Limbaugh Dropped From Rams Bid

[DIAF]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703790404574473810039848146.html

 

[mldardy]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703790404574473810039848146.html

Good.

 

[zrinkill]

So stupid

 

[dback]

I feel bad for him, he is a huge football fan. On his open line Friday show he will often entertain phone calls about football and get very enthusiastic about it. Too bad he is a Steelers fan.

 

[trickblue]

Eliminate him for legit reasons, not the stuff going around he supposedly said...

I haven't listened to him in a long time, but he deserves to be quoted fairly...

 

[DasTex]

What a joke.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I'm not shocked considering it was pretty clear that people were still holding a grudge over his comments about McNabb a few years ago.

 

[Hoofbite]

Eliminate him for legit reasons, not the stuff going around he supposedly said...

I haven't listened to him in a long time, but he deserves to be quoted fairly...

Apparently there was an owner who publicly didn't like the idea. Think it was the Colts owner. Could be wrong but listening to NFLN, I think that's who they said it was.

I can't really blame em. The guy polarizes people.

 

[DIAF]

Jim Irsay went on record as a definite "No" vote and supposedly several other owners "quietly" expressed concern to the commish. Checketts should have known that was going to happen.

 

[silverbear]

Apparently there was an owner who publicly didn't like the idea. Think it was the Colts owner. Could be wrong but listening to NFLN, I think that's who they said it was.

I can't really blame em. The guy polarizes people.

Irsay came out against him, but it was becoming clear that a majority of the owners were opposed to him, that he'd never get approved... FWIW, Goodell was also opposed to the idea...

Dan Wetzel had an op-ed piece on the subject on Yahoo that sums up my feelings about this situation, basically saying that Rush is reaping what he's sowed:

Rush Limbaugh made his money in the business of divisive politics. He’s one of the most successful modern-day pundits, and as he found bigger audiences the more entrenched and outspoken he became.

It’s an honest living. No crimes committed, no rivers polluted, no official power at all. If the other side just ignored him rather than playing into his hands, he’d have been marginalized a long time ago.

The money – enough to become a potential part owner of the St. Louis Rams – didn’t come without baggage, though.

Making a fortune through division will ultimately divide Limbaugh right out of the NFL.

Apparently, the deal is all but done. Enough owners have privately told Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole that they will not support Limbaugh’s ownership bid. At least one, Indianapolis Colts’ owner Jim Irsay, has publicly expressed his opposition.

“I can’t vote for that,” Irsay said. “[His] comments are insensitive and inappropriate. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in voting for him.”

So a group of almost exclusively white, almost exclusively conservative men – many of whom no doubt share Limbaugh’s political views and even listen to his radio program – are turning their back on the host.

He and his supporters can cry about bias and political correctness run amok. They can scream about the Constitution. They can bemoan double standards.

The fact is you live by the sword, you die by the sword. Limbaugh made his money through his words. Now those words are denying him a business opportunity in a league that prides itself on inclusion.

“We’re all held to a high standard here and divisive comments are not what the NFL’s all about,” said league commissioner Roger Goodell. “I would not want to see those kind of comments from people who are in a responsible position in the NFL, no. Absolutely not.”

That the commissioner said anything on this issue is telling. Goodell knows which way the wind blows and he isn’t going to take a stand that strong against a potential owner unless he knows Limbaugh is never going to be an owner.

“At this point in time we’ll continue our process, which is to allow the Rams to decide if they’re going to sell and who they’ll sell to,” Goodell said. “And then at some point, the NFL will be engaged and we’ll [look into] whatever ownership group is put forth through our process.”

In other words, no chance, Rush.

The NFL is a private organization and, as some of Limbaugh’s followers would surely agree, they mostly have the right to choose who they do or don’t allow to join the club.

Legally, there is little room for debate. The NHL, for instance, has twice rejected ownership bids of billionaire Jim Balsillie because they don’t like his plan on moving teams to Canada and, quite frankly, they just don’t like him personally.

The NHL even purchased the Phoenix Coyotes itself, for about $100 million less than Balsillie offered, just to keep him out. Balsillie sued but a federal court in Arizona ruled in the league’s favor.

So Limbaugh doesn’t appear have much leverage here.

It’s been pathetic to see all the opportunistic political demagogues on all sides come out on the cable scream-fest “news” channels. (Is a potential minority owner of a lousy NFL team really a pressing issue in America?)

It’s allowed both sides to cloud the situation with their own hackneyed “gotcha” agendas. Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton should try to help the downtrodden rather than score cheap publicity. Anyone who attributed inflammatory quotes to Limbaugh that he never said should pay the consequences.

Yet Limbaugh’s supporters can do a lot better than cry about how he was unfairly beaten down by political correctness.

Limbaugh would be best served manning up and acknowledging how he made his money. The whining bit isn’t becoming of anyone. He doesn’t have to apologize for it, but he has to admit words have consequences.

They can make you rich beyond belief. They can create adoring audiences. They can bring untold fame.

They also can rally opposition and create lasting hard feelings. He knows his success comes from those who disagree with him as much as those who nod at his every word.

The good comes with the bad. It’s intellectually bankrupt to think otherwise.

