The NFL may be run -- at the macro level -- as the most socialistic major enterprise in American life, since every team gets an equal paycheck from the biggest pool of revenue, TV money, regardless of whether it plays in the Big Apple or tiny Jacksonville. Yet pro football players live a life that is Reaganism on steroids (it's just an expression) when it comes to embracing free-market capitalism, thanks to another "free," as in free agency. A top player lives the American Dream of freedom to pursue the highest paycheck he wants, or to spurn that top bidder for the city of his choice...or even the coach or team owner of his choice.
That freedom is the real reason that comedian Rush Limbaugh will not be owning the St. Louis Rams. Even if the de facto GOP boss really did have the cash and the clout to successfully partner on a bid for his former home state team, NFL players made it clear almost to a man that they simply would not choose to play for an owner with Limbaugh's views on race in pro football, or on race, period. Which made the Limbaugh bid dead on arrival.
You can whine -- as Limbaugh and his many fans already are -- that the poor guy is misunderstood. But players remember the actual words that Limbaugh said about Donovan McNabb -- which were transcribed and broadcast thousands of times over -- and that was enough information for them. Limbaugh is right about one thing, which is that individuals have rights here in the U.S. of A. Thankfully that still includes the right to utterly reject Rush Limbaugh.
Comment removed.
It is passing strange that Rush Limbaugh is vilified for endeavoring to lift black folks to a better life for knocking those who would make blacks dependent on welfare. He is saying WORK.. don't depend on the dole.. you will be a better people for it. But NO, the liberals want a dependent race that will vote for them every time. Rush Limbaugh is the black man's best friend and they don't know it or care about it. He may of have right or wrong about McNabb's ability.. or the perception of his ability... but he is NOT a racist.— stoky- Shorter Stoky: When Rush said that McNabb was overrated because he was black, El Rushbo was trying to *help out* the black community. Serious question: is there a conservative left in America who can read at the fifth grade level?— DiTurno
- yeah - ok Will. just check out what your former colleague Steven A. Smith has to say and then get back to me. If Rush (when he becomes an owner) comes up with more money than another team - the players will sign - period. Capitalism - something you will never understand— hankt
- Yeah - the poor guy's misunderstood. When he told the African American woman caller "take the bone out of your nose," he didn't mean that to be a racist comment. And nice comments about a "dependent race," storky - because all those hard-working African American people I see day in and day out are really white people in blackface. Wow! There are some sick folks wandering the blogosphere.— Talking point sleuth
- Comment removed.
"When he told the African American woman caller "take the bone out of your nose," TPS, that caller was a man. And no, he's not a racist - by Republican standards. I have a question for the R's. What kind of pig does a man have to be before you will admit his swine-atude? (BTW Will, where did you get the Photoshopped picture of this waste of blubber?)— Hamlet- didder, all the guys who like to smuggle quart-sized bottles of Viagra to bugger little boys in the Dominican Republic will probably want to be on his team too.— Hamlet
Limbaugh is getting what he wants out of this: publicity, and a case study to talk about for years to come. He'll get rejected by the league, and then he'll use that experience to talk about what happens when the government takes over the economy: resources are no longer allocated to those who are willing to pay the most, but instead are allocated to those who espouse the preferred politics, or are connected friends of those in power. That's where central planning is headed. It feeds into his schtick. What will make this issue really interesting, is when the Checketts/Limbaugh bid is the only one that will commit to keeping the Rams in St. Louis, and the other bidders intend to move the team back to Los Angeles. Under those circumstances, should the Checketts/Limbaugh bid be rejected without consideration?— Mr. Smith
You would think liberals would want him to own the Rams. That might distract him from his radio show and make life more bearable for libs.— jmc- My goodness, that fat mofo looks like Hannibal Lector!— OshkoshJohn
- It seems to me that the reason liberals can't stand Rush isn't his sometimes outrageous comments, its because he's wildly successful, and is actually able to make an impact on American politics from behind a microphone, something they are woefully unable to do with TV cameras, newspapers, majority in the Senate, House, and Presidency. Folks, HE'S AN ENTERTAINER!!! That's it!! I would guess that the people protesting him from owning a NFL team would welcome Howard Stern as an owner because he's "cool". Welcome to the world of hypocrisy. (BTW, I don't listen to Rush, Hannity, Beck because they BORE ME. I used to listen to Smerconish, but haven't lately, and it's not because he voted for Obama).— IggleFan68
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
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.
E-mail Will by clicking here.
PLEASE COMMENT WITH PASSION...
...but not with racial slurs, potentially libelous allegations, obscenities or other juvenile noise. Such comments will, at our discretion, be deleted in their entirety, and repeat offenders will be blocked from commenting. ALSO: Any commenter advocating killing any government official will be immediately banned.
Thanks.
- Atrios
- Kiko's House
- Suburban Guerilla
- Booman Tribune
- All-Spin Zone
- Philly (Dragonballyee)
- Afro-Netizen
- Rowhouse Logic
- MyDD
- Bad Attitudes
- Billmon
- iFlipFlop
- CorrenteWire
- upyernoz
- Tattered Coat
- Fables of the Reconstruction
- Slacktivist
- Citizen Mom
- The Next Mayor
- Philly Future
- Philadelphia Will Do
- Philebrity
- Young Philly Politics
- Phillyblog
- Welcome to Phillyville
- Phawker
- A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago
- Keystone Blog
- Philadelphia - America's Hometown
- BlankBaby
- Above Average Jane
- Phillyist
- Metroblogging Philadelphia
- The Clog
- Josh Marshall
- Daily Kos
- Juan Cole
- Oliver Willis
- Andy Borowitz
- War and Piece
- Wonkette
- BuzzFlash
- Raw Story
- Cursor
- Crooks and Liars
- Swing State Project
- Kevin Drum
- Talk Left
- AmericaBlog
- Hullabaloo
- Mad Kane
- Think Progress
- Jesus' General
- The Carpetbagger Report
- Majikthise
- Echidne of the Snakes
- David Sirota
- Glenn Greenwald
- TBogg
- Fire Dog Lake
- Taylor Marsh
- Matthew Yglesias
- Jon Swift
- Drudge Report
- Beer Leaguer
- The 700 Level
- Dick Polman
- Balls, Sticks and Stuff
- Shallow Center
- Philling Station
- Phillies Nation
- A Citizen's Blog
- The Good Phight
- Romenesko
- Editor and Publisher
- Pressthink
- Buzzmachine
- The Inksniffer
- Media Bloodhound
- Eat the Press
- Mickey Kaus
- Media (Huffington Post)
- Blinq
- The Corner
- Instapundit
- Andrew Sullivan
- Free Republic
- James Taranto
- Blonde Sagacity
- ScrappleFace
- Blogorrhea
- February
- January
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- January 2008
- News | Sports | Business | What's Happening | Restaurants & Food | Entertainment | Living | Marketplace | Jobs
