Keith Olbermann out at ESPN

"I did not see that coming"--George Shearing

 

Thanks for correcting me - Got my alphabet soup mixed up a again.

 

I didn't even know Olbermann was on ESPN much less still on TV. I never liked the guy so I just never watched him. Still from reading some of the comments about him and the kind of person he seems to be I hope maybe there would be a way for him to overcome some of these personality issues.

 

LOL!!! I always like to day if someone doesn't like something use the " channel" knob and then it to something else that they like! Or the "on/off" one

This cracked me up, it's been awhile since I have heard someone called a knob

 

I find it ironic when the "likes" of a thread scream "politics" louder than any political thread ever could on this forum!

Finally, our voices can be heard!

 

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I'm glad, but I will never watch ESPN again for as long as I am kicking it. Couldn't stand "O".

 

I have read several news stories recently about how this is a cost cutting measure by ESPN which has lost over 7 per cent of its subscribers in the past year. ESPN contributes twenty five per cent of the profits of the Disney Corporation. So something has to give, and ESPN is getting rid of high priced on air commentators.

 

I liked him when he was on MSNBC, but even then towards the end there he was losing it, to the point where even I thought he was going way too far. He went to Current TV and then just melted down further; embarrassing, blunt and rude. In some subjects that attitude was called for, but not every day, every slight, every little thing was shouted from the rooftops as monstrous. I finally saw the bombast served a short term relief in those older days, but not much light. He is smart, but his personnel issues don't bother me, I don't work with him. His TV persona however is as obnoxious as any loud mouthed political pundit. Pity, he has some good points but....this messenger is flawed too badly. I saw a few of his ESPN editorials when news and sports intersected and he was still the same. Some things need to be said, but not all things. He can afford to just disappear.

 

Yeah, Disney's stock has received a bump due to the announced cost cutting at ESPN. High priced personalities not delivering in the ratings are easy fat to trim.

 

Are the boobs at ESPN not even remotely aware of that old adage (that applies here if it does anywhere) - fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. The guy is trouble and until people stop giving into him it'll never change - like dealing with a toddler (and that's probably not far off with Keith). Let him go and rant what is left of his credibility away on twitter if he has not done that already. If Keith gets any kudos it's for taking advantage of the fools at ESPN for hiring him.

 

I used to kind of like his MSNBC show but then the noise-to-signal ratio became overbearing and I couldn't stand it anymore.

 

Listened to a radio discussion about this during the week. There were two theories as to why he was fired: (i) too many complaints about KO inappropriately veering off topic whenever he felt like it into politics- viewers wanted to hear about sports on a sports show and not O's personal, political opinions; and (ii) ESPN is in a bit of financial trouble and firing O [or nor re-newing his contract] would save them $40 million per year. Besides I understand his ratings were not great.

 

Looking forward to seeing him on The McLaughlin Report.

 

Not at all surprising. I liked him when he was on SportsCenter with Dan Patrick in the '90s, but he has slid far downhill over the years.

 

McLaughlin would be good - him and good old Pat Buchanan - heh - I think he would be ok in a strict interview sort of thing - like subbing for Charlie Rose or something (though -Id love to see David Letterman pop up on a show like that....)

 

I record Olbermann's show on my DVR and most days watch the first half. If he has a interesting guest, I'll watch that, too.

Today I turned it on expecting fireworks. Keith gets the heave-ho from ESPN again. It's the perfect set-up for the volatile Olbermann. I wonder who he'll screw tonight?

Instead, nothing. Not a word. It was like any other show. It opened with him instead castigating the Home Run Derby. Hell, I dislike the Home Run Derby, thinking it's a made for TV affair. It took Keith's insight to remind me that first happened in 1960 when it was a black and white television series.

Is Keith growing up? Maybe. But what flashed through my mind is he's angling to get back on MSNBC. That MSNBC's ratings are piss poor is hardly news. They could use his star power. We do have a presidential election year coming up. The return of Olbermann to MSNBC could do wonders for their ratings. I just hope they get rid of the clunky "Countdown" format. Why count down the stories from 5 to 1 if the lead story is #5 and #1 is a fluffy human interest piece? It never made any sense to me.

I bet Keith will be back on MSNBC by Thanksgiving this year.

 

Funny you mention that:
IMO, it appears to me as if he's been 'scrubbed-out', PRAVDA-style, for msnbc.
I thought of him when they were bringing up the anniversary of the Gulf Of Mexico oil disaster, and how he was the face of that accident, in my mind.

 

First Simmons, then Olbermann, and now Cowherd...
http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/358317/colin-cowherd-to-leave-espn/

 

MSNBC is trying to re-brand and move away from people like Keith. They're even going to be dropping the MSNBC name soon (which makes sense because Micorosft hasn't been involved in years).

 

Now that Cowherd is leaving... I guess I should say it "last person left at the mothership, please turn the lights off".

 

They're just getting rid of the big-contract hacks. There will still be plenty of people on air there.

 

Yet they keep Dan LaBatard on the prime time drive shift on the national feed (I listen on Sirius). This guy is the worst (though it's really a tie for last between him and Jonathan Coachman). Now that the team of Van Pelt and Rusillo have split, there's little reason to turn on the station.

 

Interesting to watch what's going on as the belt tightening continues at ESPN (really orders from above at Disney) as profitability at the Corporation looks poor. Probably part of the same phenomenon that hit the press industry a few years back. Then, it was more and more people got their News elsewhere, now it's more and more people turning away from Cable.

For me, I just got tired of turning into the SPORTS channel and getting politics instead.

Don't they understand that many people look at Sports as an escape from that? (always why I believe sports are popular on Holidays - gives diverse people something to talk about at the Family get together rather than getting into fights over "hot button" topics)

 

Rumor is Dan LaBatard is replacing Cowherd.

 

That'll be Chris Berman.