Issue date: 10/15/09 Section: Sports

Rush Limbaugh prepares for a radio show in Nov. 2003. Limbaugh recntly attempted to become a partial owner of the St. Louis Rams but was dropped as a candidate.

ST. LOUIS (MCT) - Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio talk show host, was dropped Wednesday as a limited partner from a group led by Dave Checketts in a bid to purchase the St. Louis Rams football team.

Checketts, the owner of the St. Louis Blues hockey team, said that Limbaugh had "become a complication and a distraction" in the group's pursuit of the Rams.

Limbaugh's history of controversial comments drew the concern of NFL players, owners and the commissioner in the week since his participation in the bid became known.

The Checketts group is the only bidder to have been publicly identified so far. As many as six groups have placed bids.

"Rush was to be a limited partner - as such, he would have had no say in the direction of the club or in any decisions regarding personnel or operations," Checketts said in a statement. "This was a role he enthusiastically embraced. However, it has become clear that his involvement in our group has become a complication and a distraction to our intentions, endangering our bid to keep the team in St. Louis. As such, we have decided to move forward without him."

The exact makeup and breakdown of Checketts' ownership group remains unknown, not just to the public but to the NFL and the Rams. But sources familiar with the group said they did not anticipate any problems replacing Limbaugh's potential investment in the team.

Limbaugh has been aligned with the Checketts bid for a couple of months, league sources said, but it didn't become public knowledge until last week. The reaction was quick and heated, jump-started by NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, who urged players throughout the league to speak out against the inclusion of Limbaugh in the potential Rams ownership group.

Privately, several Rams players also complained about Limbaugh as a potential team owner. On Wednesday, hours before the decision to drop Limbaugh was announced, Rams cornerback Ron Bartell spoke out publicly.

In 2003, Limbaugh was dropped from ESPN after he said in reference to Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb, "I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well."

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