Limbaugh stands by McNabb race remarks

AP | 10/01/03 | ROB MAADDI

[kattracks]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rush Limbaugh insisted Wednesday he had "no racist intent whatsoever" in saying the media have overrated the Philadelphia Eagles' Donovan McNabb because they want to see a black quarterback succeed.

In fact, the conservative commentator said he must have been right; otherwise, the comments would not have sparked such outrage.

Limbaugh offered no apology, and McNabb said it was too late for one anyway.

"I'm sure he's not the only one that feels that way, but it's somewhat shocking to actually hear that on national TV," the NFL star said. "An apology would do no good because he obviously thought about it before he said it."

Before McNabb led the Eagles to a 23-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Limbaugh said on ESPN's pregame show that he did not think McNabb was as good as he was perceived to be.

"I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well," Limbaugh said. "There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."

Limbaugh did not back down during his syndicated radio talk show Wednesday.

He reiterated that he does not think McNabb is a bad player, just that he isn't as good as some members of the media think he is.

"This is such a mountain out of a molehill," he said. "There's no racism here, there's no racist intent whatsoever."

"All this has become the tempest that it is because I must have been right about something," he said. "If I wasn't right there wouldn't be this cacophony of outrage that has sprung up in the sports writer community."

On Wednesday, Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark said Limbaugh should be fired. The retired Army general called the remarks "hateful and ignorant speech."

The NFL disclaimed any responsibility for Limbaugh's remarks.

"ESPN knew what it was getting when they hired Rush Limbaugh," league vice president Joe Browne said. "ESPN selects its on-air talent, not the NFL."

ESPN spokesman Dave Nagle said he did not believe the comments were racially biased. "He was comparing McNabb's performance on the field to his reputation in the media," Nagle said.

Chris Berman, who anchors the ESPN show, said he did not believe Limbaugh's tone or intent was malicious. "As cut and dry as it seems in print, I didn't think so when it went by my ears," he said. "I probably should have looked to soften it."

McNabb, who was runner-up for the MVP award in 2000 and has led the Eagles to two straight conference championship games, said he has no quarrel with Limbaugh's comment on his playing ability. "I know I played badly the first two games," he said.

But McNabb said that the comments about his race were out of bounds and added that someone on the show should have taken Limbaugh on. Among the other panelists were former players Michael Irvin and Tom Jackson, both of whom are black.

"I'm not pointing at anyone but someone should have said it," McNabb said of the panelists, who also include Berman and Steve Young. "I wouldn't have cared if it was the cameraman."

A decade ago, there were few black quarterbacks in the NFL. This season, 10 of the 32 teams will have started black quarterbacks in at least one game.

Limbaugh has helped increase the ratings for "Sunday NFL Countdown." Nagle said ratings are up 10 percent overall. Sunday's show drew its biggest audience in the regular season since 1996.

Limbaugh is the radio host of the politically focused "Rush Limbaugh Show," which is syndicated in more than 650 markets worldwide.

[triplejake]

The comment simply makes no sense in today's NFL. The two highest-rated QBs so far this season (McNair and Culpepper) are black. The most popular QB in the game (Vick) is black. Moreover, the worst and least-popular QB in the league (Stewart) is black, and gets called on it plenty. Maybe when black QBs were a novelty the Limbaugh statement would make some sense, but it is just a weird (and dumb) thing to say considering how commonplace black QBs are now.

[blackdog]

Man you guys are the best! Thanks!

[alancarp]

Warren Moon: probably the best of all time (okay: don't flame me -- just put him in the top five or ten, o-KAY???!!), but you have to combine all the stats to prove it.

[Timesink]

i don't like clark that much either, but c'mon. his politics are squishy, but he served his country and took a bullet, which is more than you can say for rush.

So? I thank Clark for his service to his country. Doesn't mean his speech is automatically more credible than the speech of someone who did not serve.

[blackdog]

Pretty good fire to light under McNabb's arss from a mind governing aspect if you are betting on the Eagles this week.

[No Blue States]

That sums it up very accurately imo, great post!

[blackdog]

My Jesse Jackssssooonnnn alarm is bouncing in the yellow zone right now. Any bets on how long until it goes red and he opens his mouth?

