Keith Olbermann
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{{Infobox journalist
| name = Keith Olbermann
| image = [[Image:Keith Olbermann - small.jpg]]
| caption = Keith Olbermann, [[2008-01-07]]
| birthname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|1|27}}
| birth_place = [[New York City]], [[New York]]
| age = 50
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = B.A., Cornell University
| occupation = Broadcaster
| alias =
| gender = Male
| status = Single, dating
| title = [[News presenter|News Anchor]], [[Commentator]], and [[Sportscaster]]
| family = mother, father, sister
| spouse = N/A
| children = 0
| relatives =
| ethnic = German-American
| religion = unknown (brought up Unitarian)
| salary = $4,000,000
| networth = $14.2mm (est.)
| credits =
| agent =
| URL = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/
}}
'''Keith Olbermann''' (born [[January 27]], [[1959]]) is a [[United States|American]] [[News presenter|news anchor]], [[commentator]], and radio [[sportscaster]]. He hosts ''[[Countdown with Keith Olbermann]]'' on [[MSNBC]], an hour-long nightly newscast of five selected stories with commentary by Olbermann and guests. Starting with the [[2007 NFL season]], Olbermann also serves as co-host of [[NBC|NBC's]] ''[[Football Night in America]]'' with [[Bob Costas]].
==Early life and career==
Originally from [[New York City]], Olbermann grew up in [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester County]], attending school at [[Hastings-on-Hudson, New York|Hastings-on-Hudson]]. Keith Olbermann is of [[Germans|German]] ancestry. <ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20107912| title='Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for August 2, 2007}}</ref> He was raised in the [[Unitarian]] faith. <ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25368154| title='Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for June 24, 2008}}</ref> As a teenager, he often wrote about baseball card collecting, appearing in many sports card collecting periodicals of the mid-1970s. He is credited in ''Sports Collectors Bible'', a 1975 book by [[Bert Sugar|Bert Randolph Sugar]], which is considered one of the important early books for [[trading card]] collectors.
Olbermann graduated from the [[Hackley School]] in [[Tarrytown, New York|Tarrytown]] two years after future [[ESPN]] broadcaster [[Chris Berman]]. He began his broadcasting career while still in high school as a play-by-play announcer for [[WHTR]]. Olbermann started college at the age of 16 and in [[1979]] he earned his [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in communications arts from [[Cornell University]], where he served as sports director for [[WVBR-FM|WVBR]], a student-run commercial [[radio station]] in [[Ithaca, New York|Ithaca]].<ref name="Counting_Down_w_KO">{{cite news
| first=Eric
| last=Finkelstein
| title=Counting Down With Keith Olbermann '79
| publisher=Cornell Daily Sun
| url=http://www.cornellsun.com/media/storage/paper866/news/2004/11/29/News/Counting.Down.With.Keith.Olbermann.79-1336820.shtml?norewrite200604232310&sourcedomain=www.cornellsun.com
| date=[[2004-11-29]]
}}</ref>
Olbermann began his professional career at [[United Press International|UPI]] and [[WRKO|RKO Radio]] before joining then nascent [[CNN]] in 1981. In 1984, he briefly worked as a sports anchor at [[WCVB-TV]] in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], before heading to [[Los Angeles]] to work at [[KTLA]] and [[KCBS-TV|KCBS]]. His work there earned him 11 [http://www.rtna.org/ Golden Mike Awards], and he was named Best Sportscaster by the California [[Associated Press]] three times.<ref name="IMDB_Bio">[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0646021/bio IMDB Biography of Keith Olbermann]</ref>
==Career at ESPN==
In 1992, he joined [[ESPN]]’s ''[[SportsCenter]]'', a position he held until 1997. He often co-hosted ''SportsCenter'' with [[Dan Patrick (sportscaster)|Dan Patrick]], the two becoming a popular [[anchor]] team. In 1995, Olbermann won a [[Cable ACE Awards|Cable ACE award]] for Best Sportscaster. Olbermann would later co-author a book with Patrick called ''The Big Show'' about their experiences working at ''SportsCenter''. On the [[May 10]], [[2004]], episode for ''Countdown'', Olbermann said that the short-lived [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[dramedy]] ''[[Sports Night]]'' was based on his time on ''SportsCenter'' with Patrick.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4945202/ | title='Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for May 7 | publisher=MSNBC | date=[[2006-05-10]] | accessdate=2006-09-02}}</ref>
===Leaving ESPN===
In 1997, Olbermann abruptly left ESPN under a cloud of controversy, apparently burning his bridges with the network's management.<ref name="scorchedbridges">{{cite news
| first=Michael
| last=Hiestand
| title=Despite scorched bridges, Olbermann rejoins ESPN
| publisher=USAToday
