Missouri radio station owner remembers firing Rush Limbaugh in 1984, Rush then moving to KFBK in Sacramento where an ABC exec at the airport happened to hear Rush and offered him a job in NY City
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“Rush came into my office…sat down in a chair across from me, and announced, “It is only a matter of time before you are going to fire me.”
2/20/21, “What a Rush: Meet the man who canned Limbaugh,“ Coeur d’Alene Press, Idaho, Paul Leonard, Jr.
“When I was a much younger man in Kansas City in 1984, Rush Limbaugh worked for me. I fired him.
As you might suspect, managing Rush was a formidable challenge, and the fact that he was largely unmanageable was probably a part of the secret sauce that fueled his rise to meteoric success. I am saddened by his passing. And like him or hate him, any fair-minded or knowledgeable analysis of Rush’s career would have to end by concluding that he was probably one of the most influential media forces in the past 100 years.
In 1984, I was a 24-year-old station manager of some radio stations in Kansas City that included KMBZ-AM. Rush was my afternoon news/sports guy and I paid him about $32K a year.
Rush’s job was fairly straightforward: Watch and follow the “clock” and give news summaries and sports commentary at the appointed times.
Rush came into my office on my first day, sat down in a chair across from me, and announced, “It is only a matter of time before you are going to fire me.”
I was taken aback, and confused. I told him, “Rush, these stations are a mess and I am not LOOKING to fire anyone, especially anyone who doesn’t deserve it. Just do your job and be a team player, and you’ll be fine.”
The next few months, Rush gave me heartburn on a number of topics — including adding some bold commentary where none was required, and dropping a few words that were less than desirable for a Midwest radio station news/talk station whose audience had an average age of probably 50 years old.
But the capstone event that made me fire Rush was tied to some comments he made about the KC Chiefs, a team I had spent over a year schmoozing and coercing and pursuing with a goal of adding their games to our station. At the same time I was pursuing the Chiefs, I was also courting the KC Royals, with the thought being I would be happy and the stations would thrive if we were able to land a contract with either team.
Well, Rush was a baseball guy. He had worked briefly with the Royals and had developed a friendship with some of their front office and players, including George Brett. One day, as I drove back to the station and was listening to Rush’s show, I listened in horror as Rush went off on a postal tirade against the Chiefs, and their recent losing season — and capped off his opinion, delivered with his famous opinionated flair, by saying, “… and the Chiefs’ General Manager, Jack Steadman, is probably the biggest horse’s ass in professional sports!”
Twenty-four is unusually young to have a heart attack, but as I pulled into the parking lot of our offices, I thought I might be having one. Jack Steadman of the Chiefs was holding on my office phone as I ran to my desk, and the conversation that followed was pretty one-sided, loud, and painful for yours truly.
Fast forward, and fate moved all planets forward as is always the case.
We signed a multi-year deal with the Royals, and they went on to win the World Series the following year. Rush went to work at a radio station in Sacramento, KFBK.
An ABC executive named Ed McLaughlin was fogged in at the Sacramento airport and happened to tune into Rush on his transistor. He offered Rush a job in New York, in the 12 a.m.-6 a.m. time slot.
In 1987 the winds of regulation were changing and radio personalities started doing more issues-based and politically focused commentary, and Rush was really the first one through the door. He was a ferocious worker, and working with Ed, Rush went on to build a network of stations that would carry his show, initially for free.
Rush was a relentless salesperson, and you might find him attending a small state convention of radio station owners, pressing the flesh and talking them into carrying his show. There was nobody doing what he was doing, and he was very, very good at it.
The rest, as they say, is history.
He went on to pen a best-selling book. He formed his own syndication company and network. He went from making $32K with me to making $32 million a year — probably $80 million a year recently. He became a household name, and as we all saw last year, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a State of the Union.
I remember fondly the first time I saw Rush after I fired him. It was in 1990 at a black tie dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. He was seated at the table next to mine with Sam Donaldson, with his back to me.
