Checketts and the Bum's Rush

The Rush Limbaugh drama came to a merciful end, this week, when Dave Checketts announced his group will proceed without the controversial talk show host.

Earlier in the week, it was revealed that Limbaugh was to be a limited partner in an effort to buy the St. Louis Rams. But players and activists alike criticized the move. Soon SBC Worldwide, the investors group headed by Checketts, backed down.

Rush was gone.

Which was a wise move.

The biggest concern was that Limbaugh has made racially charged comments over the years. Some players said they would refuse to play in St. Louis, if Limbaugh were an owner.

Checketts knows how hard it can be to overcome perceptions, true or otherwise. He was president of the Jazz, and knows there are still players who refuse to play in Salt Lake. Remember Derek Harper saying, “You go play in Utah”?

Salt Lake is considered by some to be a place African-American players don’t want to play, due to a perceived lack of diversity. Checketts didn’t need to have trouble bringing players to St. Louis, thanks to a controversial business partner.

Do you think Checketts was wise to drop Limbaugh? Or was he submitting to unfair pressure?