| url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2005-06-13-olbermann-espn_x.htm
| date=[[2005-06-13]]
}}</ref> This began a long and drawn out feud between Olbermann and ESPN. Between 1997 and 2007 incidents between the two sides included Olbermann publishing an essay on [[Salon.com]] in November of 2002 entitled "Mea Culpa" in which he stated "I couldn't handle the pressure of working in daily long-form television, and what was worse, I didn't know I couldn't handle it."<ref name="meaculpa">{{cite web | url=http://www.salon.com/news/sports/col/olbermann/2002/11/17/meaculpa/index.html | title=ESPN:Mea culpa | publisher=Salon.com | author=Keith Olbermann | date=[[2006-11-17]] | accessdate=2006-09-15}}</ref> The essay told of an instance of where his former bosses remarked he had "too much backbone," a claim that is literally true, as Olbermann has six [[lumbar vertebrae]] instead of the normal five.<ref name="meaculpa"/> In 2004, ESPN famously snubbed him from the guest lineup of its 25th Anniversary ''[[SportsCenter]]'' "Reunion Week," which saw [[Craig Kilborn]] and [[Charley Steiner]] return to the ''SportsCenter'' set. In 2007, ten years after Olbermann's departure, in an appearance on ''[[The Late Show with David Letterman]]'', he said "If you burn a bridge, you can possibly build a new bridge, but if there's no river any more, that's a lot of trouble."<ref name="burnedrivers">{{cite news
| title=Keith and Dan with Dave
| publisher=YouTube
| url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7bXnJ9MvOI&mode=related&search=
| date=[[2007-06-27]]
}}</ref> During the same interview, Olbermann stated that he recently learned that as a result of ESPN agreeing to let him back on the airwaves, he was banned from ESPN's main [[Bristol, Connecticut]] campus.<ref name="burnedrivers"/>
===Return to ESPN===
Olbermann co-hosted an hour of the syndicated ''[[Dan Patrick Show]]'' on [[ESPN radio]] from 2005 until Patrick left ESPN on [[August 17]], [[2007]]. <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2007-07-09-Patrick-leaving-ESPN_N.htm Patrick to leave ESPN; next career move unknown] USA Today July 9, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2007</ref> Olbermann and Patrick referred to this segment as "The Big Show," just as their ''SportsCenter'' show was known. Patrick often introduced Olbermann with the tagline "saving the democracy," a nod to his work on ''Countdown''.
==Other sports broadcasting==
===Fox Sports===
In 1998, Olbermann joined [[Fox Sports Net]] as anchor and executive producer for ''[[The Keith Olbermann Evening News]]'', a sportscast similar to ''SportsCenter'', airing weekly on Sunday evenings. While at Fox, he again hosted the [[2000 World Series]] as well as [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox Broadcasting]]'s baseball ''[[Major League Baseball Game of the Week|Game of the Week]]''.
According to Olbermann, he was fired from Fox in 2001 after reporting on rumors that [[Rupert Murdoch]], whose [[News Corporation]] owns Fox, was planning on selling the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]].<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5423058/ ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann''], July 9, 2004.</ref> When asked about Olbermann, Murdoch said "I fired him...He's crazy."<ref>Martin Peers, [http://blogs.wsj.com/dnotebook/2008/05/29/murdoch-obamas-a-rock-star/?mod=blog "Murdoch: Obama's a Rock Star"], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', May 29, 2008</ref> News Corp. sold the Dodgers to Frank McCourt in 2004.
===ABC Radio===
After Olbermann left Fox Sports in 2001, he provided twice-daily sports commentary on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC Radio Network]], reviving the "Speaking of Sports" and "Speaking of Everything" segments begun by [[Howard Cosell]].<ref>Martin Peers, [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800E1DB1030F930A35752C0A9649C8B63 "PLUS: RADIO/TV SPORTS; Olbermann to Do Radio Commentaries"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 3, 2002</ref>
===''NFL on NBC''===
Olbermann was named on [[April 16]], [[2007]] as co-host of ''[[Football Night in America]]'', NBC's NFL pre-game show that precedes their [[NBC Sunday Night Football|Sunday Night NFL game]].<ref name="KEITH OLBERMANN NAMED CO-HOST">{{cite news
| title= KEITH OLBERMANN NAMED CO-HOST, NBC'S 'FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA'
| publisher=NBC Universal Media Village
| url=http://nbcumv.com/sports/release_detail.nbc/sports-20070416000000-keitholbermannname.html
| date=[[2007-04-16]]
}}</ref>
==Career at NBC Universal==
===First NBC stint===
In 1997, Olbermann left ESPN to host his own primetime show on [[MSNBC]], ''[[The Big Show with Keith Olbermann]]''. The news-variety program covered three or four topics in a one-hour broadcast. Olbermann also occasionally hosted the weekend edition of ''[[NBC Nightly News]]'', and, along with [[Hannah Storm]], co-hosted [[NBC Sports]]’ pre-game coverage of the [[1997 World Series]].
