Tonight We Are All...

[Quoner]

Rush Limbaugh!

[UNTflyer]

It is ridiculous how the national media got away with using false quotes to paint Rush a racist. I have seen those quotes posted on a lot of blogs and websites, and laughed because, well... consider the source. But to see professional journalists attribute fabricated quotes in a concerted effort to keep Rush Limbaugh from buying a football team is unbelievable.

I've listened to Rush for many years - not a daily Dittohead listener, probably once a week. I have NEVER heard Rush Limbaugh say a racist remark. Even the Donovan McNabb incident - his comments were about the media, not McNabb, and he made no comments about the abilities of black quarterbacks. And he was right about the media being desirous to have a black quarterback succeed - just look at how football fans were bombarded for 2 weeks before and during the Super Bowl about black head coaches making it to the big game. The real issue wasn't that Rush said anything racist, he didn't. The issue is that he called out the media for their own subtle racism ("Wow, look at that! A black quarterback/head coach who is good!"), and he pissed them off.

Rush HAS made racial commentary that riles up people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, because he believes they have no interest in ending racism... they would be unemployed. Rush also believes the black community has been kept in a position of perpetual poverty by groups led by Jackson and Sharpton for the purposes of selfishly enhancing their own political power. Is it "racist" to make such comments? No, it's just a political belief of which he feels strongly.

Is Limbaugh divisive? Yes, but no more so than Sharpton and Jackson. Is he arrogant and opinionated? Sure, the dude makes $100 million a year doing so. But is he a racist? No, I don't believe he is.

Anyways - it is sad to see him get railroaded for comments he never made.

[mad dog]

Inappropriately dramatic language fail? Or humor win?

[Censored by Laurie]

Inappropriately dramatic language fail? Or humor win?

Flyer or the blogger?

[KRAM1]

Interesting who caved when Sharpton and Jackson got involved. Obviously the NFL has no backbone and is not interested in "facts", just in bowing to pressure. Obviously weak leadership from the top. Too bad. Extortion seems to work, even on the NFL. Good Grief!

[CMJ]

Weak leadership at the top? The current President of the NFL is thought to be the strongest ever.

[eulessismore]

Dudes, hate to tell anyone, but the NFL is just a billionaire's boy's club. If one guy (Jim Irsay) says he'll vote no, that probably dooms Limbaugh. And if anyone thinks the NFL owners are somehow politically and culturally monolithic, they might look up the bio of such owners as Irsay on Wikipedia. I hate for someone politically left of center such as myself to be asking this, but shouldn't privately held financial entities, unless they're breaking some law that nobody has pointed out, get to make their own decisions? Maybe a better question would be: did anyone here think the NFL owners were REALLY going to allow Limbaugh to be part of the ownership of an NFL team?

That said, I'm sure that considerations of media were taken into account; such as said owners playing back an imaginary broadcast news item, starting out with, "Conservative radio talk host and part owner of the NFL Indianapolis Colts Rush Limbaugh was quoted today as saying..." Those owners are guys with huge egos who want the FOOTBALL part of the story, and the occasional charitable effort, to get the news play.

Yes, we have the First Amendment protecting freedom of expression, but all that protects us against is government actions. If anyone thinks they'll never pay a price for saying whatever they want to say, just try it before getting on an airplane or applying for a job.

I will hold a belated pity party for Limbaugh's medical privacy being violated several years ago.

[EagleGreen]

Have you not heard Rush sing "Barack the Magic Negro"? He's a racist. A couple of african american football players said they would not play for rush's team. I think the decision makers did not want that type of controversy (like they don't already have plenty to deal with?). It certainly is a "country club" type of business (NFL) and rush pissed some guys off for whatever reason. Either way, he is defintely a racist. No question about it.

[KRAM1]

Weak....and wishy-washy at best...if you think Rush is correct in saying that he was told the NFL leadership at the highest levels had signed off on his possible inclusion in the proposed ownership group BEFORE he was added to the group. I have no idea if that is true or not...I personally wasn't there...but, it smells of "cave in" to me, and weak spine at the top. Don't fret the NFL isn't alone as ACORN has been doing that kind of stuff for years...Al and Jesse and Smith are just showing they have learned extortion tactics from the best.

WHO CARES anyway if Rush owns part of an NFL team or not???? We already have some rather interesting owners.

[eulessismore]

Weak....and wishy-washy at best...if you think Rush is correct in saying that he was told the NFL leadership at the highest levels had signed off on his possible inclusion in the proposed ownership group BEFORE he was added to the group. I have no idea if that is true or not...I personally wasn't there...but, it smells of "cave in" to me, and weak spine at the top. Don't fret the NFL isn't alone as ACORN has been doing that kind of stuff for years...Al and Jesse and Smith are just showing they have learned extortion tactics from the best.

