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

[Myrddin]

I enjoy listening to Rush. I have avoided watching football games since 1981. I'm simply not interested. Bouncing Rush from the sales group is likely a beneficial situation for Rush. Why tie up your money in an investment what you will have little influence on the management and marginal ability to divest yourself of the liability?

[TigersEye]

Reuters is certainly in a long list of “news” outlets that can’t be trusted at all.

[AmericanArchConservative]

I’ll still watch my Cowboys (screw the ‘Skins, braithwaite!) and be happy to do so - especially since I have not heard any of them mouth off thus far...In fact it was former Cowboy “Hutch” Hutcherson (now pastor of Antioch church in Seattle) who called Rush’s show, livid about the over-the-top statements of some of the half-wit players and sportswriters - but far moreso over the “justice brothers” or as he himself called Sharpton and Jackson (on air) “Poverty pimps”

Kudos for being outspoken, Hutch!

Go ‘Boys

(yeah, I know it’s a “bye” weekend for them)

A.A.C.

[Mamzelle]

Go to hell

NFL

[nathanbedford]

It was Walter O'Malley who gave me my summers back. So I guess that makes me older than you are. That was my epiphany, the disillusionment which occurred when O'Malley took the Brooklyn Dodgers 3000 miles away. It was a liberating experience, it permitted me to view baseball as a beautiful sport but to root for a major-league baseball team was to play the sucker.

A painful but invaluable insight for a young teenager and not a bad state of mind either for an investor in the stock market to cultivate.

The NFL is a business, a very big business, but it verges on the immoral when it co-opts American youth and invests them in what is essentially a gigantic lie: that the NFL is for sportsmen who operate with a sportsmanlike ethos, it is not, is a calculated public relations contrivance that at root is false and hypocritical.

Thank you Walter O'Malley and thank you Rush Limbaugh.

[ChiMark]

This is a huge issue which has enormous implications for the destruction of civility, common sense and justice.freedoms.

The NFL and sports writers have an understanding that
the thuggish behavior of these athletes fall under the radar of publicity. Rush was wrongly accused but honesty no longer prevails. Just to be accused by the left merits punishment.

[ChiMark]

Jim Irsay is the useless son which inherited the team from daddy. I can’t verify this but I heard he is not with out
vice.

[Yaelle]

I love college football.

[Right Wing Assault]

I used to be a huge pro sports fan, but the criminals and sociopaths involved turned me off long ago. I haven’t intentionally listened to or watched a pro sporting event in 10 years.

[BobL]

Blacks may be 70% of the players, but it’s whites that pay 95% of the salaries (with most of them being conservative)...and the players (and other owners) are about to find that out.

[rambo316]

I stopped watching for the last couple of years and this year I’ve totally stopped. I got sick and tired of the fawning over all the black players and all their life stories and how hard they had it growing up in a bad hood or how one of their parents died, drama, drama, drama.....

Got tired of it all an I will tell you all it is wonderful spending it with my wife and no Sunday addiction of NFL all day.

[Dusty Road]

Somebody say Bob Lily?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp-SJ_W0L28

[Glenn]

I’l show all of you! I’ll hurt me!

Not really.

I’ll be watching the Steelers this afternoon, as usual. I’m not going to let the lefties take away one more joy in my life.

[liberateUS]

"I love college football."

Since conservatives will be boycotting the NFL, and liberals control most academic institutions, just wondering what "conservative" college teams they will be rooting for?

[Isabel C.]

A lot of pointless chest thumping and ego boosting

Actually, that's what many NFL players do after they score a touchdown or make a good play.

[EBH]

Just to be accused by the left merits punishment.

These are very true words and ones that should be carefully considered. The left has been able to interfere with a business transaction in which it held no stake or concern. Rush, by his own admission, is not intending to pursue recourse. The reality though is he was denied ownership due to lies, libel and slander.

Somewhere rolling around in my head is the phrase, "due process." The left dolled out a vicious punishment without due process. They made accusations with no supporting evidence. They interfered with a man's pursuit of happiness. They infringed on another person's Rights.

Why the left can call anyone they want racist or charge them with racism in the court of public opinion, even though no discrimination is evident. This is the manipulative nature of the word Racist. It can be thrown at anyone without evidence of real discrimination. There are laws against real discrimination.

A person or business being labeled Racist loses their Right to 'due process' under the law for discriminatory behavior. While Rush has chosen to let this matter pass, we must recognize the dangerous precedent being set by Rush's decision.

Accusations of Racism need to be answered by the accusing party with evidence of discrimination. Those charges cannot be resolved over a beer at the White House or redactions and apologies. The only way that can happen is if those accused pursue their Right to real 'due process' and stop the left from using the court of public opinion.

[qwertypie]

NFL football is the sports version of rap. It glorifies sleazebags. And a good portion of its fandom are psychos.

[Hot Tabasco]

It won’t be hard not to watch the Lions.

We could become soccer fans..........What? How many times did you get drunk on beer before you finally came to like it?

[Old_Grouch]

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.

I have read a couple comments that maybe Rush was set up, and Checketts was used, and the leak was planned, to bring out this torrent of negative publicity. Funny thing is, if that's the case, it may have backfired, because Obama supporters are already anti-Rush and those who listen to Rush know it's all BS, so I can't see a setup like this turning anyone new against Rush.

I have read that Rush is supposed to judge the Miss America Contest, I don't know if that is true, but if so, I can't understand why he would get involved in that, and there is potential for a repeat scenario with that. Maybe Rush would accept knowing that he would get drummed out, and hoping that would open more eyes.

[Big Giant Head]

I’m not sure it would have been a liability. Had Rush become part owner of the Rams, I would have been purchasing Rams merchandise, as would many others. I cannot have political stickers on my “official” work vehicle, but I can certainly support a football team. Clandestine political.

The Rams organization would have gotten a bump of cash from all this.

One of by buddies at work, big sports nut, had NO IDEA how convoluted this whole story is. He got all his news on ESPN. I had to enlighten him.