Keith Olbermann Suspended by ESPN for a Week Over Penn State Tweets, Admits He Sounded ''Stupid and Childish''

Olbermann host called the embattled university "pitiful," among other things, and has since apologized

By Natalie Finn Feb 24, 2015 9:56 PMTags
Keith Olberman, ESPNESPN

Another network, another issue for Keith Olbermann.

ESPN has suspended the ever-outspoken anchor for a week for a crack he made about Penn State—however, his infraction did not occur on the air, but rather via Twitter.

"We are aware of the exchange Keith Olbermann had on Twitter last night regarding Penn State," the network said in a statement Tuesday. "It was completely inappropriate and does not reflect the views of ESPN. ESPN and Keith have agreed that he will not host his show for the remainder of this week and will return on Monday."

Olbermann himself tweeted today, "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."

So, what happened in the first place?

Yesterday, a supporter of the recently embattled university tweeted at Olbermann, "We are!," invoking the Big 10 school's longtime cheering slogan (and linking to a school newspaper story about Penn State raising $13 million for pediatric cancer-fighting efforts at Penn St. Milton S. Hershey Medical Center).

But Olbermann tweeted back a defiant, "...Pitiful." And the exchange didn't end there.

"@KeithOlbermann so you have no opinion on Penn State raising over $13 million for pediatric cancer research?" fired back one of many outraged souls, to which Olbermann replied, "@ColinBenner Good for you. Doesn't change the school's reputation. Check back next century."

"@KeithOlbermann Yup the world is picking on you Keith...keep telling yourself that and all will be ok," read another anti-Olbermann tweet. "@bgsmithdc And your illusion that you are 'the world' and your sad little troll tweets are "picking on me" suggests you should see a shrink," the veteran TV personality responded.

Meanwhile, Penn State continues to try to rebuilt its decimated reputation following a child-molestation scandal involving football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky (who's now in prison) that also took down once-revered head coach Joe Paterno, who died of cancer in January 2012 just two months after being let go following 45 years at his post.

In 2012, the NCAA fined the school $60 million and imposed some of the most severe sanctions in college-athletics history on the school; but in 2014 the NCAA rescinded what had been a four-year ban on postseason play, restored student-athlete scholarships that had been taken away and restored the Paterno victories from 1998 to 2011 that had initially been stripped from the Nittany Lions' record. Penn State football went 7-6 last year under first-year coach James Franklin.

And the host of Olbermann will be back in his chair on Monday.