WHO CARES anyway if Rush owns part of an NFL team or not???? We already have some rather interesting owners.

I agree with the "WHO CARES" part of the above, and have mixed opinions about the "rather interesting owners" part. The Jerry Jones regime is uninteresting enough to me that I have stopped following them, except for the occasional "check out the last few minutes of the game". That way, I haven't wasted an afternoon of the best seasonal weather in this area, and am, in my view, boycotting someone with whose views I disagree. Specifically, my policy disagreements with Jones are 1.)trading draft picks for free agents, due to the relatively short productive careers of NFL players, and 2.)being a "hands on" manager, rather than just hiring the best general manager and head coach available and letting them do their work. Still, it's a free country, and Jerry and I will agree to disagree.

And you who (Conservatives mostly, it seems) feel the NFL owners have done Limbaugh wrong by "caving; you're free to boycott the NFL just as I am, for the most part, doing. Hey, I do miss watching those games, but when I think of our local high school football coach, and the booster club for Euless Trinity, holding their "Coaches Corner" meeting on Monday nights, I can sense that, even football wise, there are more important things than watching pro football on TV. Surely there are enough politically conservative football fans to bring the NFL owners to their knees by boycotting watching them on TV. It should work just about as well as boycotting Disney (owner of the network broadcasting Monday Night Football at the time) over the domestic partner benefits did.

Edited October 16, 2009 by eulessismore

[CMJ]

It's Roger Goodell's responsibility to protect the NFL's brand name. As such he had every right...and responisibility....to refuse to let Limbaugh enter the owner's club if he thought it would damage the reputation of the league. Whether or not Rush is a racist or not is beside the point. If the players and a large segment of the public(ie minorities who make up the vast majority of NFL rosters) view him as one - then he is poison as far as the league goes.

Numerous players had already said they wouldn't play for the Rams if he was owner. I'm sure there were many others who just hadn't voiced the same opinion.

Edited October 16, 2009 by CMJ

[yyz28]

Have you not heard Rush sing "Barack the Magic Negro"? He's a racist. A couple of african american football players said they would not play for rush's team. I think the decision makers did not want that type of controversy (like they don't already have plenty to deal with?). It certainly is a "country club" type of business (NFL) and rush pissed some guys off for whatever reason. Either way, he is defintely a racist. No question about it.

You are wholly misinformed. I know for a FACT you have never heard Rush Limbaugh sing Barak the Magic Negro... BECAUSE HE NEVER DID!

First, the LA Times coined the phrase in the article from the David Ehrenstein opinion piece from March 17th, 2007 - "Obama the 'Magic Negro' -- The Illinois senator lends himself to white America's idealized, less-than-real black man." This is the third piece in the LA Times that dealt with Obama not being "black enough."

LA Times - March 17th, 2007 - Obama the 'Magic Negro'

Second, Rush did not sing the song. Comedian Paul Shanklin wrote and performed the song that was played on Limbaugh's Radio show, as part of a commentary on the amount of people from the left at the time asking "is Barak Obama black enough?" and the littany of opinion pieces by authored by commentators who were fixated on Obama's ethnicity rather than his politics, in the LA times, Chicgo Tribune, ABC News, NBC News, and the like, including comments made by the Reverend Sharpton on Fox News Sunday. (research, rather than accepting soundbites as fact, will teach you a great deal that you may not have known before) The whole thing was a parody on the fact that the side (the left) who is always calling us (the right) a bunch of racists were the ones consumed with Obama's race. It is called Irony.

...but don't let the facts or the context get in the way of your assertion that someone is a racist. I wouldn't want the facts or the context allow you to admit you were wrong when you slandered someone who you don't know and obviouslly don't listen to and have formed an opinion on based on what other people say.

[UNTflyer]

Have you not heard Rush sing "Barack the Magic Negro"? He's a racist. A couple of african american football players said they would not play for rush's team. I think the decision makers did not want that type of controversy (like they don't already have plenty to deal with?). It certainly is a "country club" type of business (NFL) and rush pissed some guys off for whatever reason. Either way, he is defintely a racist. No question about it.

First, that's not Rush it is Paul Shanklin.

Two, the term "Magic Negro" was coined by Spike Lee. Is he a racist?

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

...but don't let the facts or the context get in the way of your assertion

Never stopped Rush, did it?

[hickoryhouse]

It's Roger Goodell's responsibility to protect the NFL's brand name. As such he had every right...and responisibility....to refuse to let Limbaugh enter the owner's club if he thought it would damage the reputation of the league. Whether or not Rush is a racist or not is beside the point. If the players and a large segment of the public(ie minorities who make up the vast majority of NFL rosters) view him as one - then he is poison as far as the league goes.