{{see also|Major League Baseball on NBC}}
When the [[Lewinsky scandal|Monica Lewinsky scandal]] broke in 1998, the show morphed into ''[[White House in Crisis]]''. Olbermann became frustrated as his show was consumed by the Lewinsky story. In 1998, he stated that his work at MSNBC would "make me ashamed, make me depressed, make me cry."<ref name="scorchedbridges">{{cite news| url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-06-13-olbermann-espn_x.htm | title=Despite scorched bridges, Olbermann rejoins ESPN | publisher=USA Today | date=[[2006-05-13]] | author=Michael Hiestand | accessdate=2006-09-02}}</ref>
===Return to MSNBC on ''Countdown''===
{{main|Countdown with Keith Olbermann}}
Olbermann returned to MSNBC in 2003 as a substitute host on ''[[Jerry Nachman|Nachman]]'' and as an anchor for the network's coverage of the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|war in Iraq]]. Prior to his return, Olbermann was a regular contributor to CNN and provided twice-daily commentary, “[[Speaking of Sports]],” for [[ABC Radio Network]]. His own show, ''Countdown'', debuted shortly thereafter on [[March 31]], [[2003]], in the 8 p.m. ET time slot previously held by programs hosted by [[Phil Donahue]] and, briefly, [[Lester Holt]]. On [[October 13]], [[2004]], Olbermann launched ''[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/ Bloggermann]'', his ''Countdown'' [[Blog|weblog]], hosted on MSNBC.com.<ref name="welcome_to_bloggermann">{{cite news
| last=Olbermann
| first=Keith
| title=Welcome to Bloggerman
| publisher=MSNBC.com
| url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6243014/#041013a
| date=[[2004-10-13]]
}}</ref> Olbermann used the open format of the blog to expand on facts or ideas alluded to in the broadcast, to offer personal musings and reactions, and to break news at odd hours. However, in February 2007, Olbermann launched a new blog, [http://thenewshole.msnbc.msn.com/default.aspx ''The News Hole''].
''Countdown'''s format, per its name, involves Olbermann ranking the five biggest news stories of the day or sometimes "stories my producers force me to cover" as Olbermann puts it. This is done in numerical reversal or counting down with the first story shown being ranked fifth but apparently the most important. The segments ranked numbers two and one typically are of a lighter fare than segments ranked five through three. The first few stories shown are typically oriented toward government, politics, and world events. The last two typically involve celebrities, sports, or the bizarre.
''Countdown'' posted a 77 percent gain in total viewers (52 percent in viewers aged 25 to 54) for the first quarter of 2007 over the first quarter of 2006 in the 8pm timeslot, [[Bill O'Reilly (commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]]'s gains during that period were 5 percent, [[Nancy Grace]]'s 12 percent, and [[Paula Zahn]]'s suffered a loss of 10 percent.<ref name="Q1 #'s: Q1 2007 vs. Q1 2006">{{cite news | title="Q1 #'s: Q1 2007 vs. Q1 2006" | publisher=MediaBistro|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/q1_s_q1_2007_vs_q1_2006_56347.asp | date=[[2007-04-12]]}}</ref>
On [[February 16]], [[2007]], MSNBC reported that Olbermann had signed a four-year extension on his contract with MSNBC for ''Countdown'', as well as the inclusion of another show set to air on NBC in the fall. The details of the show have not been fully disclosed, but Olbermann was quoted on air as saying it will deal with commentary segments similar to his "special comments", but not so politically oriented. He has referred to them as "essays."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17168554/ | title=Keith Olbermann, NBC agree on 'second term' |publisher=MSNBC}}</ref>
In a technique similar to that of former [[CBS News]] anchor [[Walter Cronkite]] in connection to the Vietnam War, Olbermann counts the days since May 1, 2003, the day President George W. Bush declared "mission accomplished" in Iraq. He then ends the broadcast by crumpling up his notes and throwing them at the camera, saying his signature close, "Good night and good luck" in the mode of another former CBS newsman, [[Edward R. Murrow]].
