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ESPN: Limbaugh To Be Dropped From Rams Bid

Posted by JOE WINDISH, Technology Editor in Media.
Oct 14th, 2009 | Comments

Their NFL sources say:

Dave Checketts, chairman of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and the point man in the Limbaugh group attempting to buy the Rams, realizes he must remove the controversial conservative radio host from his potential role as a minority member in the group in order to get approval from other NFL owners, the sources said.

Apparently not unexpected:

You could see this story coming like a boulder rolling down a very large hill… It was Tuesday when [N.F.L. Commissioner Roger] Goodell realized his ski lodge was in jeopardy, that not only was the Limbaugh boulder not going away, it was picking up steam as players and the head of the union started howling about Limbaugh’s potential bid to buy the Rams. Did anyone think Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson wouldn’t join that chorus? The sun still rises in the East, right?

So Goodell finally spoke up and Jim Irsay, the owner of the Colts, helped him throw a very large tree in front of Limbaugh, Goodell saying Limbaugh’s divisiveness is not what the league needs and Irsay going public with his refusal to vote Limbaugh into the club.

My 2¢ on Rush’s quest… live by the sword, die by the sword.

Meanwhile, from atop Memeorandum, Mark Steyn says those racist quotes appear to be entirely fabricated:

He does his show every day with an off-mike black sidekick yakking in his ear (Mr. Snerdley) and he has a black guest-host (the great Walter Williams). More to the point, when I began guest-hosting for Rush, I was amazed to discover that George Soros pays a team of stenographers, many of them called Zachary, to work their tippy-tappy fingers to the bone for three hours transcribing everything Rush or his fill-ins say in the hope that their efforts will one day be rewarded and he will deliver the big career-detonating soundbite. Among the afficionados of this service are, as I discovered recently, America’s “newspaper of record,” which faithfully follows the George Soros typing pool and dutifully plasters any potentially damaging bon mot on page one.

And, aside from all that, 20 million people are out there listening.

So where are these racist soundbites? Where’s the audio? Where’s the transcript? Name the year.

Allahpundit, “Needless to say, the next vocal liberal who tries to buy a sports franchise is going to have a hell of a time.”

Here, Rush’s takedown of Jesse Jackson:

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StockBoySF

Is Limbaugh being removed as a potential investor because he has (supposedly) made racist comments or because he is divisive? Limbaugh may or may not have made racist comments, but he is a divisive figure all 'round.

shannonlee

From what I have read, because he is a divisive figure. That being said, I am sure many in the NFL feel he is a racist considering his divisive comments.

I can't find any proof of some of the comments that have been attributed to Rush. I think he has a number of very nice lawsuits on his hands.

Brainster

I thought it was hilarious that Irsay mentioned that he hadn't bothered to ask Tony Dungy what he thought about Limbaugh; as it happens, Dungy appeared on Rush's show in January of this year.

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_012...

ElZagna

If anyone wonders if Limbaugh has made any racist comments they can start here.

Andy

Let me get this straight. Ray Lewis and Michael Vick can work in the NFL but Rush Limbaugh can't?

Michilines

That's what it looks like Andy. Do you understand the difference? If not, look at how Michael Vick has handled himself and how Limbaugh is throwing a pity party for himself this evening.

I've listened to Limbaugh on and off since his weak little signal was coming off KSEV in Houston in the late 1980's. He's said many many things that are not only racist, but also sexist. He's even gone back and changed his supposed broadcasts when he reruns them. It's obvious if you listen for any amount of time.

And Limbaugh "took down" Jessie Jackson or Al Sharpton? Big woop. He's been comparing them to criminals for years. At least both of them had the balls to run for office. Limbaugh, not so much.

In the end, Limbaugh is all about himself. Just listen in and count how many times he says his own name on the air in a three hour time slot. It's all about who said what about him, and how brilliant he thinks he is. Every day. For more than 20 years.

Andy

Michilines,

I think I do understand the difference between killing people and animals and being a perennial blowhard. I don't particularly like Rush (I'm an NPR man myself), but to me this is more about political opposition than anything else.

Patrick E

I am not a fan of Rush but I wonder what people would think if the ideology was reversed, if say Michael Moore or Keith Olbermann were pushed out of buying into NASCAR (just to go with a conservatively oriented sport).

I suspect there would be a lot of outrage.

It is the free market so they can choose to sell to whom they wish but I don't like doing this based on viewpoints.

