The blacklist starts with Rush Limbaugh.
Rush Limbaugh got a raw deal.
Heaven forbid Rush should pursue happiness and use his hard-earned money to become a minority owner of an NFL franchise. The liberal media shamelessly accused him of supporting slavery by using statements they either knew to be false or simply didn't bother exercising due diligence to verify their veracity.
I'm not sure who should be more ashamed. The liberal media or St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts, the man who asked Limbaugh to become part of his bid to purchase the St. Louis Rams, for caving in instead of coming to Rush's defense.
Rush should explore every legal avenue available to him to seek recompense from those in the liberal media who bore false witness against him and against Checketts for breach of contract.
However, none of this changes anything concerning Rush's statements regarding Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb in 2003. He was wrong then and he is wrong now.
To refresh everyone's memory, here is what he said during his brief tenure as a panelist on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown in October 2003:
Sorry to say this, I don't think he's been that good from the get-go. 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.
In his recent op-ed piece for The Wall Street Journal, Rush writes:
The sports media elicited comments from a handful of players, none of whom I can recall ever meeting. Among other things, at least one said he would never play for a team I was involved in given my racial views. My racial views? You mean, my belief in a colorblind society where every individual is treated as a precious human being without regard to his race? Where football players should earn as much as they can and keep as much as they can, regardless of race? Those controversial racial views?
But if Limbaugh does in fact believe in "a colorblind society" then why did Rush feel it necessary to bring McNabb's race into the discussion concerning his on the field performance? Why bring it up at all?
In the WSJ op-ed piece, Rush reasserts "the media was cheerleading Mr. McNabb because they wanted a successful black quarterback." So who was cheerleading McNabb? Which sports columnists? Which TV sports commentators? Which bloggers? Rush has never produced a shred of evidence from either the print, broadcast or online media to support his claim.
It's not surprising because Rush's claim is predicated on the premise there has never been a successful African-American quarterback in the NFL. Does the name Warren Moon mean anything to him? It should. I don't know if Rush has been to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio but if he goes he will find Moon's bust enshrined there.
All Moon did in a stellar 16-year career with the Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and the Kansas City Chiefs was rank third amongst all NFL quarterbacks in career pass completions and passing yards. Throw in nine Pro Bowl appearances and you have a successful quarterback. It is worth noting that Moon would have likely attained the number one ranking in these statistics had he not been left undrafted by the NFL despite a distinguished collegiate career at the University of Washington. Moon instead spent his early professional career with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and led them to five straight Grey Cups. Moon is the only player to be enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the CFL Hall of Fame.
O.K., Moon doesn't have a Super Bowl ring. But Doug Williams does. Perhaps Limbaugh missed Super Bowl XXII when the Washington Redskins crushed the Denver Broncos 42-10. All Williams did was set a Super Bowl record passing for four touchdowns and 340 yards, easily outshining Broncos quarterback and future NFL Hall of Famer John Elway. Williams was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXII.
Williams began his NFL career as the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He would lead the Bucs to three playoff appearances in four seasons. After leaving the team in a contract dispute, Williams played in the United States Football League (USFL) for two seasons. After the USFL went bankrupt, Williams received a call from Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs to become the team's backup quarterback. Gibbs had been the offensive coordinator with the Bucs during Williams' tenure there. It was a shrewd move because starting quarterback Jay Schroeder was plagued with shoulder injuries and Williams was called upon to fill in throughout the season and it paid off. Ask Gibbs if he thinks Williams was a successful NFL quarterback. When it comes to determining who is a successful quarterback, I'll take Gibbs' word over Rush's.
Then you have Randall Cunningham and the late Steve McNair. Would Cunningham have played in the NFL for 17 seasons if he wasn't a successful quarterback? McNair literally came within a yard of winning a Super Bowl for the Tennessee Titans against the very team Rush was interested in owning. What about McNabb? Six years later he's still the Eagles' quarterback and has a Super Bowl appearance under his belt.
Should Rush's comments against McNabb disqualify him from owning an NFL franchise? Well, if free agents and draft picks won't sign because they believe Rush looks at the color of their skin rather than their ability as a player then that is a legitimate concern. But Rush should have been allowed the opportunity to meet with the other NFL owners as well as any players who had reservations. It would have only been fair.
Aaron,
I agree; Rush Limbaugh should be allowed to spend and/or invest the profits of his work as he pleases. Rush Limbaugh is constantly trying to exhibit the absurd by being absurd.
