In 2003, Rush Limbaugh resigned from ESPN after creating a controversy with his comments that Donovan McNabb got too much credit because, he said, "The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well.'' Limbaugh no longer works as an NFL commentator, but his latest comments about football are sure to get more scrutiny. Limbaugh's web site includes the following two statements that he made on his Friday show:
"There is a cultural problem in the NFL that has resulted in a total lack of class on the part of professional players. I love the game of football, but after every sack players are acting like they've won the Super Bowl; they're prancing around with these idiotic dances."
and
"Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it."
Limbaugh has a fair, legitimate point with his first statement. Limbaugh's "lack of class" comment is quite similar to LaDainian Tomlinson's comments after the Chargers lost to the Patriots, although we should add that Tomlinson's teammate Shawne Merriman is as guilty as anyone when it comes to prancing around with idiotic dances after sacks.
Limbaugh undermines that legitimate point with his second statement, though. To compare NFL players to gang members is to display willful ignorance about the men who play in the league. Which of the top players in tomorrow's game act like gang members on the field? Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison? Tom Brady and Richard Seymour? Drew Brees and Reggie Bush? Thomas Jones and Brian Urlacher? All of those players and nearly all of the 180 or so players on the four teams we'll watch tomorrow are class acts. If Limbaugh doesn't know that, he doesn't know much about football. Which leaves me still scratching my head, three years later, as to why ESPN hired him.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 97)
1-20-2007 @ 8:38PM
Thom Reddington said...
I agree generally with Rush's comments. There are of course exceptions as noted. There are also teams that are very professional and ones that aren't. Look at Indianapolis as a positive and Cincinnati's rap sheet as a negative. Overall both the NBA and NFL have a professionalism problems. The NBA is trying to address them....the NFL is in denial.
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1-20-2007 @ 8:43PM
Bdogg said...
Benjamin Franklin once said, "The sting of any rebuke is the truth".
Works for me.
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1-20-2007 @ 8:55PM
Michael Foy said...
I think what Limbaugh is saying is that the average fan has almost nothing in common with the average NFL player. They make millions of dollars and lead totally different lives than most of the fans. In that regard, he is right.
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1-20-2007 @ 9:03PM
c lee said...
if football looks like blood and crips what does hockey look like the mob.
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1-20-2007 @ 9:15PM
ckw said...
Rush has been sleeping in the same bed with his mom too long.
There! I said it!
LOL
BTW: I agree with the hockey comment.
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1-20-2007 @ 9:41PM
Bill Wallschlaeger said...
Why did you not print the rest of what Limbaugh said, where he observed that both LD and Harrison are some of the classiest players around?
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1-20-2007 @ 10:12PM
Willie said...
He's acting like the drug addict that he is. He's a hipocrite and that is that. He still goes on about drunks and druggies.........he did the good drugs that only people with money can do and to him it's an addiction. Well, Jack Daniels is an addiction, and he is no better than the guy in the gutter.........I don't have a problem with people doing different things, I have a problem with a hipocrite....
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1-20-2007 @ 10:39PM
George B Vieto said...
Why ESPN hired Rush Limbaugh to work with the Sunday crew cause Stone Cold said so. Why he resigned because he "insulted" Donovan McNabb because Stone Cold said so. Now Rush might get into hot water for insulting football players behaviour on the field by being classless? Rush is only pointing out the offending parties. It's Rush's opinion and if you don't like it two words: GISELLA CASTILLO.
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1-20-2007 @ 11:08PM
ronald williams said...
I did't know a junkie could tell the difference between red and blue.
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1-20-2007 @ 11:24PM
peterg said...
Rush's fat ass never played one down of sports in his entire life.
All he does is make comments that reminds the rest of us who try’s to forget he exist that he is less that perfect himself and he's overweight druggie.
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1-20-2007 @ 11:24PM
Joe fisher said...
I AGREE WITH RUSH! WHY ARE WE AFRAID TO ADMIT WHAT'S TRUE?
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1-20-2007 @ 11:54PM
eric said...
rush limbaugh is an idiot plain and simple. i dont understand how he still has a radio show much less a following considering the way his issues have played out in the public. its a game, celebrations happen in any sport, whats wrong with that?
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1-21-2007 @ 12:26AM
barry said...
the bottom line is winning in sports if i could get a team with players with no class and they win thats all that matters. i rather win with no class then loss with it
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1-21-2007 @ 12:45AM
Gary said...
As usual, RUSH is right and I agree with him 100%,But for the sack of time and space I'll just say that anyone that has remotely been associated with any type
of gang will also have to agree with Rush Limbaugh.
Even before Rush made his comments on his Show I came to the conclusion that the newest, fastest growing gang in america is not the Bloods, Crips,LA Kings,Gansta Deciples, but it's the NFL. . . . .
mark my words folks and I'll make a prediction look for
a Rap Artist/Gang Member to purchase a NFL team soon.
THERE, I SAID IT!!!!
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1-21-2007 @ 12:57AM
RobinFiveWords said...
Well, Rush Limbaugh certainly wasn't referring to Tank Johnson.
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1-21-2007 @ 12:59AM
Katrina said...
There is NO WAY the AINTS make it to the
Super Bowl. If they happen to WIN THE FIX IS IN.
Even if they make it to the Big Game
the AFC will roll over them.
It's gonna be COLD in CHI TOWN.
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1-21-2007 @ 2:33AM
Miss Gossip said...
Ummm Rush Limbaugh... for real, Blood? What do you know about gangs? Sorry homie, I can't quite remember the last time I saw some Crips and Bloods prancing around doing dances.
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1-21-2007 @ 3:05AM
David Wurzbach said...
Really who says more inflamatory things than Rush Limbaugh. I think he's full of shight, but credit to the man for keeping himself relevant by throwing stones from his glass house.
Kinda surprised he didn't add feminists or the ACLU to the crips and bloods. Changing it up abit i guess. While there is plenty of crime surounding NFL players: Tank Johnson, Michael Vick, eight members of the Bengals, and the shooting Death of the Broncos player, there is no formal connection between NFL players and Street gangs. Nor is it fair to extrapolate the behavior of these cases onto all 2000 players in the league, counting reserves.
While we can generally agree, or not, we should consider these are unfair generalizations- as they are. If Limbaugh really loves football then maybe he can share some of his drugs with Michael Vick.
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1-21-2007 @ 4:08AM
J Orozco said...
This Bozzo Always tries to get attention one way or the other. If We & the media ignore him hopefully he'll go away!
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1-21-2007 @ 5:45AM
rick said...
All these opinions!Seems to me everyone has one.
Sound familar?Thats media, an all bull.Do we really
care? Not I. God I'm glad I live in sticks, gangs
football,hockey an baseball hell thats a lot of ball!!!
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