How Rush Limbaugh gave America its Sundays back

American Thinker ^ | 10-18-09 | Neil Braithwaite

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October 18, 2009

How Rush Limbaugh gave America its Sundays back

By Neil Braithwaite

Ever since I can remember, from my days as a young boy sitting beside my dad perched in front of the old black and white 25" console, to just last week watching my high-def 42" flat screen television, pro football has been the essence of my fall and winter Sundays. I'm sure this is also true for countless milions of other men across this great land.

But for many pro football loving men this past week, that came to a halt faster than the Cowboys' Walt Garrison on the goal line when hit by Washington Redskins' Kenny Houston on October 8, 1973. Go Redskins!

So what would persuad thousands of armchair quarterbacks to put down their remotes and walk away from their split-screen NFL Sunday utopias -- cold turkey?

Was it because the pro football game has gotten so boring and predictable? Did all their wives finally put their collective feet down? No. Countless men addicted to the NFL are walking away from pro football this week as a direct result of what transpired in the media during Rush Limbaugh's attempt to become a minority NFL owner.

Rush Limbaugh has attracted many male listeners over the years because of his staunch conservative views, unabashed humor and unapologetic manly attitude. It all makes for great male bonding. But the one thing that helps form a special bond between the big guy and many of his male listeners is Rush's love for pro football.

Rush is known for being a very passionate guy, so when he corroborated the story that he was a minority partner in a group trying to purchase the St. Louis Rams, he must have had some serious "game day" butterflies. Rush's pro football-loving listeners share his passion, so when they found out about his bid to become an NFL owner, they immediately began to root for their competitive friend to win. Go Rush!

Most Rush listeners know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would not only be great for the St. Louis Rams' organization and its players, but also ultimately be great for the NFL. They know that Rush is a strong competitor and would bring that "must win" attitude to the NFL. His love and respect for the game, its players and organizations have been on display for all America since his radio talk show became syndicated in August 1988. If Rush had become an NFL owner, many of his loyal listeners would have to enlarge their sentimental NFL team base to include the St. Louis Rams just because of Rush. Go Rush -- go Rams!

It was inevitable however, that Rush would get some flack about his stint as a commentator on ESPN and the whole Donovan McNabb story, but no one expected what ultimately transpired in the media because of his minority ownership bid.

In retrospect, the vicious and slanderous attacks that poured out on Rush from the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson were to be expected. These two guys never miss an opportunity to sling a little racial slander and grab some limelight. But several liberals in the news media decided to get on board the slander train and that's when things started getting out of hand. Then some current and former NFL players along with a select group of the sports media decided to jump into the Rush feeding frenzy and things really began to go overboard. This band of ignorant and slanderous liberals attributed unthinkable racial statements to Rush without any definitive proof. The angry mob's accusations ultimately led to Rush's removal from the group bidding for the St. Louis NFL franchise.

But the story doesn't end there. Not one NFL owner or representative came out to denounce the uncivil tone and unfounded slanderous attacks made against Rush, who, as if they were too ignorant to know, happened to be one of the NFL's biggest supporters as well as a prospective owner. It was the ultimate responsibility of the NFL's commissioner, Roger Goodell, to put a stop to this nonsense. But did Goodell step forward? No. In fact, he did just the opposite and climbed on the slander train himself by saying that "divisive comments" would not be welcome in the league. Goodell's statement was reprehensible and became the straw the broke the camel's back for countless thousands of Rush supporters. It was game over -- adios NFL!

Unlike the NFL, in the game of life there are not always clearly defined winners and losers. However, in this tragic situation there are a few of each. The biggest losers are the NFL and the St. Louis Rams, who lost an opportunity to have an awesome new competitor and minority owner. The merry host of media slander slingers also lost the last bit of respect anyone may have ever had for them. And America just lost a little of what makes her the greatest country in the world -- civility, respect and fairness. Rush Limbaugh, on the other hand, became a big winner in the eyes of his loyal listeners for the responsible and dignified manner in which he handled the whole situation.

But the biggest winners of all are the thousands of families throughout America who just got their husbands and fathers back on Sundays. Picnic anyone?

Neil Braithwaite is a Real Estate Broker and writer in Charlotte, NC. He writes political commentary and satire and is a regular contributor to PoliticalDerby.com. 

Page Printed from: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/how_rush_limbaugh_gave_america.html at October 18, 2009 - 01:16:21 AM EDT

[Rome2000]

They know that Rush is a strong competitor and would bring that "must win" attitude to the NFL.

Bottom line is that we are witnessing McCarthyism in reverse.

Limbaugh has shown remarkable restraint.

Commies Raus.

[Billthedrill]

I really don't care so much whether Rush becomes a minority owner of the Rams - the St. Louis fans are really the only losers if he doesn't. But this is the last straw in a very large load. Why am I making these idiots rich? They only hold me in contempt.

See you, guys. It used to be fun but now it isn't.

[trustandobey]

Ditto

[aliquando]

He is not cheap.

[smoothsailing]

geraldo is something I just never watch, but what you say doesn’t surprise me.

[DemonDeac]

Football is six minutes worth of action spread out over four hours. Yawn.

