Surprisingly great quote from Rush Limbaugh

[Leonidas]

All

Just saw this quote from Rush Limbaugh in an interview on CNN.com and found it amazingly profound.

"One of the things I love -- and this is something people don't often consider about sports -- is it's the one thing in life in which you can invest total passion without consequence. Try that with a woman."

Rest of the interview was here.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/QandA/2003/0811/

[Cuckoo]

Why surprisingly? You may not like his politics but you have to respect his talents. Even though I don't always agree with him, he is an intelligent man.

BTW, great quote.

[FishFan]

i'm interested to see how he will do on countdown. i think he'll be a great addition.

[sabotai]

From the article:

SI: Can a team with a liberal philosophy on offense win a Super Bowl?

Limbaugh: No, but we have to define the terms. People call me a conservative guy, meaning three yards and a cloud of dust, and that's wrong. That's not what a conservative is in football. A conservative philosophy is you go for it all, you try to change it up. A conservative philosophy in football is wide open and based on the pursuit of excellence, individuals working as a team. The liberal philosophy, if it were applied to football, would be you spend most of your time blaming everybody for why it didn't work.


If Rush wants this whole NFL Countdown thing to work out, he's got to stop with the liberal bashing. I understand that this is maybe what the interviewer was looking for, but once the the camera goes on, if he even says the word "liberal", we'll hear a collective clicking of the remote by at least 30% of the population. (fwiw, it seems to me that the nation is 30-liberal, 30-conservative, 40-centists/independant/other. Just to clarify the 30% thing)

And good quote.

[kcchief19]

What? ARE YOU GUYS NUTS? Why is it a great quote? It's dead-on wrong.

I would have to say anybody who agrees with that quote likely lands in one of two categories: (1) knows nothing about sports; or (2) has never invested themselves in a team.

You think Cub fans don't get the hearts smashed every year? There is no consequence to investing emotionally in a team? What about the day that a player realizes they no longer have a future in their sport?

I do not know a single person who has invested emotionally in a sport or team that hasn't had their heart crushed on more than one occassion.

I completely agree with sabotai that if he wants this to work, he's going to have to change his act. That statement from the interview is pure rhetoric and no substance. Of course, count me in the group that will turn the channel the moment he comes on.

[sabotai]

kcchief,

I guess so. I know I've been upset a lot with the disasters the Giants have had. But the one thing I would point out is that in sports, there's always next season. There's nothing else I can think of that has the element.

Besides, there's no REAL consequence. People get over emotions. People don't get over $20,000 a year alimony. :)

[ISiddiqui]

Besides, there's no REAL consequence.

Bingo! So your team looses, there is ALWAYS next year.

If Rush wants this whole NFL Countdown thing to work out, he's got to stop with the liberal bashing.

I assume he was joking. I mean what do you expect with that quote? Rush decided to just play along.

[Buccaneer]

kc, you're being hyperbolic again. :) You are talking about short-term emotions that, if you think about it, has no real consequences. If such emotions does cause harm to others, than that person has serious psychological problems that goes beyond passion for sports. Methinks you are shooting the messenger again because of the person.

[kcchief19]

Oh, I'll shoot the messenger without a problem in this case. ;)

Even if this quote had not name attached, I would still completely disagree. The idea that you can invest "total passion without consequence" is wrong. I do not believe that it is possible to invest "total passion" without consequence unless you always win and never have any setbacks. Sports is the "one thing in life" with no consquences? NOTHING else fits this? Perhaps our great wordsmith is as guilty of hyperbole as me. :)

I disagree that these are short-term emotions. Tell that to 80-year-old Cubs or Red Sox fans. Heck, I was emotionally invested in becoming a baseball player. I was pretty good and had some smart baseball people tell me the same thing, but I didn't cut it. Till the day I die, I will continue to second-guess decisions I made and wonder if I had done things differently I might have made it. To me, those are consquences.

[Buccaneer]

I think he was referring to fans, not as a job in case of players and personnel. 80-year old Cubs or BoSox fans? I think they would have loved to experience a championship but given their long lives, I hardly think it was a higher priority than loved ones, family, friends and career.

