Head Of NFL Players Union Writes Email Opposing Rush Limbaugh's Attempt To Buy Rams

According to ESPN, the executive director of the NFL players union has written an email to the association's executive committee, detailing his opposition to any purchase of the St. Louis Rams football team by Rush Limbaugh.

NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith wrote, "I've spoken to the Commissioner [Roger Goodell] and I understand that this ownership consideration is in the early stages. But sport in America is at its best when it unifies, gives all of us reason to cheer, and when it transcends. Our sport does exactly that when it overcomes division and rejects discrimination and hatred."

Limbaugh -- a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri -- first mentioned his interest in owning the NFL team in spring 2009, and has teamed with St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts to submit a bid. ESPN reports that the pair are among six potential bidders.

The St. Louis Business Journal reports that "given the poor state of the economy and the Rams' miserable on-field performance," sources estimate the franchise's entire value at $700 million to $750 million. The team is family owned. Its majority owners are siblings Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez.

Limbaugh had a brief stint as an NFL commentator for ESPN in 2003, but was forced to resign after controversial comments about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb:

"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."

The New York Daily News caught up with several players who voiced concern that Limbaugh might soon become an NFL owner.

New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka:
"...if it goes through, I can tell you where I am not going to play."

Comments

[pammiethekid]

There is only one comment Limbaugh need ever have made to keep him from owning a sports team of any kind; "I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. They’re interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well. I think there’s a little hope invested in McNabb and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really didn’t deserve." This is in the article above, but since some of Limbaugh's supporters don't read whole articles, I've tried to make it easy for you. Of course since he wasn't wearing a white robe and using the N word, it still may not qualify as racism to a Limbaugh supporter, but to those of us a little more comfortable with the English language, it does.

[st0ked]

Limbaugh , the demagogue surrounded by sycophants . The NFL will lose billions if he is given entry into the NFL ownership circle , thus he'll NEVER be allowed to join ! It's all good ! He gets his massive ego crushed , I get to keep watching the greatest game on earth . I only wish I could drink beers to celebrate !

[Burkelbile]

Here's a great example
Rush calling Obama a "spade"
http://odeo.com/episodes/17633043-Rush-Limbaugh-s-Spade-Hoe-anti-humor

[Elizabeth75]

One thing I would point out is that in order to become the owner of an NFL team, one must attain approval by at least 75% of league franchise owners. No one is questioning whether he has the right to purchase a team. But qualifying to do so goes beyond having enough money. He is joining a club so to speak. And he doesn’t get to just choose them because he has the means to do so.

They must decide for themselves as a group if they are willing to have this person run one division of their corporation. It’s not like acceptance / exclusion from a country club. It’s more like a job interview.

If it is decided that his presence brings more division and negative attention to football then why on Earth would he be approved to purchase a team?

It can be debated forever whether or not he is a racist but it can’t be denied that nothing divides a group of people faster than the mention of the name Rush Limbaugh. And perhaps that’s why he makes so much money but it comes at a price and he’s probably not going to own an NFL team.

[grf67]

limbaugh may have a lot of money, but he is not the right kind of people to be in the owners club. limbaugh has no class or dense of decency. He just does not belong.

[pene]

Well, this guy needs to learn that actions and words have consequences. He sits in his chair all day, spewing whatever bubbles up in his ill educated, unsocialized, and psychotic mind and believes what he says. He also believes that because a few lonely angry people listen to his radio show, he must be right.
Well, rush, the truth is that not that many people like you or want to be associated with you. It is not a free country...you are not free you are at liberty here. And if a whole industry doesn't want to get involved with you (and actually tossed him out before), they, too, are at liberty to reject you.
I doubt it, but perhaps this will teach him a lesson in, if nothing else, good manners. It is not good manners to say whatever comes into your head.

[mrskorn]

It's a free country and he is free to buy what he wants. If the players don't want to play for him, fine. They can quit. I've worked for plenty of bosses I didn't care for.

