The owners of the St. Louis Rams continue to flounder both on and off the field.
The city officials have also lost their grip on the issue of Rush Limbaugh possibly being part of an ownership group. Since the story broke last week that Limbaugh was part of one of three groups that had submitted a bid to purchase the Rams, the spin mills have been working overtime.
The perfect storm that brings race, politics and sports on a collision course has people riled up. The unfortunate element in that is being drawn down racial lines.
The Post-Dispatch’s Bryan Burwell wrote a column questioning the character of Limbaugh being part of an ownership group where 68 percent of the players in the National Football League are black. Burwell questioned Limbaugh’s track record on race and folks came out of the woodwork questioning Burwell.
He was talk radio fodder for sometime, not to mention the email meltdown of angry readers who once again say they will never read him again; well at least until he writes something else that they can say why the never read him in the first place. As for talk radio, you would be hard pressed to find a host that would be in agreement with Burwell.
Now, let’s move on to the players.While they have displayed ineptness on the field, their lack of a voice on this matter is unfortunate, but par for the course for this collection of today’s players. To go out and put your head in the sand or to not be aware of the subject is criminal. Have you heard any current let alone former player associated with this team say anything with respect to the possible next owner? Of course not. They are too busy trying to keep a job. They don’t get into “politics and stuff like that.”
To see this group sleep walk through an issue even after being encouraged by their union who normally drops the ball themselves on most cases ( see how their retired players have been treated) is almost reminiscent of Sundays when they have to play. Those who feel like it could jeopardize their career by speaking out in many cases do not have much of a future in the NFL anyway.
For those who would be free agents, how would the Rams think they could sign any with Rush Limbaugh as an owner? I know that some will make the money grab but that would mean that the Rams would over pay for the player because they are one of the worst teams in the league and they would have to spend more which means they would again decimate their salary cap.
At the end of the day it will be interesting to see if any Rams or former Rams speak up on if it would be good to have Rush Limbaugh as one of its owners. I would be shocked if they do considering the lack of stones they have shown so far.
I mentioned that the elected members of the city have fumbled as well. How is it that with all the help that the city has provided to Dave Checketts, the owner of the St. Louis Blues and Scottrade Center, have not had a sit down with him to know why he thought it was a good idea to have such a divisive individual in such a volatile environment? For a team that looks for tax breaks from the city who at last check has more African-Americans is somewhat perplexing.
What is even more of a head scratcher is why no elected official has lodged a concern is even more baffling. I guess trying to stay out of jail these days is more of an issue for some compared to speaking for their constituents. (Editor’s note: Antonio D. French is preparing a resolution against Limbaugh acquiring the team for the Board of Aldermen to consider.) For some who seem to be missing the boat it is no surprise. Sad but true. Again, our so called leaders stay silent.
As I mentioned last week, America is a great country for so many reasons. The chance to voice your opinion is what so many people have paid the ultimate price for us to do. We have now come to the point that opinions have become the weapon of choice which is backed up be the mean spirited sniping that follows when one element has selective retention on when the argument works for them and their cause. It does not make it right though and that’s where we have lost something. To have a healthy debate is good. It should give each side an idea how the other thinks, to the point that a lesson could be learned.
I am not sure if we are headed in that direction when it comes to this subject. For the record, I am not on board with the whole Rush Limbaugh being a Rams owner. I think its a bigger distraction that it would be worth considering how bad the team is now with no relief in site.
It is not going away until a deal is made with someone. For those who think that if he does not buy the team they will eventually leave then I wish them well at their next address. For those who say this is not about race, I would ask you to take your head out of the sand and look at all the parties involved. If you want to mask this with politics as being the main reason, I would go as far as to say it does play a part. The difference is that Republicans and Democrats do business every day. Devout racists and Blacks don’t when they can help it. In this case they can help it.