A double dose of Keith Olbermann

Viewers will get a double dose of Keith Olbermann on Sunday on NBC in advance of the network’s Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game at 7 p.m.

Olbermann’s MSNBC show, “Countdown With Keith Olbermann,” which is generating good cable ratings, will make a one-time appearance at 6 p.m. Olbermann compares it to a Triple-A pitcher getting called up to the majors for one start. In July, Olbermann’s show averaged 721,000 viewers, an increase of 88 percent over last July, and finished second to Fox’s “O’Reilly Factor” at 7 p.m. weekdays.

At 7 p.m., Olbermann will make his debut on the studio show, “Football Night in America.” For one of his regular halftime features, he will name his “worst person in the NFL,” a variation of his “Countdown” feature in which he picks the “worst person in the world.” He also will have a halftime commentary on Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who announced last week he will plead guilty to U.S. federal dogfighting charges. “If you dislike or hate Michael Vick for what he’s done, your hope should be that the NFL’s punishment against him is minimal,” Olbermann said. “It’s sort of a counterintuitive argument.”

Joining Olbermann on the studio show are Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth and former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis.

Olbermann, who gained notoriety working with Dan Patrick as ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” co-hosts, is under contract with ESPN Radio until March. He had been a regular contributor to Patrick’s radio show, which went off the air Aug. 17. Olbermann said ESPN might use him as a studio commentator during the baseball playoffs.

Michael Vick excuses: In case you missed it, here are David Letterman’s Top Ten Michael Vick excuses:

 10. House came with a dogfighting pit, and it seemed like a shame to waste it.

 9. Wanted to distract the public from crooked NBA referees and cheating baseball players.

 8. Judgment was impaired by playing with lead-based Chinese toys.

 7. I was training the dogs to … uhhhhhh … get Osama.

 6. Always wanted to be quarterback for a prison team, like in “The Longest Yard.”

 5. Steroids made me all crazy.

 4. Eddie Brill told me I needed something big to close on.

 3. Oh like you’ve never run an illegal dogfighting ring.

 2. Thought I could get out of it by buying Kobe Bryant’s wife a diamond.

 1. Fights weren’t worse than what you see on “The View.”

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