Rush Limbaugh wants to own a National Football League team – and I LOVE the NFL. I saw this breaking news on the tube last week (about Rush, not about my love). I though to myself, “Hmmm. If I played in the NFL, I don’t think I’d want to play for Rush Limbaugh.” After that I let it go, didn’t give it a second thought. I don’t do politics or waste a lot of my time bumping up against people’s opinions. We’re all entitled to them and someone’s opinion just ain’t worth arguing over to me.

Then a friend of mine (and YES, she’s still my friend) posted this comment on Facebook…

Damn it! I try to stay out of these conversations, but I love the NFL and what it stands for to me as a fan that I just had to comment as follows:

“As a lover of sports and especially the NFL, I know that sports has the power to unite even those from the most diverse backgrounds. It’s just one of the many elements that make up ‘sportsmanship.’ Many of us who wish ‘we could all just get along’ and see it happen every day in sports, simply consider Limbaugh’s public persona ‘unsportmanlike conduct.’ Fifteen yards from the spot of the foul and loss of down. On the field, the player might be ejected from the game… off the field ejected from ownership sounds about right.

“I’m referring to a league that’s well over 50% Black players, that has installed more Black head coaches in the last decade than in the existence of the league, that is gaining more and more Hispanic and International players and that just celebrated national Hispanic Heritage Month on their national broadcast of Monday Night Football.

“I watch every week and see players, owners, coaches and fans of all backgrounds embrace and respect each other. Where does Rush’s perspective fit into all of that. This is NOT about politics (I don’t do politics)… It’s about the love OF the game and the love IN the game.”

I don’t personally know Rush Limbaugh, so I don’t want to demean his character. However I have listened to him extensively in the past. Hell, for all I know it could all be an act to get ratings. It’s working and he wouldn’t be the first. From what I’ve heard rushing and passing belong in the NFL – Rush doesn’t.

After writing that Facebook comment and then this posts, I said to myself (I do that a lot)… “Isn’t wanting to keep Rush out of the NFL because of what I PERCIEVE from his public persona as divisiveness, divisive in itself?” After a few minutes of reflection, I had to remember, that sometimes a man of PEACE, has to go to war in order to keep the peace.

PEACE.
Rick

PS. The NLF needs more Art Rooney‘s!