Video: Olby slams deceased Lidle as ‘journeyman’, not a ‘superstar’
posted at 1:19 am on October 12, 2006 by Ian
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Only an hour after it’s found out Yankee pitcher Corey Lidle was killed in a plane crash, Keith Olbermann is bashing him. On the 6pm hour of Tucker, Olbermann is called in to comment about Lidle’s career, I assume because MSNBC thinks he is some sort of expert in sports. Instead of graciously talking about his career, Olbermann calls the late Lidle a “journeyman” then says he is not a “superstar” nor a “star”. I guess being a jerk inherently comes with being a know-it-all. A hat tip to Johnny Dollar at Olbermann Watch for making me aware of the MSNBC host’s jeer. Imagine having this man give the eulogy at your funeral:
VOICE OF KEITH OLBERMANN: A veteran pitcher, certainly not a star, a journeyman who appeared in uniform of seven different teams in a career that stretched back to 1997 when he began with the New York Mets. All through the circuit, a reliable starting pitcher, again not the superstar.
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Uberman can not be bothered with childish things such as “graciousness.” Alhtough, he’ll probably blame Bush for not tightening up air safety rules that would have kept Lidle from getting killed.
Vincenzo on October 12, 2006 at 1:27 AM
Olberman is really one disturbed individual. I can’t believe this guy actually has a job.
Catie96706 on October 12, 2006 at 1:36 AM
Forgot to add or people that actually want to have sex with him.
Catie96706 on October 12, 2006 at 1:38 AM
Not to defend DOlberman but yeah Lidle was a journeyman pitcher. He bounced around to different teams and became a yankee as part of the deal that brought Bobby Abreu to pinstripes. Its very accurate to say he’s a journeyman and any baseball fan who knows anything about this guy would agree.
Just because he’s not describing his career as equal to randy johnson doesn’t mean Olby’s taking shots at him
Defector01 on October 12, 2006 at 1:41 AM
Yeah, I dislike Olberclod just as much as the next person – but Defector01 is right – he was a journeyman. Lots of sports radio stations were saying the same thing.
It still is a tragedy – and Olberman is still a creep.
Dr. Gecko on October 12, 2006 at 1:52 AM
“Well, Olbermann was a journeyman media person, not a star. His career was spent with some small media outlets before he go to ESPN and then MSNBC. Clearly not a superstar. He was also reputed to be mediocre in bed…”
Bellicose Muse on October 12, 2006 at 2:40 AM
Catie, you might have meant that people go to bed with him but nothing much actually happens afterward, because he’s consumed with his next show, big ’speechifications’ and narcissism…
Entelechy on October 12, 2006 at 3:53 AM
Guess who else has also had seven gigs since 1997:
1992-1997 – ESPN
1997-1998 – MSNBC (his Lewinski coverage made him cry!)
1998-2001 – Fox Sports Net
2001-2003 – ABC Radio (two daily sports segments)
Fall 2001 – KFWB radio in Los Angeles (9/11 reporting)
2002-2003 – weekly column for amateur news website Salon
2003-present – you know where
Journeyman, indeed.
Sean M. on October 12, 2006 at 5:15 AM
Bwa ha ha. Good one, Sean.
In any case, yeah, Lidle was a journeyman, not a star, but there are nicer ways of going about it. Olbermann didn’t have to keep hammering at the “not a star” button. Why not just go through who Lidle played for, his stats, etc.? It wouldn’t kill him to go just through the facts – the fact that most people will have said “Cory who?” would be enough to know he’s not a superstar or even a star.
meep on October 12, 2006 at 6:06 AM
It’s somewhat like the reason I’m not a Whitney Houston fan. Yes, she can sing, but when I hear her singing it’s like it isn’t really about the music, but about how great she is singing the music.
I listen to this Olbermann bit and it isn’t about Lidle, it’s about Olbermann being able to tell us about Lidle, and aren’t we glad he’s around to help us out like that.
