Rush Limbaugh: Why the NFL Just Said No
Over the last eight years, even though it often made me break out into hives, I've listened to a lot of Rush Limbaugh. I've heard him express the full gamut of his emotional range: from hateful to very hateful. But over all this time, I've never known him to be pathetic until yesterday.
As the media has now endlessly dissected, Rush was thwarted this week in his efforts to buy the National Football League's St. Louis Rams. His ownership group, led by St. Louis Blues boss Dave Checketts, dumped Rush without ceremony or pity. Checketts issued a statement saying, "It has become clear that his involvement in our group has become a complication and a distraction to our intentions; endangering our bid to keep the team in St. Louis. As such, we have decided to move forward without him and hope it will eventually lead us to a successful conclusion."
His comments came the day after Rush insisted on his show that they would fight this to the bitter end. But Checketts, like most owners a long time donor to right wing causes, had no desire to link arms with Limbaugh for a public crusade. You might think Rush would have gone on the air to slam Checketts's absence of a spine. You might think he would have called out the hypocrisy of NFL owners who give prodigiously to right wing candidates and causes, but insist on doing it in the shadows. You might think he would rail against those who see their conservative support as something sordid and best done behind closed doors. You might think Rush would howl at the moon at those who think that being an open, unreconstructed right winger, actually hurts the almighty bottom line. You might think he would say that the right wing has failed a major test by refusing to back him. Or maybe you might think he would take a different tack and accept personal responsibility for why a group of billionaires wouldn't want his presence affecting their bottom line.
But no. Rush instead had this to say about why his defeat occurred:
This is about the future of the United States of America and what kind of country we're going to have.....This is the latest assault on people who believe in rugged individualism and liberty and freedom who threaten the whole notion of state control tyranny and central authority which is typified by the Obama administration and the Democrat Party.
It boggles the mind. For someone who claims a belief in rugged individualism and rails against "victim politics" while he preaches personal responsibility, it was almost jarring to hear Rush whine about "tyranny" on the left when it was his compadres on the right who just said no.
It was even worse to hear MSNBC's Pat Buchanan defend Rush, comparing this episode to the McCarthyite witch-hunts of the 1950s, saying "this is blacklisting," which "liberals used to condemn." To compare a crew of billionaires throwing Rush under to bus to McCarthy's persecutions, is about as offensive as Glenn Beck's efforts earlier this week to compare Fox News to the Jews in the Holocaust. Yes, it hasn't been a banner week for conservative metaphor.
Let's be absolutely clear: there is nothing in the First Amendment that covers the right to own an NFL team. Owners have the right to protect their brand and Rush needs to deal with the fact that in 21st century America, he is a liability and not an asset.
As for the position "liberals" should take in such a manner, it seems more than obvious about what side we should be on. I would rather stand with the growing handful of players who were going public with the sentiment that they would never play for someone so noxious. Remember, NFL players have next-to no control over what team they play for. They don't have guaranteed contracts. A recent study showed that many suffer dementia or Alzheimer's when they hit their mid 40s.
According to their collective bargaining agreement, they only have the right to view their own medical records twice a year. It's a situation that former player LaVarr Arrington called "slavery" on his radio show on Thursday. Any time they make an effort to exercise any kind of control over their professional lives, we should support that. They didn't want to play for someone who said that they "looked like the bloods and the crips without the weapons." Good for them.
As for Rush, maybe he just went about this all wrong. After all, this is a man who once said, "Holocaust? Ninety million Indians, only 4 million left? They all have casinos...what's to complain about?"
Maybe he should have tried to just buy the Redskins instead.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-zirin/rush-limbaugh-why-the-nfl_b_323529.html
18 Reader Comments | Add a comment
Great article...hilarious, how does a private purchase tie into "the whole notion of state control tyranny and central authority which is typified by the Obama administration"
...So is this acceptable to use the next time I'm denied a car loan????
The author of this author is an absolute jerk. He goes on msnbc and spreads fake quotes like "limbaugh says slavery was good" and other ridiculous things. Hey buddy, what about being a real journalist and researching quotes about people before you say that they said it. You are not credible at all.
I love that you work for the nation magazine. That's not a left wing magazine or anything.
The fact is the Limbaugh criticism is all about his politics. Msnbc and Cnn hate rush Limbaugh because of his politics and will do anything they can to malign him. Thats why they let some of their hosts and guests spread fake quotes about him like the "slavery is good" and "the murderer of MLK should get a medal" quotes.
And the reality is most of the players who didn't want limbaugh to be an owner believed these quotes to be true. So no wonder they didn't want him to own a team.
The author of this article not the author of this author. My typo.
Remember, NFL players have next-to no control over what team they play for. They don't have guaranteed contracts. A recent study showed that many suffer dementia or Alzheimer's when they hit their mid 40s.
Players get treated like sh**t in the NFL. The owners are a bunch of greedy right wing tools.
But letting Rush join the club would just possibly galvanize the players union into a more militant stance. What's more, it would do it out in the open. And it would bring people who aren't normally even interested in football into the conflict on the side of the players.
The owners aren't good people. They're a bunch of country club racist who want to keep out an out of the closer racist.
I know you believe everything Limbaugh says, but think for yourself for one second. NFL players didn't want Limbaugh because he's a racist pig not because they are waiting for marching orders from Dave Zirin. Idiot.
Perhaps before spewing back what Rush wants you to, you might read what Zirin posted earlier in the week where he gave the sources for the other racist statements Rush has made.
I personally could care less about Limbaugh, he is a drug-addled hypocrite. However, those of you who are slamming his quest to own a sports franchise are also hypocrites. To wit, Jay-Z gets to be a part owner of the Nets with no backlash, and beyond the numerous times he uses the "n" word in his lyrics, he gets away with saying stuff like this on-stage with Young Jeezy upon Obama's inauguration:
"My president is black, he's black, he's half white/ So even in a racist mind, he's half right/ So if you got a racist mind, it's alright/ My president is black, but his house is all white...