===Perceived ideology===
Although it began as a traditional newscast, ''Countdown With Keith Olbermann'' has gradually adopted an opinion-oriented format. Much of the program features sharp criticism of prominent [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and rightward leaning figures, especially those working for or supporting the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|George W. Bush Administration]], and of rival news commentator [[Bill O'Reilly (commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]], whom Olbermann routinely dubs the "Worst Person In The World."<ref>{{cite news
| first=Alex | last=Koppelman | title=The Olbermann Factor | publisher=Salon | url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/09/11/olbermann/
| date=[[2006-09-11]]
}}</ref>
''[[The Washington Post]]'''s [[Howard Kurtz]] has written that Olbermann is "position[ing] his program as an increasingly [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] alternative to ''[[The O'Reilly Factor]]''."<ref>{{cite news
| first=Howard | last=Kurtz | title=Bill O'Reilly And NBC, Shouting to Make Themselves Seen? | publisher=The Washington Post | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/14/AR2007011401124.html
| date=[[2007-01-15]]
}}</ref> The conservative [[Watchdog journalism| media watchdog]] group [[Media Research Center]] (MRC) has compiled a list of the recipients of Olbermann's "World's Worst" for about a year from its beginning on June 30, 2005 and reported that, of the approximately 600 recipients, 174 (29 percent) of those fit their definition of “conservative” people or ideas while only 23 (4 percent) were what they considered “liberal.”<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mediaresearch.org/realitycheck/2006/fax20060627.asp | title= The “Worst” of MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann | publisher=Media Research Center | accessdate=2006-06-27 }}</ref> During the 2008 Democratic Party primaries Olbermann frequently chastised presidential aspirant Hillary Rodham Clinton for her campaign tactics against her principal opponent, Senator Barack Obama, asserting at one point that Senator Clinton was campaigning "as if (she) were the Republican" in the contest (see ''Criticism of the Hillary Clinton campaign'' below). Olbermann has also posted on the liberal blog [[Daily Kos]], a site where visitors tend to be pro-Obama.
In a ''Countdown'' interview with [[Al Franken]] on October 25, 2005, Olbermann noted that in 2003, after having [[Janeane Garofalo]] and Franken on his show, a vice president of MSNBC had questioned him on inviting "liberals" on consecutive nights, contrasting that occurrence to the apparent ideological latitude he enjoyed at the time of the second Franken interview.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9827774/ | title= 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for Oct. 25th | publisher=MSNBC | accessdate=2005-03-06 }}</ref>
In November 2007, conservative British newspaper ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' placed Keith Olbermann at #67 on their Top 100 list of most influential US liberals. It said that he uses his MSNBC show to promote "an increasingly strident liberal agenda." It added that he would be "a force on the Left for some time to come."<ref name="mostinfluential">{{cite news
| title = The most influential US liberals
| publisher =[[The Daily Telegraph]]
| date =2007-03-11
| url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/exclusions/uselection/nosplit/liberals61-80.xml
| accessdate = 2007-12-15 }}</ref> Investigative journalist [[Robert Parry]] has characterized Olbermann as being on the "left side of the scale."<ref name="parry">{{cite news
| last=Parry
| first=Robert
| authorlink = Robert Parry
| title = The Left's Media Miscalculation (Redux)
| publisher =[[Baltimore Chronicle]]
| date =2007-09-25
| url =http://baltimorechronicle.com/2007/092507Parry.shtml
| accessdate = 2007-12-15 }}</ref>
Olbermann has refused to "pigeonhole" himself politically, stating, "I'm not a liberal, I'm an American."<ref>{{cite news
| first=Mackenzie | last=Carpenter | title=Anchor Olbermann counts on commentary to boost MSNBC's ratings | publisher=The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06346/745336-237.stm
| date=[[2006-12-12]]
}}</ref>
===Criticism of the Bush administration===
In Olbermann's [[Countdown with Keith Olbermann#Special comments|"Special Comment"]] segment on [[July 3]], [[2007]], he called [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]]'s [[commutation of sentence|commutation]] of [[Lewis Libby|Lewis "Scooter" Libby]]'s prison sentence the "[[last straw]]," and called for the resignation of Bush and [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Dick Cheney]]. Olbermann said:
<blockquote>We enveloped our President in 2001. And those who did not believe he should have been elected — indeed, those who did not believe he ''had'' been elected — willingly lowered their voices and assented to the sacred oath of non-partisanship.
