Whether he gets the team or not, Rush Limbaugh’s bid to become part-owner of the St. Louis Rams is already the gift that keeps on giving. Several NFL players, the NFL Players Association, and even MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann have had their say on the potential buy-in by the taciturn-challenged talk radio blabber guy, but now at this hour other voices are elbowing each other to be heard.
Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson on Monday not surprisingly came out against the notion of Rush owning an NFL team. But Limbaugh also got a surprising ally in Stephen A. Smith. Key quote from the cheesy-doodled one: Black players who say they wouldn’t play for a Limbaugh-owned team “are lying through their stinking teeth.”
Meanwhile, even Rush himself chimed in on the controversy.
In an appearance on CNN, Smith dismissed comments by Jets LB Bart Scott and Giants DE Mathias Kiwanuka that they would boycott a Limbaugh-owned team because of his controversial past comments.
“If he has the money, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, and those black ballplayers that are saying that, I’m here on national television telling you they’re lying through their stinking teeth.”
Stephen A. offered more on the subject in his Friday podcast, including: “I’m not oblivious to Rush’s racist remarks. But the fact that he’s said some racially insensitive things doesn’t mean that every word that comes out of his mouth is wrong.”
Not sure how that applies to the question at hand, but once you get Stephen A. monologuing, you never know where it’s going to lead.
Sharpton sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday requesting a meeting to discuss the “myriad of reasons” why Limbaugh shouldn’t be permitted to bid for the Rams.
And Jackson said in a telephone interview with ESPN that Limbaugh had made his wealth “appealing to the fears of whites” with an unending line of insults against blacks and other minorities.
“The National Football League has set high standards for racial justice and inclusion,” Jackson said. “He should not have the privilege of owning an NFL franchise — and it is a privilege.”
Limbaugh responded on his radio show on Monday:
“Now, this saddens me as well this disappoints me,” he said. “I know Rev. Sharpton. Sharpton is better than this. He knows better than this. You know, I didn’t judge Al Sharpton’s fitness to be in radio when he wanted to earn an honest living for once, given his well-documented past as the author of the Tawana Brawley hoax. I believe in freedom and I also don’t discriminate.”
One begins to think that Limbaugh made the ownership bid for no other reason than to stir controversy. And it’s working.
And Smith? What a lovely attention-getter leading in to his mysterious new media gig, the details of which he should be announcing any minute now.
11:26 am on October 13th, 2009
I don’t think he did it for controversey, he doesn’t need it for the ratings, and he worth a ridiculous amount of money, so he doesn’t need it for that either. Of course, I’m sure he was aware that there would be controversey. But the guy loves football, he has the rare opportunity to be part of an ownership group, why is it so hard to realize that’s his motivation.
This is how silly this is all getting though, Stephan A. Smith is coming out as the reasonable one here.
12:33 pm on October 13th, 2009
Rush, your life is coming to the end so just shut your hatred mouth and go sooner than expected, so many good, honest people die, at such young ages, and a piece of crap like you is still kicking what a shame.
1:00 pm on October 13th, 2009
First, Rush has the kind of money he has because he is a seriously popular media personality.
Second, he is a seriously popular media personality because he has a point of view that appeals to a huge audience.
Third, anyone (yes anyone) who has taken time to listen to Rush will admit that he speaks from the heart about his views and is a consistant voice.
Finally, a racist, he is not. If you refer to the Donovan McNabb incident he was correct and has been found to be precient in his observations,
Walt Meyer
1:02 pm on October 13th, 2009
nice and happy must be a great judge of hate speech. Neither you or Brooks has ever LISTENED to Rush. He and conservatives believe in the success of all people and don’t see race, gender, or ethnic origin in people. You choose to believe the quotes that are atributed to him that he never said. Try LISTENING to him before you make your hateful and ill informed comments.
1:36 pm on October 13th, 2009
Pat Maryland
1:02 pm on October 13th, 2009
nice and happy must be a great judge of hate speech. Neither you or Brooks has ever LISTENED to Rush. He and conservatives believe in the success of all people and don’t see race, gender, or ethnic origin in people. You choose to believe the quotes that are atributed to him that he never said. Try LISTENING to him before you make your hateful and ill informed comments
Yea….success for everyone…except for the President. OK. I ‘ll go with your “Rush is not a racist” if your will admit that if he is not a racist then without a doubt he is a giant biggot.
