Random Rumblings: Media had an agenda with Limbaugh

I agree with Rush Limbaugh about as often as he agrees with the President, but he was spot-on when he blamed the liberal media for thwarting his bid to own a piece of the St. Louis Rams last week. The controversy was your classic example of a media-created, media-driven story that only started to make headlines when the right players were asked the right questions about the conservative talk show host.

Think about it. The players who told the New York media that they would never play in St. Louis if Limbaugh had anything to do with the team were Bart Scott and Mathias Kiwanuka. These aren’t your average football players who can’t break double digits on the wonderlic test. Scott majored in business at Southern Illinois, one of the best public schools in the Midwest. Kiwanuka went to Boston College and is the grandson of a former Prime Minister.

There aren’t many guys in the league more capable of offering an intelligent, eloquent opinion than those two. In fact, as I wondered earlier this week, there probably aren’t many guys in the league who would have had an opinion on the subject at all. Would Eli Manning actually have anything valuable to say? How about Braylon Edwards? As long as it’s not Cleveland, he doesn’t care where he’s playing.

The guys that asked Scott and Kiwanuka about Limbaugh knew exactly what they were doing and their mission was accomplished. A firestorm ensued. The only real loser here is Limbaugh, which isn’t a bad thing. I’m certainly not going to shed any tears for a man who pollutes millions of minds each year, but the question has to be asked: If the media asked a guy who went to Florida State about Limbaugh, would the rest of us have been in such an uproar?

***Condolences must go out the family and friends of Jasper Howard, the UConn football player who was stabbed to death early Sunday morning. It’s too early to tell exactly what took place on the Storrs campus, but this much is clear: All colleges, particularly the ones with big time athletic programs, need to do a better job of monitoring the outsiders they let on campus.

As someone who has spent plenty of time making a fool out himself during Spring Weekend, I can tell you firsthand that there is almost nothing preventing anyone from heading over to Xlot or Celeron for a night filled with booze, couch fires and yes, plenty of fights. Sounds like something similar happened on Homecoming night. Only much worse.

***After being stripped of play-calling duties by higher-ups, is Jim Zorn the coach of Washington Redskins in name only?

***Anyone who had the New York Giants atop their power rankings heading into week six completely forgot that the team had play four of the worst six teams in the league and should have lost to an average Dallas team.

The best team in the league, New Orleans, set them straight on Sunday.

***Thank you the Philadelphia Eagles for making me the guy who couldn’t make it to week seven in my survivor pool.

***I think the Phillies and Dodgers could go the full seven games, but it’s hard to get excited for a race for second place, which is exactly what the NLCS is this season. No one is beating the Yankees.

***Connecticut star Maya Moore tipping (they called it dunking) a ball in the basket at midnight madness Friday night was the number one play on SportsCenter. Moore may very well end up the winningest college basketball player in history and has the chance to be the greatest women’s player ever, but she only makes SportsCenter when she’s trying play like the guys.

This is one of the biggest problems with women’s basketball. Those who enjoy watching the sport appreciate it for the play calling, the backdoor cuts and the excellent shooting. We don’t care if Moore can dunk or not.

***I’m not sure how far the USA soccer team can go at the World Cup, but I know I’ll be checking football odds at some online sports betting site to figure out if they’re worth betting on. After watching the late goal that helped the team tie with Costa Rica last week, it’s safe to say I’m pumped up for next summer.

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Is the NFL really against Limbaugh?

Remember when Major League Baseball started testing for performance-enhancing drugs and it seemed like every player was in favor of taking down any and all cheaters? Even the dirtiest guys in the game were out there talking about cleaning up the sport. Well that was your classic union play, the ultimate political maneuver. The players were forced to react that way because they had no other option. Coming out against drug testing was a PR nightmare. But do you really believe all those guys who made millions thanks to steroids were happy to see that money disappear? Me either.

NFL players are now facing a similar situation – not quite as large, but just as controversial. Rush Limbaugh, a man who reminds most minorities of the Cameron Alexander character in American History X, is a member of the ownership group interested in purchasing the St. Louis Rams. Of course, the very idea has brought out all of the usual suspects. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are in a tizzy. Jason Whitlock is against it. MSNBC has pounced on Limbaugh.

But while liberals everywhere are ready to stand up and unite against the controversial radio host, you have to wonder if the sentiment within the league is similar. Mathias Kiwanuka of the Giants and Bart Scott from the Jets said they would never play for a team owned by Limbaugh and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay claimed he wouldn’t vote to allow Limbaugh into the league. But is this small group really speaking for the rest of the NFL?

The risk of acknowledging a willingness to play for Limbaugh is enormous. White guys would be labeled racists. Black guys would be called sell-outs. But that wouldn’t be true at all. Most of these guys are desperate for money, no matter who is writing the checks. The numbers don’t lie. 78 percent of NFL players go broke within two years of leaving football. I’ll repeat that so it really sinks in. 78 percent of NFL players go broke within two years of leaving football.

All things considered, it doesn’t seem like a smart financial move to alienate a possible employer because he thinks Donovan McNabb is overrated.

Not to mention, St. Louis is an attractive place to play for a lot of guys. Sure, right now the Rams look like a pee-wee football team, but we’re only a few years removed from the greatest show on turf. The ability to play eight games in perfect weather conditions is pretty appealing to offensive players. As numbers soar, so do contracts.

It all goes back to the money (just ask any player who has been involved in a contract holdout) and if Limbaugh and his ownership group have enough, I’m pretty sure 78 percent of the league would be willing to play for the Rams.

And I’m damn-near positive 75 percent of the owners would be willing to allow Limbaugh in if it means more money in their pockets. That’s what it takes to gain acceptance in the NFL. Yeses from 24 owners. For Limbaugh, winning over a group of mostly-conservative owners will be even easier than the players. He’s probably already won most of them over. That is what he does for a living after all.

In the end, it comes down to public relations versus looking in the mirror. The players and owners can all say one thing, but chances are they aren’t being honest. If they were, this wouldn’t even be an issue.

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