Sports Media Watch presents 20 notable sports media stories of the year 2013. Today, the #1 sports media story of the year.
First, a look back at the list so far:
–: Boston Marathon Bombings
#19: Musburger in Hot Water
#18: NHL Backs Away From the Brink
#17: NBPA Dumps Billy Hunter
#16: Broussard’s Anti-Gay Comments
#15: ESPN Swipes Tennis’ U.S. Open From CBS
#14: Lance Does ‘Oprah’
#13: Musical Chairs on “NBA Countdown”
#12: Jay and Dan Cross the Border
#11: Tim McCarver Retires
#10: Deadspin Breaks Te’o Story
#9: Super Bowl Blackout
#8: TBS Gets Final Four Semis Early
#7: Fox Sports Lands U.S. Open
#6: Big East TV Drama
#5: NASCAR Leaves ESPN/TNT For NBC
#4: ESPN Hires Nate Silver, Acquires Five Thirty Eight Site
#3: ESPN Backs Out of Frontline Documentary
#2: Launch of Fox Sports 1
#1: The Return of Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann’s return to ESPN was not the most important sports media story of 2013, nor did it have any particular implications for the future. He is not hosting “SportsCenter,” but instead a fairly low-rated late night talk show on ESPN2 — one that is so often preempted by live sports that it can be an adventure to find. For conservatives still seething from his political statements on MSNBC, or for anyone who dislikes him regardless of politics, both Olbermann and “Olbermann” are easy to avoid. With that out of the way, Olbermann’s return is one of the most fascinating sports media stories in recent years, and certainly one of the least likely. One of television’s nastiest breakups has given way to a sudden, and thus far successful, reconciliation.
Olbermann’s initial tenure at ESPN was a tempestuous five-year run from 1992 to 1997. The lowlights of his tenure and the aftermath have been well-chronicled: He allegedly made Suzy Kolber cry. He answered “Bristol, Connecticut” when asked to name the “most godforsaken place on Earth” on Craig Kilborn‘s “Daily Show.” He inspired ESPN exec Mike Soltys‘ infamous quote “he didn’t burn bridges here, he napalmed them.” The level of acrimony was perhaps best summarized by Bob Ley‘s assessment of the mood in Bristol after Olbermann’s departure: “unrestrained [expletive] joy.”
It was not all negative, of course. Olbermann was part of the strongest cast “SportsCenter” ever had, and his partnership with Dan Patrick was considered the gold standard for sports highlight shows. He was even allowed back at ESPN, in a limited capacity, in the mid-2000s. Not only did he co-host “The Dan Patrick Show” on ESPN Radio, he was even considered a replacement when Patrick left in 2007. Still, his initial departure from ESPN has been perhaps the largest contributor to his reputation as a nightmare to work with. “[I]f there’s anybody who bothers to write an obit for me,” he told GQ this year, “it will include something in the first paragraph about contentious exits. And I’d like to change that.”
After another messy exit in 2012, a parting of the ways with Current TV that involved a lawsuit, it did not look like Olbermann would have an opportunity to change his reputation. In fact, it looked like he had begun to run out of options. FOX and NBC were almost certainly out, and it was safe to assume that ESPN was a no-go as well.
Then came the news in March that Olbermann met with ESPN president John Skipper to discuss a potential role at the network. The story, reported in The New York Times by “Those Guys Have All the Fun” author James Andrew Miller, was the first inkling that a return was possible. However, Skipper’s reaction in the article made a reunion seem like a faint possibility. Quoted in the Times, Skipper sounded so dismissive of Olbermann’s chances that it came off like a power play: ‘yes, he’s interested, but we neither want nor need him.’ Even after The Big Lead reported that ESPN did in fact have interest in Olbermann, the possibility seemed far-fetched — and when Olbermann took a job with Turner Sports for TBS’ MLB postseason coverage, it appeared to be virtually dead. Olbermann had found his landing spot, one with no messy history and and not much downside: a one-year-deal, with an option for a second, to talk baseball for three weeks.
Behind the scenes, however, ESPN executives had been involved in what The New York Times called “14 months of intense discussion” about whether to bring back Olbermann (NYT, 7/16). Sports Illustrated similarly reported that ESPN had been interested in an Olbermann reunion “for some time, with senior management dropping hints to reporters about the possibility for months” (SI, 7/17). In mid-July came the first public reports — from The New York Daily News and Variety — that Olbermann was returning to ESPN. He would host a late night talk show on ESPN2, the type of program ESPN had been trying to launch for nearly a decade with little success (Jay Mohr and Stephen A. Smith come to mind). The official announcement came soon after, and an unlikely comeback was complete.
The new “Olbermann” show premiered August 26, not coincidentally just over a week after the launch of ESPN competitor Fox Sports 1. Needless to say, the premiere stole media critics’ attention from FS1, an outcome ESPN no doubt anticipated. Mixing both highlights and commentary, “Olbermann” has been far lighter than its cable news predecessor, playing to his considerable strengths (biting wit) without allowing him to indulge in his biggest weakness (self-righteous bluster). Considering what a joyless slog “Countdown” could be in its later years, “Olbermann” has arguably represented a return to form. It should be no surprise that the show has received generally favorable reviews among sports media writers, even if viewers have not exactly hopped on the bandwagon yet.
For ESPN, “Olbermann” has been a low-risk, modest reward success. Though viewership has been less than impressive, the show has helped ESPN further marginalize the new Fox Sports 1 network. Over the two most recent weeks where ratings were available (December 2-15), the 11 PM ET “Olbermann” topped “Fox Sports Live” in six of eight head-to-head matchups, the lone exceptions being nights when the show aired on ESPNEWS. Over the course of those eight nights, the 11 PM “Olbermann” topped 100,000 viewers six times, and the 11 PM “Fox Sports Live” did so only once.
For all his baggage, both personal and political, Olbermann has been a strong hire for ESPN. Though it is still early, there have not yet been any signs of friction. In an outcome few could have predicted at the start of the year, Olbermann’s bridge to the most godforsaken place on Earth has been rebuilt and is — perhaps — as strong as it has ever been.
(“Olbermann” and “FSL” ratings from Son of the Bronx [1], [2], [3], [4])
