Is There a Lesson from Rush Limbaugh's Failed NFL Bid?

Many conservatives love what they hear coming out of Rush Limbaugh's mouth. And many liberals are horrified that so many Americans could love Limbaugh's show.

But most of us understand that today's talking heads are nothing more than entertainers who take extreme positions to keep their audiences hooked. I doubt Rush, Keith Olbermann or Glenn Beck believe half of what they say and I am confident that their audiences know that they shouldn't take any of that combative commentary seriously. For all we know, when the cameras are off, Rachel Maddow and Ann Coulter count their money together over a cup of tax-protestor tea.

I bring this up because some folks are looking for career lessons from Rush Limbaugh's failed attempt to be on the team that might end up buying the St. Louis Rams. In case you haven't been following the saga, the players union spoke up and rejected Rush because he's chosen to make lots of inflammatory comments about the league and its players over the years. Furthermore, the other NFL owners don't want their brand tarnished by politics, even though they may personally agree with Rush's views. Therefore, it's in their collective economic interest to keep this walking controversy out of the owner's box.
Kris Dunn, editor of the HR Capitalist blog, believes that Limbaugh's failure might serve as a cautionary tale for any working stiff with loose lips. Here's his hypothetical:

How about the time you made Marge come in when her kids were sick and you openly stated, "remind me not to hire people who have kids".

You thought no one heard it, and even if they did, it was a joke, right? Wrong - in the new transparent world that's right around the corner, sites are going to start collecting information on your abilities as a manager - and yes, your biases - via user generated content.

It's right around the corner. The NFL players won't play for Limbaugh, and someday soon, how you treated Marge is going to come back and haunt you when you need a candidate, and the best sources of candidates for your position are working moms.

It's true that in this new age of web-powered transparency, being a jerk could have lasting consequences for your career and your company. However, I am not sure that's the key takeaway. It's hard to draw a parrallel when most of us aren't public figures who get paid to be offensive.

So Rush can huff and puff all he wants about "race hustlers" and the "liberal media." He could even threaten a libel suit. But at the end of the day, he can't use the millions he earned making degrading comments to buy the team.

What do you think the lesson is? Share your thoughts below.