rush and mcnabb

[rone]

Ralph Wiley speaks at length about the Limbaugh-McNabb hoopla. It is good reading and it goes beyond some of the thoughts i had.

Comments

[opadit.livejournal.com]

The local media's firestorm (when they're not calling Limbaugh a drug fiend) has included the suggestion that he should have talked about Kordell Stewart, not Donovan McNabb, to make his point.

A good percentage of Philadelphians do call McNabb overrated ... but it's important to remember that the locals here have cheered when a player from the opposing team is carried off the field unconscious, and also thrown snowballs -- nay, iceballs -- at Santa Claus. Mostly it's because we haven't seen a Superbowl since, what, 1980? And our last World Series appearance was a little humiliating (Mitch Williams still gets death threats).

Philly sports fans' standards are high, and our hopes are continually dashed, even when we build fancy new state-of-the-art luxury stadiums. The Phils even lost the last game ever played at the Vet. It's enough to make me go looking for some contraband OxyContin to assuage my grief.

[ikkyu2.livejournal.com]

This article was well-written.

I, along with Al Franken, think Rush is a big fat idiot. He was clearly the wrong guy on this one, too, lest anybody misread what I'm about to type as a defense of his opinion.

But when is this particular wrong opinion going to stop being regarded as so dangerous? If Rush had predicted the Eagles were going to lose, and they won instead, would he have had to resign in disgrace? No.

I don't like the idea that some ideas are so inherently wrong - or even so dangerous - that they must needs be shouted down. This particular debate is a dumb one, but did it have to be squashed? And did it have to end Rush's football-broadcasting career? Does holding one wrong idea make you unemployable? What if he came forward and apologized for being wrong? What if he maybe learned something, and in the process maybe some of his fans learned something too?

This happened to John Vanbiesbrouck not too long ago. The goalie-turned-coach repeatedly called one of his players a 'nigger' while berating them. Totally inappropriate behavior. He resigned, giving a public speech in which, crying, he said "It's an old wound with me.. I've been trying to get over it."

Jesus! What crime is this punishment fitting, exactly?

[ratphooey.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Thanks so much for the link. Interesting article.