And George W. Bush took our assent, and re-configured it, and honed it, and shaped it to a razor-sharp point and stabbed this nation in the back with it.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19588942/ Olbermann: Bush, Cheney should resign]</ref></blockquote>
On his February 14, 2008 "Special Comments" segment, Olbermann castigated Bush for threatening to veto an extension of the [[Protect America Act of 2007|Protect America Act]] unless it provided full immunity from lawsuits to telecom companies. Olbermann stated,
<blockquote>Mr. Bush, you say that our ability to track terrorist threats will be weakened and our citizens will be in greater danger, yet you have weakened that ability, you have subjected us, your citizens, to that greater danger. This, Mr. Bush, is simple enough even for you to understand. For the moment, at least, thanks to some true patriots in the House, and to your own stubbornness, you have tabled telecom immunity, and the FISA act. You. By your own terms and your definitions, you have just sided with the terrorists. You got to have this law, or we‘re all going to die. But, practically speaking, you vetoed this law.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23184008/ 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for Feb. 14: Transcript]</ref></blockquote>
During the same commentary, Olbermann stated: "If you believe in the seamless mutuality of government and big business, come out and say it. There is a dictionary definition, one word that describes that toxic blend. You‘re a fascist—get them to print you a T-shirt with 'fascist' on it. What else is this but fascism?".<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23184008/ 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for Feb. 14: Transcript]</ref>
In a special comment on May 14, 2008, Olbermann took Bush to task for announcing that he had stopped playing [[golf]] in honor of American soldiers who died in the Iraq war. Stating that Bush never should have started the war in the first place and accusing him of dishonesty and [[war crime]]s, Olbermann snapped "It is not, Mr. Bush, about your golf game! And, sir, if you have any hopes that next January 20th will not be celebrated as a day of soul-wrenching, heartfelt thanksgiving, because your faithless stewardship of this presidency will have finally come to a merciful end, this last piece of advice . . . when somebody asks you, sir, about your gallant, noble, self-abnegating sacrifice of your golf game so as to soothe the families of the war dead. This advice, Mr. Bush: ''Shut the hell up!''" Asked by MSNBC senior vice-president Phil Griffin if it was really necessary to tell the President of the United States to "shut the hell up," Olbermann replied that it was, because he couldn't say "fuck" on television.<ref>Boyer, Peter J., [http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/23/080623fa_fact_boyer?printable=true One Angry Man: Is Keith Olbermann changing TV news?] In the ''New Yorker'', June 23, 2008.</ref>
===Feud with Bill O'Reilly===
{{Cleanup-section|date=July 2008}}
Olbermann has repeatedly named [[Bill O'Reilly (commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]], host of the [[The O'Reilly Factor]] on the [[Fox News Channel]] as his “Worst Person in the World." The feud blossomed with Olbermann's public celebration of O'Reilly's 2004 [[sexual harassment]] suit by former Fox News Channel producer [[Andrea Mackris]];<ref name="mackris_lawsuit">{{cite news
| title=Mackris' complaint v. O'Reilly, official document
| publisher=TheSmokingGun.com
| url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackris1.html
| date=[[2004-10-13]]
}}</ref> he jokingly kept track of money his viewers pledged to buy the tapes from Mackris and ran a “Save the Tapes” campaign.
Olbermann went (on August 30, September 5, September 11, and November 1 of 2006 commentaries) from criticizing O'Reilly to confronting the Bush administration directly. In a September 2006 “Worst Person in the World” segment, Olbermann said, “I'm sorry, Bill. I can't play with you right now. I have bigger fish to fry.”<ref name="bigger_fish">{{cite news
| title=Salon.com interview of Keith Olbermann where he references making “bigger fish to fry” comment a few days previous.
| publisher=Salon.com
| url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/09/11/olbermann/index1.html
| date=[[2006-09-11]]
}}</ref>
According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', O'Reilly eventually stopped criticizing Olbermann on ''The O'Reilly Factor'', but Fox News spokeswoman Irina Briganti has released the following public statement in response:
<blockquote>Because of his personal demons, Keith has imploded everywhere he’s worked, from lashing out at co-workers to personally attacking Bill O’Reilly and all things Fox, it’s obvious Keith is a train wreck waiting to happen. And like all train wrecks, people might tune in out of morbid curiosity, but they eventually tune out, as evidenced by Keith’s recent ratings decline. In the meantime, we hope he enjoys his paranoid view from the bottom of the ratings ladder and wish him well on his inevitable trip to oblivion.<ref name="MSNBC’s Star Carves Anti-Fox Niche">{{cite news
| title="MSNBC’s Star Carves Anti-Fox Niche"
| publisher=NYTimes
| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/11/arts/television/11keit.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5088&en=d333137dac65612c&ex=1310270400&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
| date=[[2006-07-11]]
}}</ref></blockquote>
A press release by NBC on May 1, 2007 indicates that ratings for ''Countdown'' went up significantly since Fox’s 2006 statement.
<blockquote>Countdown with Keith Olbermann" (8:00 to 9:00 pm ET) continues its ratings surge, up 81% in total viewers (818,000 v. 452,000) and 73% in the demo (292,000 v. 169,000) over a year ago. "Countdown" maintained its lead over [[CNN]], with a 9% advantage in total viewers and a 7% advantage in the demo. CNN delivered 749,000 total viewers and 273,000 in the demo for the month.”<ref name="MSNBC RATINGS CONTINUED TO CLIMB HIGH IN APRIL ">{{cite news
| title="MSNBC RATINGS CONTINUED TO CLIMB HIGH IN APRIL "
| publisher=NBC Universal Media Village
| url=http://nbcumv.com/msnbc/release_detail.nbc/msnbc-20070501000000-msnbcratingscontin.html
| date=[[2006-05-01]]
}}</ref></blockquote>
While attending a [[Television Critics Association]] breakfast session on [[22 July]] [[2006]], Olbermann was photographed holding up "an O’Reilly mask while raising his right arm in what resembled a [[Hitler salute|Nazi salute]]."<ref>[http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/ca6355563.html Flash!: Olbermann Mocks O'Reilly], ''Broadcasting & Cable'', [[July 22]] [[2006]]</ref> The next week, while a guest on ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' with [[Jay Leno]], Olbermann was asked to comment on the photo, which had appeared on the ''[[Drudge Report]]''. Olbermann said he had been waving to a friend, though he added that "Bill O'Reilly has defended the [[Nazism|Nazi]]s from [[World War II]] on three separate occasions."<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14060327 Transcript Of 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann'], ''MSNBC'', [[July 27]] [[2006]]</ref><ref name="RMN_stark">{{cite news
| last=Saunders
| first=Dusty
| title=Saunders: Media ego clash escalates
| publisher=Rocky Mountain News
| url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/spotlight_columnists/article/0,2777,DRMN_23962_4522137,00.html
| date=[[2006-03-09]]
}}</ref> Olbermann's comments referred to an episode of ''The O'Reilly Factor'', in which O'Reilly inaccurately stated that American troops were the aggressors in the [[Malmedy massacre]].
