Keith Olbermann Suspended By ESPN, Apologizes For Being ‘Stupid And Childish’
Keith Olbermann is in trouble again.
The long time TV personality that seems to be either loved or hated, Olbermann was told by his latest employer, ESPN, to hit the bricks. For the rest of the week, anyway, according to Variety.
The often outspoken, sarcastic, and snide Keith Olbermann moved on from his post at MSNBC in 2011, unable to shake loose the taint of some questionable campaign donations he’d made to Democrats. From there, Keith Olbermann was picked up by Current TV in what looked like a match made in heaven, until Olbermann and the station tangled and he was ultimately sacked for alleged breach of contract.
Fast forward to today, and Keith Olbermann is away from ESPN studios while serving his suspension after getting in a Twitter brouhaha with several Penn State supporters that had approached Olbermann, seeking his support for a fundraiser to fight pediatric cancer that was being held through the University.
Apparently, not only didn’t Olbermann want to join Penn State’s fight against pediatric cancer, but in the Twitter war that followed, Olbermann chucked some choice Twitter bombs at the Penn State folks too, including saying they were “pitiful,” the school had a bad reputation, and their PSU educations were questionable.
.@dave_seidel No, Son. I said PSU students were pitiful. Had nothing to do with fundraising #AlsoPSUReadingComprehensionAppearsToBeWeak
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 23, 2015
.@ColinBenner Good for you. Doesn't change the school's reputation. Check back next century.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 24, 2015
I'd like to thank the students and alums of Penn State for proving my point about the mediocrity of their education and ethics.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 24, 2015
More PSU. You can't be "still hired," Goober RT @arjunarun1 Why is @KeithOlbermann still hired by ESPN? Shameful.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 24, 2015
In the end, however, once Olbermann and the Penn State people put down their electronic devices and the Twitter-verse began to clear, it was Olbermann’s boss, ESPN, that had to step up and wave the initial apology flag.
“We are aware of the exchange Keith Olbermann had on Twitter last night regarding Penn State. It was completely inappropriate and does not reflect the views of ESPN. We have discussed it with Keith, who recognizes he was wrong. ESPN and Keith have agreed that he will not host his show for the remainder of this week and will return on Monday.”
Then it was Keith Olbermann’s turn to apologize, his last tweet to the Penn State students and faithful seemingly coming from a completely different man than the Twitter-warring Keith Olbermann, the suddenly sheepish host even calling himself, “stupid and childish.”
I apologize for the PSU tweets. I was stupid and childish and way less mature than the students there who did such a great fundraising job.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 24, 2015
FOX News notes that a list of the “World’s Worst in Sports,” once created by Olbermann for his show, contained Penn State, but why Keith Olbermann seems to have a particular disdain for the university remains unclear.
[Image by Frederick M. Brown – Getty Images]
