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Players Speak Out on Limbaugh
By Howard Balzer	Tuesday, October 13, 2009
As more and more NFL players make public their feelings regarding the potential inclusion of Rush Limbaugh in a group that is seeking to buy the Rams, there is one nagging thought I can’t get out of my head: Why would the normally PR savvy Dave Checketts go there? Does Checketts want the Rams so badly, this is his only way of accomplishing it? Is it Limbaugh that is bringing the real financial heavy-hitters to the group? Was Limbaugh’s name floated publicly just to see what the reaction would be? Currently, there are no answers to that question. However, one thing we do know is that African-American players very well could elect not to choose the Rams if Limbaugh is involved. It doesn’t matter if it’s one player or 100 hundred players; this is a distraction that can only be a negative. The Limbaugh camp wants everyone to believe that anyone even raising this issue is doing it because of an agenda or a dislike for the radio host. That’s far from reality. They would have you believe that Limbaugh’s race-baiting rants are merely entertainment, that his comments have been taken out of context. What they miss is that it doesn’t matter. As long as the perception exists among African-Americans that Limbaugh is a hate-monger, that’s all that matters in the context of whether it could affect the Rams. In an email to the executive committee of the 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. "This communication is more about what we stand for than the reality of our role in any franchise sale. While it's true the subject matter was related [to Limbaugh's bid], I do understand that the NFL does not present ownership bids to me or the NFLPA. I encourage our players to express their views. "I have asked our players to embrace their roles not only in the game of football but also as players and partners in the business of the NFL. They risk everything to play this game, they understand that risk and they live with that risk and its consequences for the rest of their life. We also know that there is an ugly part of history and we will not risk going backwards, giving up, giving in or lying down to it. Our men are strong and proud sons, fathers, spouses and I am proud when they stand up, understand this is their profession and speak with candor and blunt honesty about how they feel." Even before Smith’s email, players were speaking out. Several Rams players told me last week there’s no doubt other players would cross the Rams off their list if Limbaugh is involved. One player said, “If that (expletive) is here, I won’t be when my contract is up.” Say what you want about this team, but it was a good player. New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said, “I mean, I don’t want anything to do with a team that he has any part of. He can do whatever he wants, it is a free country. But if it goes through, I can tell you where I am not going to play. “I am not going to draw a conclusion from a person off of one comment, but when it is time after time after time and there’s a consistent pattern of disrespect and just a complete misunderstanding of an entire culture that I am a part of, I can’t respect him as a man.” Kiwanuka, of course, was on a defense coached by Steve Spagnuolo and added, “I love Spags and would play for him in a heartbeat, but under that situation ... obviously trades you have no control over, but if it was a free-agent thing, I wouldn’t care if I only had one offer on the table, I would rather stay a free agent.” Said New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott, “I can only imagine how his players would feel. I know I wouldn’t want to play for him. He’s a jerk. He’s an ---. What he said (about Donovan McNabb) was inappropriate and insensitive, totally off-base. He could offer me whatever he wanted, I wouldn’t play for him. ... I wouldn’t play for Rush Limbaugh. My principles are greater and I can’t be bought.” The Rams have enough problems without adding another one to the list.
15 Comments

Comments

By Rattler555 @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 8:15 AM

Interesting that only the negative view from the players was published. Let me guess who the target for the interviews were. It's unfortunate, we have some new possible investors interested in the team to try and help us out of this, "worst team in the history of football" thing and all people can come up with is a race approach. Didn't we just elect a president on that same spout? Where did that get us so far? Rush is a very verbal entertainer whose remarks come off as racist to those who are looking all day to scream the word racism. As soomeone interested in investing money into this dog**** of a football team, I think we should all welcome the idea. If someone decides that they don't want to play for a team with him in the office, big deal, go somewhere else! You can't hurt our team anymore than we already have! Go cry in someone elses locker room! The smart guys out there that don't agree with Limbaugh's thoughts, play hard football, enjoy trying to help out the team, and laugh everytime you cash your paycheck signed by him! Those of you who are looking around all day to find a way to scream racism, I remember a baseball player who is a huge racist and didn't have any trouble showing it in his words and actions who can't find a team that will let him play. If I can recall, he wasn't all that bad when he stepped up to the plate either?

