Fingers Crossed for Keith

Unless he does something else foolish between now and 5 pm (EST) today, Keith Olbermann will once again host his tv show on ESPN2, after sitting out a three-day suspension late last week.

You may like Olbermann (I surely do) or you may despise him (you're not alone) but certain things about him stand out, no matter where you stand.  For one, he wrote and published a book called "The Major League Coaches," which listed and described every single manager and coach (bullpen, base, pitching, batting) in baseball history, a feat which no one else even ever attempted.

And Keith did that at the ripe old age of 14.

He's recognized as an expert on baseball cards and memorabilia, and he possesses a wealth of knowledge about athletes, teams, and sports history, which came in handy for his days as a sports reporter for many stations and networks.

In addition, his grammar is impeccable.  This earns bonus points from this corner.

But, when I say he has worked for many stations and networks, I think of the old joke about the guy who says his father was in the Army and "fought with Eisenhower...fought with Patton...fought with Pershing...he couldn't get along with anybody."

Olbermann has been fired more than a two-dollar pistol on a Saturday night in Baltimore, and that's a lot.

This recent suspension from ESPN came as a result of his comments about Penn State University.  Every night, Keith lists his three "World's Worst" entities about sports, and one list in January condemned the sports culture at Penn State for their pleasure in the deal the school made with the NCAA to restore 111 wins to their storied football program, in return for the school's pledge to spend $60 million on child abuse prevention in Pennsylvania.

Children were abused by a member of the Penn State football staff; there is not much dispute about that.  What the head coach knew, when he knew it, what he did about it, what the school administration did about it...all that is up for a debate that I don't think needs to take place, since it will be impossible to come up with answers agreed upon by all or close to all.  And really, what topic is ever agreed upon by all?  There are people among us who deny the Holocaust ever took place, who claim the moon landings were Disney fake jobs, who think a McFish® is seafood.

Olbermann lacks a certain modesty

It's better not to respond to the trolls lurking in Cyberville, but Keith did, and when some Penn State students engaged him in a Twitter fight (a "Twight"?) about all this, Keith responded in the heavy-handed manner that has so many times led to him being shown the door at his places of employment.

I hope he has finally learned his lesson and will refrain from calling people "pitiful" in the future.  That way, he can stay on the air and we can all learn from him...once he's learned from this.