Media Monster

I Think We Can Assume Keith Olbermann Won’t Be Working At ESPN After This Tweet

by Dan Fogarty | 1:17 pm, January 30th, 2011

Since Keith Olbermann’s departure from MSNBC, there have been a number of rumored destinations for the former “Countdown” host. Some are obvious (a move to CNN), and some are more creative (a recurring role on Aaron Sorkin’s new HBO series). But one of the more popular rumors was a return to his old home at ESPN, where he helped kickstart the era of the wisecracking sports anchor.

However, his past with ESPN seems a bit too complicated for a return (we chronicled the long, strange journey between Keith and the Worldwide Leader here). Although a return to ESPN TV is probably impossible (Olbermann once told David Letterman that he was banned from ESPN’s main campus in Bristol, Connecticut), many thought a run on ESPN Radio was possible. After all, ESPN’s radio operation seems separated enough from their main hub of activity that Olbermann’s past run-ins with management wouldn’t make things too uncomfortable.

Well, you can scratch that off the list.

Earlier today, Olbermann tweeted the following from his verified account:

A SPECIAL kind of conflict of interest. ESPN’er rips Nike on air, signs endorsement deal with Reebok: http://nyti.ms/gWSd7D #ByeCred

The “conflict of interest” Olbermann was referring to involves ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews, who recently signed an endorsement deal with Reebok. During the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, while she was in the midst of contract talks with the company, Andrews reported that players wearing Nike shoes were slipping on the turf.

In the Times article that Olbermann linked to in his tweet, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said, “We are confident in Erin’s reporting ability and journalistic role. If an instance of inherent conflict arises, we would obviously be transparent with the audience.”

Apparently, Olbermann disagrees. And by making his feelings public, he likely kills any chance he has of going to ESPN, and makes it clear that he never wanted to return in the first place.

[Keith Olbermann, New York Times, The Oregonian]

ProudConservative

Who is Keith Olbermann?

LoL
daveinboca

Olbermann as usual hates women with a passion and the lovely, put-upon Erin would draw this misogynist’s ire more than anyone else. He probably really had to look at the video long and hard to get the Nike/Reebok conflict of interest straight. He’s been going downhill for so long, he should be a co-star in the new “Sanctum” movie with the underwater cave-diving sequences. He’s a complete fool—period.

PS—Olbermann and the highly-respected Chris Berman were radio sports-jocks at the same high school and were buddies back in the day. Berman took the road to professionalism and self-respect. KO took the path to preening grandiosity and self-promotion. Now one still has a job and is still highly respected.

And it ain’t KO…!
Jbeast

It’s a reach. KO loves a good with hunt though.
http://gothicromance.net/ Fransway

All of this is just stupid. So what? Olbermann didn’t tweet anything wrong. ESPN is a crappy channel anyway.
https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkv25TjwmSLsPu-lR8RjCuWPpoQ_yc87yw Matt

For what it’s worth, I’ve heard from people who have met Chris Berman in person that he is a complete asshole.

I have no idea what your assertion that Olbermann is a misogynist is based upon, but even if he was, I don’t see what this particular criticism could have to do with that.

Doesn’t it count for anything that he’s right? From the description in this article, it seems like a completely obvious and blatant conflict of interest. She “observes” that players wearing a particular brand of shoes are slipping while she just happens to be in contract talks with the brand’s competitor? C’mon! That doesn’t seem fishy at all?

Isn’t it at all possible that Olbermann was simply being honest and sharing an observation, and that any concern about his future career prospects would not be justification to him for censoring himself? If ESPN actually has integrity, they will abide by their own claimed policy of transparency, and if they do not, Keith probably would have no desire to work there again anyway.
Anonymous

“I have no idea what your assertion that Olbermann is a misogynist is based upon”

Really, Matt? Big shock to you, huh?

Here’s 42,000 links to help you out: http://www.google.com/search?q=keith+olbermann+is+a+misogynist&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

He’s a pig.
Anonymous

Not as crappy as MSNBC, with or without Keith the pear shaped man.
http://libertyinprogressnow.wordpress.com/ ProgLib

He never wanted to go there, and ESPN wouldn’t have wanted him.
http://libertyinprogressnow.wordpress.com/ ProgLib

What does Olbermann’s criticism have anything to do with women? It’s about a conflict of interest, you moron.
http://libertyinprogressnow.wordpress.com/ ProgLib

Wow, Googling a bunch of results to unreliable blogs (some of which have an agenda to solely attack Olbermann). How predictable on your part. I bet you love to check Drudge and Fox Nation for your news, too, don’t you?
daveinboca

Hey proglodyte, you are the moron here. KO hates women and the rest of the human race as well.
daveinboca

Funny, I’ve heard from people who work with Chris Berman that he’s a great guy. And the fact that KO is a complete asshole is the most well-known in TVland. He’s retired the complete asshole cup, and this was the fourth job KO’s been shit-canned from. CB has stayed with ESPN his whole career.
http://gothicromance.net/ Fransway

An upside down pear that is. MSNBC is the best and most vibrant channel on the air. Now, Missunderpants, time to wear them on your head.
http://twitter.com/jtLOL ‘Jim’ ‘Treacher’

I look to ProgLib as arbiter of reliability.
Anonymous

So KO is a misogynist and a misanthrope. Who cares? He’s still right about this conflict of interest.
daveinboca

If you think the proglodyte is an arbiter of reliability, you can swallow a camel while straining at a gnat. Proglodyte thinks google is unreliable? What a POS…! He/she/it is dumber than a bucket of hair.
daveinboca

Franswallow: “vibrant” is a word stupid people use to describe mindless chattering about subjects they know nothing about. You’re dumber than dirt and probably should look up proglodyte—-I’d love to see the offspring of that mixed-species hookup.
daveinboca

BS, Darth. For her to be ‘in the middle’ of talks and for her to make a comment on slipping on the turf is really straining. Keith has to really strain just to evacuate his bowels, which is what he does when he “leans forward.” On people like you who seem to enjoy it.
Anonymous

I don’t enjoy it (whatever “it” is). I think KO is a cock.

