It seems to me that a sportscaster should be able to comment on the media and the ability of any player.
Rush’s exact comment: “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. 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.”
Did he attack African Americans? No. He basically attacked the media and the NFL. While bluntly stating that McNabb’s ability is a bit overblown.
I think it quite disparaging when a television commentator, whether you like him or not, is not allowed to speak his mind without losing his job.
What happend to the first ammendment right of free speech? I abhor racism at any level, but quite honestly I find no racism in his statement. However, if it was a racist statement, let the TV fans decide if they want such things. His job should be determined by ratings and his ability to carry it off.
What are crazy Al Sharpton, Gov, Dean and the rest of the knee jerk liberals doing involved?
I am interested in what the rest of you think. Do you agree with me? If not, I still want to read your opinion as it is your right to express it. Just as it was Limbaugh’s right to express his!
Limbaugh probably didn’t mean to be racist, but damn, that soundbite sounded reeeeall bad. Basically, he accused the entire media / NFL of favoring a player because of his race, or giving preferential treatment to him because they want to see a black man succeed at being quaterback. This is pretty raw for a prime-time commentator to blurt out.
I, personally can’t stand Rush Limbaugh. I thought ESPN made a huge mistake bringing him to the show on Sundays. I do, however, agree with ZEB. What he said was not an attack on African-Americans. He merely had the balls to state a fact that no other sportscaster would consider saying for fear of not conforming. To say the Eagles were a good team because of McNabb would be a slap in the face of all the defensive players that kept them in the game while Donovan struggled. When pseudo-politicians like Al Sharpton can pressure a commentator to resign for a statement he made, freedom of speetch is in serious jeopardy. Can’t say I’m sad to see Rush go, just not under these circumstances.
Well, there are a lot of things you can faul McNabb on without bringing race into the picture. It is pretty insulting to have your life summed up as “being black.”
meat072,
I wish he would have stayed also, but after all the uproar from Al “Tawana Brawly” Sharpton and the rest, ESPN was already starting to turn away from their earlier support of him. I think they would have fired him before the end of the week.
When is the media going to take the same stand against real racist comments when they are made by their liberal friends? That’s what I’d like to know.
I heard someone make a good comment about how this exact thing has been said of white players, yet nothing was mentioned about those comments. I think a lot of people are too sensitive about other people being sensitive.
Interesting article, Rumbach.
I like Playmakers. I watch it as I would any other TV drama. It seems that some of the Eagles players can not differentiate between reality and TV drama. The way Playmakers portrays it’s players is a bit extreme but ESPN isn’t saying anything to compare it to everyday life in the NFL. Some of the story lines are pretty accurate. How many times do we read or hear about Pro atheletes beating their wives or girlfriends. The same 12 year olds, mentioned in the article, are watching sports.
Anyway, back on the real subject here. If Stuart Scott or Tom Jackson said “that reciever can’t outrun these defensive backs because he’s white” would the uproar be the same?
I hate the man, and can’t understand why ESPN got him except to promote controversy. His radio show isn’t even put under the political genre anymore, its considered entertainment.
First let me say this, Rush is wrong on McNabb, he is a very good quarterback who gets it done without a decent running back and is stuck with two second tier receivers. McNabb is the real deal. His defense was damn good too, but that doesn’t take away from McNabb. He can flat out play.
But that said, Rush is right that there is a interest in seeing minorities succeed in the NFL, I’m not certain it’s at the QB spot, but maybe there is truth to it.
Take a look at the interview requirements for hiring a head coach. Teams are required to interview a minority coach even if they have their mind made up on hiring a big name non-minority.
Teams have to play a game of going through the motions. A big name coach like Parcells (just an example) is going to be hired by a team, everyone knows it, but to abide by the rules, they have to give an interview to a minority. How insulting to minorities! Basically a minority coach has to sit through an interview knowing it’s BS because everyone knows that the team really wants to hire Parcells (again, just an example) but is abiding by the interview policy.
The NFL is being threatened with lawsuits so of course it has an interest in seeing minorities succeed. To say otherwise is hiding behind political correctness.
But I’ll call bullshit on McNabb being overrated, McNabb can play with the best of them.
I agree generally with the whole “overblown” angle. Anyone who can remember the comments tossed out about Larry Bird, the comments by Dusty Baker last spring, or the comments that get thrown about when any white boxer gets any media attention knows these sorts of comments are not exactly rare on the sports scene – although they are less prevalent concerning the NFL.
I was actually watching the show when Limbaugh made the comment, and the funny thing was that no one in the studio seemed to think it was all that bad, at least from what was shown on TV. Actually, Michael Irvin even said: “Rush is right.” Now, whether he was referring to the fact Rush was right that McNabb was overrated and that the defense was largely responsible for the Eagles’ success over the past couple years, or whether he was referring to the fact he thought Rush was right about the media treating McNabb more gingerly than they would a middling white quarterback is unclear.
BTW, does anyone remember how Donovan McNabb and his agent, back when he was drafted out of Syracuse, tried to play the race card in negotiations with the Eagles, and then basically admitted it was a failed negotiating ploy.
As another BTW, aren’t you glad that several of the front runners for the Democratic Presidential nomination think that the goings on of an NFL pre-game show are matters of national import requiring them to inveigh with opinions and demands?
I thought it was funny that now he is saying he is addicted to painkillers and had been acquiring them illegally.
Didn’t Rodman say the same thing about Bird?
Right, Dusty Baker said last summer something to the effect that black players are better able to handle the heat because of their skin tone!
He kept his job, because there is a serious double standard going on in this country and it grows worse with every “Rush” type incident. This is bigger than who just lost their job. Personally, I am not a big Rush Limbaugh fan.
Anderson makes a good point about having to interview minority coaches even if they have already decided on whom they want to lead their team. how unfair and demeaning to all of the good black coach’s and athletes.
I was not happy about minority quotas, extra points on federal employment tests, special rights under the law (blacks have been considered a “protected class” for a while).
But, now you can’t even state your opinion without fear of losing your job!
What’s the next logical step? Will they add what they feel minority slurs are, to the penal code so that if you speak in a politically incorrect manner they will hall you off to jail?
Lumpy-Rush Limbaugh has more intelligence in a hair on his pinky toe than you have in your whole body. If they really have all of this evidence on him, then why hasnt he at least been contacted by the authorities. If they have emails and recordings, then that sounds like plenty enough to make an arrest, dont you think? Maybe this woman got caught and decided to roll over on Limbaugh to make it easier on herself. Lets not forget the six figures she got for the story. Just like a liberal, you cant attack his ideas because you know he is right, so you have to attack the persons character. Typical liberal bullshit.
And no one said anything about his McNabb statement until Wesley “I lie all the time for no reason” Clark and Howard “Yes I said i was sorry but it wasnt an apology” Dean said something.
