Rob Parker, Sports Journalist, Questions Robert Griffin III's Blackness On ESPN's 'First Take' (VIDEO)

This clip of ESPN's Rob Parker questioning the blackness of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III has literally left us speechless.

On Thursday, Parker, a commentator for "First Take," went on a rant about RGIII's connection to the black community, posing one of the oddest questions we've ever heard: "Is he a brother, or is he a cornball brother?”

Apparently we're not alone in our bewilderment. Here are a few Twitter reactions we spotted:

Rob Parker's idiotic comments about Robert Griffin not being a "real brother" are an embarrassment to black people... fb.me/EpDi2COz

— Alonzo Bodden (@AlonzoBodden) December 13, 2012

When cats like Rob Parker say ish like that, they trying to front like they are pro-black or "hood"

— Thunder Lee Dawkins(@Black_Ted_Mosby) December 13, 2012

There's much more to the black experience than the race of your spouse or the political party you identify with. It's all blood. That's it.

— Brandon Pope (@BpopeBSU) December 13, 2012

Watch, discuss and tell us: Do you think Parker's comments were out of line? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Comments

[AMJ889]

06:36 PM on 02/07/2013

What is he to white for you?? Stupid comment buy a stupid person....

[Imissgeorgew]

10:53 PM on 12/26/2012

RG3 can play a hell of a ball game, has a happy life off the field but that's not good enough for Parker. Simply put, miserly lives company and I don't seem them anymore miserable than Parker.

[Rubin Turner]

12:43 PM on 12/18/2012

okay, let me translate the whole incident for our white friends and media alike. espn wants two things: interest and reaction. via television viewers and online through social commenting on their site. they accomplish this with the same surprisingly simple formula: race. along with the actual real time sport current events and games to boot. rob parker went a little too far with his words. so does skip bayless as a white guy at times. robert griffin didn't grow up like michael vick did. in the nba that's like comparing jordan to iverson's upbringing. it's completely different even if they're both obviously black. jordan black is like oprah black. iverson's black is well, you get the picture. it's not upscale. not "sellout." i love griffin's game. he may not be iverson-like. neither was warren moon or donovan mcnabb. the distinction is class or how they carry themselves. the culture they exude in how they speak and dress. dave chappelle is black, but not martin lawrence black. dave toes the middle like chris rock. white audiences would prefer those two before martin. as they did richard pryor before say a redd foxx or eddie murphy.

[IvanSergeyevich]

11:32 PM on 12/17/2012

Utterly moronic. RG3 is black. No ifs, ands or buts about it. If he's a Republican, he's black. If he's got a white fiancee, he's black. If he likes sushi and plays croquet, he's still black.

[bmwracer]

08:59 PM on 12/16/2012

The real embarrassment is Rob Parker.

How can African-Americans continue to move forward if other African-Americans want to tear them down?

[JRLM Beats]

12:04 AM on 12/16/2012

Cornball brother?? The correct term is "safe negro" . Like Key and peel, the comedians.

[rjhome]

04:40 PM on 12/15/2012

Parker has both invalid and valid points. The only way for blacks to improve our situation is by becoming educated, working together, and becoming competitive. We all don't have to fit into certain stereotype. However marrying a white women is a mistake. Why would you marry into the race that has treated you and your ancestors like dogs.

[richie37]

11:10 PM on 12/15/2012

What a load of BS , this young man has the right to marry who ever he wants regardless of skin color , who are you to judge him

[jbee123]

11:17 AM on 12/17/2012

The flaw in that logic should be pretty obvious. I would love it if you would expand your comment about how it is wrong for RGIII to marry a white woman.

[Wanbli]

02:24 PM on 12/15/2012

He got all ya's attention didn't he....so now RGIII is the whitemans fool and as Muhammad Ali once said...the samething about Frazier and Foreman, so too is RG 3 but many of you "brothers" up in here believe all tht rap ghetto rap....when a Blackman is Presdient who ahs never said he a "Brother" whatever that supposed to mean, nor Tiger Woods, nor, RGIII is being "protected" by the major media...controlled by white and/or Jewish owners...they want to see what a stale image put forward...Fanon adresses this in "Black Skin Face, white masks" and Cornel West in "Race Matters"...so far no one has put forth an equibalent for Brown-skinned Poeples be they Latinos or Asians or Indigenous. However, Wests' Race Matters doesn't mention any other races exception the white race. Manipulation is the key word here and RG 3 maybe that candidate to be manipulated to fill a void of Fanon's title book in a Black face and Muhammad Ali's or W.E.B. du Bois's and Geroge jakson and Jamil al Amin famous epic statements of racism in American being as common a Cherry Pie and endemic disease if we go back to Fanon psycho-analytical teratise suggest. ESPN fired Rob anyway pretty speaks for itself concerning RG III being cornball or rather "their man."

[rationaltactics]

12:21 PM on 12/15/2012

The whole idea of having to remain "black" keeps their race from succeeding. If they act like civilized human beings and don't speak "hood", they're not considered to be true to their race.

It's time to get passed this.

[baltimorescryptic]

11:00 AM on 12/15/2012

What's "The Cause"?

[iGeek]

09:21 AM on 12/18/2012

Taking over from white people obviously.

[pachemana]

08:29 AM on 12/15/2012

Parker eliminated himself (from the black community) by using the phrase "cornball brotha"..
do we say that?

[pachemana]

08:27 AM on 12/15/2012

Parker eliminated himself by using the phrase "cornball brotha"......

[lecloche]

07:29 PM on 12/14/2012

The fact that most (if not all) Black people are scratching their heads over this proves that Parker is "The Brother From Another Planet".

[paulhunterjones]

12:23 PM on 12/15/2012

Very good!

[voodoochld]

04:18 PM on 12/14/2012

Why are we even wasting our time with this, its obvious it's a black thing. Independently black vs Kooky Cutter Black? Really????

[skyblueheavan]

05:24 PM on 12/14/2012

You are being racist. What is Independently black ? That sounds racist to me. And Kooky Cutter??? Very racist sounding.

[swimbiker]

08:28 PM on 12/14/2012

go do your homework.

[voodoochld]

11:00 PM on 12/14/2012

Racist, racist, that's beyond getting old! Get over it and why not become a law abiding American (yellow, black, negro, brown, purple), a contributor to society and not a constant "woe it's me" I am black and now I am I am of a blackness degree you need to understand? Really, get a job have some real values and contribute to our country and lets get it back on track! Lets get over the blackness, yellowness, brownness, whiteness, pinkness, etc... Lets thank the English & Spaniards for their conquering quest, better the us than Africa!

[milles manson]

04:08 PM on 12/14/2012

you can be independently black and do your own thing or you can be "cookie cutter" Black and dress,talk and listen to the same music and everything else and be considered "Black enough" by your Brothas and Sistas.