# Limbaugh's Bid to Buy the St. Louis Rams **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 9, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223 "2009-10-09T18:48:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/141 "2009-10-15T17:26:47Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > Some of you just cannot hear any discussion of race without immediately assuming that the white guy is racist or race-baiting. You’ve said this about half a dozen times now, and it still isn’t true. It’s a lame dodge. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/142 "2009-10-15T17:34:35Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I already made a couple of posts about the context, so if you don’t understand it, it’s not because I haven’t explained it. Your explanation doesn’t make sense. He insults a few players and compliments others. There were blacks in both of those groups. Hardly racist. > [@Marley23](#): > > I’d never heard about this crips and bloods thing until I opened this thread. And “Hymietown” is still pretty well known 25 years later. I said the phony quotes. I’m shocked that they made the major news programs without being fact-checked. It shows a level of bias in my opinion. > [@Marley23](#): > > Yes, they did. 20 years ago. Now why does that make Rush Limbaugh not a racist? It doesn’t. It just points out the double standard. Sharpton and Jackson are taken seriously because they are **black** racists, or **liberal** racists. That’s okay with most on the left. But, just the _hint_ of racism in something Rush says is enough to send many over the cliff. > [@Marley23](#): > > It’s not circular at all. You’re just not understanding it and you’re re-explaining it poorly. He compared black football players to gang members. If a white Chargers player had been called for a taunting penalty, I don’t think he would have brought it up as an example of bad behavior. Is that easier? No, it is not. Your argument is still circular. He made a racist comment about a black player. He would not even have insulted a white player, presumably, because he is racist. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/143 "2009-10-15T17:39:03Z")
Hating people of other races and hating people of one’s own race are not mutually exclusive. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/144 "2009-10-15T17:42:16Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > I don’t think any of those comments, even out of context, are racist. Some of you just cannot hear any discussion of race without immediately assuming that the white guy is racist or race-baiting. Do your own homework for the context. If I am misrepresenting what Limbaugh was on about in the above quotes then bust me on it in the best tradition of the SDMB. And how do you see Limbaugh making a fight between some school kids (gee, that never happens) that would barely merit a mention in a small town local paper into national news? How do you see Limbaugh painting it as a racial issue, despite the police chalking it up to straightforward bullies (to be found in any school) and not a racial issue at all, to make any sort of sense except to incite racial tension? How do you accept Limbaugh saying buses should be segregated as not race baiting? Please give me the context where that was all tongue-in-cheek stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/145 "2009-10-15T17:46:59Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > Your explanation doesn’t make sense. He insults a few players and compliments others. There were blacks in both of those groups. As I said, even a stupid racist knows how to play the “some of my best friends are black” game. > [@](#): > > I said the phony quotes. I’m shocked that they made the major news programs without being fact-checked. It shows a level of bias in my opinion. And what does that have to do with the comments he actually made? I’ve never seen any of his phony comments get any news coverage. I’d never heard of a single one of those other than the ‘take the bone out of your nose’ line. > [@](#): > > It just points out the double standard. You’re desperate to make this a debate about Sharpton and Jackson, and I’m not going to play ball. This did not fall through because of anything Sharpton or Jackson did. > [@](#): > > Your argument is still circular. He made a racist comment about a black player. He would not even have insulted a white player, presumably, because he is racist. I didn’t say he would never insult a white player. He’s insulted plenty of white people over the years, like the Clintons. I said he wouldn’t have compared white football players to gang members. There’s nothing circular about that. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/146 "2009-10-15T17:50:43Z")
Can we get back to the real issue here? That, of course, being that no black player would sign with the St. Limbaugh Rams and they’d have to field an all-white team… the movie rights alone would cover Rush’s Oxycontin co-pays for a week! ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/147 "2009-10-15T17:58:05Z")
> [@cpastu](#): > > I mean he’s been on the air for 3 hours a day for 20 years! If he was really a racist scumbag there would be thousands of quotes to use. Walter Cronkite, Ted Koppel, Dan Rather (just for starters) have 120+ years of broadcast experience between them. Care to find even one quote from any of them that was deemed racist? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/148 "2009-10-15T18:21:16Z")
