Ripken Takes a Pass on Imus

By Michael Coffey -- Publishers Weekly, 4/10/2007 5:50:00 AM

Radio talk show host Don Imus is getting it from all sides: Al Sharpton has called for his firing, Jesse Jackson has called for a boycott of show advertisers, CBS Radio and MSNBC have announced the temporary suspension of his programming, starting next week. And at least one author has made it clear that the Imus show was not a place to promote his book.

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken was scheduled to appear today to promote his new book, Get in the Game: 8 Elements of Perseverance that Make the Difference, published by Gotham Books. Over the weekend, however, as the controversy about Imus’s remarks concerning the Rutgers women’s basketball team began to build, Ripken’s personal publicist contacted Gotham and cancelled the appearance.

"In light of recent remarks made on the program, Cal will not appear on the show as part of his national book tour," publicist John Maroon told the Washington Times. Gotham’s publicity director Lisa Johnson confirmed to PW that Ripken would be a no-show, admitting that the appearance "was a really important part of the publicity lineup. But it was totally Cal’s decision," she said. "It was totally nonnegotiable."

Over the years, the Imus in the Morning show has proven to be an effective way to sell books—among his regular guests are Anna Quindlen, Mary Higgins Clark, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Tony Hendra and Tim Russert—but it remains to be seen if other authors and their publicists follow Ripken’s lead. On yesterday’s show, Newsweek editor and Imus regular Evan Thomas came to Imus’s defense, as did political columnist Tom Oliphant. But, as Lisa Johnson said, "We’ll see how this thing plays out."