There comes a time in a man's life when he just wants to go home.
Keith Olberman wants to see for himself if Dorothy was right when she said "There's no place like home". Unfortunately, Keith may be sad to find out that locks have changed. According to the New York Times, Olbermann was seen having dinner with ESPN President John Skipper and trying to charm his way into getting a job again at ESPN.
It seems like a million years ago that Olbermann and pal Dan Patrick co-hosted Sportcenter, a fledgling 24-hour sports station that many people said would be a joke. Since Olbermann left in 1997, ESPN has become a sports monolith and Olbermann has become known for burning bridges and the lakes, streams and oceans they cover most recently MSNBC and the Current channel. Nevertheless, ESPN needs Keith Olbermann and here's why:
Olbermann is smart - ESPN is full of guys with opinions and looks, but Olbermann has worked in real news and is more than just a talking head. He's interviewed heads of state, titans of industry, and some of our top minds...all without backing down. Can you say that about Colin Cowherd? Olbermann practically remade MSNBC to the point it beat CNN in the ratings and made someone name Rachel Maddow a star. People may accuse him of being not fun to work with or work for, but it's always prefaced with "He's a really smart guy..."
He's the Anti-Bayless - If there's one person that epitomizes things people hate about ESPN, it's our old buddy Skip Bayless. His morning banter with Stephen A. Smith not only makes a mockery of his show First Take, but the fact that you have a guy who constantly gets called out on his knowledge or lack thereof, proves that you need to abandon the theatrics. I mean, even Tim Tebow would fire Bayless on most days.Only Olbermann can talk about the Sequester, Michael Vick and the Iphone 5 in the same sentence.
Olbermann is ESPN - Whether you want to call it nostalgia or redemption, Olbermann deserves a shot. His work in the early days helped what ESPN is today. He is the prodigal son and the ultimate post script to all those ESPN 30/30 documentaries. Besides, having Olbermann return will make up for the inevitable day for when ESPN hires a Kardashian.
Despite possibly picking up the tab with Skipper, the ESPN head wouldn't commit to bringing back it's former star. "Clearly he was looking to see if there was an entry point to come back," Skipper said. "There are not that many successful examples of peopel who have come back, in part, because it's like water filling a vacuum. When somebody leaves, somebody else fills their place."