Limbaugh out of bid to buy St. Louis Rams

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Talk show host Rush Limbaugh will not be a part of a group trying to purchase the NFL's St. Louis Rams, the head of the group said Wednesday.

After recent reports Limbaugh was part of a group trying to acquire the Rams, several NFL players criticized him for race-related remarks he has made on the air and some said they would not play for a team in which he had an ownership stake. Limbaugh lost a commenting job on ESPEN in 2003 after he said Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles was overrated by "media" who wanted a successful black quarterback.

Dave Checketts, who owns the NHL St. Louis Blues, issued a statement Wednesday saying the group he heads will pursue its effort to buy the Rams without Limbaugh. He said Limbaugh's "involvement in our group has become a complication and a distraction to our intentions."

"As such, we have decided to move forward without him and hope it will eventually lead us to a successful conclusion," Checketts said.

Limbaugh was dropped from the group hours after saying on his nationally syndicated radio show he was "not even thinking of exiting."

The development comes one day after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said "divisive comments are not what the NFL is all about."

"I would not want to see those comments coming from people who are in a responsible position in the NFL, absolutely not," Goodell said.