Is Rush Racist?

Sports Illustrated ^

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Considering all of the nonsense taking place in the NFL with coaches, I'd say that Rush has a good point. It is quite apparent that even the NFL isn't immune from affirmative action.

[em2vn]

Did you ever hear what was said about Elvis Grubac when he was in Kansas City. The same things said about Carter only far worse. It wasn't code about Grubac being black. It was about him being a sorry quarterback, just as the criticism of Quincy Carter is about him being a sorry quarterback.

[mattdono]

I disagree. His point was that McNabb was getting a lot of defensive support and was getting the credit for "winning" the games. Truth is, in the last few years, the Eagles defense (Hugh Douglass, in particular) was winning the games.

I think that the point Rush was making was that McNabb was looking better than he was because of the defense.

I don't disagree with his point. Interestingly, Steve Young or Michael Irvin (can't remember which) conceded that Rush had a point: that McNabb is not the best player when he scrambles around, the offense is best when the QB stays in the pocket.

Now, after watching the game where his ankle was broken in two and the guy came back into the ball game and, for all intents and purposes, risked his career to win a footbal game was gutsy. That guy earned some respect from me that night. Interestingly, in that game, McNabb stayed in the pocket and ran the offense as it is intended to be run, which is precisely the point that Young or Irvin was making. Incidentally, I think that was the point that Rush was making too, that he wasn't as good as people are saying he is or as good as he could be.

Course, that wasn't Rush's point. There is a social investment in black quarterbacks in the NFL. That's not an over-the-top or a Jimmy-the-Greek statement. There is pressure on the NFL teams to have African Americans in leadership positions within the organization. Coaching has been getting all the press lately (with the whole Johnny Cochrane wanting to sue), but the quarterback position is also a leadership position too. So, while there might not be a stated goal of having X black quarterbacks, there is a social investment in having black quarterbacks.

Besides, I don't like any of these quotas (which is what they essentially are). I want the best players, coaches, organizational personnel available to my team on my team, period. I really don't care what color they are. If the best coach/quarterback/player is black, fine. If the best coach/quarterback/player is white, fine too.

Funny. Rush is delivering exactly what ESPN wanted: ratings. Just because his outlook on football isn't the conventional outlook, doesn't mean its wrong. You have a bunch of ex-players who do the pregame on the different networks (Michael Irvin, Steve Young, and Tom Jackson on ESPN; Dan Marino, Dieon Sanders, and Boomer Eisason [sp?] on CBS; and Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw on FOX) that have the same basic opinion. You have the mediators (Chris Berman, Jim Nantz, and James Brown) who move the commentary along, but usually defer to the players. Jimmy Johnson is the only ex-coach. Rush is the only person on all of those shows who represents a football fan.

Besides, he never gets a chance to fully explain what he means. One of the ex-players usually jumps in before he can finish his thought. As is Rush's specialty, Rush makes the provocative statement to get people's attention (which is one of the reasons why he is listened too everyday by 20 million people), but never gets the chance to tie the provocative statement to the iron-clad point that he is going to make. He gets cut off before he can do so.

[isthisnickcool]

Oh, is it football season?

[Mudboy Slim]

I've been listenin' to Rush steadily since the first Gulf War and there ain't a racist bone in his body, imho...MUD

[Stew Padasso]

No. The exchange he had with the panel was not racist. However it was ridiculous.

[sinkspur]

It wasn't code about Grubac being black. It was about him being a sorry quarterback, just as the criticism of Quincy Carter is about him being a sorry quarterback.

Carter's no Troy Aikman, for sure.

But, the people who criticize Carter on sports talk radio in Dallas think Chad Hutchison should have been given the starting role.

Thankfully, Bill Parcells is a better judge of talent than this trailer park trash. Parcells benched Hutchison in the pre-season!

[clintonh8r]

Exactly. ESPN (Disney/ABC) sets 'em up and Sports Illustrated (AOL, Time, CNN) hits 'em outta the park!

The only thing wrong with what Rush said is that some people can't stand the truth when it doesn't fit their agenda.

