Geraldo will no longer use 'thug' to describe excited, black athletes

On "Fox and Friends" Friday, Geraldo Rivera vowed to abandon his use of the word "thug," explaining that he now believes it carries a racial connotation.

Credit Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

"I called  (NFL Seattle Seahawks') Richard Sherman a thug when he ranted about (the 49ers') Michael Crabtree," Rivera said. "He (Sherman) said the use of the word thug was the new N-word. I pondered that. I have come to agree with Richard Sherman, the Stanford grad. I will never use the word thug in that context again."

Following Sherman's infamous post-game screed, the cornerback said in a press conference that those in the media who called him a "thug" for his behavior were using the word as a substitute for the n-word.

As the liberal Media Matters points out, Rivera also drew controversy when he used the word "thug" to characterize the dress of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin. "You dress like a thug, people are going to treat you like a thug," Rivera said last summer. "That's true. I stand by that."