus show)

"I'm not going to go talk to Larry King or Barbara Walters or anyone else," Imus said on his flagship station in New York, WFAN-AM, which is owned by CBS Corp. and distributed "Imus in the Morning" nationally.

"The only other people I want to talk to are these young women at the team, and then that's it," Imus said.

Imus' disparaging remarks about the Rutgers players prompted eight companies to pull their ads from his show: Staples, General Motors, Sprint Nextel, GlaxoSmithKline, Procter & Gamble, PetMed Express, American Express and Bigelow Tea. (Vote: Is Imus' career over?)

Sharpton: 'No champagne bottle popping'

The Rev. Al Sharpton had pressured CBS to cancel Imus' morning show, but the issue "was never about Don Imus," he said Thursday.

"It was about the misuse of the airwaves," he said. (Watch a presidential candidate name other hosts who should be fired )

"We cannot afford a precedent established that the airwaves can be used to commercialize and mainstream sexism and racism. But there will be no champagne bottle popping by those of us involved in this. This is not about gloating."

Sharpton said he wants to show the media and the public that it is not necessary to "be misogynist and racist to be creative or to be commercial in this country." (Watch an analysis about impact of Imus controversy on airwaves )

Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

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