Screw You, ESPN ratings whore! (RE: Rush L.)

The BBQ Pit
#1

Dear ESPN,

When Rush made his football-ignorant, race-inflammatory remarks, your usual on air staff did not call him on it for what it was. (These guys will go to the mat and yell and disagree with each other over who the MVP should be. But they won’t call a colleague on bigotry.)

Then, when the heat starts for Rush’s comment, you back him up 100%. After all, he brought you an extra 10 points of ratings.

Then, when the heat gets too much for you and Rush resigns, you condemn his remarks and say his departure is for the best. (And I’m guessing that Rush ‘resigned’ at your urging under the threat you’d fire him if he didn’t.)

I was wondering why insiders have nothing good to say about corporate ESPN (“Bristol Clown Community College”). It’s because you have no conscience.

So, ESPN, get up off your knees from blowing that wad of Benjamins. Wipe the green lipstick smeared all over your face. Go into ratings rehab so you stop selling your soul for Neilson shares and make amends to regain your reputation (if you had any to begin with).

#2

They haven’t lost any reputation. They are a station whose sole purpose is to broadcast sports. They do that. End of story.

Rush was good for ratings, and when he quit it was good for the football guys. So how exactly is ESPN at fault for anything you said in your OP?

#3

If you’re curious, according to Rush on Wednesday, his remarks were not extemporaneous. They all plan what they are going to talk about, and share it with each other in front of the Producers so that they will each have time to think up rejoinders and comments on each other, the segment will run smoothly, and the Producers can decide whether it will be interesting enough.

Nobody thought anything of his comments in the rehearsals. Indeed, it wasn’t until three days later that offense could get orchestrated.

#4

You ought to read the papers, more. It was a pretty big deal on Monday morning.

(And while Rush is claiming that the comments are rehearsed, one if his buddies was saying on Tuesday that he hadn’t been listening, much, to Rush’s “commentary.”)

If Rush had actually known what he was talking about (as in indicating how McNabb was actually using the defense to win all those games) he might have gotten away with it, but making a comment that McNabb was overrated by the media (of which Limbaugh is a charter member) in order to promote black quarterbacks, when it has been a dozen years or so since a black led his team to Superbowl victory, was simply Rush playing to his radio fans without realizing that ESPN has a wider audience than his dittoheads.

ESPN wanted excitement and they got it. No big deal.

#5

My sentiments, you just said it better. The damn fool forgot who he was talking to/about. Football fans are not exactly the sycophants he usually deals with on his show. He said something beyond stupid, and now he’s gotten himself shitcanned. . . good riddance.

He had absolutely no business on that show anyway.

Count me in as a football purist.

#6

So because Limbaugh had a different opinion than you do on the talent of one player, he’s a racist?

Read Rush’s comments. It’s very, very clear that he wanted to give credit to the team’s defense, and not the quarterback. It’s suddenly a BAD thing to want to applaud a TEAM effort rather than the idol worship that the NFL masturbates over?

#7

I do not think it has any thing to do with race. I think it has to do with him just not knowing anything about football. he was 100% wrong in his comments about McNabb. IMHO, he blew whatever credibility he had with true football fans with his comments.

#8

No, he was 50% wrong in his comments about McNabb. McNabb is overrated. It’s just not because of his race - it’s because he’s an exciting player to watch and had a really good defense to make him look better. Plus, if the media really wanted to prop up a black athlete they’d just have to push McNair, who actually deserves the praise. But he never got the hype McNabb got.

Frankly, there’s a little bit of hypocrisy here. Isiah Thomas said essentially the same thing about Bird a while back, just in the other direction. Last time I checked, he didn’t get fired. Every other column by Ralph Wiley is about how some player is thought better of or worse of because of his race. Last time I checked, he hasn’t been fired. And of course, when this whole “running quarterback” thing with McNabb and McNair and all of them was all the rage a few years back, all of the PC sports columnists were saying how it’s just a euphamism for “black quarterback” and how it was racist, etc.

So to sum up, Rush’s comment was said for the sake of controversy, McNabb is overrated but not because of his race, the media is full of hypocrites, and I have to agree that ESPN’s management is spineless.

In other words, nothing new.

#9

No, the fact that he focused his opinion on a matter of race and not ability makes him racially insensitive, in this particular instance.

It’s his comments in the past that lead me to believe he is racist.

He could have made very valid arguments about Donovan McNabb being overrated without throwing, “the media are just champion a black guy,” in there. It sounds like a racially motivated whine to me.

#10

2 time MVP runner-up, played in the last two NFC Championship games. . . we’ll have to agree to disagree on him being overrated.

And BTW, Isiah did just get fired. . . by none other than Larry Bird. True, it was mstly b/c the Pacers were underachieving, but I have no doubt Larry remembered Zeke’s stupid sentiments.

#11

I still wish someone would provide us with the exchange from an old Letterman show, where Dave asks Rush (something like);

“So, isn’t it really true that you’re just a blowhard windbag full of hot air?”

Supposedly, Rush could only sit and splutter for a few very, very long on-camera moments. I’d pay good money for that video clip.

#12

Trent Dilfer got a Super Bowl ring. Therefore, he must be better than McNabb, right?

Where your team goes is not necessarily indicative of individual performance.

#13

MVP runner up. Played and lost. Sorry, but he’s been a mediocre passer his entire career, with a career best 58%. The QB’s job is to pass, and if you can’t do that well please don’t try to tell me the QB is a great one.

Now you’re making arguments as stupid as Rush’s. Isiah’s comments had nothing to do with his getting fired, it’s because his teams seriously underachieved. And it’s been over a decade since then. Please don’t be retarded in an attempt to make a point. It’s sad.

#14

When I saw it, he was aiming the comment at the Media, not the player.