Rob Parker RGIII, Parker questioned Griffin's "blackness" during a segment on ESPN's "First Take" on Thursday when he was asked about Griffin's role as a black quarterback.
"Is he a brother or a cornball brother?" said Parker, who is also African American.
"We all know he has a white fiancee. There was all this talk about he's a Republican, which, there's no information (about that) at all.
I'm just trying to dig deeper as to why he has an issue. Because we did find out with Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods was like, 'I've got black skin, but don't call me black.' So people got to wondering about Tiger Woods early on."
ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz announced that Parker was suspended "until further notice. We are conducting a full review."
Griffin's father, Robert Griffin II, responded to Parker's comments.
"I wouldn't say it's racism," he told USA Today. "I would just say some people put things out there about people so they can stir things up."
DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, also weighed in on the commentator's remarks about Griffin.
"Nonetheless, I hope that our men and for that matter, my own kids, will never beg for authenticity from someone who can only talk about the things that other people have the courage to do," he wrote in an e-mail to the Washington Post. "People need to be held accountable for the offensive things that they say."
"Is he a brother or a cornball brother?" said Parker, who is also African American.
"We all know he has a white fiancee. There was all this talk about he's a Republican, which, there's no information (about that) at all.
I'm just trying to dig deeper as to why he has an issue. Because we did find out with Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods was like, 'I've got black skin, but don't call me black.' So people got to wondering about Tiger Woods early on."
ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz announced that Parker was suspended "until further notice. We are conducting a full review."
Griffin's father, Robert Griffin II, responded to Parker's comments.
"I wouldn't say it's racism," he told USA Today. "I would just say some people put things out there about people so they can stir things up."
DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, also weighed in on the commentator's remarks about Griffin.
"Nonetheless, I hope that our men and for that matter, my own kids, will never beg for authenticity from someone who can only talk about the things that other people have the courage to do," he wrote in an e-mail to the Washington Post. "People need to be held accountable for the offensive things that they say."
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