2:19 pm on October 13th, 2009
Funny how a black man speaks his mind and is lauded for his bravery but let a white man do it and he’s a racist and/or bigot. So where exactly is the TRUE racism and bigotry??
3:00 pm on October 13th, 2009
Show me anyone who criticizes Rush for being a racist and I’ll show someone who never listens to him. This is nothing more than an attack led by a bunch of ignorant, jealous and vengeful political hacks trying to spread lies. If you want to know the truth about Rush, tune in to show, I have done the same to learn about people like Keith Olberman MSNBC and I now know he’s an idiot. It’s the reason I can’t watch the NBC pregame/halftime on Sunday nights. I encourage everyone to watch ESPN’s SC before those games begin.
3:00 pm on October 13th, 2009
I dont believe rush is a racist but I do believe he knows a large percent of his audience is..or at least fear anyone different, thats why he plays up to them, thats why on is show he referred to obama as a halfrican american for three months before he became president…to invoke fear of something different,..because if obama was just white he would refer to him as a democrat.
he plays up to the scared conservative right that are scared of anything different than them.
how this relates,..now he wants to us to forget about all of that and have us write it off as entertainment.
Just like Marc Cuban, his prior actions caused him a chance to own a baseball team, and so should the actions and statements of Rush
4:11 pm on October 13th, 2009
Steven A would not be defending Rush if he wasnt trying to jumpstart his career.
6:21 pm on October 13th, 2009
Rush would be good for football. The guy is very knowledgeable and has the money to buy the team.So let him do it!
6:36 pm on October 13th, 2009
You know, if Jason Whitlock really wanted to make a bigger splash nowadays, he’d try to contact all of his Kansas City contacts to find out the stuff Rush said on the radio during his time in KC. Then, he’d write a big column that would basically confirm the James Earl Ray and “slavery had its good points” quotes that Rush is claiming don’t exist.
Then again, if folks on the opposite side of Rush want to make an example of rich conservatives like him, they need to realize they are about to open a door they don’t necessarily want opened. So let’s just chalk this up to Rush being a mischief maker, again.
6:47 pm on October 13th, 2009
Why Stephan A. Smith a “surprising” ally of Limbaugh? It’s only “surprising” if you hold the bigoted view that all black people dislike Limbaugh.
9:56 pm on October 13th, 2009
“One begins to think that Limbaugh made the ownership bid for no other reason than to stir controversy.” Probably not the main reason. Just a nice by-product for Rush and every media outlet that is beating this story to death. (And yes, I realize that by commenting on this thread I’ve just made myself part of the problem).
I dislike Rush. Many people like him. But it’s undeniable that he is a successful businessman. Now the league and Rams must decide if the controversy associated with him is worth whatever business savvy he would bring to the organization (and of course, compare his bids to other bids).
My guess is there is no way he gets any piece of the Rams but we’ll soon see.
11:05 pm on October 13th, 2009
Now bobby nobody calls Rush listeners racists. Wake up, Rush and conservatives believe people are judged by character not race or gender. It’s you liberals that want to pidgeon hole everyone and divide people. We see people as people. Try being colorblind.
7:15 pm on October 14th, 2009
No one is really a fan of Rush especially in one of the most integrated American pastimes.
12:44 am on October 15th, 2009
Joshua,The NFL has even more money at stake than Limbaugh.Everything Limbaugh does that makes the news would come across as controversial.Stephan A. Smith did not defend Limbaugh when he made the “Bloods and Crips”reference he said it was a racist statement. Also he said in the interview that the NFL would shun anyone that makes controversial statements.By the way Roger Goodell has done a good job of policing players even when they do the stupid stuff they do like the Michael Vic incident.
12:26 am on October 16th, 2009
I heard Steven A. Smith on Larry Elder’s radio show a few years back and he was commenting how he really enjoyed Larry’s book (conservative book). So based on what I heard Steven A. support is legit.