On [[28 July]] [[2006]], the [[Anti-Defamation League]] (ADL) sent an open letter to Olbermann at [[MSNBC]] stating, "We are deeply dismayed by your ongoing use of the Nazi '[[Sieg Heil]]' salute, both on your program and in public appearances…" The letter explains that Olbermann's use of the salute prompted many complaints from its members, including [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]] survivors, and that any use of it "serves to trivialize the Holocaust and the six million [[Jew]]s and others who died as a result of [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s [[Final Solution]]." The letter closed by asking Olbermann to "reconsider [his] use of the Nazi salute in the future."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.adl.org/media_watch/tv/20060728-MSNBC.htm | title=ADL Letter to MSNBC | publisher=Anti-Defamation League | date=[[2006-07-28]] | accessdate=2006-09-02}}</ref>
Olbermann had written a year earlier in his [[Blog|weblog]] that Nazi references have "no place...in this culture" and "the analogies are wrong, offensive, and deeply hurtful" when used in partisan politics.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8085423/#050622a Enough with the Nazi references!], ''MSNBC'', [[June 22]] [[2005]]</ref>
On the [[6 December]] [[2007]] ''Countdown'', Olbermann gave O'Reilly the bronze during The Worst Person in the World segment for telling [[Dana Perino]], "you know, I've never understood why you, Tony Snow, McClellan, and White House spokespeople and President Bush himself, the president himself, don't get as angry as I get from the 'Bush lied crowd'. They can't prove any lies. They say it over and over and over. Somebody accused me of being a liar like Biden just did, I'd be all over them. I'd be all over them." Olbermann challenged O'Reilly, "Okay. You're a liar. Come get me, tough guy." <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22148053/ | title='Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for Dec. 6 transcript | publisher=MSNBC | date=[[2007-12-06]] | accessdate=2007-12-11}}</ref>
===Criticism of Fox News===
Olbermann has repeatedly voiced criticisms of [[Fox News]], usually calling it "Fixed News" or "Fox Noise" due to his belief that the network is about entertainment and putting forward conservative ideals rather than reporting the news. He has on many occasions labeled Fox News journalists and the network itself as "worse, worser and worst in the world" during his popular segment.
===Criticism of the [[Hillary Rodham Clinton|Hillary Clinton]] campaign===
On [[12 March]] [[2008]], Olbermann used his "Special Comment" on ''Countdown'' to criticize the direction and management of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Olbermann said Sen. Clinton is "campaigning as if Barack Obama were the Democrat and [she] were the Republican", and pled with Senator Clinton to "take back the reins of the campaign from whoever has led you to this precipice".<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23601041/</ref>
In a May 2, 2008 "diary" entry in the ''Daily Kos'' political blog Olbermann berated the Clinton campaign for Sen. Clinton's interview with O'Reilly even after Sen. Obama appeared on Fox News Sunday three days prior.<ref>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/2/115219/2226/754/507740</ref><ref>http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/04/29/hillary-clinton-to-appear-on-the-oreilly-factor/</ref>
Again, on May 23, 2008, Olbermann made Senator Clinton the subject of a "Special Comment" due to a remark that she made on the same day. He strongly criticized the senator's reference to [[Robert F. Kennedy]]'s June 5, 1968 assassination which she made as part of a rationale for continuing her "second place" presidential campaign into June, calling it and her other conduct "unforgivable."<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16270176/</ref>
==Other news journalism==
Olbermann was a fill-in for newscaster [[Paul Harvey]].{{Fact|date=July 2007}} The [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] provided the impetus for Olbermann to return to full-fledged news reporting.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} He won an [[RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award|Edward R. Murrow Award]] for reporting from the site of the attacks for 40 days on [[ABC Radio]] and [[Los Angeles]] radio station [[KFWB]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rtnda.org/asfi/awards/murrowshow2003.asp | title=2003 EDWARD R. MURROW NATIONAL WINNERS | publisher=Radio-Television News Directors Association and Foundation | accessdate=2007-07-11}}</ref>
Olbermann wrote a weekly column for [[Salon.com]] from July 2002 until early 2003.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://dir.salon.com/topics/keith_olbermann/index.html?ti=27 | title=Index of Olbermann's Salon columns | publisher=Salon.com | accessdate=2007-08-14}}</ref>
Olbermann anchored MSNBC's coverage of the death of fellow anchor [[Tim Russert]] on June 13, 2008. He presented a tribute, along with several fellow journalists, in honor of Russert.
