Since joining Twitter early last year, now-former Countdown host Keith Olbermann has become one of the platform’s most loquacious users, tweeting more frequently than a meth-tweaked canary. All of that came to an abrupt end in the hour before his Friday announcement that he, and his show, were leaving MSNBC. 
 
 Saturday night, though, Olbermann-watchers saw the first sign of post-Countdown life from his Twitter feed: an update to his profile which read “WATCHTHISSPACE MLB.com Baseball Nerd blog returns 2/14.” 
 
 At this point, very little should be read into this, but that won’t stop people from trying. The New York Daily News speculates that maybe the update signifies a return to sports for the former Sportscenter co-anchor: 
 
 Since his sudden split with MSNBC, Keith Olbermann could be going back to his roots – at least on Twitter. “W A T C H T H I S S P A C E MLB.Com Baseball Nerd blog returns 2/14,” he wrote on his biography line– the only update he’s written on his usually prolific account since Friday evening. 
 
 They go on to note that a return to ESPN is unlikely, for a variety of reasons that Sportsgrid details here. 
 
 The problem here is that promoting the Baseball Nerd blog is nothing new to Olbermann’s Twitter feed, and so “Watch this space” isn’t necessarily related to it. If Olbermann does remain silent until February 14, though, you can bet that will be the most widely-read edition to date. 
 
 In any case, those watching Olbermann’s feed for dirty laundry, or laundry of any kind, regarding his departure from MSNBC are likely in for a big disappointment. As much as it’s probably killing the normally-outspoken Olbermann, news accounts from respected journalists generally concur that the terms of his exit include some kind of gag order. 
 
 Much more likely is the prospect that Olbermann will share, in fairly short order, some level of detail about his future plans. Ironically, his departure has elevated his Twitter feed to near-Sarah Palin status, anticipation-wise. The parallel has been noted by some conservatives on Twitter, who wondered if Olbermann could continue to slam Palin for resigning the Alaska Governorship, which caused Olbermann to dub Palin the “former Half-Governor.” (This says more about their attitudes about the gravity of elected office than anything else.) 
 
 In that vein, it would be a satirical masterstroke if Olbermann emerged from Twitter exile to tweet about “Death Panels,” as they relate to cuts to transplant funding in Arizona. 
 
 Either way, Olbermann has to be aware that his status as a Palin-level Twitter celebrity has a short shelf-life, and if he wants to use the platform to promote his next move, sooner is better than later. 
 
 Update: On Sunday, perhaps in response to the Daily News’ speculation, the message on Olbermann’s Twitter profile was tweaked to more clearly separate the messages. It now reads “W A T C H__________T H I S__________S P A C E (Also: MLB.Com Baseball Nerd blog returns 2/14)” ||||| Keith Olbermann is leaving ESPN for the second time. 
 
 The outspoken television broadcaster will be leaving the sports network later this month, the network confirmed on Wednesday. 
 
 His sports news and commentary program, "Olbermann," is shown weekdays on ESPN2, the smaller sister channel of ESPN. It began in 2013. 
 
 "We wish Keith nothing but the best and trust that his skill and ability will lead him to another promising endeavor," ESPN said in a statement. 
 
 The network called Olbermann's sign-off a "business decision to move in another direction," not the result of a dispute. 
 
 That's noteworthy because Olbermann, 56, has been called a "perpetual bridge-burner" in the past. 
 
 He famously worked at ESPN in the 1990s, anchoring "SportsCenter," then moved to MSNBC, Fox Sports, back to MSNBC, and then back to ESPN. 
 
 Contrary to some of the predictions that were made when he returned in 2013, Olbermann stayed for the length of his contract, which is said to expire on July 31. 
 
 ESPN said it isn't yet clear what day he'll sign off from his program. 
 
 The news was first reported via Twitter by Jim Miller, co-author of the definitive ESPN oral history "Those Guys Have All The Fun." 
 
 There was immediate speculation in the television industry that Olbermann might return to a news network or format where he could analyze the 2016 presidential election. As a prime time anchor on MSNBC in the mid-2000s, he channeled the country's anti-war sentiments during the Iraq war and became a well-known critic of the Bush administration. 
 
 The liberal bent in MSNBC's programming is largely a result of Olbermann's success back then. After a falling-out with his bosses at MSNBC, he leapt to Current TV, a channel co-owned by Al Gore that was seeking to challenge MSNBC. 
 
 But Olbermann -- like every other host on the practically invisible Current TV channel -- struggled to draw in a big audience. He was fired just one year into a five-year-long contract worth a total of $50 million. The two sides sued each other, and they settled out of court a year later, setting the stage for his return to ESPN in the summer of 2013. 
 
