Could Keith Olbermann Head Back To Sports After MSNBC Split?

After his "sudden split with MSNBC, Keith Olbermann could be going back" to sports, according to Nina Mandell of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. Olbermann at the conclusion of Friday night's "Countdown" program announced that he and MSNBC had agreed to part ways after eight years. Following the program, he changed the biography line on his Twitter account to read, "Watch This Space. MLB.Com Baseball Nerd blog returns 2/14." Olbermann last posted on his MLB.com blog on Thursday. Mandell noted it is "unlikely he's headed back" to ESPN, as he "slammed that former employer on his way out from MSNBC, too, in his goodbyes" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/23). FANHOUSE.com's Milton Kent noted there "may be places for Olbermann to turn up, even back in sports." Olbermann is "known in baseball circles as a historian, which could make him a prime candidate to serve as an anchor on MLB Network." He also would be an "intriguing choice for a show on HBO, which could have elements of news and sports." Kent added, "Despite his having been bounced from MSNBC and from a spot on Football Night in America, one wonders if a rebranded Versus or an entirely new NBC sports channel wouldn't welcome a personality like Olbermann's, even if he is anathema to conservative viewers" (FANHOUSE.com, 1/22). The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Tim Goodman suggests 10 "career path decisions that Olbermann should consider." Olbermann returning to ESPN "would add some welcome gravitas." He also could "become the Commissioner" of MLB after Bud Selig retires (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 1/22).

HEADING TO HOLLYWOOD? ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY's Lynette Rice cited a source as saying that screenwriter Aaron Sorkin "has long had a pilot script in the works about a cable news show, and Olbermann could be tapped to contribute rants." Sorkin spent time on the set of Olbermann's show "while penning the behind-the-scenes script (think 'Sports Night' meets 'Countdown')." Sorkin recently told the BBC that he "also shadowed Chris Matthews and Fox News and that he's working with HBO on the project" (EW.com, 1/22).