==Baseball historian and fan==
Olbermann is a dedicated [[baseball]] fan and historian of the sport, with membership in the [[Society for American Baseball Research]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12254330/ | title=Baseball's greatest Ambassador: Buck O'Neil (Keith Olbermann) | publisher=MSNBC | author=Keith Olbermann | date=[[2006-03-01]] | accessdate=2006-09-02}}</ref> He is also one of the most prominent [[baseball card]] collectors in the country, particularly of [[T-206]] [[Cigarette card|tobacco cards]] and other rare cards, such as the very rare 2006 [[Alex Gordon]] rookie card.<ref name="becket">{{cite news
| title=That Guy Olbermann's A Real Card!
| publisher=Beckett Sports Collectibles Vintage
| url=http://www.beckett.com/vintage/news/index.asp?a=3678&s=27
| date=[[2002-08-15]]
}}</ref> He argues that [[San Francisco Giants|New York Giants]] baseball player [[Fred Merkle]] should not be denied inclusion into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] because of a [[baserunning]] mistake."<ref name="justice_for_merkle">{{cite news
| first=Stan
| last=Isaacs
| title=Justice for Merkle: Keith Olbermann's crusade helps salvage Merkle's rep
| URL=http://www.thecolumnists.com/isaacs/isaacs74.html
| publisher=TheColumnists.com
| date=2002
}}</ref> He contributed the foreword to ''More Than Merkle'' (ISBN 0-8032-1056-6), a book requesting amnesty for Merkle's error, also known as the "[[Fred Merkle|Merkle Boner]]." Olbermann was also one of the founders of the first experts' [[fantasy baseball]] league. He was one of the founders of the ''[[USA Today]] [[Sports Weekly|Baseball Weekly]]'' [[LABR]] league, giving the league its nickname (LABR stands for League of Alternative Baseball Reality).<ref name="LABR">{{cite news
| first=Jonah
| last=Keri
| title='Tis the season to project stats
| URL=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=keri/070214
| publisher=ESPN.com
| date=2007
}}</ref>
Because of his extensive baseball knowledge, Olbermann is a consultant to [[Topps]], the baseball card manufacturer. Topps allowed him to open the first pack of 2007 baseball cards on ''Countdown'' the week before they hit stores. The first card of the pack was [[Johnny Damon]] of the [[New York Yankees]]. In high school, Olbermann compiled an extensive list of first and third base coaches in baseball history. This documentation now sits in the Hall of Fame, and is considered the definitive compendium of first and third base coaches in baseball history.
==Anti-smoking==
On Monday, [[August 8]], [[2005]], the day following [[Peter Jennings]]’ death from [[lung cancer]], Olbermann revealed on-air that he had a benign fibrous [[tumor]] removed from his [[palate]] just 10 days earlier. In an explicit monologue (in which he described, among other things, his experience spitting blood into a trash can), he attributed his tumor directly to his 27-year habit of [[tobacco smoking|smoking]] pipes and cigars. He vigorously urged his viewers not to wait until they see symptoms to quit. "Do whatever you have to do to stop smoking — now. While it's easier."<ref name="smoking_and_you">{{cite news
| title=Video clip of Olbermann's smoking monologue
| publisher=MSNBC.com
| url=http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=5ac2937b-29fe-4271-bdb8-e026cc92cc41
| date=[[2005-08-08]]
}}</ref>
This marked the beginning of "I Quit," once a recurring segment on ''Countdown'' which offered anti-smoking tips and encouragement. On [[August 16]], [[2005]], Olbermann's NBC colleague [[Mike Taibbi]] joined him for "I Quit" to discuss kicking the habit.<ref name="mike_taibbi_quits_smoking">{{cite news
| title=Video clip of Mike Taibbi "I quit" segment on ''Countdown''
| publisher=MSNBC.com
| url=http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=a0d92421-d474-4da4-9d36-56c4e4d69ea5
| date=[[2005-08-08]]
}}</ref><ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8514671/#050808b "Flush the Butts" Bloggerman Entry] from August 8, 2005.</ref>
==Other television appearances==
*He appeared in a [[cameo role|cameo]] as himself in an episode of [[NBC]]'s ''[[Surface (TV series)|Surface]]''.<ref name="surfacecameo">{{cite web
| last=Sassone
| first=Bob
| title=Surface: Episode 11
| publisher=TV Squad
| url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/01/02/surface-episode-11/
| date=[[2006-01-02]]
| accessdate=2006-07-14
}}</ref>
*He appeared in a series of television commercials for the [[Boston Market]] restaurant chain in 1997, in which he tells a bunch of Calvin-Klein type models to "eat something."