[Sharpieman]

I think I won't watch countdown anymore, he doesn't know anything about sports. It's like when Dennis Miller became a broadcaster, he didn't have anything interesting to say about sports all he made was little witty comments about how a incomplete pass compared to something that happened in the 15th century. Rush is going to be on countdown for one year, because espn and Disney will realize that they don't need a political commentator or a comedian to talk about football, they need a football guy to talk about football.

[sabotai]

Did it ever occur to you that he's talking about "total passion" in sports in general, and not "total passion" in a specific team? Reading the quote, that sounds more like what he's talking about.

[jerem77]

Originally posted by Sharpieman
I think I won't watch countdown anymore, he doesn't know anything about sports. It's like when Dennis Miller became a broadcaster, he didn't have anything interesting to say about sports all he made was little witty comments about how a incomplete pass compared to something that happened in the 15th century. Rush is going to be on countdown for one year, because espn and Disney will realize that they don't need a political commentator or a comedian to talk about football, they need a football guy to talk about football.

I'm sure he knows more about sports than many of the people who come in here to spout their opinions. He has always been a big fan of baseball and football and was part of an ownership group who, along with George Brett, tried to purchase the Royals several years back. To say he knows nothing about sports is an unfair comment.

[Killebrew]

I think history will look upon Rush Limbaugh as the Mark Twain of our time.

[sterlingice]

Originally posted by Killebrew
I think history will look upon Rush Limbaugh as the Mark Twain of our time.

...

SI

[timmynausea]

The FAT Mark Twain of our time, maybe. Actually, no. History will probably not look on Rush Limbaugh so much. Or at all.
What has he done that is historically significant? Mark Twain wrote great works of fiction that are still appreciated today 100 years later. I don't think that in 100 years people will care that Rush Limbaugh said Reagan was a good President and said that liberals are stupid.

[Cuckoo]

Originally posted by timmynausea
I don't think that in 100 years people will care that Rush Limbaugh said Reagan was a good President and said that liberals are stupid.

Hopefully, in 100 years, it'll be common knowledge. (ducks)


:D

[sterlingice]

Originally posted by Cuckoo
Hopefully, in 100 years, it'll be common knowledge. (ducks)

While mildly humorous (Reagan was not a good president, liberals are quite stupid), I figured I would throw this out:

Could you tell me about the political climate 100 years ago? Without running to dig up a lot of history books, could you tell me the prevailing issues of the 1904 election? It just seems the kind of thing that no one will remember.

SI

[mrskippy]

I think it's a good quote. Take last year's Raiders for example. You can build up all year, reach the Super Bowl, get into the moment, and in 60 minutes (or four hours) watch it all disappear. You can laugh off the choke and hope for the best next year. Upset they lost, yes. But there are no consequences. I still go to enjoy my favorite team all year, watch them make the big game, and can hold out hope for next season.

All the years the Raiders were mediocre and having bad records. I can still have passion for the team. No consequences. You love a team, win or lose. The Red Sox and Cubs examples are great.

I don't think there are many things in life where you can do this. Take my passion for being a journalist. It just ain't there like it was in 1997. In 1997, I really didn't want to consider any other career. Now I do.

[Buccaneer]

Originally posted by sterlingice
While mildly humorous (Reagan was not a good president, liberals are quite stupid), I figured I would throw this out:

Could you tell me about the political climate 100 years ago? Without running to dig up a lot of history books, could you tell me the prevailing issues of the 1904 election? It just seems the kind of thing that no one will remember.

SI

Are you kidding? McKinley was shot in 1901 and the great Teddy Roosevelt became president (you know, of Mount Rushmore fame). He easily won re-election in 1904.

[ISiddiqui]

Yeah, but that doesn't answer his question, Buc. He asked for the prevailing issues.

And, btw, Reagan was a GOOD President :p.

[Buccaneer]

That was answered, in a way. Since the Dems only offered a token candidate, it was all what Teddy was about. Strong foreign policy, private enterprise growth, conservation and scandal-less administration. Hmmm, maybe history does repeat itself.