No more white lies, my president is black!"
To recap, an obvious racialist like Jay-Z can own the Nets with nary a peep form Zirin and his "Nation" of dittohead-equivalents. As a clever, introspective, hip hop artist, Michael Franti, prophetically rapped back in the day, hypocricy is the greatest luxury.
So keep on raising that double standard, Dave, of letting certain segments of society off the hook, just because they share your political and racial perspective. Typical.
P.S. The link to the YouTube is getting rejected by the Zirin-filter so if you are interested in the "performance" do a YouTube search for "jay-z jeezy obama"
... the majority owner of the Nets is now Mikhail Prokhorov, a so-called "self-made" Russian Billionaire (= plutocrat) who frolics with prostitutes.
And yet we are now on 3 straight articles of Zirin ranting about an easy target such as Limbaugh.
Viva La Simplistic Radical Left!
the majority owner of the Nets is now Mikhail Prokhorov, a so-called "self-made" Russian Billionaire (= plutocrat) who frolics with prostitutes. Viva La Simplistic Radical Left!
Ha. Ha. You lied, then realized how stupid you sounded considering how much Prokhorov's been in the media lately, and are now trying to spin it into an attack on the "radical left".
Look. Most Americans couldn't care less about some Russian dude with money who gets laid once in awhile. Letting him buy a sports team is a no brainer. He gets to hide some money from Vladimir Putin in America. The Nets get an owner. Everybody's happy. Pass the Vodka.
But they (and by "they" I mean the Republican owners in the NFL not the "radical left) aren't going to give themselves headaches by bringing in some racist asshole who's utterly loathed by all but about a 20% wingnut hardcore of the American people.
Come on, if your going to criticize Zirin for quotes you say he used how about actually using the ones that he used in this article and every other article he's written on the subject? There's no need to make up things for Limbaugh he's a well documented racist and bigot. The quotes you used are made up by you that you did not hear on television said by Dave Zirin or anyone else. The hypocrisy is mind blowing.
Anyways, Dave I'm a big fan of the books and the website, I'm starting a politics of sports radio show at Columbia College Chicago next winter largely inspired by your work. Thanks for doing what you do.
If NFL players are treated like s**t, then sign me up. And I'll even take a few million less if I could play for my beloved Bears.
Did the NBA players come out in droves and make statements that they would never play for Jay-Z when his name was mentioned in the context of ownership?
I'm a white dude and I like Jay-Z. I don't think he's a racist. I think that line you quoted was poetic. I mean, Obama was elected, the first black president, after years of slavery, neglect and segregation because of whites. What isn't to understand about his line? I been an opponent of Obama since before he was President, and I don't mind it. Plus, if all those non-white dudes are going to use their color as a defense for Rush, I'm going to use mine as a defense for Jay-Z.
JJ that's a reach, you're going to compare an intricate play on words in a hip hop song to what Rush is talking and conversing about to millions of people.
Big difference.
You're comparason is pathetic it's an artform not Rhetoric.
Jay z also said...and I quote.. "Jay Z & Biggie Smalls make ya shit ya draws" ......
So do they?
Around and Aounnd - I bet a million bucks that if JJ saw Hova walking down teh street all kinds of bodily fluids would flow!
Jay-Z hits a woman while in Africa and not a peep from 99.9% of the Orwellian corporate news beast...hmmm. I love hip-hop and for the record I've purchased Jay-Z but wow... Check it out on Youtube. As for Rush...PLEEASE. Ever since the 1980's, MelonHead has been the best thing for brain dead racist zombies and militia members since slavery, lynchings, and the KKK. The oxycotin has rotted his brain, made him go deaf, and probably shrunk his junk too. As Senator Al Franken says, "Rush Linbaugh is a BIG FAT IDIOT." BTW... Great book. Zirin, you need a daily radio show... Or at least, get a regular segment on Dan Patrick and educate the masses. Tell it like it is, brother.
Do you know how old the clip is.The employee he was hitting was a dej jam exec and friend.They were playing fighting fooling around.Get your facts straight.That was is 2002-2003.
Jay Z has nothing to do with this discussion for the following reasons, among many others.
- there are dozens of franchise owners with far more questionable behavour thn Jay
- there's no indication he's a racist at all. using the 'n' word is part of a culture and at best debatable regarding its use. I guarantee you when Jay Z uses it, he's not meaning it in a demeaning terms towards blacks. obviously.
- that line has nothing to do about anything. what's controvercial about it? the use of 'white lie'? a white lie os not typically used to define a lie by a white person, but rather meant to define a supposedly non significant lie. like if I were to say that I'm 7 ft tall in this forum, its a white lie because it doesn't matter.
- that thing about him being a wife beater is moot, it was a clip from a documentary in which if you watch the whole thing its clearly him joking around with a close friend.
- and Jay Z being an overhyped, overrated rapper does nothing to suggest that Rush Limbaugh is a racist and a liability
Additionally, if you were to read up on Dave, you'd realize that he has criticized Obama on various occassions, especially as they relate to Chicago's Olympic bid and his choice of personell for important positions in government
Re: Do you know how old the clip is.The employee he was hitting was a dej jam exec and friend.They were playing fighting fooling around.Get your facts straight.That was is 2002-2003.
Maybe. I hope so. I also hope Jay-Z brings the Nets to Brooklyn.
18 Reader Comments | Add a comment
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Dave Zirin is the author of the book: "Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics and Promise of Sports" (Haymarket). You can receive his column Edge of Sports, every week by going to dave@edgeofsports.com.
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