His comments regarding Donovan McNabb were exactly that; his feelings that the standouts for the Eagles at that time were on the defense; but the media was loath to criticize McNabb because of race. That is what the comment was pointing out. It is conventional wisdom that the MSM will always shy away from criticism of a Black as opposed to the tirades they will loose on a Caucasian. This was the ‘absurdity’ he was pointing out.
His ‘on-again-off-again’ relationship with the consortium bidding on ownership of the St. Louis Rams points out another absurdity; that of the Commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell, who is only two years away from entering negotiations with the NFL Players Association; took his lead from NFLPA Chief Executive DeMaurice Smith who, without naming any names, urged the NFL to “…reject discrimination and hatred.”
Goodell, wishing no friction with the NFLPA that might cause grief during the upcoming contract negotiations said; “Divisive comments are not what the NFL is all about. I’ve said many times before, we’re all held to a high standard here. I would not want to see those comments coming from people who are in a responsible position in the N.F.L. — absolutely not.”
Let’s review these ‘high’ standards, shall we:
• NY Giants receiver Plaxico Burress is currently serving a jail sentence for carrying and discharging an illegal firearm within the city limits of New York
• Michael Vick, currently on the roster of the Philadelphia Eagles, has just recently completed serving a 23 month sentence for operating an illegal dog fighting ring.
• Pac Man Jones, most recently of the Dallas Cowboys has been arrested for assault and felony vandalism while trying to remain under the radar after being suspended from the NFL for all of 2007 and most of 2008.
• At least 73 other NFL players were arrested for DUI in 2008 alone; more than the entire complement of an NLF team!
After all of this, Roger Goodell says that Rush Limbaugh isn’t the kind of person he wants associated with the NFL. Rush should feel relief.
Next; we have CNN’s Rick Sanchez attributing racial quotes to Rush Limbaugh without fact checking. Quotes that later turned out to be coming from a New York Law Firm, and not from Rush at all. This from a news organization that only a week before was ‘fact checking’ an SNL comedy skit that was mildly critical of “The One”.
Finally; to complete the circle, we have to two largest ‘race hustlers’ in recorded history; “Tawana Brawley” Al Sharpton and “Love Child” Jessie Jackson once again playing that worn out race card: Wildly attempting to point out the splinter in Rush’s eye while completely ignoring the beam within their own.
In order to round it all out; now Al Sharpton is threatening to sue Rush! This from a guy who didn’t even pay one penny of the damages assigned to him after the Brawley case unraveled.
I believe that Rush would relish the thought of Al Sharpton bringing suit. Of course, it’s totally out of character for Sharpton. He would be making a big mistake suing someone who actually has the financial wherewithal to do battle with him in court.
Rush should sue Sharpton, CNN, and Goodell. Then with the resulting damages he collects, should make a bid to buy the Rams outright!
Mr. Goldstein,
You write, “But if Limbaugh does in fact believe in ‘a colorblind society’ then why did Rush feel it necessary to bring McNabb’s race into the discussion concerning his on the field performance? Why bring it up at all?” Are you suggesting that to be “colorblind” one cannot mention race at all in any context? Even when commenting on perceived hypocrisy?
You go on to write: “It’s not surprising because Rush’s claim is predicated on the premise there has never been a successful African-American quarterback in the NFL.” Where, exactly, has Rush stated such a premise?
I’m with Mountain Man…Wishing for a colorblind society is NOT the same as never mentioning color in any context. As long as race is used to carve out special privileges, it is hard to imagine how a colorblind society could be achieved without the discussion of race.
Further, I had NO sense that Limbaugh even implied, much less ever said, that there were no successful black quarterbacks in history. He seemed to simply be analyzing one guy – McNabb – and what Limbaugh perceived to be overly-adulatory press commentary which he felt was probably related to McNabb’s race. Of course, Limbaugh could have been wrong and the press could have been super-duper nice because McNabb was so charming, handsome, rich, amazing, or cool, or … Or, maybe Limbaugh underappreciated McNabb.
Whatever, Limbaugh’s comments were not all that offensive – I hear far more problematic racially-tinged commentary in academia every day – and it is time we stopped pandering to the notion that there is a right to never be offended if one is a minority.
Great article, but I have to disagree with the byline…Michael Savage is the first to be blacklisted — from all of England!