Keith Olbermann Is Back, Joins TBS Postseason Baseball Crew
Keith Olbermann left television last year after a fallout with CurrentTV, but the popular personality is officially back after Turner Sports announced Wednesday that he will join TBS’s postseason baseball show in October.
Olbermann will join Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley in the studio to broadcast the postseason, and it isn’t the first time he’s been around the baseball diamond. In the late 1990s, he hosted playoff baseball shows on NBC and FOX before moving on to political jobs.
The high-profile TV personality began his career as a sports reporter for CNN, so returning to sports as a baseball analyst should be an easy transition. The 54-year-old was off to a pretty good start at MSNBC when he moved to politics, but after eight years as a prime-time host, he abruptly left his hit show, Countdown, in January of 2011.
His departure from MSNBC came after he was suspended on November 5, 2010 without pay for violating network policy. Keith Olbermann donated over $2,000 to democratic candidates for Congress just before the 2010 US Elections.
Raul Grijalva, one of the three representatives he donated money to, was on Olbermann’s show just before the donations, which prompted his suspension from the cable news company.
His new show on TBS will broadcast from Atlanta, and his deal also has an option for 2014 though many people have already taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on how long he will last.
Game 3 or 4 RT @sepinwall: Love KO on baseball, but how long til he leaves in ugly fashion? RT @thr: Keith Olbermann Returning to TV
— Jason Lynch (@jasonlynch) June 5, 2013
Olbermann’s past has caught up with him, as his “witty” nature and over-the-top comments kept him on the move from one TV network to another. Though he’s struggled in the past, the popular broadcast journalist is widely considered as intelligent as it gets, and he’s sure to bring in viewers once October rolls around and the MLB playoffs are in full swing.
Do you believe Keith Olbermann’s return to sports broadcasting is the right move after his struggles in politics?
[Image via Adam Fagan]
