Rush Limbaugh NFL owner: Hell No!
I know we as NFL players are supposed to be quiet about certain issues but I MUST speak for my peers/brothers who go to work and lay it on the line every week. Everyone knows that the NFL owners, commissioner, and players are all charged to "Protect the Shield". The commissioner and owners have made it glaringly clear with the frequent suspensions of players that the NFL will clean up its image. It is important for everyone associated with the NFL to maintain a high level of integrity including owners. I love the game of football and the NFL for all that it has given me and opportunities afforded me. This is exactly why I MUST say what my peers want to say but most feel like they cannot.
Rush Limbaugh, voted the most influential person in talk radio with over 13 million listeners per week wants to become an NFL owner, specifically of the the St. Louis Rams. Limbaugh is partnering with Dave Checketts, owner of the St. Louis Blues (NHL) in a bid to buy the team. Approving Limbaugh, even though he would not be the sole owner of the team, would be a Gigantic step back for the league as a whole and compromise the "Shield". He is a racist, bigot, and an idiot for so many of his comments that are spoken from the heart. Here is a brief list:
“Feminism was established to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream.”
"I mean, let's face it, we didn't have slavery in the country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I'm not saying we should bring it back; I'm just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark."
"They're 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares?"
"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"
With these type of comments can you image how he would run a franchise? How would he treat his players and employees both white and non-white? The growing diversity in the front office will be stifled with ownership like this. The NFL is America's favorite game based on television ratings and revenue. America is made up of almost every race and creed represented on the planet, does the NFL want one of the leaders of the league to be spreading hate, closed-minded thinking, and messages against everything the NFL stands for.
In a league where 67% of its players are African American, 25% of its League office are non-whites, 19% of its senior administrator positions are women, and 5 out the last six Superbowl teams have either had an African American coach or General Manager (Tony Dungy (Colts),Lovie Smith (Bears), Mike Tomlin (Steelers), and GMs Jerry Reese (Giants), Rod Graves (Cardinals). The NFL and NFLPA cannot stand for Limbaugh to hold a position of power in the greatest professional sport. Limbaugh doesn't believe a good portion of the leagues employees are qualified, capable, or matter enough to respect their interests. Imagine how players would feel to play for an owner that feels you are inadequate mentally, and less of a person than he is simply because of the color of your skin or your gender. The very people who would be buying tickets, jerseys, hats and concessions are the very same people Limbaugh would be looking down his nose at from the owners suite in disgust.
In the last few years the owners, GMs, coaches, scouts and NFLPA have made drafting players of good character paramount. There also has been a big push to emphasize and reiterate to the veterans how much of a privilege playing in the NFL is and not to take it for granted. With this same logic the "powers that be" in the league must maintain the same standards for approval of potential owners of franchises.
The Y.E.T. program, United Way, hurricane/tornado relief projects are just a few of the many community programs the NFL is directly involved with that emphasize things like fair play, community service, education, remaining drug free, and equality. To his credit Limbaugh does raise money for a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma so he is not just heartless. At the end of the day does he represent any of these qualities important to the NFL?
I am proud to be an NFL player and member of an exclusive fraternity of professional athletes. I want the league to continue to prosper and grow in the right direction. As quickly as the NFL has blossomed in the last 20 years, it can crumble just as fast. The NFL is very important to me that's why I will not sit quietly and not let my voice be heard about something I love so much.
BigRandy said October 13, 2009
Dekan09 said October 13, 2009
Rush said today on his program that he expects a retraction of what is being said about him, and if it doesn't come he's going to sue. He has every right to do that when he's being slandered.
I have a feeling most of this goes back to McNabb. Funny thing is there were several others on ESPN who've said the same thing as Rush and they still have their job. Rush is a Conservative. That is why people hate him. Of course this is my humble opinion. Rush does not care if people like him or respect his opinions.
I'm sorry but I have a hard time understanding that if a player was offered twice what someone else were willing to give him, he'd take the money. I don't know how many principled athelets there are in professional sports. They certainly like their bling, their cars, their houses and the fact that they love to party and you need money to do that and live that lifestyle.
And BigRandy if Rush wants a burger he'll have his private chef make it either from Wagyu or Kobe beef!
BigRandy said October 14, 2009
gevets said October 15, 2009
Dekan09 said October 15, 2009
hockeygoddess said October 16, 2009
rer5766 replied October 16, 2009
hockeygoddess replied October 16, 2009
rer5766 said October 16, 2009
I have never said anything about "putting it on the line". But we as football players do put our life on the line every game due to the viscous and physical nature of the game. There have been many players who have been paralyzed or lives cut short due to the wear and tear on your body football brings. So do we lay it on the line, yes, but can we compare it to the way Soldiers do...ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! We do not have bullets flying at us or try to avoid land mines.
Every player in the NFL and every other league knows that teachers, military men and women, fireman, etc are the real heroes. We are merely role models because of our profession. Children and even adults look up to/admire people who accomplish great physical feats. Good teachers are undervalued and under appreciated. I pray for our soldiers every day because they have a thankless job and they protect our freedom. I could not play football if they did not put their life on the line.
It does matter who pays you. Would you work for a murderer knowingly? If you do not believe pornography is ok would you work for Playboy? If you were Jewish would you want to work for someone who constantly made anti-semitic remarks? Now you should see my point.
If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything!
Dekan09 said 27 days ago
MERRIMAN: I have to be honest, I wouldn't have a problem with it because I think that he possibly could have said a few things that was on many people's mind. He just, you know, one of the ones that, you know, made it vocal and put it out there. Maybe if we had a sit-down and talk and I seen a different person, maybe, but it really wouldn't bother me as much.
Now, the next question from Myers and Hartman: "How much as a player do you actually know, Shawne, or care about your owner? I mean, I realize there are players: coordinator, position coach, head coach, GM, president, whatever, all the way up. Some owners are very visible, some are far removed. Does that affect the player? Do you think about that?"
MERRIMAN: You want the owner to know that -- or you want to feel that he cares, you know, about your well-being, about you going out there and being a good person on and off the field. So I think it's a matter to a -- to a certain point but it's not like you have to deal with the owner every single day. You know, he's not going through the playbook with you and, you know, you play good or bad he's not going to be the one that come down and talk to you about the game, it's just one of the things that's how it is.
I bet none of you heard that on the on ESPN did you? A black player that wouldn't have a problem with Rush being a minority owner.
Dekan09 said 27 days ago
MERRIMAN: I have to be honest, I wouldn't have a problem with it because I think that he possibly could have said a few things that was on many people's mind. He just, you know, one of the ones that, you know, made it vocal and put it out there. Maybe if we had a sit-down and talk and I seen a different person, maybe, but it really wouldn't bother me as much.
Now, the next question from Myers and Hartman: "How much as a player do you actually know, Shawne, or care about your owner? I mean, I realize there are players: coordinator, position coach, head coach, GM, president, whatever, all the way up. Some owners are very visible, some are far removed. Does that affect the player? Do you think about that?"
MERRIMAN: You want the owner to know that -- or you want to feel that he cares, you know, about your well-being, about you going out there and being a good person on and off the field. So I think it's a matter to a -- to a certain point but it's not like you have to deal with the owner every single day. You know, he's not going through the playbook with you and, you know, you play good or bad he's not going to be the one that come down and talk to you about the game, it's just one of the things that's how it is.
I bet none of you heard that on the on ESPN did you? A black player that wouldn't have a problem with Rush being a minority owner.
Dekan09 said 27 days ago
Lino_C said 27 days ago
Dekan09 said 26 days ago