Colorblind Football Fans Know Rush is Wrong

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | October 1, 2003 | Richard Roeper

[robertpaulsen]

Football expert and social commentator Rush Limbaugh claimed last Sunday morning that the media are partial to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, and you know what? He's absolutely right, at least when it comes to one media guy.

Me.

Yep, Rush has my number. Well, if he had my number I'd change it and get a restraining order--but it is true that I've long been a McNabb fan because he and I have so much in common. For one thing, McNabb and I are both from south suburban Dolton. Also, McNabb attended Mt. Carmel High School on the South Side--same school my dad attended.

Another similarity: McNabb can throw a football 65 yards in a perfect spiral, and I can get in my car and drive 65 yards in a straight line. It's uncanny!

On the other hand, Donovan and I are different in a few key ways. He's many years younger and an inch taller than I am, he plays for the Philadelphia Eagles and I'm on Team Sun-Times, he wears No. 5 and I like to wear No. 15 in honor of Dick Allen.

And oh yeah, he's black and I'm white.

Rushing the passer

Which brings us to Limbaugh, who joined ESPN this year as a Sunday morning analyst. The idea was that Limbaugh, who was a prime contender to join the "Monday Night Football" broadcast team a few years ago, would eschew politics and concentrate only on football for ESPN--and why not? I've never been a huge fan of Limbaugh's egomaniacal, one-note style, but there's no denying his talent as a broadcaster and his ability to connect with regular-guy types. And he knows football well enough to joke around with a bunch of ex-jocks on ESPN.

But it took Limbaugh less than a month to wander from football jabber to the kind of social commentary that would have earned him applause at a whites-only counter in an Alabama diner circa 1955. When Steve Young and Tom Jackson talked about McNabb's poor performances in the Eagles' first two games this season, Limbaugh opened his mouth just wide enough to jam his entire foot in.

"I don't think [McNabb's] been that good from the get-go," he said. "I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. They're interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well; I think there's a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really didn't deserve."

First of all, it's "media have," not "media has." Seeing as how Limbaugh always whines about the liberal media even though he has a more powerful platform and more money than virtually any other individual in the news media, he should know that.

More important, Limbaugh's comments were idiotic--and to Jackson's credit, he quickly countered the blowhard by pointing out that "somebody went to those championship games, somebody went to those Pro Bowls, somebody made those plays that I saw, running down the field, doing it with his legs, doing it with his arm. He has been a very effective quarterback for this football team over the last two or three years."

Limbaugh said McNabb got too much credit when the Eagles' defense was winning games for the team--but given that the defense isn't exactly all-white, that backpedal makes no sense. What Limbaugh should have done was apologize--not that we should expect remorse from a guy who has said of blacks, "They're 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares?" and who once told a black caller to "take that bone out of your nose and call me back."

Suggestion for Limbaugh: Visit an NFL locker room and make that same kind of remark to a couple of players. I'm sure they'll understand it's just your way of making a point.

McNabb's stats

McNabb had two bad games this year before rebounding with a solid effort against Buffalo last Sunday--but from 2000-2002, he's been one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, with three trips to the Pro Bowl and an MVP-quality season in 2001 when he threw for 25 touchdowns (with just 12 interceptions) and 3,233 yards, and rushed for 482 yards.

McNabb also tore up the Bears in Old Soldier Field in the playoffs that season, throwing for 262 yards and two TDs, rushing for 37 yards and a touchdown, and dunking over the goalpost in celebration. Find me a Bears fan who was at the game who wouldn't love to see McNabb in a Bears uniform.

Of course, these days our quarterback is Kordell Stewart, who is black and has been awful. And the Vikings have Daunte Culpepper and the Titans have Steve McNair, who are black and good, and the Falcons have Michael Vick, who is black and when healthy is the best player in the league.

Whether we're talking media or fans, the great majority couldn't care less if the QB is black or white--as long as he wins. Lord knows Philadelphia fans have always been equal-opportunity boobirds. In this instance it's Limbaugh, not his colleagues in "the media," who's fixated on race.

E-mail: rroeper@suntimes.com

[robertpaulsen]

"What Limbaugh should have done was apologize--not that we should expect remorse from a guy who has said of blacks, "They're 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares?" and who once told a black caller to "take that bone out of your nose and call me back."

I've been listening to Rush for quite some time and I don't recall him saying that.

If he did, could someone put it in context?

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[Just mythoughts]

Watching and listening to the response from the liberal racists verifies that what RUSH said is exactly right.

THE MEDIA which is who Rush was speaking about and he knew very well what he was talking about, it is so PC'd and brainwashed.

Now they don't seem to give a "RAT'S BEHIND" about trashing and tearing apart someone who does not share their religion, liberalism/communism and they have set themselves up as "god" to tell the rest of us not to think but "FEEL" and that only some can use the "FREE SPEECH" clause.

[ClearCase_guy]

Limbaugh said McNabb got too much credit when the Eagles' defense was winning games for the team--but given that the defense isn't exactly all-white, that backpedal makes no sense.

