Rush Limbaugh says he was vetted by league to become minority owner of Rams

Conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh lashed out at NFL union leader DeMaurice Smith, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and the media a day after being dropped from a group trying to buy the St. Louis Rams.

On his syndicated show Thursday, Limbaugh said he was approached by St. Louis Blues chairman Dave Checketts earlier this year about participating in a Rams bid. Checketts assured him his involvement as a minority investor had been vetted by the NFL, he said.

“I said to him at this meeting, ‘Are you aware of the firestorm?’ He said, ‘We wouldn’t have approached you if hadn’t taken care of that,’ ” said Limbaugh, a conservative favorite who is reviled by many liberals.

Limbaugh added that Checketts had told him his involvement had been cleared at the “highest levels of the NFL.”

During a 15-minute counterattack at the start of his show, Limbaugh said he believes he’s been made an example by a players’ union seeking leverage in talks over a new collective bargaining agreement. And he believed what happened to him was an illustration of “[President] Obama’s America on full display.”

Injury report

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has been held out of practice for the third time in four days, leaving his availability in question for Sunday’s game at Green Bay. The No. 1 overall draft choice suffered a knee injury in Detroit’s Oct. 4 loss at Chicago and sat out last weekend’s 28-20 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers. . . . Cleveland Browns Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers missed his second straight day of practice because of a non-injury related absence.

Vanden Bosch fined

The NFL has fined Tennessee defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch $5,000 for his hit on Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning.

Vanden Bosch said Thursday he knows what the rule is on not hitting quarterbacks around the knees. But Vanden Bosch had been blocked and was going down as he grabbed Manning’s legs in Sunday night’s 31-9 loss to the Colts.

Vick protest

A Bay Area animal rights group is planning a protest against Michael Vick before his game against the Raiders on Sunday.

The group In Defense of Animals says it will protest outside Oakland Coliseum before Vick plays his first road game for the Philadelphia Eagles since being reinstated to the NFL.