Limbaugh said on his radio show earlier yesterday that he had been inundated with e-mails from listeners who supported him in the bid.
Limbaugh’s bid ran into opposition from within the image-conscious NFL Tuesday when Colts owner Jim Irsay said he would vote against the radio personality. Commissioner Roger Goodell said the commentator’s “divisive’’ comments would not be tolerated from any NFL insider.
In 2003, Limbaugh was forced to resign from ESPN’s Sunday night football broadcast after saying of Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb: “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.’’
Vinatieri has surgery
One day after Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri had arthroscopic surgery to remove a piece of cartilage in his right knee, the team signed veteran Matt Stover to fill in. Vinatieri is expected to miss 1-2 months. To clear a roster spot, the Colts made a surprise move by waiving starting defensive tackle Ed Johnson. “Last week, Adam felt his knee was giving him a little bit of a problem, so he had an MRI,’’ coach Jim Caldwell said about the league’s best clutch kicker and a former Patriot. “They saw some loose cartilage in there and we felt we wanted to get that done now with the bye week.’’ Johnson now has been released twice in the past 13 months by the Colts, the first time in September 2008 after Johnson was arrested on a drug possession charge. He re-signed in May as the team tried to beef up its undersized defensive line, and the 6-foot-2-inch, 296-pounder won back his starting job in camp. But Caldwell said Johnson was not performing well enough . . . Peyton Manning’s sore left knee is no longer an issue for the Colts. The three-time league MVP, who said he needed medical treatment on the knee Sunday night, gave himself a clean bill of health after yesterday’s practice. “No concerns,’’ he said. “It feels fine. It’s a non-issue.’’ Manning said he hurt the knee in the first half of Sunday’s victory at Tennessee, on a play Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch was called for roughing the passer.
Battle lines drawn
