FS1 anchors

[ChicosBailBonds]

Didn't realize Keith used Sports Center to espouse his political views. An intelligent man is able to separate the two.

He's not coming back to Sports Center, he's coming back to host a show....which Skipper (ESPN Pres.) admitted today will allow him to espouse his political views.

[brandx]

He's not coming back to Sports Center, he's coming back to host a show....which Skipper (ESPN Pres.) admitted today will allow him to espouse his political views.

I saw what Skipper said, but this isn't going to be a show about politics. If politics does comes up, I believe it will only be peripherally. If the show eventually blows up, it will be Keith's own doing in dealing with the higher ups in Bristol and not his political views.

But... controversy sells - so who knows what we can expect.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

I saw what Skipper said, but this isn't going to be a show about politics. If politics does comes up, I believe it will only be peripherally. If the show eventually blows up, it will be Keith's own doing in dealing with the higher ups in Bristol and not his political views.

But... controversy sells - so who knows what we can expect.

His political views are the cause of his blowing up.

[mu03eng]

I saw what Skipper said, but this isn't going to be a show about politics. If politics does comes up, I believe it will only be peripherally. If the show eventually blows up, it will be Keith's own doing in dealing with the higher ups in Bristol and not his political views.

But... controversy sells - so who knows what we can expect.

Because that's what ESPN has been lacking, a show that is only sort of about current sports and is mostly about pontificating.

[Pakuni]

His political views are the cause of his blowing up.

No, him being an intolerable a--hole to everyone around him, including his would-be allies, were the cause of his blowing up.

[Golden Avalanche]

No, him being an intolerable a--hole to everyone around him, including his would-be allies, were the cause of his blowing up.

This. Political leaning has no effect. KO has been an pretty boy since the moon landing.

[Pakuni]

Long Bloomberg story on the launch of FS1:

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-18/fox-sports-1s-strategy-vs-dot-espn-jockularity#r=hp-ls

[Lennys Tap]

No, him being an intolerable a--hole to everyone around him, including his would-be allies, were the cause of his blowing up.

This. Oberman is an intolerable a--hole on all fronts, not just politics. He used to give out a weekly "Worst Person in the World" award (or something like that). Maybe the most egregious pot/kettle example of all time, one that wasn't lost on his co-workers.

[brandx]

"Have Keith spend a few seasons working at you television network and see how you feel. Sort of like Kansas after a twister. He long ago established himself as a living, fire-breathing force of nature, not only on the air, where his brains and style are his meal ticket, but also off the air, where he bedevils and infuriates many a manager or co-worker who runs afoul of his biblical-size wrath. If he wasn't so brilliant and talented, few of those managers would have put up with him."
   ---  from ESPN the book

There is little doubt that he will wear out his welcome again, but I don't think it will be because he decides to talk about politics.

I think it will probably happen if there are too many criticisms about the sports that are ESPN's meal ticket.

[ChicosBailBonds]

"I read that the Fox guys think happy days are here again and I'm happy that happy days are here again for them. Sorry they were not happy before because the days at ESPN have been happy for quite some time and this is another happy day for ESPN."


-– ESPN President John Skipper, referencing the recent promo for Fox Sports 1 while announcing Keith Olbermann's new show on ESPN2.

[Pakuni]

"I read that the Fox guys think happy days are here again and I'm happy that happy days are here again for them. Sorry they were not happy before because the days at ESPN have been happy for quite some time and this is another happy day for ESPN."


-– ESPN President John Skipper, referencing the recent promo for Fox Sports 1 while announcing Keith Olbermann's new show on ESPN2.

.... says the guy looking at a 32-percent ratings drop.

[Benny B]

"I read that the Fox guys think happy days are here again and I'm happy that happy days are here again for them. Sorry they were not happy before because the days at ESPN have been happy for quite some time and this is another happy day for ESPN."


-– ESPN President John Skipper, referencing the recent promo for Fox Sports 1 while announcing Keith Olbermann's new show on ESPN2.