By Judge Smails @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 8:34 AM

I'm still waiting for all the black columnists, players, coaches, etc to come out and forcefully object to the Mizzou President's wife who was on tape hurling insults at everything white to an imprisoned black player..waiting..waiting..waiting

By ComoEsJuan @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 10:05 AM

rattler, out of curiousity (not being sarcastic), who are you talking about? The only openly-racist ball player recently that I could think of was John Rocker, who became a complete piece-o-crap years ago and is out of baseball entirely...but he was a pitcher, not a position player.

By Handsome Jimmy @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 12:29 PM

Howard, good article. The perception of Rush is the defining measurement and Rush gives those negative perceptions out by the bushel basket daily on his radio show.

No gray area at all with this guy, one must either love him or loath him and that's just the way Rush wants it. Reap what we sow and all.

By infantryman0311 @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 12:34 PM

I heard Steven A. Smith talking about this the other day on ESPN and I think he was dead on in what he said. To paraphrase, he said "He doesn't care what the players are saying right now about not playing for the Rams if this happens. He said if team A offers you $10million and the Rams offer $20million....you're going to go play for the St. Louis Rams." The players will go where the big contract it regardless of who's in charge.

By Steve Kline's Bird @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 3:55 PM

Well infantryman, while I have no personal issue with Rush, if the result is the Rams have to pay $10-million dollar players, $20-million dollars to come here, then you can ship the whole fucking operation over to London because they are going to suck forever.

By The Drake @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 4:54 PM

Howard Balzer is the worst analyst and quite possibly the most laughable idiot on the fucking planet.

Howard is simply contributing to the leftist, racist rantings of the most racist people in the world: Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton and Bryan Burwell.

he's joined the cues taken by hate-mongers and liars like Bryan Burwell - who used false quotes to start a firestorm about Rush's involvement in the sale of the rams.

Howard Blazer wouldn't know a race-baiter from a pace-maker.

And I guarantee Balzer has NEVER listened to even ONE SHOW that Rush Limbaugh has broadcast, and he's been around for 21 years.

People like Bryan Burwell and Howard Balzer are the ones contributing to the race problem in America - not Limbaugh.

For without the false premise of White Racists - people like Bryan Burwell and Al Sharpton would just be an afterthought, and most likely, unemployed.

Is there anything Burwell has ever talked about that isn't racist?

The reason we may never come together in America has nothing to do with Rush Limbaugh, and everything to do with people like Burwell, Sharpton, Jackson, NFL players and Howard Balzer... their total intolerance of other people is terribly insulting, and their constant reliance on race issues is silly and incorrect in almost all circumstances.

Balzer is just jealous that he's the shortest of all his work colleagues
he is the dumbest of all his work colleagues
He is a mascot in the eyes of his readers and listeners... but he has one redeming quality:

Anything he says, the opposite must be true. And that, you can take to the bank.

By Howard Balzer @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 5:36 PM

This last post has to be the most laughable thing I've read. It obviously shows that you can't read. I didn't cast judgment on Rush Limbaugh. My entire point, which you obviously can't comprehend, is that players would elect not to sign with the Rams because of his involvement. Steven Smith thinks otherwise, but how does he know? If it costs the Rams ONE player, it's a negative. Players have spoken out. Today, Colts owner Jim Irsay said he wouldn't vote for Limbaugh. The commissioner has concerns about things Limbaugh has said. I guess Irsay is really a race-baiter, too.

The really laughable comments are the ones where it is said I have a total intolerance of other people, that I contribute to the problem by a constant reliance on racial issues. Really? When have I constantly made race an issue? That's absurd. Where is there any evidence I don't have tolerance of other people?

Take a reading or listening class before commenting in the future.

The truth is, Limbaugh is a smart guy. He knew he'd probably never become an owner of the Rams, but his name gets thrown out there, and now he can play the picked-on game. In reality, we all should have ignored the story because Rush is getting just what he wanted.

By The Drake @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 6:05 PM

Again, howard you are so wrong that something in your brain has to be disagreeing with you. You aren't that stupid are you?

Your quote: "The truth is, Limbaugh is a smart guy. He knew he'd probably never become an owner of the Rams, but his name gets thrown out there, and now he can play the picked-on game. In reality, we all should have ignored the story because Rush is getting just what he wanted. "

He put his bid in so he could own the fucking team, not to play the picked-on game. Rush doesn't need the attention, because he's already the most listened to radio host in history. He's already wirth hundreds of millions off dollars.

This shows that you have absolutely NO IDEA what your talking about, and I find it funny that you would attribute Rush's intentions without ever listening to the man's show and what he says.