[DemonDeac]

“It’ll be intersting to see the Neilsen ratings for this weekend’s NFL games. I hope no self-respecting conservative turns on any games.”

I would imagine that their will be almost no effect.

[Rebelbase]

Aside from Rush getting screwed by the NFL, a sad thing about all of this is that there are a lot of people who don’t even know there is a ruckus about anything relating to Rush Limbaugh and the NFL. A huge portion of them could care less.

[jellybean]

And remember the NFL didn’t kick Rush out, his PARTNERS which he knew included Soros did. You ever wonder why he knowingly entered into a deal with Soro?

Rush was not aware that Soros was part of the group:

And my mistake at that point was not asking him, "All right, do you really mean it, and who did you speak to?" He gave me a couple of names that are pretty high up and led me to believe that it was all handled and that he was fully prepared for what was going to happen. When the whole thing started to unravel last week, whenever this thing leaked -- and, by the way, I learned yesterday that George Soros might be in this group. Reuters had a story that George Soros is one of Dave Checketts's partners. I did not know that. I wasn't told that. Mr. Checketts is not the primary partner here. The NFL has a rule that the primary owner has to have 30% equity in the team, and our group lost our 30% equity guy, and we had to scramble and find a new one, and I was told who it was, but now I'm wondering if it was Soros and I wasn't told. Soros and Checketts did, I have learned, partner together previously to try to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mr. Soros, of course, is well known politically for his left-wing slants, his politics fit in perfectly, apparently, with what the National Football League is becoming. But I wonder if they know that he is also involved in the movement to legalize marijuana and how that will play as the owners decide whether or not he's fit. This is all speculative because I don't know that he's in the group. Reuters reported it yesterday.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Sundays = At the range with the kids.

I was all excited to root for that nice Catholic(?) boy Matt Ryan, and the newly-professionalized Atlanta Falcons (I'd given them up since the time they had MC Hammer dicking around on the sidelines, and reiterated my distaste for them when everyone was praising Mike Vick/Ron Mexico as a fine citizen and role model).

With this, and teh "Futbol Americano" crap, way to go NFL!!!!

[TigersEye]

This is all speculative because I don't know that he's in the group. Reuters reported it yesterday.

Rush is smart not to pick up a rumor disseminated by Reuters and treat it like it is a fact. That is what all of his detractors did.

[The Cajun]

I have noticed my interest in pro football has been waning more and more since I retired (11 years now), don't know why.
This latest crap does it for me, but it didn't take that big of a push.

[Trailerpark Badass]

I agree. After the first baseball strike, I didn’t call for a boycott. I just stopped watching. I stopped going. I stopped taking it seriously.

To this day...

Exactly. After the strike, I will admit I watched the Braves win it in '95, and I watched them throw it away to the Yankees in '96.

But after the '98 "Chicks Dig the Long Ball" Juiced Ball, Steroid-Fest, Pay the Pitchers to Groove a Couple Freak show, I haven't watched a MLB game since. Haven't cared either.

[Dapper 26]

For such a manly game like football, how did so many pantywaisted, weak wristed blowhards become their spokesmen?
My defection from the NFL was long time coming. After trashing Rush, I wonder what took me so long to say, “Adios NFL”.

[Trailerpark Badass]

No one's telling you to stop watching.

Why do you if others do?

[Prole]

That shouldn't be too hard for you as the Democrat Media Machine and the NFL are controlled by people with the same racist, anti-American interests.

Wise, pro-American people will avoid their programming, and do something more constructive with their time.

[bannie]

“Voting” with your proverbial pocket book works for me.

[aquila48]

“I agree. After the first baseball strike, I didn’t call for a boycott. I just stopped watching. I stopped going. I stopped taking it seriously.

To this day...”

Same here... most of the characters in the sports world from players to owners, to commentators just turn me off - soooo, I turn them off. The Bret Favre childish melodrama was the last straw, and this episode with Rush was the nail in the coffin.

[buckleyfan]

If say 20% of a given team’s audience is Conservative who will cease their support (not watching Sunday TV, I mean actual revenue, as in buying season tickets, going to games, etc;) then in my crude estimation every NFL team just lost about 10% of its value. They’re worth about a $billion. Times how many teams? That’s a lot of scratch.

I don't really listen to Rush (his positions are ok, it's just his ego that's a little out of whack to me) but I agree in principle with those who are willing to support him and call out the NFL on this bit of garbage that they've pulled (fabricating quotes out of thin air really sealed that deal).

However, I think there needs to be healthy dose of realism here. Rather than 20 percent I think you need to be thinking in the low single digits. To be frank, any small, measurable impact would be a success, but I just don't see it happening. You won't see Rush go out on a limb on this because he knows the craziest thing he could do is to appear to be taking on the NFL. It's hugely successful, hugely popular, and hugely profitable (even with the "downsizing" of staff this year). BUt even moreso, most football fans I know do NOT want to mix their politics with their weekend pigskin love affair. Some things just don't fit together. Diehard Rush fans excluded.jmho

[jellybean]

Rush is smart not to pick up a rumor disseminated by Reuters and treat it like it is a fact. That is what all of his detractors did.

I agree. I don't think anyone has verified Soros is part of the group. Until then it's just speculation.