http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/sports/football/15limbaugh.html?partner=rss&emc=rssLimbaugh Dropped From Bid to Buy Rams
Published: October 14, 2009
One day after Commissioner Roger Goodell said that Rush Limbaugh’s bid to buy the St. Louis Rams would receive little support from N.F.L. ownership, Limbaugh was dropped from the group of investors hoping to buy the team.
“Rush was to be a limited partner — as such, he would have had no say in the direction of the club or in any decisions regarding personnel or operations,” Dave Checketts, the former Madison Square Garden executive who is leading the group that included Limbaugh. “This was a role he enthusiastically embraced. However, it has become clear that his involvement in our group has become a complication and a distraction to our intentions; endangering our bid to keep the team in St. Louis. As such, we have decided to move forward without him and hope it will eventually lead us to a successful conclusion.”
Checketts is a widely respected sports executive and the owner of the St. Louis Blues. He was interviewed as a candidate for the N.F.L. commissioner’s job before it went to Goodell, who was the heavy favorite, in 2006. But several N.F.L. owners, who ended three days of meetings in Boston on Wednesday, quietly wondered why a savvy businessman like Checketts would hitch his hopes for the Rams to Limbaugh, a conservative radio talk-show host, and fail to anticipate the negative reaction.
This is my 2 cents. David Checketts was willing to crawl into bed with a known racist. Just because he realized that perhaps that wasn't the smartest move doesn't mean he's made it all better by ditching Limbaugh. The fact that Checketts was willing to go into business with a very well document racist makes me question the integrity of Checketts. Anyone with some semblance of common sense would have known that having a man who made racist comments like what he said about Donovan McNabb probably isn't going to sit well the the Players Unions and many of the owners.
I know that I can admit that in my lifetime I have had business and social contact with racists. Although usually I'm not aware of it until after the fact and when I do discover someone is a racist - I disassociate myself with them immediately. (remember, I grew up in rural Pennsylvania - so it happened enough times.) Checketts knew Rush was a racist and wanted to work with him anyways. As far as I'm concerned I see Checketts as a racist too and probably not good for the NFL. If there are other buyers we should consider them instead.
Plus, I don't trust this deal, perhaps he's made Limbaugh a 'silent' partner in order to get the deal passed.
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