After a decade-plus of bashing it, I don’t think the NCAA would hire me as its president. It’s part of the business.

You can’t shout into a radio microphone and then pretend the statements reside in a vacuum. When you’re in the opinion business, people’s opinion of you matter. You can’t expect your reputation in one industry not to follow you into another. Oil men don’t just walk in and become the director of the Sierra Club.

The best part about pro sports is its ability to bring entire regions of the country together regardless of race, religion, gender, politics and socio-economic background. Virtually nothing else unifies communities like the NFL.

Everyone in St. Louis (or beyond) can root for the Rams. They can all believe it’s their team. They can watch the games as a diversion from things like partisan politics and self-serving debates.

Rush Limbaugh can, too.

It’s just that a bunch of conservative businessmen, most of whom think just like him, aren’t going to let him join their little club. To them, how he made his money is as important as how much he made.

The sentence in bold font sums this up nicely, I think... the NFL wants to avoid controversy, especially its owners... Rush has made himself rich being controversial... thus, Rush has made himself undesirable to the club he wanted to join...

Jason Cole, also on Yahoo, put it this way:

And folks, the NFL is all about ratings (duh). This isn’t even about how the players or the NFL Players Association or anybody really feels about Limbaugh. It’s about providing an escape from the likes of Limbaugh. Keep the people happy as they watch and, most importantly, spend. The NFL is the Disney World of sports and just as Disney makes sure that none of the paying customers wear anything out of line, the NFL restricts folks from saying anything out of line.

Now, whether you like Rush or you loathe him, be honest-- does ANYBODY think that Rush could stay away from "saying anything out of line"?? As a part owner of a team, he would embarrass the league on a weekly basis with the things he says...

That, and that alone, is why Rush Limbaugh is completely unsuitable as a potential owner of an NFL team-- he's bad PR for the game, as he proved when he was working Monday Night Football...

 

[JonJon]

I feel bad for him, he is a huge football fan. On his open line Friday show he will often entertain phone calls about football and get very enthusiastic about it. Too bad he is a Steelers fan.

I don't.

 

[The Panch]

I'm not shocked considering it was pretty clear that people were still holding a grudge over his comments about McNabb a few years ago.

As if that's the only thing he said??

 

[DIAF]

I don't.

Yeah. He's crying himself to sleep on his huge pile of money. I don't feel bad for him either.

 

[burmafrd]

Irsay has a lot of nerve pointing fingers at anyone.

 

[Doomsday101]

Rush being from Missouri I think would have fought to keep the Rams there with him out of the picture do not be surprised to see the Rams move out of St. Louis

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Rush being from Missouri I think would have fought to keep the Rams there with him out of the picture do not be surprised to see the Rams move out of St. Louis

I think the main guy in the group is also the owner of the St.Louis hockey team so he might fight to keep the team there as well. Really have no idea what his intentions are but that would seem to be something to consider. Although if the NFL wants to sweeten the pot for some team to move to LA it might be a deal too good for anyone to pass up.

Concerning Rush.

He is a polarizing figure. He has made his living off of being a polarizing figure. He has done his job well and has the money in his bank account to prove that his methods work.

When you are a person that does not really care what they say and also banks on that type of attitude to be shocking to make your money...do not get all upset when what is normally a plus for you turns into a negative for you. The old live by the sword die by the sword saying comes to mind.

Now a couple of the quotes attributed to him that has caused some of the problems have been proven to be false, but at the same time some of the others have proven to be true. So he is not completely guilty of all of this but he is far from innocent in it as well.

The NFL does not want a figure in their organization right now that is known for being the type of personality like Rush. They currently have a coach that might face felony charges, they have the normal problems with some players and they are getting ready to face a possible strike or uncapped situation. The last thing they need is for some guy that has made his living by being controversial coming into the fray and a guy that has shown time and time again that he is not the type to just sit back and be quiet.

In the end the main man in the group made the decision not to fight this battle. He seen the odds and they were not in his favor. So he made a smart decision but at the same time he should also take some of the blame for those that would defend Rush in this instance. Just remember when the blame fest on the talk radio or news show programs...somehow I doubt that the main guy gets much of the blame compared to others.

 

[peplaw06]

Question:

Do the owners have to approve him buying a share in the team after the fact? I mean, Gloria Estefan and Marc Anthony have a stake in the Dolphins, did they have to approve that?

If not, I have a feeling we may still see him as a part owner.

 

[jimmy40]

Oh well ..... this is getting borderline closed thread worthy.

probably time.

 

[Rogah]

Lost in all the controversy of what Limbaugh may or may not have said in the past 20 years is the fact that the Checketts group (which is now reported to include George Soros, but that's another matter) would likely have been good owners of the St. Louis Rams.

I am not saying they were going to go out and win Super Bowls left and right, but there is every indication that their intentions were to bring some stability to the franchise and renew their commitment to St. Louis. I know it seems like just yesterday that the Rams left L.A. for St. Louis, but we already hear whispers that a new ownership group may leave for greener pastures.

I think potentially the biggest losers here are the Rams fan of Missouri.

 

[mldardy]

Irsay has a lot of nerve pointing fingers at anyone.

What's wrong with Irsay pointing fingers?