RUSH: Snerdley, if you will indulge me, is in a mild state of depression over the fact that the Dallas Cowboys have cut Terrell Owens, number 81, wide receiver, 35 years old, said to be a first ballot Hall of Famer when his time comes five years after he retires. During the break at the top of the hour, Snerdley was saying, ‘Who in the hell is going to pick the guy up? He’s getting older, is probably going to have to take a pay cut.’ He said, ‘You think Singletary, the new coach of the 49ers would pick up –‘ I don’t know. He’s been to San Francisco. I don’t think he looks at San Francisco as a guy having a quarterback that can throw to him and plus Singletary has made it clear they’re going to go for a smashmouth offensive ground game, not so much emphasize the pass, which is not what T.O. wants to play. He doesn’t want to play in that kind of an offense. But then again they did bring Kurt Warner out there, tried to sign him ’cause Warner runs the West Coast offense, which is short, medium range passes with a lot of yards after the catch. So Singletary kind of sent mixed signals. Ground game, and you try to sign Warner, but Warner went back to the Super Bowl-losing Arizona Cardinals.
Now, I have a different take. Everybody in the sports Drive-By Media is saying there’s no way, this guy has burned his bridges, he’s going to have to take a low-number contract and make his money with all kinds of incentives ’cause he’s just a bad actor, he’s destroyed teams, chemistry, everywhere he’s gone — San Francisco, Philadelphia, and now Dallas. And I have a different take on this, as I usually do from the conventional wisdom either in the sports Drive-By Media or the news Drive-By Media. We are in the midst of an economic catastrophe and it’s getting worse because of the policies of President Obama. In normal times, sports is a distraction, it’s an escape from the humdrum of your everyday life. You can dream about it, you go to the ballpark, you watch it on TV, and you forget about your trials and your tribulations and your travails. You forget about your failures, the president’s failures, you forget about all of these things because sports has always been that. In many cities, the professional sports franchises, championships can actually elevate a city’s self-esteem, depending on the size of the city.
I think, given that, I actually think T.O. is potentially sitting on one more big contract gold mine here. Owners in the National Football League, just like any other owner of any other business, are facing challenges. Their tickets are not cheap. They’re having trouble selling out all their luxury boxes at these new stadiums, the Jets and the Giants, personal seat license. It’s going to cost a lot more to go to a football game next season than it did this. And look at all the unemployed. Look at all of the people who are losing their jobs. Where are these tickets going to be sold, who’s going to buy them? If you put a genuine whacked-out soap opera character on your team — all right, forget whacked out, and soap opera maybe, too — but if you can turn your team, your franchise into something that people will not ignore, then people might be more prone to pay to see your circus every Sunday afternoon in the National Football League and on television.
Now, this is a crapshoot because we see that having T.O. as your ringmaster eventually causes you to lose. Philadelphia, Dallas — (interruption) Snerdley, let me tell you something. I hate to tell you this. But you Cowboys fans down in Dallas, you understand this. Next season when Tony Romo drops back to pass, he’s going to be the most liberated quarterback in the NFL. He’s not going to have running through his mind, ‘Oh, God, I better throw it to 81 or I’m going to have hell to pay at halftime, hell to pay all next week.’ He’s not going to be concerned about that and psychologically, mentally, that’s a big thing. You know, Randy Moss was a sort of T.O. He wasn’t as disruptive. He just took some plays off now and then. If he wasn’t happy, he’d leave the field early or what have you. One guy in the National Football League — two people, two people brought Randy Moss back. Well, three, Bob Kraft, you gotta include Robert Kraft in here, the owner of the Patriots. But Tom Brady and Bill Belichick brought Randy Moss back.
I’ll never forget two seasons ago, first couple games, the Patriots are just lighting it up, this is in their 18-1 season, whatever it was, they’re just lighting it up, Randy Moss is just having a career year, and there’s Brady in the postgame press conference talking about how great it is to have Randy Moss there, what a leader, what a difference he has made in the Patriots locker room. And I said, ‘There is a politician, Tom Brady.’ Is this holding your interest, Dawn? Now, it will never happen, but can you imagine Randy Moss split wide on one side, Terrell Owens in the slot on the other side with Tom Brady throwing to them, and Bill Belichick in charge — it will never happen because of cap room and a number of other things. I don’t think it will ever happen, but I think Terrell Owens has a chance. You’re always going to have some wacko owners in the NFL, and they’re going to have to do something to sell tickets in this down economic time. Why not bring in a circus act? He’s a great player when he wants to play. He’s not that great a route runner, Mr. Snerdley. If he’s not motivated, if he doesn’t care, if he’s getting all bent out of shape ’cause he’s not getting the ball, he runs half-assed routes.