 Contract renewal talks between Olbermann and ESPN reportedly turned contentious in recent weeks. Whether that's because of money, control or something else is a matter of dispute. The Hollywood Reporter said last week that ESPN wanted Olbermann to stop delivering "commentary" on his show as a condition of the contract renewal. 
 
 The network denied that, saying in a statement that "Keith Olbermann has never been told any topic is off limits for his commentary nor has continuation of it been part of any conversation about his future at the company." 
 
 ESPN suspended Olbermann in February after he got into a Twitter spat with Penn State supporters. Apart from that incident, however, he avoided public disputes or sanctions by his employers. 
 
 Some of his commentaries about the NFL and its commissioner Roger Goddell were scathing, and especially unusual given that the NFL is a major business partner of ESPN's. If that had anything to do with his departure, Olbermann hasn't said so; he has yet to comment about why he's leaving. 
 
 News reports also suggested that cost-cutting at ESPN could negatively impact Olbermann. Two people with knowledge of Olbermann's role at ESPN said the expenses associated with Olbermann and his New York City production were being targeted by executives at the network, partly because the weekday show is not particularly high-rated. 
 
 ESPN is controlled by The Walt Disney Company. Asked on Tuesday about the prospect of ESPN cost-cutting and Olbermann's possible departure, Disney CEO Bob Iger said he had "nothing to say on that." 
 
 The network declined to comment on the ratings or other financial factors on Wednesday. 
 
 But its statement praising Olbermann emphasized the quality of his program. 
 
 "Keith is a tremendous talent who has consistently done timely, entertaining and thought-provoking work since returning to ESPN," the network said. "While the show's content was distinctive and extremely high quality, we ultimately made a business decision to move in another direction." ||||| cable news news Keith Olbermann Has Reportedly Been Negotiating His Exit for a While 
 
 After Keith Olbermann suddenly announced his departure last night, some speculated that the impending NBC-Comcast merger played a role. NBC executives quickly denied any Comcast involvement in the decision. But how did it all really go down? Details are trickling in, and early anonymous sources say Olbermann was not flat-out fired. However, most outlets are also reporting that Olbermann and network brass have long been butting heads. 
 
 According to TMZ, the exit was partially about money: "Olbermann's agent went to NBC complaining that Keith was underpaid," the site reports. "NBC execs told Olbermann's agent they would not cough up more money. Network execs were well aware that Comcast wanted Keith gone because he was 'a loose cannon that could not be controlled.' It became clear to both sides that Olbermann's days were numbered and they began negotiating an exit, completed just before airtime Friday night." Under the deal, Olbermann is allegedly barred from appearing on television for a certain period of time, but he will reappear soon with "a presence on the Internet," where all fugitives of the television end up. 
 
 Deadline reports a similar story: "This was all Keith's choice. He has said several times over the years said that he wants out of his contract." The site says he began negotiating his out a few months ago, but, "because of all the false threats in the past, it was impossible for the network to know if he was really going to sign the final document." Even his own staff learned he was quitting when they heard him say it on TV. 
 
 And the New York Times concurs that NBC and Olbermann have been in negotiations to end Olbermann's run for weeks. The Times notes: "Mr. Olbermann had butted heads with his superiors long before the Comcast deal, including Phil Griffin, the top MSNBC executive ... and NBC’s management had been close to firing Mr. Olbermann before." One executive said Comcast "dreaded the prospect" of being blamed if Olbermann were to quit soon after the takeover. 
 
 Only the New York Post reported that Olberamnn was "unceremoniously dumped," but the paper also repeatedly refers to him as "a garrulous gasbag." So. ||||| Keith Olbermann took an unexpected bow from MSNBC on Friday, announcing on air in the last 10 minutes of his show that it would be his final episode of “Countdown.” 
 
 The departure was a stealth move, MSNBC insiders told POLITICO, with many top executives and on-air personalities kept out of the loop as the decision was made. It came, one insider said, “Out of the … blue!” 
 
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 “This will be the last edition of ‘Countdown’,” Olbermann said at about 8:50 as he led into his final commercial break. “I will explain that, next.” 
 
 Neither MSNBC nor Olbermann offered a reason for the departure, but several sources close to the situation said its roots lay in Olbermann’s defiant reaction to being suspended after POLITICO discovered that he had donated to Democratic candidates without telling his bosses. 
 
 Although Olbermann’s political leanings were quite clear, the move violated NBC policy, and Olbermann’s response angered NBC News President Steve Capus in particular, according to former MSNBC anchor David Shuster. 
 
 “It’s no secret that Steve was particularly upset – justifiably so – with how he handled the suspension,” he said in an interview with Anderson Cooper. 
 
