Rush Limbaugh stood a better chance of suiting up in an NFL game than he did of ever stepping foot in an owners suite as a limited partner in any ownership group.

We can sit here and say that the decision by the partnership trying to pursue the St. Louis Rams decided to put Rush out to pasture because of his hateful words against African-Americans and so many others over the years he has been on the radio, but the reality is that the National Football League is the biggest and baddest of all sports leagues, and they were not going to allow anyone — including a guy who just signed a $400 million contract — to mess with their money.

There is nothing that the NFL doesn't sell to sponsors. Whether it be stadium naming rights, billboards, suites or official sponsors of any and everything, corporate America is as much a part of the NFL as the players. And we all know that corporate America likes things squeaky clean, so if anyone gets in the way of the brand, that person is removed from the scene. Quickly.

Rush can throw his weight around and scream at the top of his lungs that he is a victim because he is a conservative, but he knows and we know that is total BS. There are a ton of mega-millionaires and billionaires who own NFL teams, and you likely will find more who voted for Sen. John McCain than for Barack Obama in last year's election. Yet they love money more than anything else. And no corporate partner was going to risk a boycott of its products because it was in bed with Rush, no matter how small the bed.

His supporters have been quick to yell that this is an assault on the First Amendment and that Rush is being penalized for speaking his mind. The latter is very true. He is allowed to speak his mind. But need I remind these same individuals that just as Rush has the right to say what he wants, the public has the same First Amendment right to denounce his comments and even boycott companies that do business with him.

Please keep in mind that Rush already knows he's toxic and that American corporations would not risk their sterling reputations by being associated with him. Take a look at RushLimbaugh.com. If the media business were all about popularity and the ratings, Rush's Web site — and radio show — would be overflowing with ads from blue chip companies — such as carmakers, beverage companies and athletic companies. Yet I don't see Nike, Coca-Cola or General Motors advertising on his show or site. We see ads for a cold remedy I never have heard of and an identity theft protection company and information about gold from a financial company — legitimate companies, but certainly not brand names with which we are all familiar.

The NFL could not stand by and watch even a limited partner say incendiary and offensive things on the air and then expect the fans to turn the other cheek and say, "Oh, that's just Rush doing what Rush does."

Like it or not, Rush, there are consequences to your actions and your words. You may try the woe-is-me crap, but you have made vile, hateful, mean-spirited and downright offensive comments about people, and yes, you have used race as a punching bag to drive your points home.

The clear rejection by NFL players, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay and the head of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith, shows that they are not interested in a big mouth with a fat check.

Rush, you and your acolytes can try to put all of this on the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson Sr. — you have their pictures prominently displayed on your Web site — but your own words are what killed your opportunity to be an NFL owner. It's your own denigration of people of color on a consistent basis on your radio show. You're a big boy with a big check and a big microphone. Stick to what you know best. And football clearly isn't it.

Roland S. Martin is an award-winning CNN analyst and the author of the forthcoming book "The First: President Barack Obama's Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin." Please visit his Web site at www.RolandSMartin.com. To find out more about Roland S. Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.