Keith Theodore Olbermann (born January 27, 1959) is an American news anchor,[3] sportscaster, writer, and political commentator. He hosts Countdown with Keith Olbermann, an hour-long nightly news and commentary program on MSNBC. Starting with the 2007 NFL season, Olbermann also serves as a co-host of NBC's Football Night in America.
Olbermann spent the first twenty years of his career in sports journalism. He was a sports correspondent for CNN in the 1980s, winning the Best Sportscaster award from the California Associated Press three times. He later co-hosted ESPN's SportsCenter from 1992 to 1997. After leaving ESPN amid controversy, Olbermann became a sports anchor and producer for Fox Sports Net from 1998 to 2001, during which time he hosted Fox's studio coverage of baseball.
After leaving Fox, Olbermann re-joined MSNBC after a short hiatus, hosting Countdown with Keith Olbermann in 2003. Olbermann has established a niche in cable news commentary, gaining prominence for his pointed criticism of major politicians and public figures, directed particularly at the political right.[4][5][6][7][8][9] He has feuded with rival commentator Bill O'Reilly[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] and strongly criticized the George W. Bush administration[4][5][6][7][9] and John McCain's unsuccessful 2008 Presidential candidacy.[12] Although many have described Olbermann as a liberal,[13][14][15][16] he has said on at least one occasion "I'm not a liberal; I'm an American."[17]
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