Olbermann thought he'd never be back. ESPN thought he'd never be back. And yet, he's back.
Keith Olbermann will return to ESPN to host a talk show. Olbermann and Dan Patrick were formerlyamong the most famous anchor pairings in sports.(Photo: Charles Sykes, AP)
Keith Olbermann is coming congestto ESPN.
Olbermann, one of ESPN's most noted SportsCenter anchors in his days beingpaired with Dan Patrick, is qualificationhis return.
Olbermann, who has been off the air since leaving Current TV a year ago, will host an hour-long depicton ESPN2 starting Aug. 26 and shown at 11 p.m. ET. The show will be titled Olbermann.
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After leaving ESPN in 1997, Olbermann had news and political stints with MSNBC, Fox and Current TV.
Olbermann will be a mix of commentary, interviews, highlights and panel discussions.
After leaving many of his preceding(a)jobs on less-than-friendly terms, Olbermann says he doesn't want his past departure from ESPN "to be in the obituary" and pledges to "put a different ending to my relationship with ESPN. We can't go back and undo everything that happened 20 years ago, but I would do my best to correct as much of it as I croupand I appreciate the fresh start."
Robert Thompson,conductorof the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, calls Olbermann "still one of the biggest names that e'ercame out of" ESPN and thinks his celebrity is a great boost for the electronic networkbut sees the hire as double-edged.
"He strikes me as a shopfunwho is going to do what he's going to do. And I'm not sure anything can stop it, including himself."
But Olbermann was happy to talk nighhis pursuit of making amends.
"I'm as excited about that prospect as I am about the show itself, and I'm pretty excited about the show," Olbermann said. " I could apologize a thousand times and we could get anybody who ever took offense to anything I ever did and bring them anyinto one place -- we probably need Yankee orbit-- and I point to everybody and say, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,' and we could do it that way or I could do it as a mass blanket issue... but practically speaking ... all that is going to make a difference in how I conduct myself."
Olbermann tellthere is no clause in his contract prohibiting him from talkpolitics but said he'll only includepolitical relationwhen it rubs against sports.
"If the House is considering a bill to make (performance-enhancing drug) use a capital offense, we'll cover it."
ESPN President John Skipper, whose first discoverwas "This makes us better," said, "We don't ultimately begetto work through anything get outmy having some(prenominal)discussions and besensitive to some of the previous issues, having some conversations with some of those folks. It was ultimately my decision about whether the merits of Keith's singular talents and being on this show. ... It is my getting some comfort with Keith. It is much moreabout what Keith is going to do than what people at ESPN have in their memory."
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Also, in June, Turner Sports re-arranged its baseball gamelineup, bringing in Olbermann as host of its postseason coverage with dormof Famer Dennis Eckersley.
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Materials taken from USA Today
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