(originally sent as an email to ESPN on 2003.10.01)
Normally I’m a big fan of ESPN. But the entire Rush Limbaugh thing shows that some people at my favorite network are not very clever and some are spineless (and some probably both).
Under “not very clever,” how can this come as any kind of surprise to anyone there at ESPN? All the anchors and commentators bringing up this incident act all outraged. It’s not like Limbaugh has never said anything like this before; he’s always been a right-wing demagogue and has made numerous racially insensitive remarks in the past. They should have been outraged when Limbaugh was hired to to a FOOTBALL show, someething for which he had zero qualifications and was totally inappropriate. Where was the outrage then? It’s not like Limbaugh being a racist is news–but it was OK before he said it live on ESPN? Not clever.
Second, if the appropriate people at ESPN had any spine, not only would Limbaugh be gone, but the producer or whoever who green-lighted his hiring should very publicly be given the axe–because if he or she didn’t see this coming, then that person really shouldn’t be given so much responsibility.
And if Bodenheimer had any spine, he’d have said something more like “we’re outraged by Limbaugh’s comments, we apologize to McNabb, and we’re idiots for having hired Limbaugh in the first place.” His lukewarm statement doesn’t even bother to disagree with Limbaugh. Why not? Is Bodenheimer just as much of a racist as Limbaugh? Then have the balls to ask Limbaugh to stay. If not, then have the balls to take issue with what Limbaugh said. The watered-down statement that was issued is completely gutless.
I guess the good news overall is that now I can go back to watching Countdown, which I stopped watching because of Limbaugh–except, of course, that’s if I can stand Irvin. At least Irvin has a football background, but he’s an inarticulate train wreck who has no business being on TV. Less time to guys like him and more for Jaws and the amazing “<insert sponsor here> NFL Matchup”!