Al Davis might get a run for his money as most controversial NFL owner. Mark Cuban may get some competition for most attention given to any American sports magnate.

That's right: Rush Limbaugh wants to own part of the worst team in the NFL--the St. Louis Rams. Limbaugh joined a bid organized by Dave Checketts, owner of the St. Louis Blues, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirmed yesterday with NFL sources.

In a statement sent to KMOX radio, Limbaugh said: "Dave and I are part of a bid to buy the Rams, and we are continuing the process. But I can say no more because of a confidentiality clause in our agreement with Goldman Sachs. We cannot and will not talk about our partners. But if we prevail we will be the operators of the team."

So, while one might assume that Limbaugh would be a silent partner--if Limbaugh is capable of silence in any fashion--it looks as if he intends to have a role in the team.

People in St. Louis don't particularly like Rush Limbaugh. In fact, they actively dislike him. The city votes consistently Democratic.

But Limbaugh's bid could win some hearts in St. Louis with one important factor: he and the rest of the Checketts team intend to keep the team in St. Louis. After the passing of former owner Georgia Frontiere, and the handing over of most of the team's business to her son Chip Rosenbloom, that's been a concern on the minds of fans. And the greater Rams fan base, extending into Missouri and Southern Illinois, doesn't share the liberal politics of its St. Louis City brethren.