NFL Should Slam and Lock the Door on Rush Limbaugh

When Rush Limbaugh’s name surfaced as a potential owner of the NFL St. Louis Rams, many of us cringed at the thought of a man who has been interpreted to be a racist being involved at such a high level in the league.

For those living in a cave and not aware of Limbaugh and his radio show, here are some of the quotes the shock-jock is said to have made:

Limbaugh: “Look, let me put it to you this way: The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it.”

Limbaugh: “I think it’s time to get rid of this whole National Basketball Association. Call it the TBA, the Thug Basketball Association and stop calling them teams. Call ‘em gangs. Let ‘em strap up out there [carry guns], and let ‘em market their CD’s.”

Many people look at Limbaugh as a hypocrite. While he implies the men who play these sports are thugs, he has a criminal history of his own. Limbaugh’s mugshot from his drug arrest sits sandwiched between NBA Alan Iverson and NFL badboy Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones in the Sports Climax Sports Mugshot Gallery.

The Today Show did a segment recently asking if Limbaugh is getting a free pass for skirting any serious aftermath after the radio jock featured a song “Barack the Magic Negro” on another of his shows. (see on YouTube here)

Limbaugh’s past resume with the NFL includes when he was a part of the ESPN show ‘NFL Countdown’. Limbaugh had barely unpacked his suitcase when he quickly resigned from the show after making inappropriate remarks.

Many people believe Limbaugh’s particular comment about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb showed Limbaugh’s true colors and ESPN graciously accepted the right-wing radio shock jock’s resignation issuing a statement, “We have communicated with Mr. Limbaugh that his comments were insensitive and inappropriate.”

The network went on to say “We accept his resignation and regret the circumstances surrounding this. We believe that he took the appropriate action to resolve this matter expeditiously.”

When ESPN first announced Limbaugh was joining the show, many of us fell out of our seats. What were those producers thinking! It was obvious what they were setting themselves up for.

That aside, one has to wonder if Limbaugh’s past arrest for drugs would effect his chances of getting a team since NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is becoming strict pertaining to drug-related incidents with his players.

With NFL players already speaking out about their lack of desire to play on any Limbaugh-owned team, it’s time for the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell to close the door on this shock-jock radio host before this controversial issue spins out of control.

Related Articles:

Limbaugh’s NFL Bid Might Fall Short But Not For His Views - Paula Duffy Examiner.com

Copyright © 2009 – Sports Climax

Vick Deserves Fresh Start in the NFL

Since Michael Vick met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and cleared the first hurdle in returning to the NFL, the internet has become saturated with polls debating whether or not Goodell should have reinstated the player who was convicted of running an illegal dog-fighting ring and animal abuse.

Seeing the results of many of these polls favoring that Vick be banned from the NFL for life, it is evident how hostile and out-of-touch our country has become.

It’s like an emotional lynch-mobbing.

One Carolina television station poll showed viewers 61% in favor of a lifetime ban with comments like, “The judicial system sucks. [Vick] should be still in jail, leashed to his bunk.”

In recent history, several people have made serious mistakes, many more severe than Vick’s, but our society has elected to ignore those criminals while becoming obsessed with creating a villain out of Vick.

Over the years, the mainstream media and many of its followers have blown off the illegal behavior of corrupt politicians, athletes and businessmen, granting them forgiveness for their acts after they appear at a podium in their suit simply saying the words, “I’m sorry.”

Others like Vick pay a severe debt losing tens of millions of dollars while serving long prison sentences then find themselves battling an aggressive media and overzealous society when they are released.

What Michael Vick did was brutal, inhumane and illegal. He knows it, the general population knows it and the judicial system knows it, that’s why they acted on it so aggressively, hitting Vick with a sentence so severe, it could have destroyed the man’s life and career.

As with any other former prisoner who has paid their debt and served their time, our system is structured to offer a fair opportunity and reintroduce these United States citizens back into society.

Vick’s situation should be no different than anyone else who abused animals and served a sentence for the acts but because of his popularity many are labeling him as a villain who does not deserve the same opportunity other ex-convicts are granted.

When people fill sports blogs with comments how Vick should “never take another snap in the NFL,” where is their reasoning?

The man has spent almost two prime years of his life in prison for animal abuse. Think about that in its literal sense.

Do those opposing Vick’s return feel other ex-cons should not be allowed an opportunity to go back to the careers they had prior to their sentence? Should a bricklayer be banned from laying a roadway; an accountant banned from operating a calculator?

At the time of his conviction, Vick’s job was throwing a football in the NFL. It would be un-American to ban the accountant or bricklayer from returning to work, just as it would to ban Vick from returning to the career he had prior to his conviction.

