ESPN has suspended Keith Olbermann for the remainder of the week after a series of Tweets criticizing Penn State University fans and students. ESPN has issued the following statement:
We are aware of the exchange Keith Olbermann had on Twitter last night regarding Penn State. It was completely inappropriate and does not reflect the views of ESPN. We have discussed it with Keith, who recognizes he was wrong. ESPN and Keith have agreed that he will not host his show for the remainder of this week and will return on Monday. The annual tradition of THON and the efforts of the students of Penn State to fight pediatric cancer should be applauded.
Olbermann has been critical of all-things Penn State since the Jerry Sandusky scandal, but this time he attacked the school’s annual pediatric cancer fundraiser. Olbermann has since apologized via Twitter:
I apologize for the PSU tweets. I was stupid and childish and way less mature than the students there who did such a great fundraising job.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 24, 2015
Olbermann’s Twitter timeline is currently a combination of Bill O’Reilly-related messages and the aforementioned Penn State remarks. It all started when a Penn State graduate tweeted “We Are!” with a link to an article about the school raising money for the Four Diamonds Fund. Olbermann responded to the Tweet by saying “Pitiful,” which he claims was simply an attempt to finish the sentence.
Some of Olbermann’s controversial remarks are below:
@lisaadeleon …Pitiful
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 23, 2015
.@dave_seidel her tweet reads “we are…” I finished her sentence “…pitiful.” At this rate your diploma won’t be recognized, Moron — Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 23, 2015
.@dave_seidel Again – get your $ back – you didn’t learn how to read. PSU students are pitiful because they’re PSU students – period. — Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 23, 2015
.@dave_seidel No, Son. I said PSU students were pitiful. Had nothing to do with fundraising #AlsoPSUReadingComprehensionAppearsToBeWeak — Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 23, 2015
.@ColinBenner Good for you. Doesn’t change the school’s reputation. Check back next century. — Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 24, 2015
I’d like to thank the students and alums of Penn State for proving my point about the mediocrity of their education and ethics. — Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 24, 2015
Can’t wait a week for more Olbermann? Check out his “My First Big Break.”