[kcchief19]

The fact that no one remembers who Alton Parker was supports the theory that in 100 years no one will know who the hell Rush Limbaugh was. The guy is a talk show host, Alton Parker ran for freakin' president.

Political ideology aside, no way Limbaugh will go down as anything more than he is -- a radio talk show host. He's very successful at, but that's it. I'm not a big fan of Mark Twain, but he created a body of literature that has stood the test of time. Limbaugh hasn't done anything that stands the test of a commercial break.

You can parse the quote all you want. If you want to believe that he is referring only to a fan investing "total passion" in a team with no consquence for individuals without psychological problems, I'll still disagree with it because I don't believe you can invest "total passion" in anything without the chance of getting your feelings hurt and because I believe there other things in which you can invest total passion. I invest total passion in a hamburger an hour ago and I came out of the deal pretty good. :)

But if you're a Limbaugh fan and believe the guy can do no wrong and his shit doesn't stink, it's a great quote. Whatever.

[ISiddiqui]

Well I'm no Limbaugh fan, but I think the quote is great :p.

[Sharpieman]

Rush Limbaugh on countdown=Dennis Miller on MNF.

[mckerney]

Originally posted by timmynausea
The FAT Mark Twain of our time, maybe. Actually, no. History will probably not look on Rush Limbaugh so much. Or at all.
What has he done that is historically significant? Mark Twain wrote great works of fiction that are still appreciated today 100 years later. I don't think that in 100 years people will care that Rush Limbaugh said Reagan was a good President and said that liberals are stupid.

If great works of literature are what will be remembered, then maybe Limbaugh will be known 100 years from now. Anyone else read Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations by Al Franken?

[EagleFan]

Who cares about geting your feelings hurt by a team? That's sports, there's always next season.

Total passion invested in the love of a sport: The worst case is the let down of a loss, no life altering problem there.

Total passion in a woman: The worst case is years of alimony and child support. You can even add a broken heart that can affect your outlook on all relationships in the future, the loss of trust.

Total passion in your job: The worst case could be the cause for the loss of a relationship (or losing out on time that could have been spent with your family, your child will only do something for the first time just once) or even losing all of your savings if you own your own business.

Total passion in food: Worst case could be loss of your life.


Now, what can be argued is that there are other things that can be viewed in a similar light. Like total passion in literature or the arts, in general.


I don't really care about the source of the quote, but that seems to be why there is some negative reaction to the quote.

[mckerney]

Originally posted by EagleFan
Total passion in a woman: The worst case is years of alimony and child support. You can even add a broken heart that can affect your outlook on all relationships in the future, the loss of trust.

Don't forget VD.

[sterlingice]

Originally posted by Buccaneer
That was answered, in a way. Since the Dems only offered a token candidate, it was all what Teddy was about. Strong foreign policy, private enterprise growth, conservation and scandal-less administration. Hmmm, maybe history does repeat itself.

Yeah, Bush is particularly into three and four there :rolleyes:

SI

[larrymcg421]

Bush and Roosevelt have very little in common. Maybe on foreign policy, but that's it.

Roosevelt was very progressive and fought for conservation, regulation of railroads, workers rights, and anti-trust laws. In fact, he was the first president to give the Sherman Anti-Trust Act some teeth.

I'd be very interested if someone could please explain to me how Bush cares about conservation? In what ways has he demonstrated this?

[QuikSand]

Originally posted by larrymcg421
I'd be very interested if someone could please explain to me how Bush cares about conservation? In what ways has he demonstrated this?

He only wants to destroy part of the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge to drill for oil... for an oilman through and through, that's very restrained.

[Julio Riddols]

I guess I've always thought that the majority should be allowed to choose what happens.. Not one person reluctantly or not so reluctantly elected by the majority. Why should there be right wingers and left wingers, except on a hockey team? Seems to me if we were all trying to row for the same boat, we'd get further.

But, I am the first to admit that this is an uneducated, and probably fantastical statement. I know its damn near impossible to have everyone agree on anything.

God I love arguing with myself.




and since this has to do with the voting process...