I don't think this was part of a back pedal. I think this was part of Rush's initial statement -- he was giving credit to the defense. And if the defense is largely black, then Rush was praising black players. This is just more evidence that he wasn't making a racial comment -- he was commenting on the nature of media coverage.

Also, the "bone in the nose" comment is, I believe, an urban legend that dates back to Rush's very, very early days in radio and which has never (to my knowledge) been substantiated.

[Ditter]

Rush would NEVER say something like that! I have been a faithful listener for many years. He does not insult people because of their race........ EVER! His enemies just like to say he does.

[Moby Grape]

You are right, Rush never said those things. This jerk needs to apologize for lying or, at the very least, repeating a lie someone else told.

But more important, this dipstick, and all of the professional liberal whinners, are twisting, or NOT at all understanding what Rush said. Rush made the point that the MEDIA was trying to place all success, and failure, on the black quarter back. That was the main thrust of what he said.

[brownsfan]

What was he thinking?! I agree with those that say Rush's comment was true 15 years ago, not now. Even if it was true, he had to know saying something like that would cause a huge backlash.

[Semper Paratus]

"bone in the nose" comment is, I believe, an urban legend

If there was a tape of it you can be sure it would have been played a gazillion times everywhere by now.

[twigs]

You're right. Rush never made a racist statement. He evaluated his perception of McNabb's weaknesses and then postulated that the media took a racial view of them. Never that McNabb's abilities had anything to do with his race. I was listening to a sports commentator in Philly last night and he just went on and on trashing Rush. Then he ended by basically saying how dare Rush make such a comment about a black-dominated sport. IOW, if a sport is dominated by one race over another, who dare comment on the abilities of the dominant race (which Rush did not do).Who made the racist comment there?

[SubMareener]

From: Allen Barra Posted Thursday, October 2, 2003, at 3:33 PM PT

Let's look at a quarterback with similar numbers who also plays for a team with a great defense. I don't know anyone who would call Brad Johnson one of the best quarterbacks in pro football—which is how McNabb is often referred to. In fact, I don't know anyone who would call Brad Johnson, on the evidence of his 10-year NFL career, much more than mediocre. Yet, Johnson's NFL career passer rating, as of last Sunday, is 7.3 points higher than McNabb's (84.8 to 77.5), he has completed his passes at a higher rate (61.8 percent to 56.4 percent), and has averaged significantly more yards per pass (6.84 to 5.91). McNabb excels in just one area, running, where he has gained 2,040 yards and scored 14 touchdowns to Johnson's 467 and seven. But McNabb has also been sacked more frequently than Johnson—more than once, on average, per game, which negates much of the rushing advantage.

In other words, in just about every way, Brad Johnson has been a more effective quarterback than McNabb and over a longer period.

And even if you say the stats don't matter and that a quarterback's job is to win games, Johnson comes out ahead. Johnson has something McNabb doesn't, a Super Bowl ring, which he went on to win after his Bucs trounced McNabb's Eagles in last year's NFC championship game by a score of 27-10. The Bucs and Eagles were regarded by everyone as having the two best defenses in the NFL last year. When they played in the championship game, the difference was that the Bucs defense completely bottled up McNabb while the Eagles defense couldn't stop Johnson.

In terms of performance, many NFL quarterbacks should be ranked ahead of McNabb. But McNabb has represented something special to all of us since he started his first game in the NFL, and we all know what that is.

[rintense]

Roper and his movie buddy Ebert and nothing more than two more examples of liberal media elitists who couldn't find their way out of a cereal box.

[Dead Dog]

"but given that the defense isn't exactly all-white"..the calls of racism makes no sense. The liberal mind will twist itself to a Prozac induced comma trying to make reality fit their pre-conceived misconceptions.

[Mr. Bird]

"I don't think [McNabb's] been that good from the get-go,"

That's the crux of the entire segment, and it's not wrong and it's not right. It's an opinion. Same with the idea that the media wishes to see black QB's succeed. It's an opinion, although many of the critical screeds now coming out support it to a degree.

I still don't see the controversy. Jackson refuted the opinion, and that's what pre-game show banter is all about.

[Steely Tom]

Re: the bone-in-the-nose comment.

I've spent way too much time listening to Rush over the years. I've been listening the few times when he let his professionalism slip (just a little) and said something I thought was ever-so-slightly questionable.

The idea that he would have made such a comment is utterly inconceivable and ridiculous.

Rush is a big man. He doesn't think that way about others, and he is far too intelligent to give such ammunition to his detractors even as a joke.

This whole thing smells, as numerous others on this forum have explained far more eloquently than can I. Rush is in my prayers. I've learned a lot from him, and I expect to learn a lot more.

I believe that Rush knows how important he is in the lives of many in his audience, and I believe that he is wise enough to his role seriously. The idea that he would jeopardize himself over so obvious a vulnerability as illegal drug usage, involving a housekeeper as his supplier, just strikes me as to unlikely.

OK, I've rambled on more than I should have.

(steely)

[smiley]

You should preface Rush's statement with what he said....he began by saying..."I'm sorry to say this, but...." shows that Rush was giving an opinion that he knew wasn't going to be shared by everyone....
"

[TexRef]

First of all, it's "media have," not "media has."

You is a moron.