Limbaugh Quits ESPN

[lukpac]

I honestly think the Dems are kind of silly for jumping on this, but nevertheless, it was good to see Limbaugh get caught with his foot in his mouth.

Embattled Limbaugh steps down from NFL Sunday Countdown

Of course, what does Rush do when everybody is up in arms? Claim that he *must* be right!

"All this has become the tempest that it is because I must have been right about something," Limbaugh said. "If I wasn't right, there wouldn't be this cacophony of outrage that has sprung up in the sports writer community."

I'm curious as to how he got from point A to point B myself...

[Rspaight]

Well, he can't be wrong. That's just impossible. So the fact that he's getting criticism must be for some other reason. Must be a conspiracy of some sort. Probably the media. Out to get him.

I agree Clark and Sharpton and the rest look a bit silly getting all puffed up about this. At the same time, I always enjoy seeing Rush get shooed off the mainstream stage yet again. Whenever he ventures outside of his hermetically sealed world of dittoheads, he always seems to retreat back fairly quickly, befuddled and "unfairly criticized."

Ryan

[Grant]

Now, I don't like Limbaugh, and I disagree with virtually everything he says and stands for, but people are making way too much of this! Black people say the very same things that Rush said. I think he was wrong to resign from the show.

[mikenycLI]

When a person is on the level of Limbaugh, and doing what he is doing for a living, stuff like this is part of the package.

Basically, "Just spell his name correctly", and that's ALL these guys, REALLY, care about.

It's not about the fall of civilization, as we know it.

[lukpac]

The guys at ESPN didn't think too highly of his comments, apparently:

Rush to judgment

ESPN Countdown crew sounds off on Limbaugh controversy

ATLANTA (SI.com) -- In the wake of Rush Limbaugh's comments last Sunday and his subsequent resignation, ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown crew took the opening minutes of Sunday's broadcast to address the controversy.

Limbaugh, who stepped down from the show late Wednesday, said that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.

During last week's show, Limbaugh said "I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. 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. The defense carried this team."

Countdown host Chris Berman said the controversy for hurtful and left him angry.

"I'm angry for all the hurt ... more for you, the viewers ... African-American, all Americans," Berman said.

"I've never looked at Donovan McNabb as a black quarterback -- ever."

Tom Jackson, a former NFL linebacker, added it had been "a rough week" and defended the crew's silence during the week by noting that no one prevented the analysts from speaking out on the controversy.

"It was not our decision to have Rush Limbaugh on this show," Jackson said. "His comments [about McNabb] made us uncomfortable. Rush Limbaugh is known for the divisive nature of his rhetoric."

Jackson added the Limbaugh was "brought in to talk football and he broke that trust."

"Rush told us the social commentary for which he is so well known would not cross over to our show," Jackson said. "And he instead would represent the viewpoint of the intelligent, passionate fan.

"The fact that Donovan McNabb's skin color was brought up at all was wrong."

Steve Young, another analyst on the show, added that Limbaugh's mistake was that he "refused to recognize that in the last 20 years the quarterback position has become blind to color."

Limbaugh told the National Association of Broadcasters at its convention in Philadelphia on Thursday that "The great people at ESPN did not want to deal with this kind of reaction. The path of least resistance became for me to resign."

McNabb said he didn't mind criticism of his performance, but was upset Limbaugh made his race an issue and said it was too late for an apology.

"It's somewhat shocking to hear that on national TV from him," McNabb said. "It's not something that I can sit here and say won't bother me."

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie on Thursday accused ESPN of "institutional racism" for its decision to hire Limbaugh and for the portrayal of NFL players in the network's fictional series Playmakers. He said the hiring of Limbaugh and the show are examples of "racist potshots" toward the league.

[mikenycLI]

So, NOW, they are "sounding off" about Limbaugh ? Where were they when he was hired ? Well, probably, they very jealous of his, already established, celebrity, above them, and just jealous, as employees, who are probably getting very much, LESS $$$$, then Limbaugh commands.

When they hired him, even these fellow employees, ALL KNEW, what they were getting, and WHY...to get ratings bumps, from his...ahem, controversial comments that he would bring to the, traditional, dullards, and dumb jocks, that usually inhabit these type of sports shows.

