ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown thread (Rush update)

10/05/03 | Andy from Beaverton

[unsycophant]

I agree with you, their ratings will tank after this week. Everybody wanted to see whether they'd handle this fairly and professionally, or behave like a bunch of pandering cowards.

Now we know, and there is no reason to tune in again.

When Rush appeared last year, their ratings went up 10 percent, and they liked it enough to hire him as a draw.

It makes you wonder who's running things, and why they couldn't stick by Rush--but think it's okay for their other hosts to behave like rejects.

[Tuxedo]

DES: I listen maybe once or twice a week. It just isn't as addicting as it once was. I grew tired of the golf talk, and stuff like it. I miss the parodies and songs.

[auboy]

It wasn't my decision to bring Rush Limbaugh on the show and he's known for devisive social commentary and he brought it on the show and he's a bad human being, and I knew he was going to do this, and the ESPN bigwigs trumped me on the hiring decision...yada yada yada.

I didn't know that Eisner had sold Disney to Tom Jackson.

[Humbug]

why was it stupid and out of line?

[mhking]

Bull crap! I was suspected that they gave him the choice of resigning or being fired. Now I know!

If they gave him the choice, he should have let them fire him. It would have forced ESPN to go on record. It would have made them look bad.

In being a gentleman (and resigning), he left the door open for all the attacks not only on him, but on all of us as conservatives.

You wouldn't believe how difficult he's made it for me and other conservative blacks now.

I can't believe that anyone here would be even remotely surprised at the on-camera (politically correct) actions of the other commentators at ESPN (and the other networks for that matter). The week has been one of piling on, now that the core leftists have given their marching orders to the masses.

Nothing has changed, contrary to the hopes that we all had when ESPN hired Rush this summer.

[marajade]

It isn't about race anymore.

[LS]

Just a joke. I'm saying that the Dems/Libs will say that "corporate America" put him up to saying this to distract the public from the more serious drug charges. Sometimes conspiracy talk can get so convoluted you can't tell one conspiracy from another.

[Cedric]

Rush' McNabb comment was incomprehensible on several levels. He's got a relatively high QB rating and was voted into the Pro Bowl. Plus, with Williams, Moon and others having come before, the issue it stale. Rush forced his socio-political commentary about the media into a thread bare example and paid a big price.
Rush could have simply said, "As a fan, I think the guy's overrated."

[marajade]

Agree. McNabb is a good quarterback period. It doesn't matter what color his skin is.

As a niner fan and Garcia lately, I'd love to have McNabb in SF right now.

[rintense]

In being a gentleman (and resigning), he left the door open for all the attacks not only on him, but on all of us as conservatives.

100% correct. Just another example of conservatives rolling over and taking another one up the arse. It just gives more ammunition to liberals, and let's them recklessly throw the 'racist' label around for their own gain. As much as I've grown to not like Bill O'Reilly (who also came down hard on Rush), he did later defend him by saying this is nothing more than a media witch hunt. And who controls the media? Liberals.

[nothingnew]

Get over here!

FMCDH

[PISANO]

While NOT as bad as ESPN, FOX's Pregame show was very critical of RUSH, with JJ quoting something about "BLACKS not being able to play QB" and attributing that quote to RUSH. Howie called it (Rush's opinion), "At best stupid at worst RACIST". JB said if it was true that there is a SOCIAL concern then it is ONLY to make amends for previous RACIST actions. Terry said if HE made that statement his BUDDIES (JB,JJ,HL) would NOT wait a day or a week to condemn him but would do it right then and there.

[crude77]

No Kidding. I used to show up at a lot of the same places that Michael went to back in my drinking days. One can witness a lot of obnoxious behavior in such places, but I never saw anyone that was as obnoxious as Mr. Michael Irvin.

[Humbug]

The theme of that segment was "what's wrong with McNabb" and Rush simply jumped in to say nothing was wrong with him, just that he was overhyped by a media drooling to see a black quarterback named as one of the best in the league (my wording, but generally i believe that was the thrust of what he was saying). Funny how the whole brouhaha didn't erupt until Tuesday. I guess people were too stunned by his comments that it took them a couple days to get over their shock before they could attack what he said (or at least what they said he said/meant).

[LS]

Well, then, guess I won't watch any of these. Oh, and Howie Long ought to be careful about calling people stupid, with Bradshaw sitting right next to him. Bradshaw hates Rush.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Every member of Fox's show piled on and gave Rush a good kick. Deon Sanders and Phil Simms(say, speaking of overrated, both him and his kid) did likewise. All made it out as Rush was implying that there is race favoritism in the NFL and its locker rooms, completely missing that the Rush's charge of race favoritism was directed ONLY at the media.

In contrast Jim Nantz handled it with lots of class(as to be expected, he has been underrated, with the media critics complaining that he is not more 'confrontational', cutting edge', 'with it') really going after the PC angle of this whole thing, asking why it took 48 hours to become an issue, and really criticizing the media. The fourth member(I don't know his name) was pretty quiet(but obviously uncomfortable, seemed to be biting his tongue) and just said that it all seems 'overrated'(as in a mountain out of a molehill).

I've never liked the CBS show, but kudo's to Nantz and the other guy for being the only ones to see what this is really about, or rather brave enough to not ooh and aah over how wonderful Emperor Jesse Jackson's new clothes are.

[sjeann]

I am sure I heard Rush say on Tuesday during his show that they all go over what they are going to say the night before. No one said anything at the time. Wish someone could verify this.

[G.Mason]

"Voice your displeasure"

Thanks. I did.

[Night Hides Not]

Rush is beocming a bore lately and I find myself turning him off on his radio show most days too.

Sadly, you're right. What I am hoping for is that Rush will fight back on behalf of his loyal listeners who have stood by him. Make no mistake about it, the underlying theme in all of these attacks on Rush is that anyone who listens to him is racist.

Would Rush have been considered for the ESPN gig if he had the audience of Charley Ward? I think not.

A delicious irony is that ESPN's Sunday ratings will absolutely tank, due to the loss of Rush's audience and the ire of those who thought the other members of the crew didn't speak up soon enough.

I lost respect for Rush, primarily for resigning. This is the first time I've ever heard him say publicly that he took the path of least resistance.

It's past time for him to stop playing fair, and play without half his brain tied behind his back. He also needs to drop the 'harmless little fuzzball' schtick, too.

Not that Rush needs my advice, but he needs to take a few weeks off, and plan for a complete and total attack on his enemies. He's got the troops to support him, and we're ready to do battle. The last thing I would want to hear from my general is that we're going to take the path of least resistance and resign!!!

I want to do battle, and stick my bayonet in their bellies, and see their guts rotting in the field of battle.

I have been pushed to the brink by shenanigans in Ardmore (OK) and Albuquerque, Sacramento and Bristol. I served my country for 8 years to keep our freedom, not to kneel at the altar of political correctness and liberalism.

I have drawn my line in the sand. Who will stand with me?

[rintense]

Why does Bradshaw hate Rush? I thought Terry was a conservative.