Next thing you know they will open restricted country clubs.... (Oh wait, they did, and we passed laws to make it illegal because it was immoral)

Rudi

“Needless to say, the next vocal liberal who tries to buy a sports franchise is going to have a hell of a time.”

Mark Cuban couldn't buy the Cubs:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=368...
If Mark Cuban sidles up to fellow Cubs fans at future Wrigley Field games, apparently he'll have to do so as a ticket buyer.

Cuban's bid to buy the team from owner Sam Zell? According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Internet billionaire and owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks won't even make the final cut if commissioner Bud Selig and Major League Baseball owners have their way.

"There's no way Bud and the owners are going to let that happen," a baseball source told the Chicago Sun-Times earlier this week. "Zero chance."

Sp[orts owners are a select fraternity...

DLS

Patrick E., I said the same thing, using discrimination against gays as an (obvious) example. (Well, it should be obvious, anyway.)

The low-lifes and scumbag politics wins, and Limbaugh, logic, and morality are losers.

Hopefully the prospect for the Rams staying alive, and in St. Louis, are not losers, too.

kritt11

Andy-
Ray Lewis was not convicted of murder, and Michael Vick served his sentence (too light I will admit). Rush, OTOH, continues to push his divisive propaganda for the big bucks it brings in. Apparently not everyone finds his show "entertaining".

DLS

"It is the free market so they can choose to sell to whom they wish but I don't like doing this based on viewpoints."

PC viewpoints, at that. [scowl]

The group that buys the team should sell a stake to Limbaugh afterward, or have Limbaugh participate anyway using a "front" agent or company now. Heh, heh.

ModDem72

For all the politicizing and Rush's quick response to turn not just himself but the entire conservative movement as "victim," this is business - plain and simple.

Whether you agree with him or not, you cannot dispute that Rush is a divisive figure who would have distracted from and diluted the the NFL and Rams brand. I highly doubt George Soros or anyone divisive from the left would have any better luck. Checketts understand this. Goodell understands this.

There's a reason Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, and Tiger Woods avoid taking grand political or social stands. It's good business. It's good for their brand.

Oh, and Rush got a lot out of this. A lot of attention, another reason to complain about Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, a chance to play the conservative as victims line, mainstream media attention (which he mocks, but loves when they talk about him and his show), etc. ... all this for proposed minority ownership in a team that is not even officially for sale.

DLS

"you cannot dispute that Rush is a divisive figure"

Actually, there are so many who hate him, as well as liberals engaging in excess of all kinds, who are the truly divisive ones, and providing material for Rush's show. His show had gotten old and stale, and leave it to the lib Dems in Washington this year to give him all kinds of new legitimate material for good, strong criticism and the entertainment that provides.

It really makes what you wrote earlier,

"this is business - plain and simple"

the last word, for the "mainstream" liberal media continues also to leave a hole (be it through omission or commission of suppressive decision-making) in the "news" that continues to be a market that righties on the airwaves can easily move to fill. Limbaugh signed an enormous contract several months ago when there was little of note happening and the show was stale, and I thought the people giving Limbaugh that contract were taking a big risk giving him all that money trying to lock him up (as he would be risking if he were a team owner, in paying heavily to "lock up" a "franchise" player over a long period, incidentally). Now that we're seeing lib Dem follies galore this year, his show is doing well (attacks on him by the angry, resentful crowd about the Rams only added marginally to this, temporarily), and it is looking as though the risky move by the sponsors those many months ago is becoming a good decision.

kritt11

DLS- You are putting the cart before the horse. You seem to be suggesting that Rush himself is not the problem-- his critics are.

However, when a radio host knowingly makes inflammatory statements for ratings, it naturally leads to criticism of the host, and makes him a hot potato for a business venture like the NFL. Their job is to sell tickets to games and make sure the rules are followed. Period.

Why do they need to take on someone whose political bias is so well known, and who has offended a majority of their players?

DLS

"You seem to be suggesting that Rush himself is not the problem-- his critics are."

I will say openly that opposition not only to Limbaugh personally but to conservatism is indeed a problem.

Has there been conservative public liability before? Yes. I was waiting for someone else to take the opportunity to say it first, but so far, after days, nobody has, so I'll note: What about the example of Major League Baseball and Holly's home, Cincinnati, and the Reds' owner Marge Schott? And cheap PC people now attack Limbaugh?

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/03/07/loc...

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