DISCLAIMER TIME: I am not a Rush Limbaugh fan. I’m far from being one, actually. Limbaugh’s views are polar opposites from my views. To be honest, I haven’t listened to him on purpose since the early days of his nationally syndicated talk show. Once I figured out what he was all about (it didn’t take long), my radio’s dial was permanently switched. One of my favorite books is “Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat Idiot” written in 1995 by future Minnesota Senator Al Franken.
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I never thought there was a way the NFL would allow Rush Limbaugh to be part of a Rams ownership group. Judging from the negative reaction, I was correct.
It’s not a pity that Limbaugh won’t be an owner of the Rams. I’m relieved about that. But it’s a pity if Limbaugh was rejected for his views.
If it was all about political correctness, it was wrong. Political views shouldn’t be a litmus test for ownership in the NFL. If you polled the NFL owners, you would likely find most of them to be as right wing as Limbaugh. The big difference is that most of them keep quiet.
Rush isn’t quiet. He’s made his name – and his money – by being anything but quiet.
And therein lies the rub. This rejection was for more than just his views. It’s how Limbaugh spews those views. He has shoveled plenty of fertilizer with a national audience listening five days a week. He has been divisive and he’s a lightning rod for negativity.
The NFL doesn’t want an owner who was investigated for illegally obtaining prescription painkillers. They also don’t want someone who once sang “Barack The Magic Negro” on his radio show.
The NFL is the best public relations-conscious outfit going. And once the league licked its index finger and put it in the air, it was clear a relationship between the league and the conservative radio talk show host was not going to work.
In the end, it was Dave Checketts who did the dirty deed. He announced Wednesday that Limbaugh was being removed from a group bidding to buy the St. Louis Rams. Checketts, a smart businessman, was well aware that his attempt to buy the Rams would not be approved as long as Limbaugh was a part of the group.
Checketts, owner of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer, may have demonstrated a lack of backbone by dropping Limbaugh, but he also showed he’s serious about wanting to own the Rams – and probably keep them in St. Louis.
Limbaugh is going to come out a winner in all this. He’ll have enough to talk about in his radio show for a while. He and his ditto heads can nod their heads about the liberals and the media conspiring to shoot down his being part of the potential ownership group.
Limbaugh said on his radio show that Checketts approached him about being part of the group bidding for the Rams. He also said, “This is not about the NFL, it’s not about the St. Louis Rams, it’s not about me. This is about the ongoing effort by the left in this country, wherever you find them, in the media, the Democrat Party, or wherever, to destroy conservatism, to prevent the mainstreaming of anyone who is prominent as a conservative.
“Therefore, this is about the future of the United States of America and what kind of country we’re going to have.”
Oh, please -spare me. Evidently, I haven’t missed much the last 21 years by not listening.

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