So he says something, controversial (?), and NOW, they are all ganging up on him very publically, AFTER, he is fired.

Who are these guys trying to fool here ? NO ONE !

1) These sports newscasters are employees of ESPN, and they will do ANYTHING, for them, and they are just putting a very public face, on their lack of BALLS, when these sports newscasters (?), had the opportunity to do so, during the newscast, but didnt. Their feigned, "shock", at Limbaugh's comments are laughable, compared with their need to serve Disney/ESPN, at ANY cost to their...weak kneed, "principles" ?

See the accompanying news articles, by Bob Raissman and Mike Lupica, that I post, elsewhere, in this thread, on the "behind the scenes" manuevering from these Snakes, who suddenly have courage, for an example of what I'm saying !

2) Who ever hired Limbaugh, has the fortitude of Jello. It goes to show how soon these big Media Companies, fold, under pressure, these days from the slightest hint of public outcry...ostensibly, this time, just ONE MAN, Donovan McNabb. They fold like a deck of soggy wet cards !!! So much for their courage under fire. Imagine having these guys standing up for anyone else their on the set of this show. But these dumb newscasters don't get it yet...but they will !

3) Limbaugh, if he had a very good agent, had a pay or play deal, so he gets paid an handsome exit fee, for doing....essentially, one show, of his contract !

So who's the "winner" here ?

And who has no BALLS, and they, ALL, admit it, publically ?

[mikenycLI]

Some background information by Bob Raissman, and interesting observations by Mike Lupica, both of the NY Daily News...

Jackson was ready
to Rush out door

By Bob Raissman, NY Daily News

In the hours leading up to Rush Limbaugh's resignation from ESPN Wednesday, the network's suits faced another dilemma that could have ripped apart the cast of their Sunday "NFL Countdown" show.
Well-embedded moles report that Tom Jackson, a 16-year ESPN veteran and the most popular member of the "Countdown" cast, would have quit the show if Limbaugh had stayed.

Spies say Jackson was "beating himself up" for not responding directly to Limbaugh's racist remarks concerning Donovan McNabb on Sunday. Limbaugh said he never thought McNabb was "that good" of a quarterback.

"I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL," Limbaugh said. "The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. They're interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well. I think there's a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."

Spies say that in a short post-production meeting following Sunday's show, which Limbaugh did not attend, not a word was said about his remarks.

But McNabb was upset that none of the "Countdown" crew — Jackson, Chris Berman, Michael Irvin, Steve Young — had directly challenged Limbaugh's noxious spew.

Jackson, who did challenge the football element of Limbaugh's commentary but not the racist part, also caught heat in some media quarters and from some of his friends.

On Wednesday, Jackson told an ESPN executive by phone he was going to attend the "Countdown" production meeting tomorrow, tell Limbaugh what he thought of him, quit the show and fly home.

Jackson's stance was exactly opposite to the one ESPN wanted the "Countdown" cast to take. With outside pressure mounting, management wanted Jackson & Co. to cooperate and help cool things down.

That might explain why Berman went on the record saying he didn't believe Limbaugh's tone or intent was malicious, but "I probably should have looked to soften it."

Spies say Jackson wasn't buying Berman's spin, or the words of ESPN executive VP Mark Shapiro, who rushed to Limbaugh's defense in Wednesday's USA Today.

Even Shapiro had to know there would be major problems if Jackson had quit. If that happened, the rest of the "Countdown" cast members, all close to Jackson, would have been forced to do something.

How would they, or any ESPN suit, be able to justify why Limbaugh, after offending with his remarks, was still on "Countdown" and Jackson was not? How would they explain why Jackson had left the show?

Jackson's colleagues would have either taken an integrity hit, giving tacit support to Limbaugh and his warped perspective, or followed Jackson out the door. If Limbaugh had stayed and Jackson had split, "Countdown" would have been in serious trouble.

Jackson's decision to bolt was a major pressure point leading to Limbaugh's resignation. Well before Limbaugh's McNabb statement, the "Countdown" scene could not be described as a lovefest.

