13.APR.07

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey (CNN) — Don Imus “has stolen a moment of pure grace from us,” the captain of the Rutgers women’s basketball team said Tuesday, responding to the uproar over the radio host’s description of the players as “nappy-headed hos.”{{more}}

Imus on Monday was suspended for two weeks, and on Tuesday two advertisers said they were pulling their sponsorship to protest his remarks.

Essence Carson and other players spoke out at a news conference in their first public statements since Imus’ inflammatory remarks last week.

“I would like to express our team’s great hurt, anger and disgust toward the words of Mr. Don Imus,” Carson said. “We are highly angered at his remarks but deeply saddened with the racial characterization they entailed.”

Imus made the comments on his show Wednesday after the underdog team lost the NCAA women’s title to the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers. He apologized on Friday and Monday before CBS Radio and MSNBC suspended him for two weeks.