Limbaugh has only himself to blame / LJWorld.com

Archive for Thursday, October 15, 2009

By David Ramsey - The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

October 15, 2009

Talk about irony. NFL owners, who are almost all rich, white guys, are showing little enthusiasm for allowing Rush Limbaugh into their exclusive club.

For liberals — and I know there are five or six hiding out there in the Pikes Peak region — this is delicious. For conservatives, this is infuriating.

A bunch of rugged individualists who double as obscenely successful capitalists don’t want El Rushbo in their circle. These are the very men Rush celebrates every day.

Now, that’s irony. But, really, can anyone be surprised?

Each weekday, Limbaugh delivers high-volume and highly divisive commentary. He excels at pleasing right-wing listeners while offending just about everyone else. No doubt this formula works. He will earn $37.5 million in 2009, enough to fund his bid to become minority owner of the St. Louis Rams.

But the NFL isn’t interested in appealing only to the right-wing segment of America. The NFL reaches out to anyone with a wallet, which means Limbaugh’s failed attempt has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the almighty dollar.

I listened to Limbaugh on Wednesday. As expected, he blamed his NFL problems on what he considers the great evil of our time, the liberal “they.”

Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were keeping him out of the NFL, he shouted. He also made sure to call Jackson “a fool.”

Rush must know the truth. He must know he banished himself from the NFL.

In 2007, Limbaugh offered this analysis:

“The NFL,” he said, according to a transcript on his Web site, “all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it.”

It was classic Rush, who is endlessly and recklessly bold. That’s why he’s beloved in certain pockets of America. And that’s why he’ll never join a league in which 65 percent of the players are blacks.

He despises moderation of all forms. He mocks it. You can admire him, I guess, for refusing to be homogenized, but his tirades carry a price.

In 2003, Limbaugh offered one of his most famous statements. On an ESPN broadcast, he said Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback do well. ESPN, as interested in a diverse audience as the NFL, quickly banished Limbaugh.

I had to laugh. You see, I know a white guy who had been critical of McNabb. That white guy is me.

After McNabb’s sophomore season at Syracuse University, I wrote a column asking why he had failed to meet his vast potential, why he threw interceptions instead of touchdowns in big games and why he was out of shape.

Criticism or support of McNabb was never about color. It was about him playing the most glorified and scrutinized position in sport.

Limbaugh wandered into the discussion with a lame explanation: Support for McNabb was all about color.

Were Limbaugh’s words racist?

I’ll let you decide, but they were laughably and predictably simplistic.

So, please, don’t despair Rush fans. This controversy comes at an ideal time for your hero.

Glenn Beck was poised to pass Rush as darling of the far-right movement.

After this NFL ruckus, Beck has no chance.

Discussion

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15 October 2009
at 8:09 a.m.

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rbwaa (Anonymous) says…

poetic justice
15 October 2009
at 8:42 a.m.

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bkgarner (Brent Garner) says…

Actually the McNab comment was not so much about McNab as it was about the phenomenon of newpapers and media glamorizing McNab in the face of his glaring lack of performance. But, as is too true in America today, one cannot say anthing even tangentially critical of blacks, gays, or muslims without being instantly labeled a bigot, racist, homophobe. As for his comment about the Crips and the Bloods wasn't it made in the glaring light of the large numbers of the NFL who have been caught in varying criminal activites? Yet, these rich prima donas get to play on while if Joe Blow on the street committed the acts they did, he'd be in jail! Sorry, but this rejection of Mr. Limbaugh has more to do with bashing him for his political beliefs than anything else. This is evidenced by the false quotes attibuted to him by almost every media talking head that has spoken on the subject. I sincerely hope Mr. Limbaugh retains a good attorney and goes after these slander mongers.
15 October 2009
at 4:58 p.m.

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Gareth (Anonymous) says…

You can't be slandered if they have you on tape, genius.
15 October 2009
at 5:09 p.m.

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yourworstnightmare (Anonymous) says…

This piece is spot on.

Limbaugh appeals to a narrow slice of america, not the mainstream america represented by the NFL.

Let the markets work their magic. The dollar has spoken.
15 October 2009
at 5:21 p.m.

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kugrad (Anonymous) says…

Rush talked himself out of the job. Ain't free speech grand?
15 October 2009
at 9:01 p.m.

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UNIKU (Anonymous) says…

Limbaugh is a racist, right wing conservative tool.
He should buy into a company that he knows something about - like a pharmaceutical company.
15 October 2009
at 9:28 p.m.

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KS (Anonymous) says…

Obviously I am a conservative and I do listen to Rush, but NOT everyday. I agree, however, with the author that he has brought this on himself.

15 October 2009
at 9:42 p.m.

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bkgarner (Brent Garner) says…

It is indeed slander if what you claim someone said was never said by them. Legal experts are already weighing in and saying Limbaugh would have a strong case. The alleged comment about slavery is but one example of a quote being attributed to Mr. Limbaugh but the problem is he never said it. It comes from a blog and a book—a book without sources—published to smear Mr. Limbaugh. Unfortunately, these so-called journalists did not bother to check the source of that comment and have now left themselves wide open for legal action. Again, I hope he cleans their clocks!
15 October 2009
at 10:20 p.m.

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mr_right_wing (Anonymous) says…

I suppose with the name mr_right_wing, folks assume I listen to Rush religiously. Suprise! No. I did at one time, but I stopped after his first round as a druggie. With me he just lost credibility, and even more after his second round. Am I being judgemental? Oh yeah, I am. I'm not saying yank the guy off the air; I just choose not to listen to him. There are plenty that do though. You've got quite a variety these days as far as right wing radio goes. The lefties seem to still be pretty clueless as far as using talk radio. (So now they're even turning to government intervention - i.e. f.c.c. diversity czar.)

mrw = no 'ditto head'