Some staffers were uneasy and angry when Limbaugh was hired. They knew he was capable of stirring the pot in a negative way. So, when it happened, Jackson got burned for not responding to Limbaugh. The fuel for this particular fire was provided by the ESPN executives who hired Limbaugh.

Perhaps that's why Jackson was so angry. After all, it wasn't his idea to hire someone who brought absolutely nothing to the table in terms of football knowledge. No, this was all about having a human train wreck on the scene to juice ratings. The message was clear: Watch "Countdown" or you might miss what Rush said.

Limbaugh is history and Jackson will be back in the studio Sunday morning. What will he say? What will all the cast members say? I'm sure ESPN suits are spending much time figuring out how to handle Sunday's show.

Perhaps they should just ignore this whole Limbaugh thing. Why give this creep, and the pathetic creeps who hired him, more publicity?

Maybe Jackson should look at Young and just start talking football.

After all, that's what this show used to be about.

Originally published on October 3, 2003

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story ... 0481c.html


AND....


What's the big Rush?

By Mike Lupica, NY Daily News

ESPN hired Rush Limbaugh hoping he would improve ratings on their Sunday NFL pregame show, and that's exactly what he did. They hoped he would either take viewers away from the other pregame shows, or simply drag some of his listeners into the tent at ESPN. He was billed as a fan, but a fan with all those radio stations. And he sure wasn't there to analyze football games. He was there to stir up trouble.
You better believe Limbaugh was hired to say provocative and even controversial things in a setting where the most provocative and controversial statements are usually about whether the coach of the Rams should start Kurt Warner or Marc Bulger.

Last Sunday, Limbaugh said something provocative and controversial about a black quarterback for the Eagles named Donovan McNabb. The comments cost Limbaugh his job.

He resigned, ESPN was happy to accept his resignation, because they were getting heat from football players, Presidential candidates, civil rights organizations. You can also bet all your football-pool money that pressure was coming from the all-powerful NFL itself. Networks never stand in there too well against assaults like this.

So the way this played out was predictable, and rather uninteresting.

What's a lot more interesting is that Limbaugh lost his job for doing precisely what he was brought to ESPN to do. That is ridiculous and the hysterical reaction to what he said about Donovan McNabb is ridiculous. He was supposed to be a lightning rod. And the very first time lightning hit, he quit and his bosses let him. They all look hypocritical.

If ESPN didn't know what it was getting with Limbaugh, or what might happen, maybe they should have called around.

They didn't hire him for noble reasons and Limbaugh didn't quit for noble reasons. That is just Limbaugh trying to be the hero of his own drama. I don't think what he said was racist, but he wanted race in the conversation. In that way, he knew exactly what he was doing.

Which is what he was hired to do.

And once he said that Donovan McNabb was some sort of media creation because he was black, an amazing thing happened on that set:

Nobody went after him.

Limbaugh was provoking them, they all knew it was a stupid notion, without merit, they should have been talking all over each other to see who got to jump him first. No one did. They all sat it out. Now I read in Bob Raissman's Daily News column that Tom Jackson, upon reflection, decided that not only what Limbaugh said was wrong, it was so wrong Jackson was ready to quit the show if Limbaugh didn't.

Tom Jackson is a good man. But it was a little late in the game for that.

And finally, there is the damage control Limbaugh has tried to do, puffing himself up, as always. He did it for the show, he says.

No, he didn't.

He did it because he couldn't take the heat. If that doesn't make him a hypocrite, it at least makes him a phony.

Again: What he said wasn't racist. Just dumb. Now we're all supposed to believe his fight isn't with McNabb, it's with the media (read: liberal media). The media did this. The media pumped up McNabb, great black hope.

Just speaking for myself, I know I sure missed the memo telling me it was my job to prop up all black quarterbacks.

Now Limbaugh wants his radio audience to believe that one of the reasons he is taking this kind of heat is because he is the big, brave truth-teller who stood up to the media. It is as much a lie here as anything else.

Here is a question for Limbaugh, passionate football fan:

If everybody in the media was carrying McNabb's water, how come we didn't do it for Kordell Stewart in all the years when he was playing quarterback for the Steelers? Why did Stewart get beat up in western Pennsylvania when McNabb is getting hyped in Philadelphia? Why do we have to carry McNabb's water when Steve McNair might be the best and toughest quarterback in the league, and would also be the most charismatic if another young black talent like Michael Vick wasn't around?

