It looks like Keith Olbermann might be getting ready for the third act of his ESPN career. The polarizing personality will co-host "Pardon the Interruption" with Tony Kornheiser on Thursday and Friday, filling in for Michael Wilbon. Olbermann's workload at the WorldWide Leader has increased over the last year, with increasingly frequent appearances on "SportsCenter" and "Outside the Lines."
At the moment, there are no plans for Olbermann to return to ESPN in a full-time capacity, the New York Post reports. But that could change, especially given the sagging ratings of the network's studio shows. Olbermann is an iconic figure in ESPN's history, rising to prominence in the mid-1990s as co-host of the 11:00 p.m. "SportsCenter" with Dan Patrick. The two dubbed their edition of the highlight-oriented program as "The Big Show," often lampooning the biggest sports stories of the day.
When Olbermann first left ESPN in 1997, it appeared as if he would never return to the network. ESPN executive Mike Soltys once infamously said Olbermann "napalmed bridges" at ESPN, due to his incessant criticism of the station on his way out the door.
But in 2013, Olbermann came back to host a nightly talk show on ESPN2, which never found a permanent time slot and was cancelled in 2015. The program was critically acclaimed, however, and Olbermann appeared to leave on good terms. Shortly thereafter, Olbermann began hosting a highly charged political web show for GQ, titled "The Resistance."
And therein lies the problem with bringing Olbermann back into the fold. He's one of the most controversial left-wing pundits out there, hosting "Countdown" on MSNBC and a variety of other political talk shows over the last two decades. On Twitter, Olbermann has established himself as one of President Donald Trump's most biting critics.
Trump, a racist, is deliberately letting Puerto Rico die. 55% have no drinking water. 4 days ago it was 44% pic.twitter.com/QpTCUWQkgR
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) October 1, 2017ESPN, of course, is trying to eliminate the perception that its programming carries a liberal political agenda. Last year, after Jemele Hill called Trump a "racist" on Twitter, the company unveiled new social media guidelines that discourage its personalities from engaging in contentious political banter online.
It appears as if Olbermann may have gotten the memo. A prolific tweeter, only two of his tweets over the last week –– save for a couple of retweets about the ongoing Russia probe –– are about politics. The rest are largely a mishmash of NHL trade deadline takes, Spring Training thoughts and sunset photos.
