Robert Griffin III issued an apology after using the term “jigaboos” during the leadup to ESPN’s Monday Night Football coverage between the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals.
Robert Griffin III via ESPN YouTube
Discussing Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jaylen Hurts’ performance against the New York Giants, Griffin stated, “People said that Jaylen Hurts couldn’t get it done. He could not breaking the pocket. He’s not the quarterback of the future. I think he proved all those jigaboos wrong.”
RGIII pushing the boundaries of analysis you can get on TV pic.twitter.com/2JsxHG0p8B
— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) December 13, 2022
Griffin later apologized for the comments later in the night writing on Twitter, “Yooooo, Definitely need to clarify this. THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT TO SAY.”
He elaborated, “Was trying to say ‘those Bug-A-Boos’ in reference to haters and doubters.”
Griffin then apologized, “Regardless of my intention, I understand the historical context of the term that came out of my mouth and I apologize.”
Robert Griffin III Twitter
For those unfamiliar with the term jigaboo, Merriam-Webster defines it as a “an insulting and contemptuous term for a black person.”
Merriam-Webster definition of jigaboo
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On Urban Dictionary the term has a number of meanings. The most popular definition describes it as a derogatory plural name for black people “usually of lower class and mentality.”
Urban Dictionary definition of jigaboos
Another definition reads, “A racial slur typically for a black individual that’s wilder than the others.”
Urban Dictionary definition of jigaboos
A bugaboo is defined by Merriam-Webster as “an imaginary object of fear” or “something that causes fear or distress out of proportion to its importance.”
Merriam-Webster definition of bugaboo
Urban Dictionary defines bug-a-boo as “someone who is clingy and blows up your cellphone.”
Urban Dictionary definition of bug-a-boo
Another definition reads, “An annoying stalkerish person who won’t leave you alone.”
Urban Dictionary definition of bug-a-boo
What do you make of Robert Griffin III’s apology?