Keith Olbermann signs with ESPN, will do PBP

soxhop411

soxhop411

news aggravator
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2009
46,425
Yes. He is back on ESPN. again.
https://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2018/05/keith-olbermann-to-expand-multi-faceted-espn-role/

Keith Olbermann, historically one of ESPN’s most prominent and impactful commentators, will expand his existing ESPN role by making additional appearances across ESPN platforms and programs in 2018 as part of a new agreement, it was announced by Norby Williamson, ESPN Executive Vice President, Production and Managing Editor. Olbermann, who has contributed to various ESPN shows since January, will combine select studio assignments with on-site opportunities, including calling the radio play-by-play with analyst Jim Bowden for Astros at Yankees on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN Radio.

Among the planned contributions that Olbermann will make as part the new ESPN agreement are:
Click to expand...
  • SportsCenter: He will continue to develop regular features on timely and historical topics (he has been doing SportsCenter pieces since January such as the Jordan/LeBron debate and how the sports world responded to MLK’s assassination). Olbermann will also guest anchor approximately 20 special editions of the 11 p.m. ET SportsCenterthroughout the year.
  • MLB: Olbermann will take on select studio and game assignments, including play-by-play for a few games as well as a handful of studio hosting responsibilities on Baseball Tonight and cut-ins/highlights within game telecasts. Additionally, he will be on site at the MLB All-Star Game, hosting segments for SportsCenter. He will also host SportsCenter segments during the MLB post-season, including the World Series.
  • Additional studio shows: As he has done in recent weeks, Olbermann will co-host a handful of editions of PTI and will make guest appearances on Outside the Lineswith host Bob Ley. A couple recent examples include Olbermann on PTI& Olbermann on OTL.
  • ESPN Audio: Olbermann is expected to make appearances as both a guest host and a call-in guest on various ESPN Audio programs.
Click to expand...
 
bsj

bsj

Renegade Crazed Genius
SoSH Member
Dec 6, 2003
22,785
Central NJ SoSH Chapter
Fascinating to me that the new ESPN brass wants to get politics our of ESPN but they bring in a guy who, while talented, is not exactly shy about being highly political.

I like the guy, just weird timing.
 
Couperin47

Couperin47

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
16,601
The state whose symbol is a pile of rubble...
Actually he said he would keep politics completely out of what he does and, so far, that's exactly what he's done. It's easy to hate him because he acts like he knows more than anyone else in the room, what infuriates many is how often it's actually true....
 
Couperin47

Couperin47

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
16,601
The state whose symbol is a pile of rubble...
He ..was. Over the past year he started showing up doing small stand alone pieces for several ESPN programs, mostly background and interesting historical subjects, especially baseball. After a few months of this he appeared live on short segments. The big breakthru was about 3 months ago when he showed up 4 days, via remote, sitting in for Wilbon on PTI. So they have been doing this waltz for most of a year...
 
ifmanis5

ifmanis5

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 29, 2007
63,916
Rotten Apple
The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa said:
I thought he was banned from Bristol.
Click to expand...
He was. All the bridges he burned down got rebuilt by newer people.

Good luck to him, he is a baseball savant. He is also a very polarizing political figure and half the country that hates ESPN for Jemele Hill and the Obama bracket picks will now double down on that hate.
 
JimD

JimD

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2001
8,691
ifmanis5 said:
Good luck to him, he is a baseball savant. He is also a very polarizing political figure and half the country that hates ESPN for Jemele Hill and the Obama bracket picks will now double down on that hate.
Click to expand...
I'm not so sure - I could see football fans hating this move if Olbermann was going to be involved on the NFL or college football side, but I'm not sure if the average baseball fan is so red-blooded. Of course, Hannity or his ilk could make a big deal off this hire and bring on some on that enmity so who knows.
 
InstaFace

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
22,060
Pittsburgh, PA
He must be really inexpensive these days, which is appealing in ESPN's new financial reality.

They've probably implanted him with a cynaide pill that automatically releases if he says the words "Trump" or "Republicans". I give him a week. I bet they don't even have to sign over a paycheck, just burial fees.
 
mauidano

mauidano

Mai Tais for everyone!
SoSH Member
Aug 21, 2006
35,859
Maui
ifmanis5 said:
He was. All the bridges he burned down got rebuilt by newer people.

Good luck to him, he is a baseball savant. He is also a very polarizing political figure and half the country that hates ESPN for Jemele Hill and the Obama bracket picks will now double down on that hate.
Click to expand...
Gotta say I almost always like him. Polarizing he is and a little over the top but he is as you mention a baseball savant. He's had a pretty fascinating career to say the least. Who says you can't go home for the third or fourth time?
 
edoug

edoug

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
6,007
More emphasis on baseball and I like his dry wit, win-win for me. add in the fact that are a this will piss off a few horrible people makes it a win-win-win.
 
Dehere

Dehere

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2010
3,143
Will be interesting to see how much heat there is around Olbermann's Trump tweets in the wake of the Roseanne cancellation.

To me there's no question ABC was right to cancel Roseanne, but can Disney now also stand behind a guy with dozens of tweets calling Trump a motherfucker or a nazi?

Not great for Pitaro if he has to immediately abandon his biggest talent hire to date, but that fleeting embarrassment may be the better option.
 
InstaFace

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
22,060
Pittsburgh, PA
Frankly, a sacrificial lamb to suggest an interest in balance and being apolitical may be manna from heaven for him right now.
 
pantsparty

pantsparty

Member
SoSH Member
May 2, 2011
561
Even as someone with similar political views to him he can be a bit much at times when talking politics, but his sports - and baseball especially - content has always been top notch. Looking forward to seeing how he does doing PBP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom