Rush Limbaugh Now Under Investigation

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Frozzy
On print they look harsh, but when watching it , to me it seemed he did look to soften it up.

Harsh towards the player, certainly, but not in a racist way I didn't think. If anything he was accusing certain sports writers of racism.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Oerdin


I don't like Rush but his comments seemed to be petty straight on. Nearly all quarter backs are white and the NFL desperately wanted to get a black quarter back so they can point to him and show what a great intigrated organization they are. It's also true that this guy has been injured alot and hasn't played as well as people had hoped he would.

I don't see anything racist about that, however, since Rush is a big media figure who often says unfair things about the left he natural draws fire from the left and so they call him a racist. Personally, I would liked to have seen ESPN run a debate between Limbaugh and his accussers and then the listeners could decid for themselves if the charges had merit or if they were baseless.

Rush can be a sanctimonious arse, but I would think that anyone with half a brain would be able to judge his comments to be fair if they actually knew what he said. Most, unfortunately, will just believe the charge of racism without actually going to the trouble of reading his comments themselves.

[Verto]

I guess innocent until proven guilty has been thrown out.

[Dr Strangelove]

I guess we'll just have to wait until more facts roll in.

[Berzerker]

I guess innocent until proven guilty has been thrown out.

Is someone here charging him with a "crime"? People formulate opinions about others all the time without "proving" their opinions to be true. Innocent until proven guilty is a judicial standard for convicting people of crimes and punishing them, not having an opinion based on the information at hand. I thought Clinton was a sleazeball long before the facts came out...

[MrFun]

@ asleepathewheel's avatar

[Mordoch]

It looks like the investigation is for real.

Law enforcement sources who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed to The Associated Press that Limbaugh is being investigated by the Palm Beach County state attorney's office.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031002/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_mcnabb_limbaugh_28

[-Jrabbit]

"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."

Limbaugh's suggestion -- in essence, that McNabb is overrated and was propped up by the media because they wanted a successful black QB to talk about -- is specious and presumptuous.

The guy has taken his team to the NFC title game and played in the Pro Bowl. Last I heard, the media doesn't decide such things.

Let's see -- there's McNabb, Michael Vick, Daunte Culpepper, Steve McNair, Jeff Blake, Aaron Brooks, Kordell Stewart, Byron Leftwich, Quincy Carter. That's 9, all starters and several highly regarded. Oh, and Rodney Peete started a game this year, too.

While black QBs were once the exception, today the stakes are too high in the NFL to do anything other than acquire and play the best players. I think the league has moved on, while Rush is still living in the 70s.

The guy must be on drugs or something...

[JohnT]

"The guy must be on drugs or something..."

Nah, he's just 15 years behind the times. There was a period, I think from 1984-89 where the paucity of African-American quarterbacks in both college and the NFL was beginning to get noticed - for some reason I seem to recall the U. of FL involved in this somehow (I think they might have had then the only black starting quarterback at a major conference school).

Anyway, Andre Ware won the Heisman and went to the Lions, Warren Moon and Rodney Peete started their NFL careers and were successful at them, and that was pretty much that for this controversy.

Until Limbaugh resurrected it for whatever reason.

[SpencerH]

Wasnt McNabb hurt last year? Didnt his replacement come in and lead the team to the playoffs?

I may be mis-remembering since I dont follow football like I used to, but the fact that a replacement can lead the team just as well suggests that Limbaugh is (at least) partially correct. McNabb's value is certainly not worth $115M and is hardly comparable to players like Elway or Marino or McNair or Moon.

[JohnT]

No, but I don't think any of McNabb's value lies within the color of his skin - how much of that $115M do you think they're paying him for because he is black? Conversely, could/would he have gotten more if he were white?

[SpencerH]

Yes, McNabb broke his ankle and Koy Detmer came in and led the team to the playoffs.

I dont think he's paid that much just because he's black but I do think it may be a franchising factor since I dont think he's worth that much as a player (although I think he's a pretty effective quarterback). As a running quarterback, his chances of survival in the NFL for more than a few more years are slim. $115M for a 12 year contact seems a little out of line.

[-Jrabbit]

McNabb did get injured last year. Started 10 of 16 regular season games, then returned to start all playoff games.

At similar stages in their careers (drafted in 1999), he's certainly comparable to most any QB you can name.

Elway didn't win until after he had been in the league a long time. Marino was a prolific passer but immobile and never got back to the Super Bowl despite good teams around him. McNair was very spotty until the last couple years. And Moon?? He was just a gunner who liked to throw long and never won a darned thing (though his long-time coach in Houston, Bum Phillips, has to take some of the rap for that).

Remember, this is only McNabb's 5th season. Two NFC title games (lost to eventual champs StL Rams and TB Bucs). Also a 2-time Pro Bowler (once as alternate). 2nd in league MVP vote (to Faulk) in 2000, when he provided nearly 75% of Philly's offense. He's has never had a really good running game or particularly gifted set of receivers to work with.

Clearly among the league's elite.

[Sava]

I really didn't mind Limbaugh on ESPN as long as he made football commentary. If he thought McNabb overrated (as I think Mike Vick) then he should say so. The whole black comment was stupid and he should not have a job at ESPN if he's going to make stupid comments like that. He should leave his stupid racist opinions to his radio show.

I didn't like Limbaugh's hiring in the first place, because I know how he is. But I said to myself, "If he can just stick to football commentary, I won't have a problem with it."

Well he opened his stupid mouth, and now suffers the consequences. These new drug allegations don't surprise me. I don't look down on him for being addicted to pain killers. That is a problem that many people suffer from. I am dismayed at the illegal means with which he acquired his drugs.

[-Jrabbit]

. I am dismayed at the illegal means with which he acquired his drugs.

Clearly, he's inexperienced in that area...