Yesterday morning, before leaving the house to go to my first class, I happened to see a few minutes of some show on ESPN — one of those shows where middle-aged men argue back and forth, referring to and negotiating a logic I don’t quite understand.

Kind of like a “masculineâ€Â version of “The View.â€Â

What they were arguing about had to do with Rush Limbaugh and his bid to buy the St. Louis Rams. Specifically, Limbaugh is one of the leading members of a group bidding to buy the National Football League franchise, a move that has had various NFL players, coaches, pundits and fans lining up in opposition.

—And oh, for the record, I understand this is supposed to center around “homecoming.â€Â So when I think of homecoming, I think of football and I suspect this is true for most students. And so, to talk about football is to talk also about homecoming, albeit indirectly. Ignore the fact that I am not at all “at homeâ€Â talking about football—

So, these guys on ESPN were playing out the debate over Limbaugh̢۪s effort to buy the Rams in a miniature, 7-minute made-for-TV version.

One of the guys said something like, “He should be able to spend his money however he wants.â€Â

(Question: In a “free market,â€Â don’t sellers also have the right to not sell?)

The other guy responded with, “Sure, but my concern is that it would make the NFL too political. Politics don’t belong in the NFL.â€Â

Allow me to address the myth of an apolitical NFL — or an apolitical anything, really. It doesn’t exist. Of course the NFL is political; of course it preserves and perpetuates certain values. Like, for example, the evidently popular belief that sports teams shouldn’t divide their fans along party lines.

In any case, after listening to these guys toss their arguments back and forth for a while (and trying to be dispassionate about it — so adorable), I had time to think about the real reason Rush is facing opposition from the football community nationally: This guy is pretty much the biggest hater in the country.

Remember, the guy who made news a few months ago for announcing that he hopes President Obama “fails?â€Â Oh and then what about back before John McCain was the Republican party’s candidate in the ‘08 election? There wasn’t a whole lot of love for the senator from Arizona back then.

The last time Limbaugh was a major figure in the NFL was when, as a commentator on ESPN, he dismissed Donovan McNabb’s performance, citing “a little social concern in the NFL.â€Â Limbaugh went on to say, “The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. 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.â€Â

According to Limbaugh, he knew his bid for the Rams was going to be controversial but, of course, he made it anyway. I̢۪m convinced at this point that he will do anything to make sure the world outside of his community of Dittoheads will hear what he has to say.

It’s not “politics,â€Â that the NFL doesn’t want in the NFL — it’s Limbaugh and the public identity he’s shaped for himself.

They don̢۪t want you, Rush, because they don̢۪t trust you.

Because every chance you get you let something hateful slip from your fat, stupid lips.

Happy homecoming.

Mathew Gomes graduated in 2009 with a degrees in English and music composition. He is currently a graduate student at Fresno State.