You’ve got to run precise, good routes if you’re going to juke people, fake ’em out. But, look, he’s got a chance here, Snerdley, you should relax on this. His agent Drew Rosenhaus says, ‘Ah, yeah, we’ll find a spot for T.O.’ I have no idea where it would be, but there are going to be some teams that are going to value making some money this year more than they do winning because it’s that bad for everybody. Create the buzz, may even give him a bonus for every time there’s a controversy in the clubhouse, who knows. Make sure that the team is in the news each and every day because of Terrell Owens, maybe another accidental overdose, any number of things here that some owner could do. I can’t wait ’til the sports Drive-Bys hear this and comment on it. That’s half of the fun.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: I have the perfect place, Mr. Snerdley, for Terrell Owens on the theory, ‘Yes, bring in a circus act!’ Terrell Owens will sign with the Oakland Raiders. The quarterback will be Michael Vick. Michael Vick throwing to Terrell Owens; Owens is back in the Bay Area, but not in San Francisco. He can go there any time; it’s close enough. Michael Vick throwing to Terrell Owens at the Oakland Raiders. Make book.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Wayne in the Central Valley of California, great to have you on the EIB Network, sir. Hello.
CALLER: Hello, Rush.
RUSH: Hey.
CALLER: Glad to be here and I hope that this don’t hurt you too bad, but I think that you should take Terrell Owens to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He taught ’em how to throw flags, and they are the ones that run the field with 14 men on offense and defense.
RUSH: Oh, no.
CALLER: Oh, yeah.
RUSH: Don’t give me this. What do you mean?
CALLER: Come on!
RUSH: Let’s start at the beginning. Terrell Owens taught ’em to throw flags? What does that mean?
CALLER: Every time he gets bumped he throws his arm like he needs a flag, and he gets it. That’s what the Pittsburgh Steelers did. How about the worst officiated game —
RUSH: You know —
CALLER: — in football history at the Super Bowl?
RUSH: Which one?
CALLER: This last one.
RUSH: This last one?
CALLER: Yeah!
RUSH: And I thought you’d say the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl against the Steelers.
CALLER: No.
RUSH: Well —
CALLER: How could they get a touchdown when they were blocking and holding for the whole time that they had that man run down the sideline and got a touchdown for it?
RUSH: There wasn’t any holding on that play. That’s what makes that play so remarkable.
CALLER: Oh, remarkable?
RUSH: For crying out loud —
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: — the guy that ran that ball back, James Harrison, number 92 —
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: — this guy got —
CALLER: He did a good job of running —
RUSH: Hang on.
CALLER: — everybody holding for him.
RUSH: The conservative movement wants civility. Would you calm down? If we’re going to have a conversation, one of us has to listen when one speaks.
CALLER: Okay, Rush.
RUSH: James Harrison, number 92, defensive end for the Steelers, in fact the Steelers defense did not have an offensive holding call called against it in six consecutive games towards the end of the season. This flag business, it all evens out. I mean, for crying out loud, the officiating is what it is. The Steelers don’t get any breaks. And we certainly don’t want Terrell Owens. I mean, the Steelers, that’s the last place that they send — I gotta tell you something. I’ve had an interesting week, and of all the things that have wounded me more to the heart, you have to call here on Friday and insult my Steelers and impugn their Super Bowl victory. I can take all the rest of this stuff, but you’re breaking my heart here.
CALLER: Ah, well, Rush, you know, how that is. I’m just one of those that is a very avid football fan. I played football against Mr. Butkus in my high school years, so I know what football is. And it hurts.
RUSH: You mean playing hurts or what you’re seeing now?
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: Oh, I know it hurts. Football makes you puke.
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: I mean the average — the average citizen —
CALLER: I was truly upset with the officiating of that game.
RUSH: You know, it’s —
CALLER: And even the commentators made the comment at the end of the game, or towards the end of the game —
RUSH: Which commentators?
CALLER: The commentators who were on the TV, I can’t remember their names right off the top, but —
RUSH: Al Michaels and John Madden.
CALLER: Yeah. In regards to one of the worst officiated games they had ever seen.
RUSH: You lie.
CALLER: In regards to the number of calls —
RUSH: I talked to Al Michaels after that game. Al Michaels never said that to me.
CALLER: Well, with that many calls against the Cardinals compared to what there was against Pittsburgh?
RUSH: Yeah, but look when the Pittsburgh calls started going against them in the fourth quarter. The Steelers had more flags thrown against them in the fourth quarter. I can’t believe that you’re saying this. You played the game! The Steelers could have made the claim that the refs were ganging up against them at the end of the game. These things all even out. The better team won, that’s all that matters.
CALLER: Well, that’s opinions.
RUSH: No. But you know something, Wayne, you’re right about something. The average citizen would not — especially on the offensive line — would not last one play without going to the hospital. People do not know how brutal that game is. You do.
CALLER: Yes. Hey, Rush, I did this for one big reason. I’m tired of talking about our man in the white tent that comes out of the White House that gives us our lectures on a daily basis —
RUSH: I understand that. That’s why we have Open Line Friday. That’s why people can call and talk about whatever they want. But I would say this to you, Wayne.
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: The Super Bowl was over a month ago. It’s time to get over it.
CALLER: Oh, I got over it.
RUSH: You got over it? You’re calling here a month later to complain about it.
CALLER: I don’t complain about it, I just have fun with it, Rush.
RUSH: All right, that’s good.
CALLER: Okay?
RUSH: I had fun with your call, too, Wayne. Thanks much.
CALLER: All right, thank you, Rush.
RUSH: That’s Wayne from the Central Valley, California, where there is 15% unemployment and a water rationing drought emergency. Oh, yeah, it’s bad, California, statewide unemployment, there’s 10%, 10.1%, in certain parts of the state, unemployment is 15.9, agriculture is being really hard hit in California.