Keith Olbermann Suspended by ESPN Over “Pitiful” Penn State Tweets

Keith Olbermann has been suspended from his ESPN show for the remainder of the week, after calling Penn State students “pitiful” in a series of brash tweets.

ESPN released a statement regarding the suspension, saying, “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.”

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

The Twitter war started when a PSU student tweeted at Olbermann saying “We are!” with a link to an announcement about students raising $13 million for pediatric cancer.

Olbermann responded to the tweet, writing, “…Pitiful” which resulted in a firestorm of angry messages from other PSU students.

Olbermann defended his position, saying he wasn’t insulting the fundraiser, just PSU students in general. He proceeded to lob several more insults at the students and the university administration.

He later apologized for the outburst, saying, “I was stupid and childish and way less mature than the students there who did such a great fundraising job.”

 

@lisaadeleon …Pitiful

— 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

.@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

More PSU education. My trash what? RT @COLTS_R_BETTER @KeithOlbermann your trash

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 24, 2015

@EricOwensFS Don’t make shit up, Sonny. You’ll wind up running Penn State.

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 24, 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