I am a "Dittohead." An unabashed listener. A dedicated fan to Rush Limbaugh's radio show. Some may now reject me as biased and therefore write me off as just another racist protecting my "kind." Others will understand I am well versed in Rush's philosophy and know he does not espouse racism. If he did, I wouldn't listen.
I am lucky enough to have a job which offers me the opportunity to hear almost all fifteen hours of his broadcast each week. I have now been a listener for over a decade. Due to my faithful attendance in the EIB "Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies," I rarely miss much of his broadcast. One of my rare, unexcused absences caused me to miss Rush's comment where he dared utter "Crips and Bloods" in the same sentence as the National Football League. I have no idea when he made this observation, nor do I know in what context he spoke.
Initially I was left to cable news network pundits to understand of what Rush referred. Hosts and guests alike could only paraphrase Rush's daring comment, call a football game like a battle between the Bloods and Crips without weapons. I too have to paraphrase the pundits' loosely quoted attribution, into an aggregation of adulterated restatements with one theme in common.
The picture my mind painted was a collage of past news articles covering violence which does not belong on the football field or certain hand gestures having nothing to do with play calling.
Two instances came to my mind each time I heard cable news show pundits excoriate Rush. First I recalled a leading news story about the NFL concerned over the possibility of gang signs being used on the sidelines. A simple Yahoo! search brings up articles from June 2008 from such sources as LA Times, ESPN, Chicago Tribune. The articles relate how the NFL hired a consultant - an expert - to review hours of game film, to find out if, in fact, any hand gestures were being falshed by players.
Secondly, one episode of violence came to mind. While no evidence of intentional gouging was found, and no fine levied, the event of the September 2008 event made news headlines. A little further back in history brings to mind "an uprecedented" suspension for a player how reportedly knocked off the helmet of an opposing teammate before stomping on his head. This incident, is reported at ESPN.com.
Rush did explain the genesis of his comment. He uttered his opinion after a play during a Patriots'-Charger game in which an unsportsman like conduct penalty cost the game. More of his extemporaneousness showing his passion for the game and increasing loss of sportsman like conduct. Was Rush that far off the mark? No. Does the NFL have problems with gangs and violence similar to a gang fight without weapons? Sure seems that way to me.
Some links I used to reaffirm my vague memories
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