[conned]

Yes and the NFL is a business. If they choose to sell their team - and thereby make them the most hated team to half the country - the Rams are free to do so. I would hate to see the NFL turn into the WWF, but then again if it sells, I guess responsibility, ethics, rules, morals, integrity, etc go out the window. The fact is, it is a poor business decision, and it would reflect poorly on the NFL.

[MominAmerica]

...and on St. Louis as a while (my opinion).

[Quaere verum]

Oh Please, after years of listening to Rush Limbaugh back when the Snapple sponsorship put him and his E.I.B. network over the top, one could hear the winds of change begin to (BLOW in HARD). When one is consistently on the wrong side of social, economic or RACIAL issues, it begins to raise red flags. Once Rush Limbaugh began to forward ridiculous and radical ideas being espoused by people like Pete Wilson, David Duke, Ward Connerlly, and George Bush Jr. , it became clear to me that he is not only controversial but he was/is definitely a RACIST. Just as I have no need for an ignorant Football, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball player or Corporate franchise making millions of dollars, (when one percent of their profit could improve the salaries of many more deserving SCHOOL TEACHERS and other EDUCATORS), I really have no more need in MY life for Rush Limbaugh. Just think what a wonderful country it would be if we taxed the CEO's and Football players for some percentage of their salaries that they would surely not miss, and took the money and PROPERLY funded the education of OUR CHIlDREN.. Oh yeah.., that wouldn't work, then we wouldn't have the ready source of chattel to place onto the field in order to stoke the economic engines of the Corporate Sports franchises. The Capitalist experiment falls apart, once the Rank In File Lab RAT stops chasing Corporate Cheese, no...?

Seek the Truth

[ghee99]

here are some things Rush said:

"the south was better with slavery, it was built on slavery, and at least when there was slavery it was safe after dark"

"Quarterback jonathan mcnabb is only considered good because he is black, and just got the job due to affirmitive action"

and....

"most football players are like the gangmembers, bloods and crips"

these seem like racist things to say, to say the least.
i don't watch football, as it is terribly boring, but putting rush in charge of the rams seems like a bad idea. i don't think any players would play for that team, and i would imagine most of the black players would boycott the game if they were playing against the LA Rams.

besides the black players, after thinking about it, he has been just as derisive about the liberals, and i would hope players that identify as liberal would boycott the games against the rams too.

[mrskorn]

Can you post sources for all of these or are you just repeating what you have heard? From what I understand, he did not say many if not all of the above.

[ghee99]

oh he said them and if he didnt, you KNOW he thought them, so whats the difference?

besides, its not a court of law, the NFL doesn't have to prove it,
if it makes the players uncomfortable, then its their game,
and they can ban him.

please don't try to pick at his criticism (or defend him), even if a word or two is wrong, the main point is that EVERYONE KNOWS what he is about.

so just accept it, he will not be allowed to buy the team.

btw, this is not to negate your polite question, i just wanted to point out that its not as important to have sources, when there is CLEAR intent.

you can get lost in the details, and miss the real point, in my humble opinion.

[Burkelbile]

Here's a great example
Rush calling Obama a "spade"
http://odeo.com/episodes/17633043-Rush-Limbaugh-s-Spade-Hoe-anti-humor

Questions?

[57eddie67]

Limbaugh gets his team when South Carolina gets a team, they can call it The Klanmen.

[ObamaFan02]

Like the players really care who owns the team as long as they get their zillion dollar paychecks. These worthless dudes get paid million to carry a leather ball around making more money in a single season than most families will make over the equivalent of several lifetimes. They should just shut up and take their big fat paychecks.

By the way, why do far left radicals complain abut CEO's making $10 million a year running a multinational coporation but have no problem with a quarterback making $15 million a year throwing a ball around? Rush Limbaugh is a good guy who works hard and has built an audience of 20 million - the largest audience in radio history. If you have ever actually listened to his show (instead of reading out of context snippets in media matters) you will realize he is not a racist and makes a lot of good points.

[Poorsarah]

Limbaugh lies; how do you consider that to equate with being a "good guy"?