*While at [[Fox Sports]], he briefly appeared in an episode of ''[[Arliss|Arli$$]]'' as himself.
*A self-described fan of the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] animated television sitcom ''[[Family Guy]]'', he announced in June 2006 on the Dan Patrick Show that he had recorded some voice tracks to be used in an upcoming episode of the series. ("[[It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One]]", featuring Olbermann as a character named Bob Grossbeard,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://thenewshole.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/10/188411.aspx | title=Olbermann on Family Guy}}</ref> aired on [[May 13]], [[2007]].) Also, [[Seth MacFarlane]] (creator of the animated ''Family Guy'' series) guested on ''Countdown'' on [[January 19]], [[2007]] to discuss [[Stephen Colbert|Stephen Colbert's]] appearance on ''The O'Reilly Factor'' and O'Reilly's subsequent appearance on ''[[The Colbert Report]]''. Olbermann had previously appeared on ''The Colbert Report'' himself ([[March 14]], [[2006]]), and discussed his disputes with O'Reilly.
*Olbermann has lent his voice for ''[[The Simpsons]]'' 2007-2008 season episode "[[Funeral for a Fiend]]." The episode featured [[Sideshow Bob]] whom Olbermann had previously compared to Bill O'Reilly.
*On [[October 3]], [[2006]], Olbermann appeared on the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]''.
*Olbermann appears, with [[Dan Patrick]], in the opening segment of the [[Hootie & the Blowfish]] [[music video]] "[[Only Wanna Be with You]]".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://video.google.com/url?vidurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D-1381591825965891169%26q%3D%2522only%2Bwanna%2Bbe%2Bwith%2Byou%2522%26hl%3Den&docid=-1381591825965891169&ev=v&esrc=gvpl&usg=AL29H21cyCt-Ij84xmzJCgJI-LqgPa70sA | title=Warner Music Group}}</ref>
*On [[February 23]], [[2007]], he appeared on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''.
*On [[February 25]], [[2007]], he was featured in the "Cable Guy" segment on ''[[CBS Sunday Morning]]''.
*On [[June 27]], [[2007]], Olbermann and Patrick appeared on the ''Late Show with David Letterman''.
*On the [[Home Box Office|HBO]] series ''[[Big Love]]'', Olbermann appeared in Season 2, Episode 9 ("Swing Vote Margene") as himself during a fictitious newscast.
*On [[April 24]], [[2008]], Olbermann appeared on the ''Late Show with David Letterman''.
*On [[June 13]], [[2008]], Olbermann hosted the [[MSNBC]]'s commercial-free special coverage to honor his colleague, [[Tim Russert]] (1950~2008). During that broadcast he visibly wept during the many segments.
==Career timeline==
{{Cleanup|date=July 2008}}
*1992-1997: [[Sportscenter]] 11 PM Co-Anchor<ref>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0646021/bio</ref>
*1997-1998: [[The Big Show]] Anchor<ref>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0646021/bio</ref>
*1997-1998: [[White House in Crisis]] Anchor<ref>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0646021/bio</ref>
*1998-2001: ''The Keith Olbermann Evening News'' Anchor<ref>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0646021/bio</ref>
*1999-2000: [[MLB on Fox]] Host<ref>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0646021/bio</ref>
*2003-present: [[Countdown with Keith Olbermann]]''<ref>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0646021/bio</ref>
*2007-present: ''[[Football Night in America]]'' Co-host
==Bibliography==
* ''Truth and Consequences: Special Comments on the Bush Administration's War on American Values'' (Random House, December 2007). ISBN 978-1-4000-6676-6.
* ''The Worst Person In the World and 202 Strong Contenders'' (Wiley, September 2006). ISBN 0-470-04495-0.
* ''The Big Show: Inside ESPN's Sportscenter'' (Atria, 1997). ISBN 0-671-00918-4.
* ''The Major League Coaches: 1921-1973'' (Card Memorabilia Associates, 1973).
==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links==
{{commonscat}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*[http://countdown.msnbc.com/ ''Countdown'' with Keith Olbermann Front Page]
*[http://keith-olbermann.dailykos.com/ Keith Olbermann's blog] on [[The Daily Kos]]
*[http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/23/080623fa_fact_boyer "One Angry Man: Is Keith Olbermann changing TV news?"], Peter J. Boyer, ''[[The New Yorker]]'', June 23, 2008
*[http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/tags/keith_olbermann Stories on Olbermann] from [[Media Matters for America]]
{{Sportscenter}}
{{Major League Baseball on FOX}}
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