Why do I need McNabb so much if I have McNair and Vick in the house at the same time?

Limbaugh is allowed to think these things, and allowed to say these things, without losing his TV gig. Of course he sounds foolish. You can check this, but it isn't the first time. But there really isn't a reason in the world why he shouldn't be working with Chris Berman and Jackson and the rest of them this Sunday. He should be there running his mouth about football the way he runs his mouth about everything else under the sun.

The guys he said he had to quit to protect will probably have a lot to say about him today on television. One week late. Limbaugh? He wants to be the rough, tough, truth-telling conscience of America. But the very first time he gets hit, he quits on his stool. Even some of the Democrats he hates so much can take a punch better than that.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/ ... 0981c.html

[lukpac]

So, NOW, they are "sounding off" about Limbaugh ? Where were they when he was hired ? Well, probably, they very jealous of his, already established, celebrity, above them, and just jealous, as employees, who are probably getting very much, LESS $$$$, then Limbaugh commands.

You think Limbaugh is more of a celebrity than Steve Young or even Chris Berman to the people who watch NFL pregame shows? I don't think so.

As far as money goes, I think it's a bit of a leap to assume 1) that Rush was making more than everyone else and 2) that this (substantial) difference in pay was enough to cause tons of tensions.

Jealous? I doubt it. Pissed that a right wing windbag was being put on their show? Probably.

When they hired him, even these fellow employees, ALL KNEW, what they were getting, and WHY...to get ratings bumps, from his...ahem, controversial comments that he would bring to the, traditional, dullards, and dumb jocks, that usually inhabit these type of sports shows.

Mike, you really need to read these articles more closely:

"Rush told us the social commentary for which he is so well known would not cross over to our show," Jackson said. "And he instead would represent the viewpoint of the intelligent, passionate fan.

As far as "dumb jocks" go, it's a sports show. They talk about sports. What are you expecting?

So he says something, controversial (?), and NOW, they are all ganging up on him very publically, AFTER, he is fired.

Well, yeah. Duh. Do you really think they are were going to speak out when he was on the show? Don't you think that would make work relations a bit tense? "Yeah, that Rush guy is a real jerk, I don't want him on the show - oh, hi, Rush!"

And who has no BALLS, and they, ALL, admit it, publically ?

Admit what? If those guys had no balls, why would they even say anything?

[mikenycLI]

Luke,

They would say ANYTHING, if it was shilling for their employer, and putting a "new face", on how gutless they are.

They should have listened to Raissman, and kept their mouths shut about it.

When they tried to "spin" it, they opened questions about their lack of fortitude under fire. Fire is a bad word...under a match lite, of a controversy !

[lukpac]

Why is it whenever somebody says something like this, it's "shilling" for their bosses?

And why should they have kept their mouths shut?

[Rspaight]

I think they did the right thing by letting it go at the time. It was Rush who decided to change the focus from football to race, and the crew simply declined to follow him into the gutter. If the producers had wanted Rush to turn "Countdown" into a sociopolitical shouting match, the on-air crew wasn't going to let it happen. Instead, they let Rush twist in the wind. Good move.

Ryan

[mikenycLI]

It's a cold business.

[Grant]

I'm gonna have to go back on what I posted earlier. I was just reminded of what he said about that New York Times reporter and affirmative action several months ago. I just hope after this and the drug thing, more of those dittoheads realize what kind of pied piper they have been following all these years.

[mikenycLI]

Why is it whenever somebody says something like this, it's "shilling" for their bosses?

And why should they have kept their mouths shut?

Because that's what their job is. Falling on a sword, for their employer, is what they get paid for. All the Tv stuff, is just a sideline.

[lukpac]

Because that's what their job is. Falling on a sword, for their employer, is what they get paid for. All the Tv stuff, is just a sideline.

Just a sideline? What? Without the "TV stuff" there is no employer. ESPN's *job* is "TV stuff".

You honestly think people like Steve Young get hired not to be a popular face on TV, but rather to take the fall when needed for their parent company?