 On air, Olbermann hinted that he had just learned of the end of his show Friday, and suggested his departure was not voluntary. “I think the same fantasy popped into the head of everybody in my business who has ever been told what I have been told: this will be the last edition of your show,” he said. 
 
 “You go to the scene from the movie ‘Network,’ complete with the pajamas and the raincoat, and go off on a verbal journey of unutterable vision and you insist upon Peter Finch’s gutteral resonance and you will the viewer to go to the window, open it, stick out his head and yell,” he continued. “You know the rest. In the mundane world of television goodbyes, reality is laughably uncooperative.” 
 
 “Good night and good luck,” he said, quoting Edward R. Murrow, as he signed off for a final time. 
 
 Olbermann had two years left on the four-year, $30 million contract he signed in 2008. Insiders said discussions about his departure had been going on for some time. 
 
 The end of Olbermann’s contract coincided with the departure of NBC Universal chief executive Jeff Zucker, three days after Comcast’s takeover of a majority share in the company was approved by the U.S. government. 
 
 Cooper opened his CNN show with the story, noting that the move was so sudden that some at MSNBC didn’t appear to get the memo as promos for this show were still airing after his final signoff. 
 
 He said his sources blamed the fallout from the merger and Zucker’s departure. Zucker was widely viewed as Olbermann’s “protector,” as Cooper put it. 
 
 But MSNBC rejected this reading. 
 
 “Comcast had nothing to do with this decision,” said MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines. “They were informed this week following regulatory approval.” 
 
 Comcast distanced itself from any notion that it had something to do with the decision, releasing a midnight statement saying it had not yet closed its transaction with NBC Universal and so does not yet have operational control. 
 
 “We pledged from the day the deal was announced that we would not interfere with NBCU’s news operations. We have not and we will not.” ||||| After weeks of rumors that the ex-ESPN, ex-Fox Sports Net, ex-MSNBC, ex-Current TV host would be returning to the Bristol-based sports network, it’s official: Keith Olbermann will host his own show on ESPN2. 
 
 There’s just one catch: no politics. The two-year contract allows Olbermann to deviate from the topic of sports, into realms such as “pop culture and current events,” but explicitly forbids the tempestuous host from discussing political matters. (Olbermann could probably park a Cadillac in the loophole between current events and politics, but that’s Disney’s problem now.) 
 
 The New York Times reported that the new hour long show is the result of fourteen months of negotiations between Olbermann and ESPN’s parent company Walt Disney. Some at ESPN objected to the hiring, arguing that “Olbermann was part of the network’s past, not its future,” but the Times said that Olbermann’s potential presence on a network gearing up to compete with the impending Fox Sports 1 was too much to pass up. 
 
 Olbermann, who came up through the ranks as a sportscaster for KTLA, hosted ESPN’s Sports Center for between 1992 and 1997, helping launch ESPN2 in the duration, before parting ways with ESPN in a nasty dispute in 1996 that would serve as a template for many of his subsequent media departures. 
 
 He went on to make his name at MSNBC, where his pugnacious commentary on Countdown animated the liberal network into competition with pugnacious-before-breakfast Fox News. Olbermann and MSNBC split after the network suspended him for making unauthorized political contributions. He then had a brief tenure at Al Gore’s Current TV, which he left acrimoniously as well. 
 
 Olbermann is set to host Turner-owned TBS’ postseason MLB coverage; no word on whether the two contracts conflict. 
 
 Read the full article HERE, via New York Times. 
 
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– Details of Keith Olbermann’s abrupt exit from MSNBC—as well as what’s in store for him now—are trickling out. The latest: Olbermann’s exit package was “well in excess” of $7 million, sources tell TMZ. The deal includes a clause that benches Olbermann for a while—at least when it comes to television—but sources claim he’ll only have to sit out for four-and-a-half months or less. The New York Times has a different estimate, citing executives involved in the deal: Olbermann must stay off TV for six to nine months, and can’t talk about his departure, although he can work on the Internet or in radio. His exit comes after years of behind-the-scenes conflict at MSNBC, the Times reports, noting that Jeff Zucker was one step away from firing him during his campaign contributions brouhaha in November. The usually prolific Olbermann has tweeted only once since his departure, and the message—apparently since removed—read “WATCHTHISSPACE MLB.com Baseball Nerd blog returns 2/14.” Of course, that sparked all sorts of speculation that Olbermann may return to his sports roots. But Olbermann has often promoted his Baseball Nerd blog, Mediaite notes, so the message could mean … nothing. Next up for Olbermann: Writing for TV with Aaron Sorkin? A source tells Entertainment Weekly Sorkin has a pilot script about a cable news show in the works—he even shadowed Olbermann while writing it—and he might tap Olbermann to contribute rants. Click for more on what may have been behind Olbermann’s departure.