After the salads were served my table mates urged me to go say “hi” to him. So I did. He saw me coming around the table, and a large smile started forming on his lips.
I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “Rush, I haven’t seen you in a few years, but I fired you a few years ago. Now, I hope you have been able to land on your feet, and find gainful employment.”
The people at his table froze and stared at us both, wondering if a moment of awkwardness had arrived. Instead he stuck out his hand and gave me a giant grip. I said to him, “All I know for sure, Rush, is that I am still driving the same car as I was five years ago, but I am willing to bet you $100 you aren’t.” He laughed uproariously, and the table did the same.
I sent him a letter two months ago, congratulating him on his medal, and the huge impact he has had on modern talk radio. I didn’t hear back, which I sadly and correctly assumed was probably due to his measuring the last days of his life.
Today there are people who will mourn his passing and will miss his firebrand presentation of conservative ethos. There will also be some who will momentarily forget their humanity and will be gleeful about his passing.
Regardless of one’s politics, there can be no argument that he was a broadcasting force of nature, and ideological trailblazer, a ferocious and tireless worker and champion of his beliefs. And it is simply a fact that he is one of the most important and influential media personalities to arise in the past 100 years.
Rest in peace, Rush.”…(image above, Paul Leonard)
“Paul Leonard is a resident of Hayden.”
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2014 World Series: In seven games, San Francisco Giants defeated Kansas City Royals, Oct. 29, 2014
10/16/2014, “Congratulations to the Kansas City Royals,” Rush Limbaugh
I was not at the Royals in 1985. I had just left town for Sacramento to set out on this journey, if you will. I worked for the Royals from ’79 through ’83, so I was there for the 1980 World Series that they lost to the Phillies. It was exciting and, you know, I had an important job there. I was director of ceremonial first pitches, and I was director of escorting national anthem singers to second base before playoff games. They sometimes even let me pick the anthem singers. It was five years I spent there. I wouldn’t trade those five years for anything. It was my first five years outside of radio, which I started at age 16.
I met people I would otherwise have not met. I learned things, experience things I never would have. And I had doors open for me simply because I could say, “Hi, Rush Limbaugh, from the Kansas City Royals.” People that wouldn’t give me the time of day, I’m talking about businesspeople, would open their doors. But it was also good for me because I found out that I’m not cut out for corporate conformity, but I wouldn’t trade those five years, and it’s so great….
I was looking at the game last night, watching, and that stadium, they’ve done such a great job renovating it and keeping it new. The place was buzzing. It’s one of the best places in the country to watch a baseball game and be part of it. These are young players that don’t know they can’t do anything. It was great to see, and I just want to take a little brief moment here to congratulate ’em.
RUSH: One more observation about the Kansas City Royals and the American League Championship Series. I’ve done something the past couple of weeks I haven’t done in years, I have been watching baseball games on TV, and a realization hit me last night. It’s the way it used to be. I didn’t hear any talk of concussions.
I didn’t hear the play-by-play announcers or the color commentators lamenting sexual abuse. I didn’t hear about whether some player had come out and was gay. I didn’t hear about any cultural this or that. It was just baseball. It was nothing more than the sport of baseball. It was on television, it’s what was talked about, and all of that sideshow stuff the media has dragged into football (and to a certain extent basketball) wasn’t there.
It was… Well, they’re gonna frown on me for this word, but it was “pure,” and by “pure” I mean in the purest sense. It was almost a throwback. It was the way watching sports on TV used to be, long before the Sports Drive-Bys (media) decided to go get political on everybody. It was really great. Something else I was reminded of: The Kansas City crowd is one of the best-looking crowds in baseball. Seriously.
Look, I know I’m biased here. I lived there for 10 years and I worked at that team for five years, but they’re respectful of the other team, sportsmanship and all that, some clever signs. It was all good. It was great TV, it was great baseball, and it was exciting, and as I say: I haven’t watched baseball in years. But I got the fever, and I think it’s great. Again, I just wanted to take a brief moment to congratulate everybody….