Numerous players had already said they wouldn't play for the Rams if he was owner. I'm sure there were many others who just hadn't voiced the same opinion.

Best point so far. It would have been a horrible decision for the Rams if they had accepted Rush based solely on the perception that players have of the man. Whether or not that perception is accurate is a completely different subject and one that is completely open for debate. The way the NFL handled the issue is also sketchy to me but at least for the Rams, the best decision was made.

[UNTflyer]

A couple of african american football players said they would not play for rush's team.

Posturing. Why do they not care about the other conservative team owners?

Either way, he is defintely a racist. No question about it.

Uhh, yeah there is a HUGE question about it. Rush Limbaugh is not a racist, and I've heard more racist comments come from the mouth of Jesse Jackson than that of Rush.

[yyz28]

Never stopped Rush, did it?

LOL! Political opinion is a tad different than Slander, but alright. Whatever you say.

[UNTflyer]

It's Roger Goodell's responsibility to protect the NFL's brand name. As such he had every right...and responisibility....to refuse to let Limbaugh enter the owner's club if he thought it would damage the reputation of the league. Whether or not Rush is a racist or not is beside the point. If the players and a large segment of the public(ie minorities who make up the vast majority of NFL rosters) view him as one - then he is poison as far as the league goes.

Numerous players had already said they wouldn't play for the Rams if he was owner. I'm sure there were many others who just hadn't voiced the same opinion.

Actually Goodell does not have the right to deny ownership - he is one vote among 33. And his concern is protecting the NFL image? Jennifer Lopez uses the n-word in one of her new songs, and Fergie pissed her pants on stage.

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

LOL! Political opinion is a tad different than Slander, but alright. Whatever you say.

Glad you see it my way.

Guess its all in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?

[Cerebus]

I don't listen to Rush, as I am not a big fan of grandstanding.

However, I have in the past tried to catch the show when Walter E. Willaims, a noted Libertarian, has guest hosted before.

I would find it hard to believe that an intelligent African American man like Mr Williams would associate with Rush, and in fact, help promote his show, if Rush had been caught saying racist things.

[KRAM1]

Numerous players had already said they wouldn't play for the Rams if he was owner. I'm sure there were many others who just hadn't voiced the same opinion.

And, you believe that when contract negotiations come around and the money is there for the taking???? Yea, right? These guys play for the money and when the money is on the table, they play...the team rarely matters and ownership matters even less. It's the "show me the money" league...can't say as I blame the players. However, does seem to be a little "bias" regarding who says what in the NFL to go along with some weak leadership.

Yea, the Commish protects the NFL brand! You have got to be kidding me. How many NFL players have gone to jail or are awaiting trial now and how many eventually get reinstated. Sure, uphold that brand against a radio personality, but give it the old "who cares" when it comes to convicted criminals. That's the right stuff! Ha! You go Goodell! Too funny!

Boycott the NFL...well, not going there...but, I do spend much more time enjoying the college game these days. College games I attend in person and watch on TV...the NFL...well, almost exclusively on TV.

[forevereagle]

Out of curiosity, if all of these made up quotes are so bad and Rush is being badly hurt by them, then why is he not suing for libel and slander? He has a very clear damage as a result, so it seems like an easy win. And a big media circus win would probably do a lot to repair his reputation.

And, whether true or not, ones perception is their reality. That is why people on this board cannot get along in political discussions, their realities are different, and it is very difficult to change another's perception. That's why we should all acknowledge each other's differences and sit in a circle and sing some Kum-By-Yah.

Edited October 16, 2009 by forevereagle

[hickoryhouse]

Out of curiosity, if all of these made up quotes are so bad and Rush is being badly hurt by them, then why is he not suing for libel and slander? He has a very clear damage as a result, so it seems like an easy win. And a big media circus win would probably do a lot to repair his reputation.

And, whether true or not, ones perception is their reality. That is why people on this board cannot get along in political discussions, their realities are different, and it is very difficult to change another's erception. That's why we should all acknowledge each other's differences and sit in a circle and sing some Kum-By-Yah.

Don't know if he is going to sue but he has been able to get retractions apparently.

[KRAM1]

Come on, don't confuse folks with facts that poke holes in their righteous anger! Just what ARE you trying to do?

[CMJ]

I guess you missed the part where the fines/suspensions Goodell has levied have been much more severe than his predecessor, or any other league commissioner Kram. Perhaps he is more lenient than you would be, but he is a far heavier hand than anyone else in such a position.