Thread: Limbaugh Quits ESPN After Racial Comment

NEW YORK -- Rush Limbaugh's days at ESPN are over. The conservative commentator has resigned from the network's "NFL Sunday Countdown" show.

Rush Limbaugh was hired by ESPN for his ability to express opinion and spark debate as a football fan. Do you think the sports network got what they wanted with Limbaugh's comments?
Yes. They wanted controversy and headlines, that's what they got.
No. I think they wanted to raise ratings, but didn't expect Limbaugh to say something like that.

Limbaugh's resignation comes three days after he said on-air that the media have overrated Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb because they want to see a black quarterback succeed.

Before McNabb led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 23-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Limbaugh, (pictured, left) said on ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" that the fifth-year quarterback is overrated. Limbaugh's comments sparked controversy for their racial overtones.

According to CNN, Limbaugh said, "I don't think he's been that good from the get-go. 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."

McNabb is widely considered one of the top quarterbacks in the league. The No. 2 overall pick in the 1999 draft, McNabb has helped turn the Eagles from a laughingstock franchise into a perennial championship contender.

Limbaugh said, "This is such a mountain out of a molehill." He added, "There's no racism here, there's no racist intent whatsoever."

In fact, the conservative commentator says he must have been right; otherwise, the comments would not have sparked such outrage.

Limbaugh said Wednesday that he doesn't think McNabb is a bad player, just that he isn't as good as some media members think he is.

McNabb told the Philadelphia Daily News, "It's sad you've got to go to skin color." In his words, "I thought we were through with that whole deal."

At a news conference earlier Wednesday, McNabb, (pictured, right) said he isn't looking for an apology from Limbaugh. He said it's too late for that. McNabb said, "It's what was said and it's over."

Earlier Wednesday, Democratic presidential candidates Wesley Clark, Howard Dean and the Rev. Al Sharpton called for the cable sports network to fire Limbaugh.

Limbaugh was in his first season as an ESPN football analyst. A network spokesman says ESPN thinks Limbaugh took "the appropriate action" to resolve the matter.

The NAACP condemned Limbaugh's remarks, calling them "bigoted and ignorant."

http://www.click2houston.com/sports/2526268/detail.html

The whole sporting industry needs shaken up....salaries are way too high for poor performance........not many play the sports anymore because they like the game and enjoy it.....but play for the tremendous big bucks to be had......one day fans will say enough is enough and down the pro sports will fall........seems college is getting just as bad.....

I think he set off a whirlwind of emotion over his comments because he said that the McNabb was overrated as a player because the media wants to see a BLACK quarterback succeed (like none have before McNabb??), essentially not because McNabb is a good enough player.

Anyhoo..here some more interesting info about Limbaugh that the Houston Chronicle is reporting today:

PHILADELPHIA -- Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh said today he resigned as an ESPN sports analyst to protect advertisers and network employees from the uproar over critical comments he made about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Limbaugh stepped down from the sports network's "Sunday NFL Countdown" late Wednesday, three days after saying on the show that McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.

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

Limbaugh did not directly address media reports that began surfacing Wednesday that said the talk show host was under investigation in Florida for allegedly illegally obtaining and abusing prescription painkillers.

Premiere Radio Networks, which syndicates the politically focused "Rush Limbaugh Show," issued a statement from Limbaugh earlier today saying: "I am unaware of any investigation by any authority involving me. No government representative has contacted me directly or indirectly. If my assistance is required, I will, of course, cooperate fully."

The Daily News, without identifying its source, reported today that Limbaugh was being investigated by the Palm Beach County state attorney's office. The newspaper said it had independently confirmed the allegations, first reported by the National Enquirer.

CNN reported today that sources close to the investigation that it did not identify said Limbaugh had turned up as a buyer of powerful painkillers but that he was not the target of the investigation.

Mike Edmondson, a spokesman for the Palm Beach County state attorney's office, told The Associated Press early today that his office could neither confirm nor deny that an investigation was under way.

The Enquirer had interviewed Wilma Cline, who said she became Limbaugh's drug connection after working as his maid, according to the Daily News. She said that Limbaugh had abused OxyContin and other painkillers.

