I had to hit the road early this morning, but I delayed the departure long enough to hear a little of the Don Imus response, on his weekday radio show, to criticism arising from his comments on Monday regarding Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones.

MDS has posted a portion of the discussion on AOL’s FanHouse.

Our reaction to the comments Imus made in the first 20 minutes or so of the broadcast?  We were inclined at first to perhaps consider giving him the benefit of the doubt regarding his explanation that he was making a sarcastic remark aimed to reflect his belief that Jones has been arrested six times not because of his behavior, but because of his race.

But then it struck us that Imus and his band of sycophants who would also be unemployed (again) if Imus gets fired (again) are trying too hard to make this look like something that has been cooked up by a bunch of irrational kooks.  Though it’s possible that Imus meant no offense with his seemingly gratuitous and malicious remarks, his meaning (if he’s telling the truth) was hardly as clear as he and Charles McCord and Warner Wolf and others who are on the payroll tried to make it out to be.

More importantly, Imus completely lost us when he tried to refer to Adam Jones with the adjective “lovely.”

Look, Adam Jones might be “lovely,” but Pacman Jones was a turd to end all turds.  He was arrested six times because, by all appearances, he deserved to be arrested six times. 

Surely, Imus was aware of Pacman Jones before Monday.  Surely, Imus had seen or heard enough about him to conclude that Jones wasn’t a victim of persecution or racism.  He bit a cop on the hand, for crying out loud.  He incited violence that resulted in a man being shot, and then he admitted paying off the shooter, even though Jones claims that he coughed up the cash only because was afraid that the shooter’s next target would be Jones himself.

Meanwhile, Adam Jones isn’t happy with the situation.  Here’s what he told the Dallas Morning News, again via our own MDS:  “I’m truly upset about the comments,” Jones said.  “Obviously Mr. Imus has problems with African-Americans.  I’m upset, and I hope the station he works for handles it accordingly.  I will pray for him.”

Actually, Adam Jones should be very happy about the situation.  For the first time in years, Adam Jones is playing the role of something other than the villain.  It actually might have been wise for Jones to forgive Imus — and to also thank Imus for making Jones seem far more sympathetic than he otherwise has.  Ever.