ESPN has suspended Keith Olbermann from his sports talkshow after a Twitter exchange in which he called Pennsylvania State University supporters 'pitiful' and 'morons'. The Walt Disney-owned network said Olbermann would be off air for the rest of the week, despite his apology.
The controversy began on Monday when Olbermann engaged in a Twitter spat with students raising funds for pediatric cancer. He described the students as 'pitiful' in several tweets. On Tuesday morning, he apologised for his 'stupid and childish' comments.
ESPN issued a statement saying the exchange was 'completely inappropriate' and did not reflect the network's views. 'We have discussed it with Keith, who recognises 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 statement read.
Olbermann has a history of strained relations with employers. He left MSNBC in 2011 after eight years, then joined Current TV, from which he was fired in 2012. Founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt said he lacked 'the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers'. He returned to ESPN in 2013, where he had previously worked from 1992 to 1997.