Says the guy who also said the following not more than a few weeks prior:

"We are at the end of it. We had not for a long time looked at our organization with an eye toward making sure that our resources, our people, our money was spent against things that make a difference. The world's a little different. There's really 10 distribution deals to do now, and they're long-term, so we consolidated some of our affiliate sales functions. We closed the Denver office; we quit doing 3D. So we eliminated a bunch of jobs."

Oh.... he meant "happy" for the people that still have their jobs.

[Pakuni]

Says the guy who also said the following not more than a few weeks prior:

"We are at the end of it. We had not for a long time looked at our organization with an eye toward making sure that our resources, our people, our money was spent against things that make a difference. The world's a little different. There's really 10 distribution deals to do now, and they're long-term, so we consolidated some of our affiliate sales functions. We closed the Denver office; we quit doing 3D. So we eliminated a bunch of jobs."

Oh.... he meant "happy" for the people that still have their jobs.

Oh, man, how did I miss that connection. I'm sure the hundreds of ESPN staffers Skipper laid off less than two months ago totally agree that "the days at ESPN have been happy for quite some time."

Good catch, Benny.

[Spotcheck Billy]

no more ESPN 3D? I guess I didn't even notice that on my DirecTV, it was pretty hard to watch more than 1/2 a game  whenever I gave it a try anyway

[Benny B]

Oh, man, how did I miss that connection. I'm sure the hundreds of ESPN staffers Skipper laid off less than two months ago totally agree that "the days at ESPN have been happy for quite some time."

Good catch, Benny.

There's nothing like some old-fashioned, Chico-brand schlock to get Pakuni and I to agree on something.  Except maybe the schlock I was peddling earlier that got Chicos and Keefe to agree on something.  Call me impressed that the Scoop server is still online after two logic bombs like that within a few hours of each other.

I wonder if getting Hards and Chicos to team up on a political agenda would be enough to blow up the server.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I saw what Skipper said, but this isn't going to be a show about politics. If politics does comes up, I believe it will only be peripherally. If the show eventually blows up, it will be Keith's own doing in dealing with the higher ups in Bristol and not his political views.

But... controversy sells - so who knows what we can expect.

We shall see....the same was said about Keith's role at NBC and he wasn't able to contain it.  The one advantage he'll have is this is a separate show where people will tune in or not because of it.  When he was doing his crap at halftime of the NBC Sunday Night game it was part of the game broadcast (albeit at halftime) and that got a lot of people pissed off who simply wanted to watch the game.

For the first time in a long time I felt a little trepidation from the ESPN guys last night.  I've been teasing them about this K.O. thing all week and they admitted part of it was to grab some buzz due to FS1 buzz that has been generated.  I got the sense that most of them don't think the show will do very well, but it gets people talking.  I was just glad to see he wasn't forced on everyone last night as a presenter and that no one went into Martin vs Zimmerman stuff last night.  It needed to be free of that stuff last night and it was...thankfully. 

[brandx]

We shall see....the same was said about Keith's role at NBC and he wasn't able to contain it.  The one advantage he'll have is this is a separate show where people will tune in or not because of it.  When he was doing his crap at halftime of the NBC Sunday Night game it was part of the game broadcast (albeit at halftime) and that got a lot of people pissed off who simply wanted to watch the game.

For the first time in a long time I felt a little trepidation from the ESPN guys last night.  I've been teasing them about this K.O. thing all week and they admitted part of it was to grab some buzz due to FS1 buzz that has been generated.  I got the sense that most of them don't think the show will do very well, but it gets people talking.  I was just glad to see he wasn't forced on everyone last night as a presenter and that no one went into Martin vs Zimmerman stuff last night.  It needed to be free of that stuff last night and it was...thankfully. 

You seem to infer that KO is a one-trick pony. People need to separate the MSNBC Olbermann from the sportscaster Olbermann.

I certainly wouldn't mind the political stuff now and again (since I agree with much of what he says), but I really don't expect much from that arena and would rather that he avoided it. He was more than just Dan Patrick's partner on SC - his standalone pieces were usually outstanding, as well.

And yes, my first reaction was that this was partially in response to FS1.