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Rush To Judgment: The Overreaction To Limbaugh’s Interest In The Rams

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wilbon_10-12Conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh is part of a team of investors that may buy the NFL franchise St. Louis Rams, and since the news broke the story has taken on a life of its own.

Active players and the head of the NFL Players union are speaking out against the move, and cable news networks across the board are debating the possibility. But when push comes to shove, is all the uproar just hype?

Last week Stephen A. Smith, formerly of ESPN, was asked by Ed Schultz on MSNBC about whether the owners would oblige a Limbaugh deal. “I don’t think they would hesitate to do it quite honestly,” he said. But what about the players who say they wouldn’t play for him? “They are lying through their teeth, I don’t care what they say,” said Smith. “Money talks louder than anything else, especially when it comes to the players.”

One of those players, Mathias Kiwanuka of the New York Giants, phrased his opposition this way:

I don’t want anything to do with a team that he has any part of. He can do whatever he wants, it is a free country. But if it goes through, I can tell you where I am not going to play.

I am not going to draw a conclusion from a person off of one comment, but when it is time after time after time and there’s a consistent pattern of disrespect and just a complete misunderstanding of an entire culture that I am a part of, I can’t respect him as a man.

NFL Players exec director DeMaurice Smith‘s email Saturday to the union’s executive committee highlighted his point of contention, while urging the players to continue to speak out. “Sport in America is at its best when it unifies, gives all of us reason to cheer, and when it transcends,” he wrote. “Our sport does exactly that when it overcomes division and rejects discrimination and hatred.”

Then this happened – today, Rev. Al Sharpton sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hoping he blocks the bid.

>>> Next Page: What does PTI think, and videos.

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  • ImNotBlue

    I didn’t realize there was an ideological test to own a sports franchise.

    And Steve, The opposition to Limbaugh has some compelling talking points… and then a like to Media Matters? Really? Come on, Steve… you’re better than that.

  • http://mediaite.com Steve Krakauer

    Haven’t I made the point that it’s an overreaction? The points are compelling, yes – and Media Matters could be viewed as the opposition.

    But when push comes to shove, I feel I’ve laid out why none of that will matter. If he puts in highest bid, he’ll be the owner, and it will be highly unlikely the players will take a stand against the team because of it.

  • Jelperman

    He won’t be the owner, since his partner owns a local hockey team and the NFL has strict by-laws against owning teams in the same markets.

    Oh, and Jabba the Rush is a white supremacist dope addict, so he might be able to sign black players, but he’ll pay through the nose for it -more than other teams. Since the NFL has a hard salary cap, that will cause problems with being competitive.

  • ImNotBlue

    Yes yes, you did. My point was more along the lines of, if you’re going to provide criticism as back story, it should be from a more legitimate source than MM. If MM gave a lecture on gravity, I’d need other independent evidence before I believed them… so providing MM’s critique of the Limbaugh deal (at least IMO), make the already flakey criticism even more so.

    As much as I feel this is a non-issue, I’d like to see good debate on it… using MM as a source kinda ruins that (at least, IMO).

  • Jelperman

    Since Media Matters only uses actual footage of Republitards making fools of themselves, and unlike Faux News they don’t doctor it, the fact that you recoil from them is proof that facts, logic and the truth are for right-wingers what garlic is for vampires.

  • ImNotBlue

    Actually, Jelp… they do doctor it, they’re known for cutting out segments, and purposely mis-editing things to convince their audience (who doesn’t need to be convinced… they WANT to believe) of their point.

