Keith Olbermann: ‘Pious, unlikable blowhard’

ESPN columnist Bill Simmons is giving liberal loudmouth Keith Olbermann some of his own medicine, labeling the MSNBC firebrand a “a pious, unlikable blowhard who lives alone.”

After thinking about that statement, Simmons backed off…a little, tweeting: “I feel bad about saying Olbermann lives alone. I forgot about his cats.”

This latest war of words involving the always opinionated Olbermann erupted when the faux MSNBC “news’ anchor attacked Simmons for comparing the comeback attempt of Tiger Woods with another sports legend: Muhammad Ali, discussing Ali’s comeback from exile over his fight against being drafted into the military.

Wrote Simmons:

When Ali returned from his exile with rusty skills, he stopped dancing as much, absorbed more punishment and learned to pick his spots. As his skills slipped even further later in his career, he absorbed insane amounts of punishment and banked on his innate will to prevail in the end. That’s the main reason he can barely say a sentence right now. If Tiger comes back with similar rust, I can’t imagine him being able to change his style on the fly as Ali did. Either it comes back or it doesn’t.

Responded Olbermann:

If the writer can let me know when Woods is punitively drafted by the military even though he is about eight years older than almost all the other draftees, I’ll begin to take him seriously. In the interim I am again left to marvel how somebody can rise to a fairly prominent media position with no discernible insight or talent, save for an apparent ability to mix up a vast bowl of word salad very quickly.

Olbermann’s tirade is his latest attack on a former colleague (Olbermann once hosted ESPN’s Sports Center). He attacked former MSNBC General Manager Dan Abrams recently and has also come under fire for strident attacks on new Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown and the entire state of Texas, which he said needs to “evolve.”

The bombastic MSNB anchor has been missing in action recently on MSNBC. The official line is that he is on vacation and taking time to attend to family matters. NBC insiders say the leave may have been forced by NBC execs who have told their fading star to take some time off to reassess.

All of which adds to a growing death watch on “Countdown With Keith Olbermann.

Writes Stuart Schwartz on American Thinker:

“As the Spittle Flies” is nearing the end of its run.

This cable news soap opera — a.k.a. “Countdown With Keith Olbermann” — is alienating viewers as quickly as the angry and demanding diva has pushed away friends, family, and colleagues over the course of his tumultuous career.

When will the show end? Hard to tell. But the increasingly wild-eyed Keith is drawing rubberneckers in the same fashion as a six-car crackup beside the interstate.

Adds Ruth Graham on The Daily Caller:

Something’s different this week. Can you feel it? The sky is bluer, the air is warmer, the grass is greener, and there’s been a sudden drop in foaming-at-the-mouth incidents across this great land. That’s right: Keith Olbermann has been away all week! He skipped last Friday, showed up for a Special Comment on Monday, and then disappeared again on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Related articles

• The Olbermann-Simmons Feud Is Getting Feisty [Media Meltdowns] (deadspin.com)
• Keith Olberman Blasts Dan Abrams, Mediaite: ‘Fired MSNBC Employee’ (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
• Is America Getting Over Keith Olbermann? (dailyfinance.com)
• Keith Olbermann Denies that ‘Countdown’ is Going Down (tvsquad.com)
• MSNBC Execs Scramble to Defend Olbermann As ‘Countdown’ Ratings Decline (newsbusters.org)