According to a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Rush Limbaugh is expected to be dropped from a group bidding to buy the St. Louis Rams.
Dave Checketts, chairman of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and the point man in the Limbaugh group attempting to buy the Rams, realizes he must remove the controversial conservative radio host from his potential role as a minority member in the group in order to get approval from other NFL owners, the sources said.
Three-quarters of the league’s 32 owners would have to approve any sale to Limbaugh and his group. Earlier this week, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay predicted that Limbaugh’s potential bid would be met by significant opposition. Several players have also voiced their displeasure with Limbaugh’s potential ownership position, and NFL Players Association head DeMaurice Smith, who is black, urged players to speak out against Limbaugh’s bid.
Ultimately, the sources said, Checketts must reconfigure his group and find another investor to make his bid more viable.
Exactly when Limbaugh will be dropped is uncertain, though some familiar with the situation said it could be within the next week. It is unclear if the two sides even have spoken.
Checketts and his group would have to find a financial substitute if they do drop Limbaugh, but one shouldn’t be too hard to find. The NFL is widely popular and I’m sure a sound financial risk for a potential owner, even in a bad economy.
While I’m sure he’s upset that he didn’t have the opportunity to own a stake in the Rams, Limbaugh has gotten plenty of publicity for his radio show. But in the end, he was too controversial of a figure for the league to inherit. If there are plenty of financial suitors available, why take a risk on someone like Rush Limbaugh if you’re the NFL?
