Rush and the Rams

Categorized | Rush Limbaugh

Posted on October 14, 2009. Tags: Republican, Rush Limbaugh

By now many of you have heard that Rush Limbaugh is part of an Ownership group that is trying to purchase the feeble St. Louis Rams. Many people have spoken out against him being part of this possible ownership group. Here are some of the best so far:

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell- “I have said many times before that we are all held to a higher standard here. I think divisive comments are not what the NFL is all about. I would not want to see those kind of comments from people who are in a responsible position within the NFL. No. Absolutely not.”

Colts Owner Jim Irsay-“I, myself, couldn’t even consider voting for him. When there are comments that have been made that are inappropriate, incendiary and insensitive … our words do damage, and it’s something that we don’t need.”

James Farrior, linebacker for the Steelers- “I would think that there’s no place for somebody comfortable saying those kind of things. But it’s really not my place to say yes or no. That’s Roger Goodell‘s job, isn’t it? After all, he is the big boss.”

Giants Defensive End Mathias Kiwanuka- “All I know is from the last comment I heard, he said in Obama’s America, white kids are getting beat up on the bus while black kids are chanting ‘right on,’”

I am against most everything that comes out of Rush Limbaugh’s mouth, whether it is his vitriolic words or the smell of the hundreds of pills of vicodin he eats, I am opposed to it. But, what is with all of this fuss over him being a minority shareholder of a really bad NFL team. If he was to buy the Vikings, Patriots, 49ers or Cowboys maybe that would be a problem. But, if he wants to own the Rams let him. Or the Lions, or maybe the Texans, they are pretty bad too.

In an equally vitriolic manner, ABC and a number of other news programs have attributed quotes to Rush Limbaugh that he didn’t even say. The most stunning is, “slavery had it merits.” We all know the Glenn Beck school of slander, you get a quote or an issue, and you repeat over and over and over again, until someone listens to you. It works for the crazy conservative commentators like Beck and Limbaugh, so why not for ABC? Well, they are supposed to be news, Beck and Limbaugh have never once referred to themselves as journalists or news programs. They are commentators and get paid to get ratings by any means necessary.

I do not want Rush Limbaugh to own a NFL team, but I also don’t really care. It would not affect me at all, so I say ‘let the kid have his toy.’ But the media has not been so kind.

A transcript of the October 13 segment, which aired at 7:15am EDT, follows:

ROBIN ROBERTS: And we’re going to move on now to Rush Limbaugh’s controversial bid to buy the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. Opponents say Limbaugh has a history of making racially offensive comments, some directed squarely at NFL players. Here’s David Muir.

DAVID MUIR: On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh fought back against the growing controversy, surrounding his bid to become part owner of the St. Louis Rams, saying he couldn’t talk about his football bid directly. He did offer his own criticism of the media.

RUSH LIMBAUGH: They have to go somewhere to find concocted quotes, which are now bordering on slander, libel, whatever it is, that I never said. And they believe it.

MUIR: But more than a half-dozen NFL players point to actual quotes. To Limbaugh’s short-lived run as an ESPN sports analyst. There was this about quarterback Donovan McNabb.

LIMBAUGH: I don’t think he’s been that good from the get-go. I think what we have here is a little social concern in the NFL. I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well.

MUIR: Limbaugh said at the time, people were making a mountain out of a molehill. Six years later, Donovan McNabb has not forgotten.

DONOVAN MCNABB: If he’s rewarded to buy that, congratulations to him. I won’t be in St. Louis no time soon.

MUIR: And among the players now arguing against Limbaugh’s bid, New York Giants defensive end, Mathias Kiwanuka, who said, “He can do whatever he wants. It’s a free country. But if it goes through, I can tell you where I’m not going to play.”

MUIR: But those critical comments are drawing fire as well.

STEPHEN A. SMITH: Those black ballplayers that are saying that, I’m here on national television, telling you, they’re lying through their stinking teeth. Please. The New York Jets offer me $10 million, but Rush Limbaugh offers me $20 million, I’m going to have a problem with it? Please, they’re lying.

AL SHARPTON: Rush Rush out of the NFL.

MUIR: The Reverend Al Sharpton is now asking the NFL to block Limbaugh’s bid. But even some of Sharpton’s own listeners are asking why? Some said it’s good for business.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE CALLER: Him owning a team would be good for the sport. And I say that because somebody to hate puts people in the seats.

MUIR: The NFL doesn’t talk publicly about the sale of teams until the league’s owners decide. Football fans on both sides already have. For Good Morning America,” David Muir, ABC News, New York.

ROBERTS: For more on the controversy, moments ago, I spoke with Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic of ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the Morning. What are your listeners saying this morning, Greeny?

MIKE GREENBERG: It’s amazing, Robin. The reaction is overwhelming. And it just goes to show that Rush Limbaugh is one of the most polarizes figures in American society. And I would say it is somewhere in the vicinity of 50/50 split. With half of our listeners that are calling us and e-mailing and saying, guys, give Rush Limbaugh a break. A lot of the things being said about him are inaccurate. And then others saying, if Rush Limbaugh owns the St. Louis Rams, I would never buy tickets to another pro football game again. So, I think it’s an indication of just how polarizing a figure he is.

ROBERTS: And, Golie, so, you don’t believe some of the players who are saying “Hey, I will not- if I’m a free agent, I will not play for the Rams if Rush Limbaugh’s a part-owner?

MIKE GOLIC: Listen, Robin, there are some superstars in this league. Most are foot soldiers. I was a foot soldier. If I was in the situation, you know, what am I going to do? I’m not going to play for you? Oh, yeah. Nobody else wants me in the league. So, listen, it’s a job to some people. Certainly, Rush, as Greeny said, is polarizing. And everybody knows his business. But, I guarantee you, and I don’t know if what this says about players in the league, there’s a lot of players in the league, who probably don’t even know Rush Limbaugh. And that’s the absolute truth. Or they don’t care what he does. He’s the owner of their team. But they’re getting their paycheck for their job.

ROBERTS: But, guys, you remember in the 1990s, Marge Schott was banned From baseball for two years for what some considered racial comments. And she was an owner at the time. Could the NFL do something similar?

GREENBERG: I would be absolutely stunned if he winds up a member in this group. Because, the National Football League is one of the very few businesses in America that does not need to subscribe to the any publicity is good publicity theorem. They are a machine. They are so overwhelmingly popular. They are, by far, the most popular and important sport and business in American sports right now. They don’t need the additional attention. Rush Limbaugh comes with huge numbers of fans. But, I don’t think the NFL is sitting, thinking, if we could get the Rush Limbaugh audience to pay attention to the National Football League- I don’t see that there’s a whole lot of upside for them. It’s obvious, what some of the downside could be.

ROBERTS: Golie, of course, you played in the NFL for many seasons. And I want to tell you what the directive director of the players association said. “Sport in America is at its best, when it unifies, gives us all of a reason to cheer, and when it transcends. Our sport does exactly that when it overcomes division and rejects discrimination and hatred.” If the bid goes through. If he does becomes a part-owner, what kind of message do you believe this sends?

GOLIC: I think it sends that this is America. And if you have the want to do something, and you’re given the right to do it, and you want to do it, then that’s great. Isn’t that what, I guess, we’re supposed to be about if you’re given the opportunity.