[.cnI redruM]

ESPN has to love this. Rush is making them a fortune.
Wastely Clark has to love this. Now the Barracks Emporer can ride to the rescue of poor, little picked-on Donovan McNabb.

[cincinnati65]

Not weird at all. McNabb is the only black NFL quarterback in the NE United States. The New York media tried the same thing with Ray Lucas, but Lucas couldn't live up to the hype.

[Williams]

Right on. Rush's remark is absolutely unprovable. I'm sorry, but Rush is a pompous idiot. Mcnabb's record supports that he is a very good quarterback. Note how Rush has decided that the Eagles coach is a genius, which he hardly seems to be. A very good coach, but why is Rush heaping praise on him and dissing Mcnabb? Further, did you note taht Rush earlier criticized the Eagles for DEPENDING so heavily on their quarterback for their success? Now he's decided it' sthe rest of the offense and The 2nd and third stringers (both white) can win just as much as Mcnabb. I listen to Rush a lot, and for all his talk of what a genius he is, his mouth often runs way ahead of his brain. Most of you are Rush worshippers. In my opinion he is about to be marginalized.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

"The ultra-left wing screams for affirmative action to provide opportunities for those who might not otherwise have been selected. We give blacks "extra credit" because they are black so that they will be included. But, when a white person mentions that a black's success is based in part, on his blackness, the lefties scream about that. This is the height of hypocracy by black racist thugs and their running dog liberals in the ultra-left wing media."



Well said. Worth repeating.

[Gunslingr3]

Lately, Tiger has not been quite up to par (pardon the pun), and predictably, the same pundits who crowned him are beside themselves mumbling about his "slump".

Tiger is still the number 1 in scoring average, and has been every year since '99. Day in, day out, he's the best right now.

[Nachum]

I think Rush put his foot in it. It was a dumb thing to say, whether true or not. Why couldn't he have just said that he didn't think McNabb was as good as his hype? The racial thing was just unnecessary.

Personally, I think McNabb is a fine quarterback and I watched beat my Bears in the playoffs a couple of years ago. He certainly played better that day than Miller (Bears).

Can't help but think Rush's days on ESPN are numbered.

Idiot.

[triplejake]

Doesn't the "only black QB in the Northeast" comment suggest that the media is biased in favor of Northeastern players more than black players? There are sure a bunch of over-hyped Giants of all races.

[JohnnyZ]

Maybe when black QBs were a novelty the Limbaugh statement would make some sense, but it is just a weird (and dumb) thing to say considering how commonplace black QBs are now.

You don't think that: A) it's still a sensitive subject and B) McNabb has been overhyped in part because he's black?

I agree that sportswriters should Let It Go and treat black and white QBs objectively, which was Limbaugh's point, but they're still agitating against the "blacks can't be QBs" myth.

[Thunder 6]

Amen to that!
regards,

[headsonpikes]

Warren Moon showed how the 3-down big-field Canadian game was superior to the American game, if played by talented, and complete, teams. A good CFL game is thrilling; unfortunately, too many of them are embarassing, nowadays.

Canada's been lucky to host so many great black athletes before they were given a shot in the States. Warren Moon was one of them - Jackie Robinson played pro baseball with the AAA Montreal Royals before he went to Brooklyn. ;^)

[zencat]

1. While I don't agree with Rush's comments on this issue, Rush wasn't going after McNabb, he was going after sports writers and journalist that might focus on McNabb's race.

2. This isn't really that big of a deal.

[triplejake]

If you step away from McNabb, and look at all the black QBs, I just don't see how you get "black QBs get special media treatment":

McNair -- overlooked because small-market, unflashy
Culpepper -- similar to McNair (although I like McNair much more)
Vick -- (correctly) hyped because unequalled excitement factor
Stewart -- ridiculed because terrible
Carter has also caught lots of flack, but less so now that the Cowboys are improving.
McNabb -- lots of credit when team was doing well, plenty of questions now that he is having crappy season

[LandofLincoln]

Rush, you are right on. I know that you read this stuff. rememeber what THE GREAT TED NUGENT said ... "If I am taking flack, I must be over the target."