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[Buccaneer]

You guys are mixing semantics again. There, historically, has always been a distinct difference between conservation (which I am) and environmentalism (which I am not). Conservation is about managed use of resources, which include drilling for oil in certain places. Environmentalism is about not using resources. mainly to stop development and growth. Roosevelt certainly allowed for rapid expansion of extractive industries but also sought to preserve choice pieces of land. ANWR is simply about foreign policy, imo. Folks cried about no blood for oil and if we weren't so dependant upon foreign oil, this would not have been an issue. It's a trade-off and I think Teddy would have approved. Also, there were a few minor scandals in Roosevelt's administration but in comparison, less than previous adminstrations. And on anti-trust and worker rights, Roosevelt swung the pendulum from an extreme to a lesser extreme. If you believe that some moderate position is best, then work needs to be done to keep it there instead of swinging it to the other extreme. But only in general am I making the comparison between 2004 and 1904 without saying is a modern-day Teddy Roosevelt in all areas.

But no one here can talk sensibly about historical issues like this without immediate partisant bashing.

[TroyF]

KC,

Sorry, but I really do not understand what you are trying to say. Your feelings get hurt when your favorite team loses? Wow. What a severe consequence. . .

TroyF

[Buccaneer]

Sorry for the diversion, I've got to stop doing that.

[sabotai]

"But no one here can talk sensibly about historical issues like this without immediate partisant bashing."

This is hysterical coming from you, Bucc.

Case in point, you showed your extreme bias in your own little rant: "Environmentalism is about not using resources. mainly to stop development and growth."

That's not environmentalism. Maybe an extreme faction who tale the title of being environmentalist. But what you said is simply not environmentalism.

[Buccaneer]

I disagree, Sab. I have dealt with this issue locally for many years now at work, on both sides. These include class action lawsuits, species protection, cleanups/monitorings and E.I.S. I'm not talking about the eco-terrorists like what happened at Vail but mainstream environmental groups (Sierra Club, Colo. Coalition) and Federal/State programs (EPA mainly). Stopping growth and anti-business tactics are exactly what they are about. An example locally is the Preble Jumping Mouse.

Also, I never claimed that I was not guilty of bashing, I am. It's just the reactionary syndrome that is so common on internet forums.

[sabotai]

"I have dealt with this issue locally for many years now at work, on both sides. These include class action lawsuits, species protection, cleanups/monitorings and E.I.S. I'm not talking about the eco-terrorists like what happened at Vail but mainstream environmental groups (Sierra Club, Colo. Coalition) and Federal/State programs (EPA mainly). Stopping growth and anti-business tactics are exactly what they are about. An example locally is the Preble Jumping Mouse."

Environmental groups tend to be extremely left wing, and I think that's where the whole "anti-business" thing comes from. I would consider my self an enviromentalist, and I'm about as far from anti-business as anyone could be.

All environmentalism, to me, means is protecting the environment from destruction. A lot of them take it too extreme and blame business for it all and are very anti-business/pro-government. (The irony is that most damage from forrest fires come from government started fires that get out of control. :) Just throwing it out there.).

It's comparable to how liberal almost means socialist now because it's the extreme members that get all the press. The same here. There are plenty of environmentalist that are not anti-business (like me).

"Stopping growth and anti-business tactics are exactly what they are about. An example locally is the Preble Jumping Mouse."

I don't see how designating some land as protected to stop a species of animal from going extinct is considered anti-business. The groups may have used some tactics that are considered anti-business, but that would characterize the groups themselves, not the term "environmentalism". I think you're unfairly accusing all environmentalist of something they're not because of the actions of some popular groups.

