Mike Wilbon: Rush Limbaugh Universally Reviled by Black People

Rush Limbaugh has been the No. 1 topic of conversation in the sports media over the last couple of weeks, as his bid to become a part owner of the St. Louis Rams was torpedoed, in part, by commentators and NFL players suggesting that Limbaugh is a racist who has no business being a part of the NFL. But was Limbaugh treated unfairly by the sports media?

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Maybe. Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post and ESPN appeared on CNN's Reliable Sources this weekend and acknowledged that he did not have a credible source for a racist quote he attributed to Limbaugh on Pardon the Interruption. When asked if he should have verified the quote before attributing it to Limbaugh, Wilbon acknowledged that he screwed up.

"No question," Wilbon said. "And I told Rush that -- that's a journalistic no-no."

But while Wilbon couldn't stand by one quote he attributed to Limbaugh, he defended the way he and others attacked Limbaugh -- and Wilbon said that black people across America are united in their belief that Limbaugh should be scorned.

"He is universally reviled by black people in this country," Wilbon said. "That's no surprise -- anybody who wants to walk down any boulevard in predominantly African-American communities will find that out very quickly. ... Let's not make it seem like Rush Limbaugh hasn't insulted black people on his radio show. He's done it for years and years and years. ... Millions of black people know this, and that's why they feel about Limbaugh the way they do."