Vick, once the highest-paid player in the NFL, released a statement regarding his return. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to commissioner Goodell for allowing me to be readmitted to the National Football League. As you can imagine, the last two years have given me time to re-evaluate my life, mature as an individual and fully understand the terrible mistakes I have made in the past and what type of life I must lead moving forward.”

I wish Vick the best and hope he capitalizes on an opportunity to show others how to take advantage of the opportunity granted to him by the NFL.

Thank you, Roger Goodell, for doing the right thing.

Related Stories:
Vick Should Be Compensated For Wine Bottles
Vick Makes Plea Deal
Vick Released From Federal Custody

Copyright © 2009 – Sports Climax

NFL Lynch expects suspension as Stallworth awaits results of drug & alcohol test

The NFL certainly is finding a way to dominate the sports headlines throughout their offseason with marquee players like Terrell Owens and Matt Cassel changing teams while mock draft boards are being shuffled like a deck of cards.Unfortunately, much to the displeasure of Commissioner Roger Goodell, all the news is not football related. Matt Jones, Albert Haynesworth, Marshall Lynch and Donte Stallworth are the latest players to find themselves in trouble with the law.

Buffalo Bills RB Lynch expects to be disciplined after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge related to his arrest last month in Los Angeles.

Lynch was charged after police found a 9 mm semiautomatic weapon in the trunk of his car. Lynch pled guilty to having a concealed firearm and was sentenced to three years of probation and 80 hours community service.

While Goodell contemplates suspending Lynch, he awaits the outcome to another weapon case regarding one of his players; New York Giants’ receiver Plaxico Burress who shot himself in the leg while trying to bring a loaded handgun into a night club in New York.

In another incident earlier this month, Cleveland Browns receiver Donte Stallworth hit a killed a pedestrian in the early morning hours on a busy causeway near Miami Beach. Stallworth has been cooperating with the police and provided blood for a toxicology test.

Lynch is the only player to have met with Goodell thus far and although he appears to sincerely regret his incident, he expects a suspension from the league.

“It was a real productive meeting, [Goodell] stressed he will not tolerate any more screw-ups from me. I honestly see a suspension coming” said Lynch. “I feel with the incidents I’ve had, I’m young and I’ve grown through those situations. I’ve seen what these situations have put my family through, the team and the organization through and that’s not what I’m about.”

Stallworth also released a statement showing remorse and said he is “grief stricken” concerning being involved in the motor vehicle accident that took the life of a family man returning home from work.

Normally the negative publicity from situations like these find a way to fade away over time but with the league just settling down from the Burress incident and Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones’ latest ordeal in an Atlanta nightclub, Goodell may find himself out on another intense damage-control campaign soon.

Related NFL articles:

NFL Haynesworth steps into trouble again

Cowboys tells ESPN they cut ‘Pacman’ due to new shooting allegations

Plaxico Burress hit with two felony charges

NFL Mugshots Gallery

Copyright © 2009 – Sports Climax

Vick pleads guilty and may get earlier release

VIRGINIA - After an appearance in a Virginia state court on Tuesday, Michael Vick’s journey through the criminal court system might have gotten a bit shorter.

Under an agreement with Virginia prosecutors, Vick agreed to plead guilty to one of two charges against him. He was given a three-year suspended sentence from the judge and knows that the last piece of his quest for an early release from federal prison is now in place.

The Commonwealth of Virginia had charged the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback with similar but different crimes that resulted from the dog fighting operation he and his family conducted on the property in Surry County, Virginia.

At the time the charges were brought it felt like a grandstand move on the part of the Virginia authorities.

Those crimes could have easily been folded into the federal case, but Commonwealth prosecutors said the citizens of Virginia were outraged at what they saw and deserved to have their voice heard.

Vick has now performed his public penance by being brought from Kansas to Virginia to personally take his plea and make his apologies to the people of Virginia.

With this resolved, Vick can apply for an early release from Leavenworth where he is still serving out his 23-month sentence. His official release date is July 2009 and as a result of today’s events he can apply to serve some of what is left in a halfway house.

While waiting for final sentencing in 2007, Vick tested positive for marijuana and after his incarceration began at Leavenworth he entered a drug rehab treatment program.

After successful completion of that and the resolution of the pending Virginia charges the path is clear for him to ask for an early release date.

If that happens early enough in 2009, he will certainly apply for NFL reinstatement. Let the discussions begin now about where he would he land if Commissioner Goodell is ready to board the Vick merry-go-round again.

Tired of the same old sports page? Then check out Paula Duffy’s insightful (and often humorous) take on the sports day at her Examiner.com page! The popular co-host for Sports Journey Radio is also a contributor to the Huffington Post and founder of the sports learning site Incidental Contact. In her spare time, Duffy practices law in Los Angeles. But don’t hold that against her.