> But the big question here is, I heard several callers call in
> to these shows yelling that Limbaugh was exercising free
> speech and he was unfairly being burned for having an
> opinion. When one of the ESPN guys asked what the difference
> was between Limbaugh’s right of free speech and the Dixie
> Chicks’ right of free speech the caller blustered, “That’s
> different. You can’t say those things about a President.
> Sports figures are fair game.”
Well, it is different, but not because one subject is a dullard president and the other is a black quarterback. Natalie Maines (the Chick in question) said she was embarrassed that the president was from Texas. This is truth; she was embarrassed.
Rush Limbaugh said the media has invested hope in the success of a black quarterback or head coach, and therefore gave McNabb credit where it wasn’t due. This is a lie.
First off, the successful black QB question was laid to rest by the 1988 Super Bowl MVP, Doug Williams. Furthermore, the hottest QB commodity in the NFL right now is Michael Vick. And among the statistically-best QBs in the league right now are Steve McNair and Daunte Culpepper.
Furthermore, the successful black coach thing is a lie, too, as Tony Dungy has led the Colts to an unbeaten record, and the record for the most productive offense ever was a team led by Denny Green. And as far as the media handling black coaches with kid gloves, I need only point to Ray Rhodes one-year tenure with the Packers.
Now, does Rush have a right to an opinion and free speech? Of course. Is he being unfairly vilified? No, because his opinion was a set of ignorant lies whose purpose was not to advance the dialogue of a quarterback’s merit to his team, but rather to draw in support from Rush’s “dittohead” demographic of supposedly-disaffected white males who believe the minorities are to blame for the nation’s problems. The lie stands out in stark contrast in sports – the ultimate meritocracy – one of the few areas of endeavor where black people actually dominate.
“Radical” Russ — overjoyed that Dennis Miller outlasted Rush Limbaugh in the TV sports landscape…
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