[MixinUpMedicine]

Stop hiding behind "context". We all know the context, he's playing to the fears and racial divisions in the society, and he knows full well what he's saying.

Don't even try to defend his "I hope Obama fails" comment. This is further proof that Limbaugh would sell his country out if it gave him ratings or more clout among certain groups. At a certain point, the president is YOUR PRESIDENT, no matter what country.

How many people were called UN-American if they opposed the war (pick one, doesn't matter). What would have been said about them if they'd said they "hoped the president failed" as we went to war? We're still at war, and you can disagree w/ the president, but hoping for failure is un-American, and un-Patriotic.

[MominAmerica]

Not all listeners are fans. Quite the opposite.

[Forester]

Ask Donovan McNabb what he thinks.

[MarieNat]

Years ago, I watched Limbaugh's gaffe on ESPN when he claimed Donovan McNabb was only celebrated because he's Black. I bet my husband he would say something inappropriate, and he did. The NFL is one of those venues where the racial divisions that plague the rest of the country seem to be held in temporarily abeyance (well, for the most part) so it would be a shame to see Limbaugh contaminate it. But having said that, he's free to buy whatever he can afford, and the players that object can choose to play elsewhere so long as their contracts permit their release. Stopping him from buying an interest in a team is not the way to go.

[ObamaFan02]

I am African-American and I agree with Rush Limbaugh on the issue. McNabb was overly promoted and foregiven for errors because the media wanted an African-American to succeed as a quarterback in the sport.

I know a lot of people who voted for Obama purely because they wanted to see an African-American in the White House. Even today, many people who bring up legitimate criticism of Obama are often erroneously labeled biggots. It's horrible. We as African-Americans will never be truly be equal until we are treated as equals and not being coddle based on our ethnicity. It's the biggotry of low expections.

[MarieNat]

I don't know how you segued into talking about the President and frankly I'm not interested in engaging on that issue. Suffice it to say, we disagree.

As far as the African American quarterback issue, I think both you and Rush could use a primer. Do the names Doug Williams, Shaun King, Tony Banks and Steve McNair ring a bell? Rush, unfortunately seems to see just about everything through the lens of race even when not applicable. It saddens me that as a person of color you seem to as well.

[DesertKayaker]

I lost interest in pro sports years ago because of the practice of paying millions of dollars to fools like Dennis Rodman, Charles Barkley, etc. by companies like Nike. If Rush does succeed in getting the Rams (or any team), it just proves to me that sportsmanship is dead and money rules all.

[Quaere verum]

MarieNat, and DesertKayaker I am with both of you on this.. I too thought that Rush's tenure as a sports commentator for E.S.P.N. would be short-lived, but I didn't care for the reasons that you both stated. First I figured that since he is generally sitting on the ("half his brain") that he has tied behind his back it wouldn't be very long until the foghorn that he has permanently attached to the hole in his face, would blow enough hot air to signal his own demise. I have always been turned off by professional sports however, as it has always seemed like an over-rated monopoly designed mostly for the vain and greedy, with vain and greedy corporate sponsors. It is unfortunate, but I do applaud Rush's right to purchase his NFL team however, because of the better part of the Ideal of free enterprise. The same free enterprise that gives me the right to take my money to another shoe company since Cole Haan sold out to a repulsive company like Nike, and to withhold my money from any entity that supports fools like FOX Inc (and gang), Rupert Murdoch, Dennis Rodman, Donald Trump, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Rush Limbaugh etc....

-Seek the Truth

[carpdd]

I say let Rush have his Capitalism. Buy them, buy them fast. Spend some of those many millions of dollars that you feel you so richly deserve. Then we can all stand back and watch as the fan base erodes quicker than the Arctic Ice cap ! It will be unfortunate for St. Louis fan base but considering that I am a lifelong Eagles fan and my brother in law is both a Rams fan and a Gopper it doesn't bother me in the least.

Keep in mind that Rush has allowed himself to be interviewed recently with the Drive by media to get his story out. Problem is the only reason for this is to soften the rest of us to make it more palatable for him to get into the ownership market. If he buys it, it will fail.