Whether the NFL's St. Louis Rams really are for sale might be up for debate. What is not is Rush Limbaugh's potential ownership interest. There will be none.

The conservative radio talk show host was part of a group making a bid for the football team. On Wednesday, the group dropped him like a hot potato after both NFL players and owners alike expressed their outrage over Limbaugh owning even a small wedge.

It turns out the media giant's own words have come back to haunt him.

Back in 2003, Limbaugh was working for ESPN as a color commentator on Sunday night broadcasts. When talking about Donovan McNabb, the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, Limbaugh said: "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. 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."

His opinion did not sit well with McNabb, the black community, football fans in general or ESPN, which pressured him to resign. While Limbaugh's words might have resonated with many others, his short career at the sports channel was over. ESPN wanted its on-air personalities to discuss sports, not make racist comments during prime-time national broadcasts. When examining the facts as they existed in 2003, it was hard to interpret the comment as anything else.

Philadelphia long has held a reputation as a defensive power. Of that there's no dispute. But defense was not the reason McNabb has Hall of Fame numbers with 30,000 career passing yards, a 60-percent completion rate or 200 touchdowns. Defense, and offense, and McNabb, were in the midst of a 12-4 record that year -- good enough to make the playoffs.

And it's not that McNabb was breaking any ground as a black quarterback. It did take decades for a black player to make inroads at the key position, but that was never a question of ability. It was the intoleration of white owners, coaches and other players to have a black man in the primary leadership position as signal-caller.

But that barrier already had been broken. Warren Moon already had established his eventual Hall of Fame career by that point. Randall Cunningham had played in numerous Pro Bowls already. Andre Ware was the first black quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy -- four years earlier. Six years earlier, Doug Williams was the first black quarterback to be named Super Bowl MVP after the Redskins routed the Broncos.

It was an ill-advised comment by Limbaugh -- and he paid the price. He's still paying for it today because 2003 was a mere six years ago. NcNabb is still playing and nobody has forgotten the racist remarks.

So, in order to keep a potential bid on the table, the group pursuing the purchase of the Rams kicked Limbaugh off its team.

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

Holding true to form, Limbaugh is less than apologetic. No remorse, here. It is apparently not in his nature to admit he is wrong. Instead, he deflected.

"This is not about the NFL, it's not about the St. Louis Rams, it's not about me," Limbaugh said. "This is about the ongoing effort by the left in this country, wherever you find them, in the media, the Democrat Party, or wherever, to destroy conservatism, to prevent the mainstreaming of anyone who is prominent as a conservative.

"Therefore, this is about the future of the United States of America and what kind of country we're going to have."

If Limbaugh's battle is to ensure adults refuse to accept responsibility for their actions or words, we wish him no success in his efforts.

Editorial by Patrick Lowry

plowry@dailynews.net