A Miami lawyer for the Clines, Ed Shohat, said today, "The Clines stand by the story." Shohat said neither he nor his clients would comment further.

Talking about the ESPN comments, Limbaugh said today he had thought about the issue the night before making the comments. He said he was used to scrutiny after 15 years in radio and expects to get attention.

"I figured if I'm going to do this (the ESPN show) I should be who I am," he said.

Limbaugh has denied that his comments were racially motivated.

"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," Limbaugh said on Sunday's show. "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."

About a half-dozen people protested outside the convention.

George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports, accepted Limbaugh's resignation Wednesday. ABC and ESPN are owned by Walt Disney Co.

"We regret the circumstances surrounding this," Bodenheimer said. "We believe that he took the appropriate action to resolve this matter expeditiously."

Limbaugh is the radio host of the politically focused "Rush Limbaugh Show," syndicated in more than 650 markets. ESPN spokesman Dave Nagle said ratings for "Sunday NFL Countdown" were up 10 percent overall since Limbaugh joined the show this year.

Originally posted by tsquared
The whole sporting industry needs shaken up....salaries are way too high for poor performance........not many play the sports anymore because they like the game and enjoy it.....but play for the tremendous big bucks to be had......one day fans will say enough is enough and down the pro sports will fall........seems college is getting just as bad.....

I agree, they get millions in contract monies and still complain they don't get paid enough,thus the lack of enthusiasm in the players and the lack of enjoyment for the fans. I am a Viking fan as you know but I think the NFL had one player who was a true player of the sport, the Bengals Anthony Muñoz he said in an interview he just loved football and would have played for free, it showed in the way he played he meant that comment. He was 11 years straight Pro bowl and I think 1998 inducted into the hall of fame. A player I feel went the other way was The Bengal's Boomer Eisisson (sp?) he played like he didn't want to be there, he also made a statement about money.Yes,the Bengals are one if not the lowest payed team,but come on if you love the sport,would money matter? Some players (2nd string) are top notch players making less then 500,000 a year...they play because they love it.Heck, for 1/2 that I'd be on the field getting my ass kick every weekend lol ,just my oppinion

Originally posted by janelle
This is so funny. Are we not to use the B word now? I know the N word is racist and I agree but is the B word going to be looked at a racist too? What black quarterback has made it big? I'm a football nerd so I don't know. But if McNabb is black, right? And if he isn't that great a player, right? Then Limbaugh may be right on target, anyway he still has his opinion doesn't he? Right or wrong, it's opinion.

Then to throw in that Limbaugh is hooked on pain killers and talk about it as his "drug problem" like it's herion or something is really stretttttcccchhhhinnnnnnggggg it. How dumb. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Can we say liberal media?

1)Doug Williams of the Washington Redskins was the first Afro American Quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl Championship. There are many other qualified Afro Americans in the NFL including Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons, who is injured right now.

2)To blame the "Liberal" press every time a Conservative such as Limbaugh, Robertson, Falwell, etc makes a bigoted statement is rediculious. Remember the flack Falwell and Robertson got in over their homosexual comments (which Falwell later apologized for}? For the record I have attended Falwell's church in Lynchburg, VA, attended his summer camps as a teenager, and heard Pat Robertson preach in our church. I was also brought up in a Southern Baptist Church however I do not agree with their bigoted statements.

3)Oxycotin is a powerful drug. It has killed people and made others very addictive to it the same as herion or cocaine. The law enforcement here (Myrtle Beach) just closed down a clinic and arrested a dozen workers including doctors for prescribing oxycotin without even examining patients. Court TV also did a segment on this. Evidently the housekeeper gave Rush a couple of her husbands pills when Rush asked her for them. From there he became hooked. There is no known grudges between the housekeeper and Rush. Bottom line the pain killer WAS NOT prescribed to him which is illegal. The housekeeper and Rush should both be held responsible if proven the story is true. I noticed Limbaugh didn't deny that he took the drug only that he was not aware of any criminal investigation.