> [@CJJ](#): > > None of these protests were successful; the NFL did not cancel the 2008 HoF game, no changes were made to the NFL uniform rules for the 2000 Super Bowl (Jackson did stage a protest outside, but it’s a question as to whether he attended), and the NFL never met with Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH coalition (Ray Rhodes, I believe, is now with the Texans). Right. As I said a few dozen posts ago, however, it usefully serves Rush and his followers to promote the idea that he is the object of reverse racism, so he will play that angle up for all it’s worth. [Quote=yorick73] Yeah, unless it’s Rush Limbaugh or anyone else that YOU deem already a racist. [/Quote] Right again. Remember, folks, no one’s a racist until **yorick73** says they’re a racist. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/149 "2009-10-15T18:32:10Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Do your own homework for the context. If I am misrepresenting what Limbaugh was on about in the above quotes then bust me on it in the best tradition of the SDMB. > > And how do you see Limbaugh making a fight between some school kids (gee, that never happens) that would barely merit a mention in a small town local paper into national news? How do you see Limbaugh painting it as a racial issue, despite the police chalking it up to straightforward bullies (to be found in any school) and not a racial issue at all, to make any sort of sense except to incite racial tension? How do you accept Limbaugh saying buses should be segregated as not race baiting? > > Please give me the context where that was all tongue-in-cheek stuff. Limbaugh didn’t make it national news. The story was all over the internet and he picked it up. You’ll see that he is drawing together a few points in the news. Whether or not you think his point has any merit it looks a lot different in context. Here is the transcript. [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site\_091509/content/01125106.guest.html](http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_091509/content/01125106.guest.html) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/150 "2009-10-15T18:44:33Z")
He didn’t draw together any points. He babbled incoherently. He talked about the black kids who beat up the white kids on the bus. He talked about Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift’s speech. He talked about Obama. He played some quotes about how the anti-Obama crowd is racist… most of which were taken totally out of context\*. The problem is that none of these things have anything to do with each other, except that the kids on the bus, Kanye West and Obama are all black. He’s taking three stories which could conceivably be construed en toto to present a case that black people are getting uppity, or something, and “drawing them together” as you put it. That is blatant race-baiting, even if it is not actually racist. \*Example: _JOHN AVLON: Hitler. Communism. Racism. All this ugliness is bubbling up._ Avalon was pointing out that Obama has been accused of these things, not that people are accusing the anti-Obama crowd of these things. Playing this quote along with the others was, if not blatantly dishonest, then at least disingenuous. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/151 "2009-10-15T18:49:06Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > Whether or not you think his point has any merit it looks a lot different in context. Here is the transcript. > > [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site\_091509/content/01125106.guest.html](http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_091509/content/01125106.guest.html) Do we even speak the same language? Can reading comprehension truly produce such dramatically different interpretations? The transcript does not provide context that makes Limbaugh sound reasonable. It makes him sound worse. Just more of his drivel, just more of him digging this hole. Please parse that link for me and show where he is being reasonable. Where he is not really making this an issue of race? ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/152 "2009-10-15T18:51:10Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > As I said, even a stupid racist knows how to play the “some of my best friends are black” game. Circular. Starting with the assumption that someone is a racist and every racist knows how to play the “some of my best friends are black” game. Hey, Rush has a black friend… > [@Marley23](#): > > And what does that have to do with the comments he actually made? I’ve never seen any of his phony comments get any news coverage. I’d never heard of a single one of those other than the ‘take the bone out of your nose’ line. Then you have not been watching the news. It was all over CNN and MSNBC > [@Marley23](#): > > You’re desperate to make this a debate about Sharpton and Jackson, and I’m not going to play ball. This did not fall through because of anything Sharpton or Jackson did. Actually I’m not. I merely find it amusing that these two virulent racists are calling anyone racist. > [@Marley23](#): > > I didn’t say he would never insult a white player. He’s insulted plenty of white people over the years, like the Clintons. I said he wouldn’t have compared white football players to gang members. There’s nothing circular about that. Still circular. Rush is racist. He would never compare a white person to a gang member since he is a racist. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/153 "2009-10-15T19:02:26Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Do we even speak the same language? Can reading comprehension truly produce such dramatically different interpretations? The transcript does not provide context that makes Limbaugh sound reasonable. It makes him sound worse. Just more of his drivel, just more of him digging this hole. > > Please parse that link for me and show where he is being reasonable. Where he is not really making this an issue of race? Obviously we do not. I heard that segment on the radio and much of it was sarcasm to make his point. Unfortunately the audio links are only available to paid subscribers. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/154 "2009-10-15T19:02:39Z")
