As Reunions Go, This One’s Destined for the Highlight Reel

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: TV Sports
As Reunions Go, This One’s Destined for the Highlight Reel
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Published: August 30, 2008


(NBC)
Dan Patrick, left, and Keith Olbermann will reunite on NBC’s “Football Night in America.”

Dan Patrick describes his reunion with Keith Olbermann on NBC’s “Football Night in America,” which precedes the network’s Sunday night games, as his career restoration. It is a strong term given that since leaving ESPN Radio last year, Patrick started his own syndicated radio show and became a columnist/personality for Sports Illustrated. Still, he lacked the sort of ESPN-level TV exposure that reached its pop-culture peak during the six years through 1997 that he hosted “SportsCenter” with Olbermann. “He’s taking on the world,” Patrick said, “and I’m resurrecting my career.”

Olbermann’s profile, and occupational focus, have altered in those 11 years. He is the face of MSNBC, the host of “Countdown,” and Bill O’Reilly’s least favorite part-time sportscaster. He is more likely to discourse on Barack Obama than Ben Obomanu, the Seattle wide receiver. But last year, even as his cable news profile was rising, he started moonlighting Sunday nights for NBC Sports. He took much of the highlight load from Bob Costas and offered commentaries like “Worst Person in the N.F.L.,” modeled on a “Countdown” feature that uses the world as its playing field. He called it a respite. “I listen to Collinsworth’s cackle and Tiki’s weekly mot juste,” he wrote in an e-mail message from Denver, where he was at the Democratic convention. “There is not just free food, there is new free food every hour. It’s oasislike.”

With Election Day two months away, Olbermann said he was not worried about Obama and John McCain taking control of his heart and mind. He said: “The key thing is that half the season, plus the playoffs, is after the election. So it’ll get a little busy until the games, of, what Nov. 9? After that I start taking a lot of Fridays off....

***

Patrick and Olbermann prefer not to overanalyze the chemistry that last got an on-air workout during Olbermann’s regular appearances on Patrick’s ESPN Radio show. “I don’t think we’ve ever turned it off,” Patrick said. “There isn’t a switch when you say, ‘Now we get along, now I like you.’ I don’t even have to talk to Keith before we go on the air, and it will just flow. I have no idea why. That’s the way it is.” Olbermann said, “On the radio show, I literally could walk in at 2 p.m., talk to him for 30 seconds about where he wanted to go in terms of topics, and we’d do our best work.” He added, “The only true effort is opening our mouths.”...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/sports/football/31sandomir.html?ref=football

[Berry Cool]

1. Thanks for this.

Too bad Keith is planning on taking Fridays off of Countdown after the election, at least until football season is over, but I guess that's to be expected. He'll be running himself ragged until then.

I imagine Keith's "Worst Person in the NFL" feature at halftime will be scrapped (we may not see him at halftime at all anymore). It wasn't used most of last season anyway.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. I knew the Friday info would be disappointing. Wonder who will sub?

:-(

[Berry Cool]

3. David Shuster, I hope.

He was the best sub before Rachel came along. Besides, I loved how Keith felt the need to record a little video to plead with us to please watch him when he subbed, and get over our disappointment that he wasn't on. He never seemed to feel the need to do that with Rachel, but I kind of missed it.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Shuster would be my guess, too -- and maybe next with his own show. nt

[RevCheesehead]

5. I wonder if Morning Joe is available.

:hide:

[Berry Cool]

6. You BETTER hide behind that bunker

when you say that!! :rofl: