beloved by the sitcom's fans for his role as kramer, the comedian's neurotic hipster dufus neighbor. then one night in 2006 the comedian launched into an "n" word-filled rant during a stand-up routine. yada, yada, yada, his career fell flat. >> be aware of your own social contract, the standards that people hold you to. if you do something that creates a breach, an absolute apology, definitive apology is the first step. >> reporter: richards apologized on jesse jackson's radio program that same year. >> i know that what i said hit an african-american, hit us all, because it came out in the open. and i see it and i will take full responsibility. >> reporter: but his words seemed to do little to repair his broken social contract with fans. >> the perfectly sane deed. >> reporter: luckily for nbc and the franchise the show was already off the air, except of