Rush Limbaugh Resigns

Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh resigned from ESPN on Wednesday night, three days after his comments about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb being overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.

Earlier Wednesday, Democratic presidential candidates Wesley Clark, Howard Dean and Rev. Al Sharpton called for the cable sports network to fire Limbaugh.

"My comments this past Sunday were directed at the media and were not racially motivated," Limbaugh said in a statement Wednesday night. "I offered an opinion. This opinion has caused discomfort to the crew, which I regret. I love 'NFL Sunday Countdown' and do not want to be a distraction to the great work done by all who work on it. Therefore, I have decided to resign. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the show and wish all the best to those who make it happen."

George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports, accepted the resignation.

"We regret the circumstances surrounding this," he said in a statement. "We believe that he took the appropriate action to resolve this matter expeditiously."

Earlier in the day, before Limbaugh bowed to criticism and resigned, McNabb himself commented on Limbaugh.

"He said what he said... I'm sure he's not the only one that feels that way, but it's somewhat shocking to actually hear that on national TV," the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback told reporters. "An apology would do no good because he obviously thought about it before he said it."

Before McNabb led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 23-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Limbaugh said on the pregame show that he didn't think McNabb was as good as perceived from the start.

"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," said Limbaugh, the outspoken conservative radio talk show host who joined ESPN this season. "There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."

Limbaugh's remark has already had a ripple effect.

In Washington, Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark urged ABC to fire Limbaugh. The retired Army general called Limbaugh's remarks "hateful and ignorant speech."

Front-running candidate Howard Dean, a former Vermont governor, followed up with his own assessment: "absurd and offensive." "There is no legitimate place in sports broadcasting for voices that seek to discredit the achievement of athletes on the basis of race,'' said Dean in a statement.

Sportswriters across the country, both black and white, weighed in with disbelief and disgust.

"To say that there's a social concern and a belief to want black quarterbacks to do well is ludicrous," Sports Illustrated's Roy Johnson told CBS News Correspondent Byron Pitts.

McNabb, who was runner-up for the league MVP award in 2000, a member of three Pro Bowl teams and has led the Eagles to two-straight NFC championship games, said he has no quarrel with Limbaugh's comment on his playing ability. "I know I played badly the first two games," he said at his nationally televised news conference.

McNabb got off to the worst start of his career this season and was the NFL's lowest-rated starting quarterback after losses to Tampa Bay and New England. Still, the Eagles are 36-22 in games he started.

He said Limbaugh's comments about his race were out-of-bounds and added that someone on the show should have taken him on.

"I'm not pointing at anyone, but someone should have said it," McNabb said. "I wouldn't have cared if it was the cameraman."

A decade ago, there were few black quarterbacks in the NFL. This season, 10 of the 32 teams will have started black quarterbacks in at least one game.

Before McNabb's news conference, an ESPN spokesman said he didn't think the comments were racially biased.

"He was comparing McNabb's performance on the field to his reputation in the media," spokesman Dave Nagle said. He said Limbaugh doesn't do interviews.

Limbaugh helped increase the ratings for "Sunday NFL Countdown." Nagle said ratings were up 10 percent overall, and 26 percent among the 18-to-34 male demographic. Sunday's show drew its biggest audience in the regular season since November 1996.

"ESPN hired Limbaugh for his passion and his ability to express opinion and spark debate as a football fan," Nagle said. "In just one month, he has certainly delivered."

Nevertheless, Limbaugh and ESPN have not exactly been smothered in love in the City of Brotherly Love.

"The sick thing is, this is exactly what ESPN had in mind when the all-sports network hired veteran provocateur Rush Limbaugh for its Sunday NFL pre-game show. You can imagine the meeting. The ESPN bigwigs must have needed drool cups to handle the runoff when they discussed the controversy Limbaugh would generate," wrote Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Phil Sheridan.

Rich Hofmann of the Philadelphia News complained about the failure of Limbaugh's studio colleagues to challenge him: "Limbaugh's black-quarterback comments were ignored. His easy dismissal of everything that McNabb has accomplished was not challenged. His cavalier, hurtful words were left to sit there and sting. On the central issue, nobody took the bully on."

Limbaugh is best known as the radio host of the politically focused "Rush Limbaugh Show," which is syndicated in more than 650 markets worldwide.

He spent most of the 1990s assailing then-President Clinton and now spends Sunday mornings talking football, a job he called "the fulfillment of a dream."