Olbermann's meltdown good news for MSNBC

In college, one of my my favorite SportsCenter personalities was Keith Olbermann. A bit goofy, Olbermann had the dry sense of humor and sharp wit that made him a perfect fit on ESPN's signature program. It didn't matter whom the ESPN bosses paired him with. Olbermann always seemed to be the star of the show. Understandably, when he left ESPN, I was upset. My favorite sportscaster on ESPN, I must admit, was Craig Kilborn. But Olbermann was a close second. He was a star and had a bright future -- if he chose to nurture his stardom carefully. Not long after he left ESPN, Olbermann surfaced on Fox Sports Net, doing a weekly program on Sundays. Apparently, he was using sports as a stepping stone to what he really coveted -- news.

These days, Olbermann can be seen on MSNBC. He has a show called Countdown with Keith Olbermann, the format of which gives him the opportunity to be opinionated. He tries hard emulate Bill O'Reilly, but we must remember that O'Reilly has viewers. Olbermann does not. His disdain for President Bush is no secret. He ends his show by reminding his viewers how many days it's been since Bush's "Mission Accomplished" declaration.
But until now, it's been OK. (No one watches, remember?)

On Wednesday night, two days after John Kerry infamously quipped that those who do not achieve in school "get stuck in Iraq," Olbermann saw an opportunity to remind America he was still alive. He used 11:28 of his show to rip Bush for supposed mismanagement in Iraq. Yes, there are problems in Iraq, but Olbermann needs to remember that war is dangerous. People die in war -- by the thousands in this one.

Watching the "Special Comment" on the Internet, I couldn't help but wonder how many people -- remember, he's on MSNBC -- actually stuck it out for the full segment. As an admirer of Bush's, I found it downright offensive. The man called the president of the United States a liar and an idiot -- repeatedly. For 11 minutes and 28 seconds!

I didn't make it past 7:15. His hatred for the president was just unbearable. As people have heard of this rant -- remember, he works for MSNBC -- many no doubt have called for his firing.

That won't happen. Olbermann's meltdown gave MSNBC bosses exactly what they have craved but seldom gotten in the ferocious competition with Fox News and CNN -- exposure. Whether this will translate into viewers on election night is doubtful. But for a few days, people will actually talk about a program on MSNBC.