DETROIT, MI -- A payout of over $50,000 from the Toledo Blade for Ted Nugent didn't reportedly stop the rocker from publicly ripping on the newspaper at his concert last week during the 31st annual Northwest Ohio Rib-Off in Maumee, Ohio.
The Blade reports Nugent, a Detroit native, blasted the paper during the concert after he reportedly found out its owner said publicly he was sorry the controversial Motor City Madman was invited to the event.
Nugent, according to the Blade, yelled Friday during the show "The Toledo Blade hates you" and added "They hate your guts ... they hate me ... they hate freedom."
The website Media Matters reported Saturday the paper paid Nugent more than $50,000 to perform at the Rib-Off. It added the contract required the paper to pay Nugent whether organizers kept him on the bill or not.
"I have to pay him that even if it rains," Blade sales director Mike Mori told the website. "I wish the guy would just not say the things he does, he brings a big audience, he's from Michigan, he packs the place.
"If everyone hated him, nobody would come. He does have a following, it's a tough situation. I try to have a diverse type of a line-up."
MLive.com's attempt Monday night to reach Nugent or his spokesperson to get his side of the story weren't successful.
A group called the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence created an online petition to try and stop the Blade from having Nugent perform at the event because of his political views.
Nugent, according to the website setlist.fm, performed 13 songs at the Rib-Off.
A look at Nugent's Rib-Off setlist:
Despite all the controversy, Nugent appeared to have a good time in Ohio last week at the Lucas County Fairgrounds, based on some of his most recent Twitter posts.
Here's one: