On the September 18 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, during a discussion of a sexual-harassment lawsuit brought by a former New York Knicks executive against Knicks coach and president Isiah Thomas and other defendants, conservative commentator and columnist Armstrong Williams asserted, “I think sometimes guys use it [the word ”bitch"], like, let's say, for Isiah Thomas, if the woman did spurn his advances and if she found him offensive and did not give him the kind of attention that he's accustomed to getting from women, because he's supposed to be the celebrated athlete and not president of the New York Knicks, then he referred to her as a B, because he did not get her way. Still, he's implying here she's a tough broad."

Host Chris Matthews set up the discussion, which also included National Action Network President Rev. Al Sharpton, by stating, “A female executive from the New York Knicks basketball team has accused coach Isiah Thomas of harassment. In a videotaped statement, Thomas admitted to calling the executive -- and here's a bad word -- 'bitch.' ” Matthews then aired a segment of a videotaped deposition in which Thomas testified: “A white man calling a black female that, it's on with me, too. I'm not tolerating that. I'm not accepting that. So, if it's going down that road, with a black female and a white male saying that to her, well, that's a problem for me, and I'm sorry to say. I do make a distinction.”

Williams later asserted that “using the B-word or the son of a B, something I would not use, to me has never been offensive, because you use it in so many different contexts.”

From the September 18 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: A female executive from the New York Knicks basketball team has accused coach Isiah Thomas of harassment. In a videotaped statement, Thomas admitted to calling the executive -- and here's a bad word -- “bitch.” Here's his side of the story.

THOMAS [video clip]: A white man calling a black female that, it's on with me, too. I'm not tolerating that. I'm not accepting that. So, if it's going down that road, with a black female and a white male saying that to her, well, that's a problem for me, and I'm sorry to say. I do make a distinction.

MATTHEWS: Makes a distinction.

[...]

WILLIAMS: You'll have that opportunity. Listen, Reverend Sharpton and I, anybody with common sense, would agree on the double standard. If Isiah Thomas is basing his position on the race of an individual. I think where I differ with Reverend Sharpton is the fact of whether or not the B-word is offensive. I hear guys refer to women oftentimes, “That's my B.” They smile about it. They don't find it offensive.

I hear other women accuse other women of being B's. Some women see that as being tough and can do brass knuckles with the boys, and they're just as bad as the boys. In my culture, where I grew up, using the B-word or the son of a B, something I would not use, to me has never been offensive, because you use it in so many different contexts. I think sometimes guys use it, like, let's say, for Isiah Thomas, if the woman did spurn his advances and if she found him offensive and did not give him the kind of attention that he's accustomed to getting from women, because he's supposed to be the celebrated athlete and not president of the New York Knicks, then he referred to her as a B, because he did not get her way. Still, he's implying here she's a tough broad.