But for her to mention Nike at all, regardless of her “negotiations”, was stupid. ONLY the Nike-wearers were slipping? Really? How did she know? Did she take a poll? Did she jot down every slip onto a scorecard and somehow notice they were all wearing Nikes?

That’s not journalism; it’s slander (*if* Nike wanted to make a case of it).
http://gothicromance.net/ Fransway

Another Miss Underpants with a old gray beard. Clean the kool aid out of it , put a diaper over your mouth, and give up.
daveinboca

Franswallow spermburper: I just love slapping potty-mouth paraphiliacs about your [misshapen] face & shoulders when your perv sodhole gets sore. Go propagate with your own kind in the sewer rat paradise you call home. Better yet, watch MessNBC to get tips on how to pick up your fellow sewage companions with Maddow-type butch badinage.
Anonymous

“bet you love to check Drudge and Fox Nation for your news, too, don’t you? ”

Yeah, that’s why my avatar is an image of Obama blended with Bush, FauxgressiveLib.

Lemme guess, you voted for the current warmonger but complained about the last? You should change your moniker to ‘Obamacrat.”
Anonymous

And in terms of reliability, WOMEN get the last say on whether Olbermann is a misogynistic pig.

Bloggers, mothers, CEOs, cashiers, business owners….etc…

I don’t need to be spoonfed my own observations, Idiot.
chris elrod

IF ANY OF YOU KNEW KEITH OLBERMANN YOU WOULD PROBABLY LIKE HIM ALOT, I USED TO DRIVE HIM AROUND PLACES IN LOS ANGELES WHILE I WORKED AT BEVERLY HILLS BASEBALL CARD SHOP KEITH USED TO DO A SEGMENT OF HIS SHOW AT THE STORE. NICE GUY STAND UP PERSON ALSO NO ONE ON THIS PLANET KNOWS MORE ABOUT BASEBALL PAST OR PRESENT THEN THIS MAN AND ANYONE WHO STANDS UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN RIGHT OR WRONG IS ALWAYS OK IN MY BOOK.
Jim

Yeah, ProgLib doesnt sound biased in any way. I am a registered independent, but you clearly dont think for yourself if you dont see that Olberman is out for his own agenda and is a left-wing nut. Just as O’Reilly and Beck are the same for the right. Its just that their audience routinely tripled his audience, when he was actually on the air that is. My suggestion would be to put him on Fox with O’Reilly and let both sides of stupidity fight each other.
Jim

I sure you wish you and other six “cooler than the room” viewers a good time when watching that rubbish on MSNBC. Its the same garbage as O’Reilly and Fox, just the other side of the table. You still have Rachel Maddow to worship though now that Keith is essentially a twitter bolgger.
Jim

Ahh, guess we know what channel you’re watching. I could care less if you sold him baseball cards or whether he is nice off camera. My only connection to the man is what he says in the public forum, and if you cant sense the bias in his rhetoric than you have your own problems. Keith Olberman=Glenn Beck=Rachel Maddow=Bill O’Reilly= Chris Matthews= Sean Hannity. Who cares, they are all full of it
http://gothicromance.net/ Fransway

Quit playing the equivalent news commentary spin. These shows are in no way equivalent. MNSBC, while it may have a left slant, AT LEAST tells the truth. Glenn Beck’s crap is all from his sick imagination.
Jim

I am not sure what your problem is but you do seem mad at the world just like your savior Keith. Take the blinders off you dunce, it is all just stories being covered with a left or right spin. I never said one was more credible than the other, I am just speaking the truth that they are both networks looking for ratings to bring in advertising dollars. There is no spin in what I am saying. I would love to know how your rating system works where there is a difference between the two (or you could just admit that you hate Fox because Keith told you to). Your smugness is really off-putting by anyway. I guess you can just keeping standing on your pathetic little soap box and spout your misguided opinions all you want, just doesnt seem like much of an existence. Only a few hours left until Maddow, make sure stockpile some snappy talking points from the show so you can leave more genius commetary.
Jim

Fran, the point is just that we need less of yours, Keiths, O’Reilly’s and Beck’s way of thinking. Like its a basketball game and winning is who can make the other side looks worse. We need politicans and commentators who are actually interested in the benefit of all citizens, not just for those in which agree with you. No one appears ready to do that, but all the negativity gets us nowhere and whether you admit it or not, its coming from both sides.
http://gothicromance.net/ Fransway

Keep typing. You’re providing great comedy for us mad at the world folks.
Anonymous

jesus christ are you an idiot. olbermann a mysogynist? i wonder what rachel maddow, a close friend of his, would think about this accusation. wait, she’s a liberal female? holy crap irony!
Anonymous

if you dont understand the conflict of interest in calling out a shoe company instead of saying that theyre slipping with certain types of sneakers, then youre a complete idiot.
Jim

Ahhh, just the response I would expect to hear from someone who forms their opinions thru the talking heads on TV. Thanks for coming out
chris elrod

i didnt ask for feedback from u i guess you have nothing to do since you cant watch keith anymore!
chris elrod

IS THIS JIM ROME COOL DOWN OR JIM EVERETT GOING TO PUNK U AGAIN!!!
Tbyrnes82

see this link that shows similar results ‘proving’ Jesus was a misogynist, too. Just sayin”