    You can read about MM’s editing prowess, from this past week, in the section “Garbage In, Garbage Out” here:
    http://homepage.mac.com/mkoldys/blog/psk276997367.html

    They even provide the video to compare.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Chuck-Steele/1147844375 Chuck Steele

    One thing I have noticed, having regularly attended Seahawks games these past 25 years is how few black people attend NFL games. So that should be a non-issue regarding fans and the players are just employee’s like the rest of us. That being said, I would think that Limbaugh owning the Rams would enhance the pleasure of most NFL fans attending games where the opposition is the Rams. I know that in this liberal cesspool where I live, being able to boo a team owned by Rush Limbaugh would just excite the hell out of number 12. Anything that brings more illegal motion calls at Qwest Field is a plus in my book.
    Let us welcome Rush Limbaugh to the NFL. The Rams being a division rival is a huge bonus.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Radphord-Leon-Howard/1445053255 Radphord-Leon Howard

    Come on Rush, buy the flailing Rams! Maybe a bunch of those ‘prima donas’ will quit and real players will be able to get a job in the NFL! Take their marbles and go home (sob! sob!) Mathias, just go to your room and suck your thumb (sob!) You’ll wake up in the morning and everything will be okay! The “boogie man” won’t get ya! Rush’s money will spend the same as the money you get today but you’ll be assured of getting paid. But, if you quit, you might even be able to get another job ~ It might not be in the NFL, but McDonald’s is always hiring!

    What a bunch of crap! Rush isn’t good enough to own a team? Pull your heads out of the position they are in and smell what you’re shoveling out! If it was Fidel Castro or Mao or Chavez, I’d be upset, but an American who came up the hard way is as good as anybody else when it comes to team ownership! Next we’ll hear Jelperman is going to move to Australia if Rush buy the Rams; just like Alex Baldwin was going to move to Australia if Bush was reelected! That idiot is still here! Darn! I was going to go and wave bye-bye to him, too! Get a life!

  • CaptainAmerica

    Jelperman says:
    October 12, 2009 at 1:46 pm

    He won’t be the owner, since his partner owns a local hockey team and the NFL has strict by-laws against owning teams in the same markets.>.

    As usual Jelperman being clueless about Media Matters and their deceptive editing of video they post isn’t the only thing he gets wrong this time:

    http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-rams-ownership&prov=ap&type=lgns

    [b]An NFL rule allows ownership of NFL teams and teams in other sports, but only if they are in the same market.[/b] That would be a problem if Kroenke wanted to become majority owner of the Rams because he owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.

    Checketts’ company owns Utah’s Real Salt Lake of the MLS. But an NFL spokesman has said the cross-ownership rule does not apply to the MLS.

    - – -

    It’s Stan Kroenke who has the problem. He currently owns 40% of the Rams. If he tried to become the majority owner, he would have to get rid of the Nuggents and the Avalanche.

    Rush’s partner Checkett’s owns the St. Louis Blues. Thats fine with league ownership rules. He’d only have to sell the Blues if they took off and moved to Los Angeles (which they will probably do).

  • CaptainAmerica

    Of course Faux newsman really just a left wing opinion spewer DAVID SHUSTER tweets:

    DavidShuster: The NFL would be wise to find another buyer for the rams ASAP. There is no such thing as a “right” to be a team owner.

  • m

    I disagree with Shuster. Limbaugh ought to be able to buy the Rams and run the team in any way he wants to. It’s Limbaugh’s money, he can do whatever he wants with it.

  • ImNotBlue

    So thus far, I’ve seen the intro to Chris Matthews talking about the whole Rush/Rams nonsense twice. Chris’ graphics person has apparently decided to use a picture of Rush from quite a few years ago, because Rush is at his largest.

    Nice job, Chris. Further proof that he’s becoming more and more like KO every day.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jasin-Walraven/1478603501 Jasin Walraven

    Anyone who thinks Limbaugh is a racist is an idiot who has no grasp on reality. The man employes black people and never said anything bad about anyone based on their race. But of course anyone who votes democrat is to biased to be bothered by facts.

  • http://soupsoup.tumblr.com Anthony De Rosa

    How is Fox News any better than Media Matters when it comes to doctoring video?

    http://mediamatters.org/reports/200905050003

  • CaptainAmerica

    There goes MSNBC just throwing out “quotes” that supposedly Rush made. Who cares about actually fact checking to find out they are probably total b.s.

    http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2009/10/12/msnbc-s-source-dubious-limbaugh-quote-slavery-football-player

  • CaptainAmerica
  • StewartIII

    What Limbaugh OBSESSION?!

    Limbaugh Transcends ‘Today’ Attempt to Discredit Him
    http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mike-sargent/2009/10/12/limbaugh-transcends-today-attempt-discredit-him

    DavidShuster
    http://twitter.com/DavidShuster/status/4816875889

    CNN’s Rick Sanchez Features Dubious Limbaugh Slavery Quote
    http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2009/10/12/cnns-rick-sanchez-features-dubious-limbaugh-slavery-quote

    MSNBC Features Lefty Sports Writer to Trash ‘Racist’ ‘Swine’ Rush Limbaugh
    http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2009/10/12/msnbc-features-lefty-sports-writer-trash-racist-swine-rush-limbaugh

    MSNBC’s Source for Dubious Limbaugh Quote on Slavery? A Football Player
    http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2009/10/12/msnbc-s-source-dubious-limbaugh-quote-slavery-football-player

    USA Today Columnist: Limbaugh Makes ‘People More Comfortable with Their Prejudices’
    http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2009/10/12/usa-today-columnist-limbaugh-makes-people-more-comfortable-their-prejud

    Surprise: NFLPA Union Chief Opposing Limbaugh Bid a Democrat Donor
    http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2009/10/12/surprise-nflpa-union-chief-opposing-limbaugh-bid-democrat-donor

    And this is just from today.

  • ImNotBlue

    Anthony… are you really referencing Media Matters, to prove that FOX doctors video as much as… Media Matters?

    Are you serious? I’ve just demonstrated how they doctor video and lie to smear FOX… and you’re trying to make a counter argument by referencing an article from them? Wow. I’m quite literally stunned.

  • http://soupsoup.tumblr.com Anthony De Rosa

    Fox does doctor video, and lies, just like Media Matters. You’re all part of the same hypocrisy. What planet are you living on?

  • ImNotBlue

    Well, where’s the evidence for that statement?!

    I’ve used my evidence to prove that Media Matters has LIED an DOCTORED VIDEO. Where’s your proof?

    You can’t use the source, which I just proved is faulty, to prove something else! That doesn’t make sense! I’ve seen a lot of opinion from FOX… and even heard some factual mistakes… but can’t recall any LIES (as in they knew it was wrong, but said it anyway). What specifically are you talking about?

  • http://soupsoup.tumblr.com Anthony De Rosa

    Well since you believe nearly every media outlet other than Fox News lies, any evidence I present to you, no matter how true it is, you will ignore.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/05/fox-news-assailed-for-vid_n_196719.html

    http://newsblaze.com/story/20090921150210reye.nb/topstory.html

    http://foxnewsboycott.com/bill-oreilly/bill-oreilly-manipulates-video-of-joan-walsh-interview/

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/27/724929/-Fox-manipulates-video-to-attack-Obama

    http://www.examiner.com/x-5738-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m8d10-Video–Why-Sean-Hannity-of-Fox-News-can-not-be-trusted-to-report-on-President-Obama

    There is plenty more where that came from. Let me know if these do not meet your stringent standards. I’m sure there must be somewhere other than Fox News you will accept the truth from.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Patrick-Plante/1014095624 Patrick Plante

    I don’t see that Rush owning the Rams becoming a problem. It might even be good to see Rush have to accept the karma of his past statements, in having to deal with the so called “crips & bloods without the weapons.” He certainly wouldn’t be the first owner/bigot of a sports franchise, that’s for sure. (cf. Marge Schott)

  • ImNotBlue

    You mean the statements that he didn’t actually say?

  • Anonymous

    not a single one of these isn’t a biased leftwing rag, and every link you posted is a lie

  • Anonymous

    not a single one of these isn’t a biased leftwing rag, and every link you posted is a lie

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