RUSH: Here’s Sarah in Overland Park, Kansas City. Welcome. It’s great to have you on the program, Sarah. Hi….
CALLER: I’ve been trying to get through for years. I’ve been a fan forever, my family, all of us. And of all the things for me to call about, I am so happy you mentioned the Kansas City Royals. I’ve been waiting because I know about your connection, and I have to tell you, it’s just amazing in this city right now. It’s electric.
RUSH: It’s like it was, I’ll bet, back in the late seventies, early eighties, mid-eighties, when the Royals owned the town and when the Royals defined even the self-esteem of the city. I mean, they owned it. Everybody, I mean, the city was totally united based on the Royals and their fortunes, and it was a great time. It was a great period in the city’s history. And you’re saying it’s back now, huh?
CALLER: You know, I was two years out of high school in ’85, and I was a big fan, I’ve always been a baseball fan. Politics and baseball are my two favorite things, besides my daughter. So I was away at college when they won it in ’85. And, you know, baseball is just America. My family and I were at the game on Tuesday, the third game, and I’ve never seen anything like it in person. People were singing, “God Bless America” with the singer in, what, seventh or eighth inning. Nobody knows the words to that song. It was just people were crying and taking off their caps and just so into it, and I think —
(Break Transcript, Commercial break)
CALLER: Yeah. I agree with you, and that’s just baseball to me, and, you know, I truly believe America is rooting for this team. They’ve struggled for so long, and I think Dayton Moore is a genius. I think Ned Yost has managed this team very well. And I think they’ve both been very patient, as has the owner of the Royals.
RUSH: Well, okay, we’ll grant patience. We’ll chalk it up to patience.
CALLER: Well, they’re great players, and I think it’s different than other teams, too. The Royals and the general manager want to hire players who really want to win. They have good character. They work hard. It’s been a real struggle. They just have worked so hard.
RUSH: Well, here’s what’s happened. I’ll explain it to you in a nutshell. The Royals simply can’t play players what the Yankees, the Angels, and other teams can. Well, they’re a small market. I don’t know the smallest, but they’re a small market. They don’t have local revenue like other teams do, and despite the revenue sharing tax, it doesn’t even begin to make up for it. They have, however, a great scouting department. They sign young players.
It is amazing the quality of the young players that have come up through the Kansas City system, and once they show their wares and they reach their free agency period, they’re gobbled up by other teams, and the names are legion. Carlos Beltran is one. Johnny Damon is another. These were all Royals. And, in this case, what happened is this team gelled, while it’s very young, this team came together why it’s very young before anybody had a chance to test free agency and split. It really is amazing timing when you get down to it.
There was something else that happened this year. Some fan, the Royals have a fan in South Korea that is absolutely a rabid fan and went through hell or high water to get there in Kansas City to watch a game. His story made the news and he ended up meeting some of the players, became a local celebrity while he was in town, and that almost coincides with the team’s reversal of fortunes, not entirely, but they had so many great human interest stories this year.
When I worked there, I’ll just share with you a little thing here and then, Sarah, I have to move on. But when I worked there, you know, every year you hope you make the playoffs ’cause there’s nothing better. The postseason is fun, the excitement, the place is packed, the town’s buzzing, it’s the best. During a season, you see things — I did. I saw plays, late-game heroics, home runs that made me think this is the season of destiny, turning an unlikely double play in the ninth inning in Texas, I’ll never forget one of those….
I saw so many of those things this season with the Royals, it made me say, even during the playoffs, that this team is destined. And, so far, it’s proven out. So the World Series opens Tuesday night in Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium. The town is gonna be buzzing. There’s no question about it. It’s one of the best restaurant towns. It’s one of the best dry cleaner towns. I mean, it’s one of the best highway towns, best airport towns. It really is. So, Sarah, I’m glad you’re all jazzed about it. I’m sure the whole town is. That’s the great thing. I appreciate the call very much, and best of luck.”
Image above from RushLimbaugh.com
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2/23/2021 03:55:00 AM
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