ESPN Could Pay for Limbaugh Fiasco

Could there be a little unpleasant fallout from the Rush Limbaugh catastrophe on the horizon for ESPN? The NFL may be rethinking its relationship with the sports network after comments made by the controversial commentator sparked a controversy that resulted in his resignation. The league was already unhappy with the network's "Playmakers" series, which paints the NFL in a very negative light, but this latest controversy may be enough to force some type of action.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News believes the NFL might just keep these two incidents in mind when negotiations for a new television deal roll around, and strip ESPN of its precious Sunday night package. Doing so would allow them to roll the Sunday night games over to their soon-to-launch NFL Network, providing them with more than a little leverage in contract talks with local cable companies interested in carrying the new football outlet.