As you might expect, there's a lot of fallout from Rush Limbaugh's failed involvement in a group seeking to buy the St. Louis Rams. The party -- as in Republican Party, I guess -- line is that it's all because people are making up horrible things that the de facto king of the GOP never said. As one of Limbaugh's defenders across the pond (apparently distance makes the heart grow fonder) writes:
What’s the term for those who are setting about “racist” Rush Limbaugh right now? Ironically, it seems to be “lynch mob”. And they’ve succeeded – word is that Limbaugh’s been dropped from the consortium seeking to buy the St Louis Rams.
Toby Harden of the Telegraph certainly has a point -- several commentators on CNN and elsewhere did cite a bogus Limbaugh-attributed quote, and there is clearly no excuse for that. It's yet another example of the atrocious fact-checking at places like CNN, coincidentally the subject of a great lampoon/investigation by Jon Stewart the other night. But Limbaugh's defenders have hooked a giant red herring; the apparently bogus quote had nothing to do with the growing realization that star NFL players would choose not to play for him and other team owners did not want their sport to be associated with him.
Rush was hanged by his own very real words. There's too many example to quote here, but here are three examples of the many, many episodes over the years.
Limbaugh says "NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips." On January 19, 2007, Limbaugh stated: "Look it, let me put it to you this way. The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There I said it."
Limbaugh on Survivor series: "African-American tribe" worst swimmers, Hispanics "will do things other people won't do." On August 23, 2006, Limbaugh suggested that the competition in a season of CBS' Survivor, in which contestants were reportedly divided into competing "tribes" by ethnicity, "is not going to be fair if there's a lot of water events." In support of this assertion, he cited a March 2, 2006, HealthDay article reporting that "young blacks -- especially males -- are much more likely to drown in pools than whites." He later added that Hispanics have "probably shown the most survival tactics," that they "have shown a remarkable ability to cross borders," and that they can "do it without water for a long time, they don't get apprehended, and they will do things other people won't do." On his September 29, 2006, show, Limbaugh claimed "[t]here can only be one reason" Survivor scrapped "segregated" competition after two episodes -- "the white tribe had to be winning."
Then there's this, from Newsday in 1990:
Recalling a stint as an "insult-radio" DJ in Pittsburgh, he admits feeling guilty about, for example, telling a black listener he could not understand to "take that bone out of your nose and call me back."
You see, it's "insult radio," so that makes it OK! And it one sense, it is. We've argued here a lot this year about free speech in America, and what it means. Rush Limbaugh is free in America to say what he wishes -- and I go even farther, in that I have no problem with him hosting a radio show for whatever Americans choose to listen to his dreck. But words have consequences. If the Eagles had the right as a private employer to fire the "Dam Eagles R retarted" Facebook guy, then the NFL -- also a private entity -- has the right to choose who they want to "hire," and they are choosing to reject Rush Limbaugh because for all of his Dittohead radio listeners, there are millions more who find his speech -- these real quotes, well documented -- to be offensive.
Because words are free but they also have consequences, even for a politically influential multi-millionaire like Rush Limbaugh.
There, I've said it.
Believe me when I say that I am no ditto head, but to have the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton creating the stir that got Limbaugh out of the group does seem to be rather ironic and hypocrtical, to say the least. The decision to let him buy into the team was a private matter and not one that should have been fought in the press. If you insist that these are private companies, then it should have been private not a huge debacle as those guys who need to get a job, made it.— CCBanker
Comment removed.- Tough Guy... there's no obsession with Limbaugh. Just lots of people stating their opinions. Not unlike Limbaugh himself does, three hours per day, five days per week.— BOB139
- While this is a private matter, its in the private company's best interest to market supply the best possible product to the public. The hatred and venom Rush spews on a daily basis and getting the far right riled up about nothing rubs many people the wrong way. Its hard to get behind and support the St. Louis Rams when he is part of the ownership group. Just because a company is private, does not cease its responsibilities to the public.— birds
- Ironic that the two biggest racists in this country, Sharpton & Jackson, get away with calling someone else a racist. They do nothing to promote racial harmony. If you read that comment about Survivor seems like Limbaugh is criticizing the show for it's racial slant.— junethe4th
Who cares.— bird11- Will - Those quotes are the best you can come up with by Rush over 21 years of broadcasting from this horribly racist person? I am not saying he isnt necessarily, but it was interesting that the only quotes the mainstrwm media could come up with as examples of how racist he is are "made up qoutes". Again, you would think over 21 years in radio, this horribly racist person would have real racist quotes that the media could cite?— Frito1
- Comment removed.
- "Just because a company is private, does not cease its responsibilities to the public." Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, Plaxico Burress, and many more I can't remember. Didn't the Rams once draft Lawrence Phillips.— bird11
- Both sides can play the victim equally well. Rush didn't fall victim to any liberal lynching. Ironically he was turned down by the conservative (as in don't rock the boat conservative) NFL. I think the league's nightmare was that the TV cameras would keep finding Rush on the sideline and in the box (like they do with Jerry Jones), and he would become the face of the franchise in spite of his limited role. Nightmare B was that once Rush got his foot in the door, he might start buying out partners.— SteveMG
- Comment removed.
- Can't you find quotes more along the lines of things Rev. Wright has said?— CharlieDontSurf
- Just to ramble on a little bit, Pat Croce was the face of the Sixers even though he only owned 10% of the team, and eventually Larry Brown ran the team. So the limited partner can work in the right hands, but obviously the NFL wasn't about to take any chances— SteveMG
- Chas, the Rev. Wright isn't trying to buy into the NFL. But you can bet if he did, you'd see the same exact thing from Rush and I'd have no problem with that. I'd just as soon keep the politics out of the NFL.— SteveMG
About 15 minutes ago,before I read this blog entry I saw a headline on one pages here on the site about the NLDS being a fight between the crips and bloods. I went back to find the author and can't find it. Is there any connection this blog and entry and it's disappearance? BTW,, doesn't anybody understand satire. Such trashing, or lynching, in the liberal press is pretty disgusting. Many of those quoted as oppossing him admit to not listening to him only hearing and reading about him. Pretty pathetic. And BTW, the crips and bloods in the NFL was a statement by Mercury Morris.The odd thing is Sonia Sotomayor's racism is condidered a plus. Go figure.— georgel
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
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