Rush Limbaugh Denied Opportunity of NFL Ownership

Rush Limbaugh the conservative commentator mega-millionaire was approached to be part of a pool of investors trying to purchase the St. Louis Rams. Last weekend the news of his participation created a stir amongst various social groups, players and even some league officials. The controversy was so strong that the head of the pool of investors announced early Wednesday that Limbaugh would not be a co-owner.

The remainder of the week a host of conservative voices spoke out against the wrong being done Limbaugh. Noting Limbaugh’s love of the game and marketing savvy, these voices proclaimed he had been torpedoed by his liberal media enemies who inflamed owners and players with their lies. They also decried that he was being prevented from investing his money as he so wished, and such an act is un-American.

Since 1988 when he started his syndicated radio talk show, Limbaugh has been unapologetically and stridently opinionated. Claiming that he is speaking his mind and the truth plainly he has not only offered opinion but done so in a controversial neo-tabloid format. It is not uncommon for his facts and interpretation to be questioned truthful on a daily basis. Even more so, it is rare that a week goes by without one or two statements creating a stir.

Limbaugh is highly influential in Republican circles – so much so that only a handful of Republicans could survive upsetting Limbaugh on an ongoing basis. His clout in Republican circles was evidenced in 2008 when he urged Ohio Republicans to switch parties during the primary and vote for Hilary Clinton and putting the Democrat party into chaos. Limbaugh said "The dream end of [Operation Chaos] is that this keeps up to the Convention, and that we have a recreation of Chicago 1968 with burning cars, protests, fire, and literal riots and all of that, that is the objective here." There were over 16,000 Ohio Republicans who did what he suggested.

Speaking of Obama’s Presidency, “I hope he fails.” He demeans anyone who has any hint of what he terms liberalism. He repeatedly demonizes feminists as “femanazis.”

In 2003 he had a brief stint as a NFL commentator. His career ended because he was too controversial and unguarded with his opinions. He became the focal point of controversies, particularly with regard to how he expressed his views about Philadelphia’s quarterback, Donavan McNabb.

Throughout his career Limbaugh has dug out decades old unflattering quotes of those he attacks. He has often taken the statements out of context and not balanced them off on later statements and actions. In his pontification he encourages his followers to organize, to speak their minds with forcefulness, to lobby against things that they think are wrong and press their ideas forward forcefully not only to politicians but to corporate executives.

The majority of the mainstream media more middle of the road than Limbaugh and conservatives hold. In this past Presidential election, there were as many editorials supporting McCain and Republican candidates as Democratic. One of the purposes of the press is to shine the light upon issues and the actions of public personalities, and Rush Limbaugh is certainly a public personality. The press summarizing his controversial nature was doing its job. The press is the avenue for airing and vetting. When he is the focal point and they do what Limbaugh himself has been doing for decades, he and his supporters cry foul.

The vast majority of NFL owners are conservative socially and politically. Most would have sympathy for many of his views. That said, the last thing that they want to have is for an owner to become a distraction for the NFL, for owners to be asked regularly about the views of one of their own, or for a team’s executives, coaches and players to be asked regularly by the press what they thought of some controversial political comment made by their owner. The NFL owners club wants their owners to fly below the radar and not be controversial.

The press and social advocates did torpedo Limbaugh’s chance to be a NFL. They merely noted that Limbaugh has been a controversial personality and will continue to be a controversial personality. What prevented his desire to be an NFL owner is his ongoing strident controversial opinions….the NFL owners club and Limbaugh are a mismatch.