Jimmie Walker

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The bums' Rush — and mine

http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Rush Limbaugh, hired by ESPN to help ratings and spice up its Sunday Morning NFL Show, was, for all practical purposes, fired for stating the facts. He dared to say what others whispered: The reason Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was not getting scrutinized for bad play as much as he deserved, was because the NFL has a policy of wanting Black coaches and quarterbacks to be successful at all and any cost.

What Limbaugh did was to expose yet another form of Affirmative Action — this time, in sports!

The truth, sad as it might be, is it's a League policy that when a coaching position opens, a team must interview a Black candidate. If they don't, they will be made to suffer.

Consider:

• When the Dallas Cowboys made it clear the coach they wanted was Bill Parcells, who is Caucasian, they were forced to interview a Black candidate. No Black would interview for the job because they saw the handwriting on the wall.

• In contrast, when the Cincinnati Bengals had an opening and wanted to fill it with Marvin Lewis, who is Black, they were allowed to do so without being required to go through the motions of seeking out a qualified White guy.

• In another case, involving Steve Mariucci and the Detroit Lions, after the coach was let go by the San Francisco 49ers, the Motor City team knew they wanted to hire him. Which they did immediately — and then got sacked by the NFL with a fine of two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars because they by-passed a Black candidate.

Now, if that's not Affirmative Action, I don't know what is. If these examples do not prove Limbaugh's point, I don't know what does.

There were no "racial overtones" in what Rush said on-air. He was just reporting the facts — as troubling as they may be.

And how convenient for Limbaugh's critics to forget his saying that he hopes Black quarterbacks do well.

Here are a couple more stories that those attacking Rush would like you not to know about the role of racial politics and double standards in professional sports.

• Kordell Stewart is a Black quarterback formerly with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and now with the Chicago Bears. After a few sub-par seasons the Steelers suggested that Stewart switch to either running back or wide receiver. Mr. Stewart refused. Fearing the team would be perceived as racist, the Steelers said nothing and did nothing.

  Stewart was eventually beaten out for the job by a White quarterback.

• Yet, Eric Crouch, a white quarterback from the University of Nebraska and a Heisman Trophy winner, was drafted into the NFL. His team asked him to be a wide receiver or defensive back. He said, "No" — and never played in the NFL, "opting" instead to retire at twenty-two.

Like the odor of a dead skunk, Affirmative Action has floated its way into the NFL. The Left has a double standard. When someone on the Left says something about race, they're standing up for "the people."

But if someone on the Right dares to opine about race, he's a racist.

Of course Rush's comments had nothing to do with race and everything to do with the NFL's obscene policy. And what happened to the Right of Free Speech? Rush isn't entitled to it? But of course, the libs are. They've called Rush everything from a racist, an idiot, an imbecile, and vile. And don't forget the book titled, "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot." Imagine if someone wrote a book titled, "Al Roker is a Big Fat Idiot."

Rush Limbaugh surprised his radio audience on Friday by announcing he was checking himself into a drug rehab facility. Rush has to be taken to task for a certain amount of hypocrisy because if he were Howard Stern or Al Franken, he would've been all over them. That, however, is but a single demerit in an otherwise stellar career.

I've got one thing to say: Long Live El Rush-Bo!

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