Do you constantly bring up racial issues? Not like the others do. but i find it interesting that you would decide to cover this topic, and ONLY give the point-of-view of the Anti-Rush side.

Why didn't you challenge Burwell to produce sources of the quotes he attributed to Rush Limbaugh about Slavery? Did you know that those are fake quotes?

i find it to be absolutley a malpractice of journalism, to write an entire article about the controversial Rush-Owner story, and NOT report that those flaming him, are using made-up quotes.

Now, let me guess.... um... you're liberal... you voted for Obama... you've never bothered to Listen to a show of Rush Limbaugh in your life...

By Howard Balzer @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 6:18 PM

How do you know all the quotes are made up? Because Rush says so? Why hasn't he challenged them before? Now, he goes on a diatribe against those that printed them. If he thinks it's so irresponsible, why hasn't he made it an issue before? The McNabb comments are obvious. Can't get away from that. He is the one that made it a race issue. The bottom line is this, which I wrote in the original story: It doesn't really matter if it's perception or reality. How black players feel about him is the issue, and that's all I addressed: how it could affect the Rams. Responses like yours take it to places that have zero to do with that point.

By ML @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 7:53 PM

I don't know if Balzer is a race-baiter but I do know that he is a masterbater when he thinks of Marc Bulger and no doubt if Rush becomes the owner, Balzer will kiss his ass just like he does everyone else in that organization and he will be studdering all over the radio talking about what a great move it is.

By The Drake @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 8:01 PM

See, I get you to open up a little bit about how you truly feel, and your a total blowhard... just as expected.

You tried to originally hide behind the mask of objectiveness and state that you are only reporting the news... but even your objective reporting was obviously slanted to fit your agenda. Which is:

1. Further paint Rush Limbaugh as a racist, which is an absurd false-hood.
2. You used only one side's quotes... you didn't mention the politics or agenda's of any of the players, and Union Leaders, which they obviously have... they are all obviously liberals, and obviously biased, but you quote them like they're legitimate down-the-middle, rationale thinking people.
3. You attributed Rush's intentions of buying the team as dishonest, and that he had an alterior motive, which is completely unfair and unfounded on any level.

Then, you prove your stupidity again when you say "The McNabb comments are obvious. Can't get away from that. He is the one that made it a race issue."

The McNabb comments are obviously what? Racist? In what way? How did Rush Limbaugh infer, in any way, that his race was superior or that the black race was inferior?

He is the one that made it a race issue? Made what a race issue? Donovan McNabb? I guess you missed all the NFL segments being shoved down our throats at the beginning of the century, detailing the advancement of African-American quarterbacks.

One google search provides a ton of material before Rush Limbaugh ever made the comment, and it comes from the media... the so called, journalists.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_18_53/ai_77674953/

All Rush was doing is responding to the media's liberal agenda to help advance African Americans into mainstream culture - this time through football - even when they choose the wrong guy to push said agenda.

Rush's point is that Donovan McNabb was being overrated by a desirous media wanting to see a black QBs succeed rather that on the basis of his accomplishments. At the time, McNabb wasn't even close to the best black quarterback.. considering Culpepper and McNair... which is only an opinion, but certainly an argument worth debating without people like yourself having to accuse someone else of being racist, or race baiting.

You call Limbaugh's comments about McNabb Racist. I call it nothing of the sorts. So who is the deciding factor in who a racist is?

Unfortuantely, it's the media. Unfortunatley, said media has an obvious liberal agenda. Unfortunately, the media makes no effort to be objecive in it's reporting. Unfortunately, you are part of the problem.

By Howard Balzer @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 8:18 PM

These last two comments really lower the bar when it comes to rational thought. I probably shouldn't waste my time responding because they are totally off base and wrong. I never oince said Rush Limbauug racist. I never said the comments he made about McNabb were racist. What I said was he brought race into the discussion. Nothing more. You criticize others for being intolerant and making race the issue, but you are obviously the one that is intolerant and can't accpet that Limbaugh made race an issue in his comments about McNabb. It doesn't mean he's a racist. That's totally different. By the way, what is an "alterior motive?"

Finally, you show your true colors when you mention how stories about black quarterbacks have been shoved down our throat. Last I looked, you could change the channel if you didn't want to watch. But that statement alone shows your obvious tolerance.

By Howard Balzer @ Tuesday, October 13, 2009 8:19 PM

Oh, ML, what is "studdering?"

By Rattler555 @ Wednesday, October 14, 2009 3:26 PM

to answer someones question earlier, I was referring to Barry Bonds as a racist.

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