Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson Seek to Thwart Limbaugh

The news that conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh is seeking to purchase the NFL’s St. Louis Rams with owner of the St. Louis Blue hockey team has seemingly set Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson into full-on preacher mode. The pair are vociferously denouncing Limbaugh and his views, as well as trying everything in their power to stop Limbaugh’s bid to buy the team. Said Jackson, "The >National Football League has set high standards for racial justice and inclusion. He should not have the privilege of owning an NFL franchise – and it is a privilege."

Limbaugh, never one to hold back, and having the wattage behind him to voice his own opinions, responded, "Now, this saddens me as well as disappoints me. I know Reverend Sharpton. Sharpton is better than this. He knows better than this. You know, I didn’t judge Al Sharpton’s fitness to be in radio when he wanted to earn an honest living for once, given his well-documented past as the author of the Tawana Brawley hoax. I believe in freedom and I also don’t discriminate." As for the NFL, spokesman Greg Aiello noted, "It is very early in the process and no transfer of ownership of the Rams has been presented to the league for review."

Players who were asked about the news remained largely tight-lipped. By far, the majority of players in the NFL are African American, and Limbaugh raised eyebrows when he briefly worked for ESPN and noted in a pre-game analysis that Donovan McNabb was overrated and that the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed. McNabb was asked about the possibility of Limbaugh owning a franchise and responded, "If he’s rewarded to buy them, congratulations to him. But I won’t be in St. Louis any time soon."