Following the uproar over statements made about QB Donovan McNabb, Limbaugh announced he will resign.

An article prior to his announcement:

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 1) - Donovan McNabb doesn't mind criticism of his performance. He's upset that Rush Limbaugh made his race an issue.

And the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback says it's too late for an apology from the conservative commentator, who said the media has overrated McNabb because they want to see a black quarterback succeed.

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

Limbaugh insisted Wednesday he had ``no racist intent whatsoever.'' In fact, the conservative commentator said he must have been right; otherwise, the comments would not have sparked such outrage.

Before McNabb led the Eagles to a 23-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Limbaugh said on ESPN's pregame show that he didn't think McNabb was as good as perceived from the start.

``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 NFL Countdown.'' ``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.''

Limbaugh did not back down during his syndicated radio talk show Wednesday.

``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.''

The NFL disclaimed any responsibility from Limbaugh's remarks.

``ESPN knew what it was getting when they hired Rush Limbaugh,'' league vice president Joe Browne said. ``ESPN selects its on-air talent, not the NFL.''

Chris Berman, who anchors the ESPN show, said he did not believe Limbaugh's tone or intent was malicious.

``As cut and dry as it seems in print, I didn't think so when it went by my ears,'' he said. ``I probably should have looked to soften it. We're sorry we upset a guy who got off to a rough start.''

McNabb said someone on the show should have taken on Limbaugh. Among the other panelists are former players Michael Irvin and Tom Jackson, both of whom are black.

``I'm not pointing at anyone but someone should have said it,'' McNabb said of the panelists, who also include former quarterback Steve Young. ``I wouldn't have cared if it was the cameraman.''

Limbaugh was scheduled to be in Philadelphia on Thursday to speak at a broadcast convention. McNabb said he wouldn't be welcome at the Eagles' practice.

``I really don't want to see him,'' McNabb said. ``You can say you're sorry all you want, it doesn't matter. It's been said.''

The extent of the controversy became more evident when Democratic presidential candidates Wesley Clark and Howard Dean urged ESPN to fire Limbaugh. Clark, a retired Army general, called the remarks ``hateful and ignorant speech.'' And Dean, a former Vermont governor, followed up with his own assessment - ``absurd and offensive.''

The NAACP also condemned Limbaugh's remarks, calling them ``bigoted and ignorant,'' and called for the network to fire Limbaugh or at least provide an opposing point of view on the show.

``It is appalling that ESPN has to go to this extent to try to increase viewership,'' NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said in a statement.

ESPN said: ``We have conveyed to Mr. Limbaugh that his comments were insensitive and inappropriate.''

McNabb, who was runner-up for the league MVP award in 2000 and has led the Eagles to two straight NFC championship games, said he has no quarrel with Limbaugh's comment on his ability.

``I know I played badly the first two games,'' he said.

McNabb got off to the worst start of his career this season and was the NFL's lowest-rated starting quarterback after losses to Tampa Bay and New England. Still, the Eagles are 36-22 in games he has started, including 4-3 in the playoffs.

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

``This is such a mountain out of a molehill,'' he said. ``There's no racism here, there's no racist intent whatsoever.''

Limbaugh is the radio host of the politically focused ``Rush Limbaugh Show,'' which is syndicated in more than 650 markets worldwide.

He spent most of the 1990s assailing then-President Clinton and now spends Sunday mornings talking football, a job he called ``the fulfillment of a dream.''

Limbaugh has helped increase the ratings for ``Sunday NFL Countdown.'' ESPN spokesman Dave Nagle said ratings are up 10 percent overall. Sunday's show drew its biggest audience in the regular season since 1996.

Seven black quarterbacks started games last weekend. Two other blacks who regularly start, Daunte Culpepper of Minnesota and Michael Vick of Atlanta, were out with injuries.

Asked about Limbaugh's comments, Eagles defensive end N.D. Kalu said: ``He speaks well, he's well-read, but he's an idiot.''

10/01/03 20:04 EDT

http://aolsvc.news.aol.co...0209990033

I wonder if he really resigned or was fired. Idiot is the right word!

Chico319 said:

No asshole is the right word.

Paisley said:

"Pop goes the weasel"

Blackcat said:

Paisley said:

'Cause the weasel goes pop!

Chico319 said:

[This message was edited Wed Oct 1 21:56:31 PDT 2003 by Paisley]

Paisley said:

What?

Chico319 said:

Nevermind!

WHAT???

That would be one small step for a network, one giant leap for mankind.

Didn't Rush Limbaugh go almost completely deaf a year or so ago? What's a no-hearin' MFer doing commenting for ESPN?

Al Franken summed it up best with the title of his book: "Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat Idiot".

