LIMBAUGH IS GIVEN THE SHAFT
By The Gambler [J.Gamble] For Football Reporters Online
When did American’s become so damn judgmental? Land of the free. Home of the brave. Remember that? Freedom of speech. Freedom of the press. Does any of this exist anymore?
Now, I’m no Rush Limbaugh fan. I don’t dislike him either. He is an American with his own ideas, friends, beliefs and opinions. No different than the rest of us. What makes him stand out is the fact that he has had a radio show for many years. And on his show he is staunchly dedicated to furthering the beliefs, core values and lifestyle of the right-wing, conservative, rich, white society he is immersed in. He has a unique and advantageous professional platform, and he uses it. It is an opinion show. There are no right or wrong answers. But his opinion is the overriding one on his show.
All things being said, Limbaugh should have been allowed to continue as part of a group seeking to buy the Rams. Limbaugh was to be a limited partner in a bid led by St. Louis Blues chairman Dave Checketts, but Checketts said in a statement Wednesday that Limbaugh's participation had complicated the effort. The group would move forward without him. The group succumbed to a wicked media backlash and a vocal protest by the head of the NFL Players Union. Colts owner Jim Irsay said he would vote against the bid as well. Commissioner Roger Goodell even threw his two cents in, saying Limbaugh’s “divisive” comments would not be tolerated.
Limbaugh’s reputation as a “hate monger” -- as FOX Sports columnist Jason Whitlock called him in a recent column – hit a pentacle when he was ousted as part of The MNF team back in 2003, after making racially charged comments about Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb. He was also caught in a pill-popping illegal prescription drug dependency, which made him look like a hypocrite. Still, he continued to express his deeply conservative and often offensive views on his radio show. And that made him too hot. It seems his boys had to back out on him in order to get this done. Either way, I’m sure he’ll still remain as a “silent partner” of sorts. A lot of people see this as a victory for the left and racial sensitivity in sports. Al Sharpton was vocally ecstatic. Limbaugh has said this is a direct attack by Democrats and liberals to destroy prominent conservatives. I don’t particularly agree with either of those assertions.
I do however agree with Limbaugh when he says “this is about the future of The United States of America and what kind of country we’re going to have. “
I don’t think he should have been dropped. I think his team should have stood behind him and fought this issue to the fullest extent of the law. NFL owners shouldn’t be able to deny a bid based on anything but financial health. If Limbaugh is stopped because of some touchy views he had about McNabb, then anyone can be stopped from purchasing a team just because they have different views than the other owners.
No wonder there aren’t any black NFL owners yet. Reggie Fowler attempted to buy the Vikings in 2005 for $625 million dollars. Fowler was to become the first African-American principal of an NFL team, and he seemed to have all his ducks in a row. But the owners didn’t approve his purchase. He couldn’t get into the old boys club. The basis of this denial, however, was discrepancies and a lack of confidence and in Fowler’s financial portfolio.
Everyone is so touchy these days. Noone can say what they really feel any more in fear of being persecuted and cast aside as a bigot. America is a country where every man has an opportunity to pursue the many offerings of life. A person’s beliefs should never deny them that opportunity. If Rush has the doe. Let him buy the team. There are rules, systems and bodies put in place to police bigotry and biased practices in the work place.
This opens up a can of worms that can affect all ethnicities and beliefs. The NFL is openly stating that if you don’t share the values and morals of the majority, then you are subject to being cast aside and labeled a “hate monger”. That is a dangerous direction for our country. Nets owner Jay-Z has admittedly sold drugs and continues to glorify it in his songs, but he is still considered fit to own a pro franchise. Why is Limbaugh attacked with such fervor?
Diversity has been the fabric of our uniqueness and success as a nation. People with different opinions and believes having to co-exist for the good of society. We can’t pretend people grew up the same. We are not robots. We all disagree with people who don’t share our core values. That’s what makes us strong people. Debate.
Limbaugh deserves the opportunity to mess up, before he is shown the door. His dream was taken because he was man enough to speak his mind. Right or wrong, my granddad told me America was built on the backs of people with strong beliefs and foundations. These days, I guess as long as you are spewing nonsense on a reality show, you are safe. If you discuss real issues, that spur emotion and conflict, you don’t fit in anymore. The image-conscious NFL doesn’t need right-wing radio hosts drawing attention away from the product on the field. We understand that. But I think down the line, we will see the negative effects of NFL owner decisions that are based on no real criteria other than a difference of opinion.