yorick, what exactly is your definition of ‘racist’? I mean what would it take for you to agree that a given person was a racist or was at least race-baiting? Would he actually have to say the words “I hate black people”? Or would that not even be enough for you? I’m just trying to determine where you see the line at which someone goes beyond making a point, and straight up race baiting. It is looking very blurry going by your posts so far in this thread. I mean do you really think that he would have made the bloods and crips remark about two white players getting into a fight or whatever? Do you honestly believe that? Because if you agree that he would not have gone there, and he only did because they were black players, then what do you call that, exactly? ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/155 "2009-10-15T19:05:03Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Right. As I said a few dozen posts ago, however, it usefully serves Rush and his followers to promote the idea that he is the object of reverse racism, so he will play that angle up for all it’s worth. \ I don’t think anyone has mentioned reverse racism. > [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Right again. Remember, folks, no one’s a racist until **yorick73** says they’re a racist. Come off it. Why don’t you bother to read what I was responding to before taking my words out of context. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/156 "2009-10-15T19:11:13Z")
Well, I understand the question and I’m pretty curious to hear your answer - what exactly would it take for you to agree that given person was exhibiting racist behavior or race-baiting? Where is the line, in your world, that crosses from making a valid point about society, to trying to speak to and rile up racist sentiment among listeners? I mean, you have clearly declared many things in this thread that are definitely not racist, according to you. So if you are an expert on what is not racist, then you must also have a very clear opinion on what is, right? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/157 "2009-10-15T19:12:56Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > Circular. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. > [@](#): > > Starting with the assumption that someone is a racist I did not assume he is a racist. I concluded that his comment was race baiting based on the words he use and the point he tried to make. > [@](#): > > and every racist knows how to play the “some of my best friends are black” game. Which is true, they do. Even that moron in Pennsylvania who named his kid “Adolph Hitler Campbell” knew enough about society to say that he doesn’t hate black people. > [@](#): > > Then you have not been watching the news. Correct. > [@](#): > > Still circular. Rush is racist. He would never compare a white person to a gang member since he is a racist. **yorick73** , you’re asking me a hypothetical question, so there is no answer that can provide any proof of anything. You don’t have to like my answer to your question, but I answered it. The bus thing is just moronic blathering. You are correct that Rush didn’t bring that issue to national attention - there was a thread about it here a day or two before he addressed it, I think - but like a lot of other people have done over the last year, he’s speaking to white people who feel they are victimized and under seige. The whole concept is bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/158 "2009-10-15T19:16:19Z")
It occurs to me that I never directly addressed to OP, so I will. > [@](#): > > All else being equal (i.e. there is no other fiscal or other reasons not to approve), should the NFL still deny the sale strictly because Rush Limbaugh is involved? What is your prediction? I do not believe the NFL should deny Rush Limbaugh the right to purchase a portion of an NFL team. Holding controversial or even bigoted opinions is not a crime. However, I’m fairly certain that the Rams would find it difficult (or even more difficult, I should say) to field a competitive team given that few free agent players would want to play for a Rush-owned franchise. It’d be Jared Allen, Brett Favre, Daunte Culpepper and a bunch of big white stiffs. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/159 "2009-10-15T19:20:24Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > Obviously we do not. I heard that segment on the radio and much of it was sarcasm to make his point. Unfortunately the audio links are only available to paid subscribers. I see the sarcasm in the writing pretty well. I just do not think his sarcasm is trying to mock the race angle. Again I ask you to parse it for me. You need not do every line, just point out a few relevant bits (or whatever you see fit) that make your point for you. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223/160 "2009-10-15T20:05:24Z")
Rush is somehow [blaming Obama](http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9BBLJ680&show_article=1) for him getting dumped from the Rams bid: > [@](#): > > Limbaugh says he believes he has been made an example by a players’ union seeking leverage in talks over a new collective bargaining agreement. And he says he believes what happened to him was an illustration of “Obama’s America on full display.” Can someone explain to me how the hell _those_ dots are connected? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limbaughs-bid-to-buy-the-st-louis-rams/513223.md?page=9)