Baseball For Breakfast
"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll

Well, it's a first for me. Having fallen asleep too early for the 3.00 am mlb.com audio broadcast here of the Red Sox-A's opening playoff game, I woke a little after 7 this morning fully expecting the game to have already concluded. Imagine my high-spirited surprise when tuning in again to find the game still on, top of the 11th inning, tied at 4-4.

And what a game it seemed in the sublime imagination fueled by the WEEI radio broadcast. What misery it must have been for Red Sox Nation members staying up until the late hours of a bitter evening only to once again play baseball's jester, fumbling away fate to yet another inopportune moment.

As the announcers called it: "A four hour, thirty seven minute grinder", culminated by Ramon Hernandez's shocking bunt in the bottom of the 12th. I can only hope the rest of the league playoff matches will be half as exciting.

*****
Rush To Judgement

Today, bitter pills to swallow all around for the sycophants of corporate greed justifying their every inscient act in the holy worship and single-minded pursuit of profit. A merry toast for the rest of us to celebrate the demise of well-documented racist who had no business parlaying his astringent and contumacious message, palatable only to a brief contingent of a vacuous and unreflective puddle of AM radio humanity collectively known as dittoheads, to a general audience, in the first place.


Other than that brief editorial, I'll allow the words of others to reflect upon the brief history of a man who makes even Mike Ditka seem intelligent by comparison:

July 14, 2003

"Rush is a great communicator and a fan's fan," said ESPN executive vice president Mark Shapiro. "His acute sense of what's on the minds of listeners combined with his ability to entertain and serve as a lightning rod for lively discussion makes him the perfect fit for this new role."

Here are a few quotes and anticdotes from the "great communicator" and the "fan's fan" -- compiled by Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR):

When the network hired Limbaugh, the talkshow host clearly intended to bring his politics into his sports commentary: "I am who I am," he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/15/03). "I think my overall philosophies of life will be a factor."

So is racism a part of Limbaugh's "overall philosophies of life"? As a young broadcaster in the 1970s, Limbaugh once told a black caller:

"Take that bone out of your nose and call me back." A decade ago, after becoming nationally syndicated, he mused on the air: "Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?"

In 1992, on his now-defunct TV show, Limbaugh expressed his ire when Spike Lee urged that black schoolchildren get off from school to see his film Malcolm X: "Spike, if you're going to do that, let's complete the education experience. You should tell them that they should loot the theater, and then blow it up on their way out."

In a similar vein, here is Limbaugh's mocking take on the NAACP, a group with a ninety-year commitment to nonviolence: "The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies."

When Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL) was in the U.S. Senate, the first black woman ever elected to that body, Limbaugh would play the "Movin' On Up" theme song from TV's "Jeffersons" when he mentioned her. Limbaugh sometimes still uses mock dialect -- substituting "ax" for "ask"-- when discussing black leaders.

July 19, 2003

"History - never Rush's strong suit - suggests this will be a short-lived trial, like almost every innovation the TV programmers - Faux's glowing puck? - have cooked up in an effort to make less than hardcore fans watch sports, while taking their loyal audience for granted." -- blogger Neate Sager on the hiring.

July 20, 2003

"What Shapiro was thinking was ratings. ESPN has a monopoly on NFL highlights during the Sunday night time slot. NFL fans are going to tune in no matter who’s on the show. Adding Rush Limbaugh draws in a wider audience both the Rush fans and the folks who will want to see what he says. Think about this – NFL camps haven’t even started and Shapiro has succeeded in generating a “buzz” about his show. It’s all about ratings – excellent move by Shapiro". --blogger Chris Lynch on the wisdom of the decision to hire Rush Limbaugh.

September 1, 2003

Rush Limbaugh will grace NFL fans with his presence on NFL Countdown. I'm looking forward to the first time he chimes in and says, "I'd like to address this particular comment only to Chris Berman and Steve Young, because Tom Jackson and Michael Irvin are only here because of affirmative action." --The Mighty MJD offering his preseason predictions.

September 28, 2003

On ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, according to Limbaugh, reporters have been soft on McNabb because they are "very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There's interest in black quarterbacks and coaches doing well."

October 1, 2003
Covering his arse, ESPN executive vice president Mark Shapiro rushing to Rush's defense noted:

"This is not a politically motivated comment. This is a sports and media argument," Shapiro was quoted as saying in a USA Today column published Wednesday. "Rush was arguing McNabb is essentially overrated

October 2, 2003

"I offered an opinion. This opinion has caused discomfort to the crew, which I regret. I love NFL Sunday Countdown and do not want to be a distraction to the great work done by all who work on it. Therefore, I have decided to resign. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the show and wish all the best to those who make it happen."

October 2, 2003

George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN and ABC Sports, issued the following response to Limbaugh's resignation:

"We accept his resignation and regret the circumstances surrounding this. We believe that he took the appropriate action to resolve this matter expeditiously."

Rest easy Rush, you still have your dittoheads to keep you company.