The man basically said that people only think McNabb is good because he's black, then claims he didn't mean anything racist by it? It's eerily similar to whatshisface's comment about black people being good athletes due to the history of slavery...

In the 90s,wasn't there a book called "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot"? Well,he may not be fat anymore,but apparently,he's still an idiot

Hmmm... I actually think this comment by Limbaugh was rather benign and didn't warrant the outcry.

But he's such a d*ckhead, and has said such hurtful things in the past, that I rather enjoy seeing the karmic fallout.

This comment is dead on. McNabb is held to an unusually higher standard by non-sports media because he is a black quarterback. The angle is that there the stereotype of a Quarterback is a pretty white man with charm and a golden arm. As such, when Philly loses, McNabb is the focus of blame, when Philly wins, McNabb is the focus of praise. A rare second thought is given to how the defense played or how the special teams make a difference.

You also see younger black quarterbacks trying to break the stereotype that black quarterbacks are suppsosed to be scramblers, do better under pressure, and are all around better athletes. What you see then are guys like Quincy Carter who hang in the pocket too long and get sacked when he SHOULD be getting his butt away from the pressure and into the secondary.

Rush's comments are not "racist" at all; infact, they are pointing to racial practices by other media outlets. The fact that he brings race to the table in a discussion is appropriate, just as much as talking about how many white owners and head coaches there are in the league. Is it wrong to talk about how the Lions were fined for not having enough Minority applicants for thier head coaching position?

Lammastide said:

What hurtful things?

Granted, it wasn't the most blatantly racist statement, but the implication that McNabb gets a "free ride" because he's Black is an unsubstantiated insult to McNabb, based entirely on his race, making it racist. Not a lynching, not a use of the N-word, but still a racist insult.

Rush said:

I don't know if he's right or wrong, not being a big football fan, but is this such a horrible thing to say?

teller said:

It doesn't sound bad to me, but I am also not a fan of football.

I wouldn't think that it was racist if a commentator said something similar about a white basketball player who sucked... but, then again, I don't watch basketball either. Are there any white basketball players?

IceNine said:

Darko Milicic of the Detroit Pistons...he's from Croatia



http://www.nba.com/draft2...Darko.html

I don't think that Limbaugh should have resigned...

Smartest career move he could have made. He is back in the public eye. His followers will be behind him more than ever. Because he said the things that alot of them wanted to say.

CtheUncanny said:

Exactly. Limbaugh used ESPN perfectly.

What I really wanna know is why the networks keep hiring non-sports people for positions like this? ESPN surely had to know Limbaugh's reputation and I guess ratings were more important to them, for a while.

AnotherLoverToo said:

that's not what he said at all. if you are going to comment on something someone said, comment on the actual statement, not your reinterpretation of it.

teller said:

I stopped listening to Rush about 10 years ago, so I can't recall any singular pointed example. But over his career, he's leveled any number of scathing and off-base commentaries about African American leaders (down to mocking the very way some talk), general pop culture and even religious institutions.

Lammastide said:

Oh right...I do remember him mocking the way Jocelyn Elders spoke, for example. But he mocks the way Bill Clinton talks too. A lot his show attempts to be humorous in this fashion...but there's really no pattern where he goes after African American leaders.

I usually end up having to defend Rush because he's got quite the bad reputation, usually voiced by people who haven't even heard his show--they just "know" that he's a big fat idiot or whatever, as if it's simply vogue to hate Rush. It's an image created by the very same liberal media he attacks on a regular basis--a sort of revenge, I guess, but it just isn't real.

I'm not sure what to make of the McNabb comments...if he had said it during a political discussion, it wouldn't sound hateful or racist at all--in politics, race and bias and different forms of discrimination and reverse-discrimination are hot topics that we shouldn't shy away from. Not an inherently evil or racist thing to say, just weird and inappropriate to say on ESPN during a game.

So minus 10 points from Rush for forgetting his place, but hardly worth the coal I'm sure the media will scrape him over. I don't expect him to apoligize.

dumbass said:

I'm paraphrasing, yes, but I didn't realize there was a rule that I can only comment if I give an exact quote? My interpretation of what Limbaugh said, was that he believes McNabb is only considered a talented player because he is black.

My opinion is that race would never have been mentioned at all if the player was white.

[Snip. Flame removed. Ian]

<---moving my comments to the P&R version of this thread:

http://www.prince.org/msg/105/63784

the sad truth of the matter is that ratings have gone up 10% since rush has been there.

so people for whatever reason like this guy.

there's no denying the man is intelligent just like there's no denying the man has issues with race.

it's too bad people with his influence don't use it to the betterment of everyone.