[Buccaneer]

Sab, I don't diagree, I used to be members of several such groups but have constantly seen them use the courts and federal laws on local levels to stop or slow down growth/businesses (can't really separate one without the other in high growth areas such as the Colorado Front Range). The Mouse issue came up to slow down growth in the highest planned development area of the metro area. Environmentalism is not an extremist issue in itself but has become so politically and for social agendas. I think the whole point is that conservation is what Roosevelt was after - wise use, if you will - but because of the polarization, wise use is deemed a extremist right-wing but so-called moderates as Gore, Clinton and some of the DLC Dems. Wise use means to keep forests open for roads and logging, BLM tracts in Utah for coal and mining and yes, certain off-shore and on-shore tracts for oil. My stance as a conservationist (as defined in Roosevelt's days) is to lessen the demand which would reduce the need for supply. But until we can do so, including becoming less dependant on foreign oil, we cannot sacrifice our economy in the meantime. Let's manage our resources right but let's use them for our needs, that is the message of conservation. (By the way, I also deal with water rights issues and the Albuquerque minnow is another example of what I am talking about.) Just rambling because I really need to take a nap.

[sabotai]

I guess I'm a conservationist then :D (Which, in a way, I would catagoraize as a type of enviromentalist. To me, a non-evironmentalist would be someone who says "Just pave it all over." :) )

[EagleFan]

I must have really misread that quote. I thought it was about sports, not political alignment. :)

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by EagleFan
I must have really misread that quote. I thought it was about sports, not political alignment. :)

Funny, I was kinda thinking the same thing.

[mckerney]

Originally posted by sabotai
I guess I'm a conservationist then :D (Which, in a way, I would catagoraize as a type of enviromentalist. To me, a non-evironmentalist would be someone who says "Just pave it all over." :) )

I think you're looking for CFACT (www.cfactcampus.org) then.

[Buccaneer]

CFACT

The Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) was created to offer a new voice on consumer and environmental issues. The Committee boldly proclaims that the Western values of competition, progress, freedom, and stewardship can and do offer the best hope for protecting not only the earth and its wildlife, but even more importantly, its people. So therefore, CFACT is working to promote free-market and safe technological solutions to such growing concerns as waste-management, food production and processing, electrical generation, air and water quality, wildlife protection and much more. With an impressive advisory board of more than 40 academic and scientific experts in various fields along with a rapidly expanding citizen membership, CFACT is a catalyst that is helping carry our nation and our world toward a more constructive tomorrow.

I can go along with that. Thanks, mck.

[mckerney]

No problem. Just the kind of thing that's being promoted on college campuses these days. Well, by the conservative groups anyway.

[WSUCougar]

Originally posted by Leonidas
"One of the things I love -- and this is something people don't often consider about sports -- is it's the one thing in life in which you can invest total passion without consequence. Try that with a woman."
Count me among those who think the quote is less than great. To me, it's classic hyperbolic blather stated by someone who is trying to impress people with his insights into the realm of sports. It's typical Rush Limbaugh - speak dramatically like you know what you're talking about and people might be swayed.

Off the top of my head, I can think of several things about which I can "invest total passion without consequence." Computer gaming, wargaming, watching movies, drinking good wine & beer, reading...the list is a long one.

My $0.02

[sabotai]

Consequences...

"Computer gaming"

Watching sports on TV costs nothing. Computer games cost lots of money. But you're poor. So you prostitute yourself to pay for your gaming habit. Then one day you meet a guy named Bubba who demands to be your pimp. You refuse and he shoots you. Consequence: Death by Getting Shot by Pimp Master Bubba.

"wargaming"

Same as above, except his name is Lorne. Consequence: Death by Getting Shot from Pimp Master Lorne.

"watching movies"

Ummm.....you'll start watching moves as much as Ebert does...so you'll start eating like Ebert and become fat and die of a heart attack. Consequence: Death by Heart Attack For Being Like Ebert.

"drinking good wine & beer"

See thread on funny stories. You make an ass out of yourself. The humilation is too much to take so you choose to move town. But the night you leave it's raining badly and you lose control of your car and drive off a bridge. Consequence: Death By Driving Off the Bridge.

"reading"

Ummm.....paper cuts! The more you read the more chance you have at getting a paper cut. You won't tend to it cause you're a man and don't need to. It gets infected and you die! Consequence: Death by infected paper cut.

Consequences...

:D

[WSUCougar]

What about killer pimps named Guido?

;)

[sabotai]

"What about killer pimps named Guido?"

That's if you put all your passion into console gaming. :)

[WSUCougar]

...or Rebecca DeMornay.