Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
This YouTube video reminded me that I was the person who introduced Keith Olbermann to America.
Keith was a sportscaster at the local CBS affiliate in Los Angeles at the same time I was doing a talk show for that network. I thought Keith was pretty funny on the air, and I suggested we have him come on the show and talk sports. This was the first of several appearances he made on the show, and he always did a nice job.
Keith tended to wear out his welcome at stations and networks, and he bounced around to several places before he found his niche at MSNBC. When he first went on the air there, he was actually quite entertaining. He was wry and amusing, and he looked at the news at a kind of cockeyed angle that I enjoyed.
I’m not sure how he morphed into the bitter-sounding, hate-mongering name-caller he’s become, but I’m sorry he did. I liked the guy, and he was always a good guest. Maybe it’s just show business and trying to find a place in it and building an audience, but I don’t know. We were never friends away from the show, so I can’t even guess what drives him.
I do know that to whatever extent the political well has been poisoned, Keith has dumped more than his share of venom into the water. I’d like to think he knows that and maybe even regrets it. I liked the Keith Olbermann of 1989. This tape reminded me that I miss him.
(h/t Kenneth)
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Sep '10
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Kenneth: Is there such a thing as an unforgivable sin?
Theologians: want to weigh in on this one? · Nov 10 at 8:04am
Kenneth, your comment made it into this NY Daily News article. · Nov 10 at 4:52pm
Incredible.
Sep '10
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
Michael Pate: A bit of promotion for Ricochet: Pat Sajak ‘Mea Culpa’: ‘I was the person who introduced Keith Olbermann to America’
The best part about a random internet site like that (random to me, anyways), is the comments section.
Some guy called Off2SeeTheLizard left this gem:
"Sajack is a bitter, right-wing apologist who is livid that his only claim to fame is a stupid game show."
So, Pat, did this guy nail you, or what?
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
Pat, I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me for writing some really great anti-conservative jokes for "Murphy Brown." The entertainment industry makes strange bed-fellows of us all. But more importantly, I was in the audience for one of your shows and for the life of me I don't know how I got there, or why. Was it possible you had the "Murphy Brown" cast on?
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
You didn't dream it, Denise. We did have the cast on one night.
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
Mark Belling Fan
Some guy called Off2SeeTheLizard left this gem:
"Sajack is a bitter, right-wing apologist who is livid that his only claim to fame is a stupid game show."
So, Pat, did this guy nail you, or what? · Nov 10 at 5:39pm
Almost. He (or she) should have said, "really bitter."
Sep '10
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
Pat,
Its too bad there are no photos of you clinging to guns or the bible that the commenter could have added to your really bitterness.
Sep '10
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
Pseudodionysius: Pat,
Its too bad there are no photos of you clinging to guns or the bible that the commenter could have added to your really bitterness. · Nov 11 at 9:05am
I think that post came off a tad more bitter and less ironic than I intended.
Oct '10
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
Pseudodionysius: Pat,
Its too bad there are no photos of you clinging to guns or the bible that the commenter could have added to your really bitterness. · Nov 11 at 9:05a
Since you have the bitterness, I have the gun. I'm sure Berean or Aaron have a Bible Pat could borrow (mine are mostly not in English).
Edited on November 12, 2010 at 8:36amAug '10
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
That sounds like it could be a line from a really wacky song.
Aug '10
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
Pat - Even the Comcast/Xfinity homepage is talking about you.
http://www.fancast.com/blogs/2010/tv-news/another-day-another-olbermann-feud-and-this-time-its-pat-sajak/?cmpid=FCST_tvnews
What's truly enlightening is the quality of the "comments" section that follows the Comcast post. I haven't heard such pithy zingers since I was in 6th grade.
Makes me appreciate all the more Ricochet's "pay to play" policy - and it's Code of Conduct.
Jun '10
Re: Mea Culpa: I Put Keith Olbermann on National TV
It was wild to see Ricochet.com on my local news station. They took the least complimentary part of Pat's post and made it super dramatic. 24hr news cycles, here we come!