That's funny. I could've
swore that Jackson and Sharpton were some of those stating that the NFL shouldn't exclude Micheal Vick from being able to come back and play in the NFL and shouldn't take away his "right" to play football. This, a man that actually violated federal laws and flat out lied to the commisioner (an offense that in and of itself can result in banishment by NFL rules) numerous times. Yet the NFL should forcefully step in to exclude Rush Limbaugh from owning a team because of things he says?
Hmmm....
So business shouldn't matter when rehiring Mike Vick, he shouldn't get any further punishment. But business should matter with Limbaugh buying a team.
Hmmm....
I wonder what the great difference is for Jackson and Sharpton between Limbaugh and Vick.
Hmmm.....
It's not just them, as alot of NFL players are pissed at some of his comments(one quarterback only got the job because he was black, and NFL games look like "the Crips vs the Bloods"), but it is still much ado about nothing. If Rush has the money and makes the best bid, why shouldn't he own a football team?
I respect the NFL players rights to say they won't play for him (I also kind of agree with...god help me...Stephen A. Smith that if the Ram's wave $20 mil in their face and another team waves $10 mil I'd bet you at least 50% if not closer to 90% of those saying they won't play with him will be donning that blue and gold). They have a right to say "we don't want this guy". That is business.
But this notion that the NFL needs to step in and deny him it on the basis of nothing but his "controversial" speech is just asinine. Doubly so when coming from the same people that said how Mike Vick has a RIGHT to play in the NFL again regardless of potential impact it would have on the leagues image.
Also, lets be fair if you're going to throw out quotes and give context or full things. Rush was not simply criticizing McNabb. He was stating that he was overrated due to a media who desired to have a black quarterback hoisted up as one of the best in the league. At the time, McNabb was generally overrated, if for no other reason than his inability to stay on the field healthy ever. Additionally, go back and watch the entire coverage leading up to the Superbowl with the Colts and the Bears and tell me there's not an over arching sense in the media of needing to push iconic african american figures in the sport. If I didn't know better I'd have figured Tony Dungy's team won the super bowl becasue of the civil rights movement rather than the fact that Dungy is a great coach. Controversial comment? Yes. Inappropriate? Based on what they wanted him on the show for, probably. Racist and off base comment? No, not racist, and a legitiamte argument to what he was saying could definitely be made.
The "Bloods and Crips" one I'd need to go back and look at, but if my memory serves me of the last time this came up it was a tongue in cheek sarcastic (in Limbaugh's way) comment responding to a story put out that there were a great number of cases of gang signs and colors being brandished on the football field. But that latter part is never actually brought up, because then it may give a bit of context and insight into him possibly joking around a bit rather than just sounding like he's going "black men hitting each other...oh, I know, gangs, bloods and crips".