[Mudboy Slim]

I disagree with Rush on this one and believe McNabb's a top-flight QB, but just a coupla weeks ago Limbaugh was coming down hard on Favre and Testeverde, so I don't think this is linked to any sorta racial bias, imho...MUD

[Windcatcher]

I was pretty impressed with Feeley last year; I would have liked to see him get more time on the field, perhaps swapping with McNabb for a game or two. Of course, it could be the result of luck, or defense, or other factors, but I wasn't at all happy with McNabb's performance for the last few games last year. He struck me as decidedly flat. Now, everyone has slumps, it happens to everyone, but I think it's stupid to keep all our other QB's benched. playing them helps them develop more and gives our first-stringers an incentive to perform better.

[tbg681]

I'm in South Jersey and the local all sports radio station -- WIP -- was talking about Rush's comment all day.

The hosts were (naturally) outraged. Callers less so.

My take:

1) McNabb IS overrated.

2) McNabb's "overratedness" has nothing to do with the NFL bigwigs wanting to promote black quarterbacks.

3) McNabb's overratedness has everything to do with not being an accurate passer, not being able to read a defense, and not telling his pompous coach -- Andy Reid -- to stick his lousy game plans up his ever expanding back side.

4) Rush's comment WAS silly.

5) Rush should stick to his day job (of which I am a big fan).

[overlord]

No problem with that. But all of us who have been around football anytime at all can list a dozen QBs who were kept in by the coach when we would have yanked them. Had nothing to do with their race.

[BADROTOFINGER]

All of this criticism is just a big fat watermelon (no pun intended) across home plate for Rush to hit out of the park. Rush is labeled a racist for mentioning the controversy of the unspoken racial quotas at the QB position (as well as the oft spoken coaching 'quota', which he wasnt blasted on), while anyone else can trash conservatives on race matters whenever they like.

Additionally, it seems odd that this is brought up concerning Rush's comments about QBs but not coaches. Could it be that the left considers coaching to be one of those positions where talent doesnt matter and good ole boys networks reign, and therefore worthy of attack because the talent required isnt as apparent as it is of a QB on the field? I think that this is a pretty strong indicator of the left's opinion of those who gain lofty positions by EARNING them. Since they either dont have the perseverance or the talent to land these positions yet are intellectually superior (sarcasm) to the people who hold them, then obviously a conspiracy exists to keep them out. This is something that they cant say with the QB position, because while any idiot watching football can tell whether or not the QB is any good, it takes experience and skill as a fan to spot good coaching. Therefore it is easier to claim that coaching positions are controlled by a bunch of racists and convince the ever so intelligent leftist legions of mind-numbed robots that there is a racist conspiracy afoot....JFK

[wku man]

Yes, Nick, it's football season. There's only one acceptable excuse for not knowing that, and that's if you're spending every Sunday at the range. Or fishing. Okay, that's two excuses. Either way, I'm jealous. Great tagline, by the way!

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[overlord]

Rush is labeled a racist for mentioning the controversy of the unspoken racial quotas at the QB position (as well as the oft spoken coaching 'quota', which he wasnt blasted on), while anyone else can trash conservatives on race matters whenever they like.


If he can't take the heat, he should get out of the booth and let us watch the game with somebody announcing who knows what he's talking about. Save the pity-party for someone who needs it.

[BADROTOFINGER]

f he can't take the heat, he should get out of the booth and let us watch the game with somebody announcing who knows what he's talking about. Save the pity-party for someone who needs it.

I wasnt throwing a pity party, and Rush can handle it as well as anyone. Also, Rush doesnt announce any games. ESPN Gameday is a pre-game show, in case you werent aware...JFK

[Rokurota]

If he can't take the heat, he should get out...

Maybe someone should tell McNabb and the PC crowd that.

[TSgt]

Of course Rush Limbaugh is a racist!

Any rich white guy who would hand over his (livelihood) multimillion-dollar talk-show to a black guy (Walter Williams) while he is on vacation MUST be racist...er wait…

I've counter many arguments about Rush being a racist by pointing this tiny fact out...

[cricket]

"Of course, there are lots of folks that will play the race card on this."

For sure and the 'racist log' sits in their own eye. . .and they are more than happy to go after Rush on this.

But no matter how hard they try; they will not be able to come up with a 'racist' Rush. Because he simply is not. He is honest, however.

[overlord]

A real Philly fan I see. What's the matter, never see the Eagles lose a game or something? Or is promoting Rush more important than enjoying the game?

Personally, I enjoyed Sunday's game when FOX got to it. I couldn't get it on the Eagles web site this year, unlike last. They got some sort of pay-per-game deal this year.