I suppose if you only watched MSNBC, you’d have to be told what city the Yankees played in, and what sport, for that matter.
Freelancer on October 12, 2006 at 7:06 AM
Pop psych analysis: Keith was projecting,hoping that his eulogy will be in kind and not include too many dirty words.
bbz123 on October 12, 2006 at 7:36 AM
Typical Olberdud. The pure opposite of a class act.
While Lidle may have been the definition of a journeyman, he still had an 82-72 career record and was probably an upper-middle tier pitcher. While at Oakland was a #3 starter behind Tim Hudson and Barry Zito, which isn’t bad company. The kid had a good arm and was a class act, which is more than we can say for Olbersheman.
webproze on October 12, 2006 at 7:38 AM
He’s just pissed that this story had to be covered and took away airtime from the Foley story.
madmonaco on October 12, 2006 at 7:51 AM
He’s a bitter person. Sad.
SouthernGent on October 12, 2006 at 8:23 AM
I can’t believe this guy is allowed out of the house without adult supervision.
Rusty Bill on October 12, 2006 at 8:49 AM
Granted, Olby is an idiot, however I do feel in a way that alot of this coverage was overblown. Not in the sense that a plane hit a building, because we are in a post 9/11 world, but the fact that he pitched for the Yankees. ESPN dedicated most of the night to him. I am not trying to dismiss the man in any way, but do you think the coverage would be the same if it was pitcher joe schmoe from the Royals? Sorry if I sound harsh…
JVelez on October 12, 2006 at 8:49 AM
Let me take it a step further…. Although I feel queasy doing this, but I might have to defend Olby. I think that he was just talking about him in terms of baseball ability and not as a human being. And to be honest, Lidel was a journeyman and not a superstar. Although it was a total lack of professionalism on Olby, I think that is where he was coming from. I caught myself doing the same way explaining Lidel to my wife.
JVelez on October 12, 2006 at 8:54 AM
…something about my mom teaching me that speaking ill about the dead was a “classless and tasteless thing to do”.
I refuse to take the shot, and will not regret it.
I refuse to take the shot, and will not regret it.
I refuse to take the shot, and will not regret it.
I refuse to take the shot, and will not regret it.
I refuse to take the shot, and will not regret it.
OK, penance done.
tormod on October 12, 2006 at 8:57 AM
Hey! Schmoe had a 3.175 ERA with the Royals before he had that career-ending rotator cuff.
Valiant on October 12, 2006 at 8:58 AM
Yeah, but the Royals were eliminated from post season contention after the 1st game of the regular season.
JVelez on October 12, 2006 at 9:03 AM
That point isn’t how talented he was, it’s that the man just died and we are hearing this already. Can we at least wait until the funeral?
Ian on October 12, 2006 at 9:11 AM
I’m joking- made the whole thing up. Sorry.
Valiant on October 12, 2006 at 9:12 AM
Insane.
I thought Krazy Keith was just carving out a niche, but now I’m thinking he really is going insane.
Lawrence on October 12, 2006 at 9:16 AM
True Ian but we do that all the time when people we see on TV pass. Look at political figures. Either conservative or liberal, when they die, we say that a person died and what the person was known for, good and/or bad. I dont have the access to sound, but if Olby was questioned on Lidel as a professional baseball player, he said the right answer. Believe me when I tell you, I cant stand this man but I dont think I can jump on him for that. And yes I feel queasy.
JVelez on October 12, 2006 at 9:21 AM
I understand having no social graces. I mean, I know a lot of rude, insensitive people. I work with lots of them. But MSNBC really ought to do something about Olbermann. I’m a Red Sox fan, and I wouldn’t ever take a shot at a man who just died. A man who left behind a wife and son. A man who was a superstar to them.
Olbermann’s comments are evidence that it is hard for some people to show respect for the dead. But I guess in a world where Ward Churchill still has fans, that should not surprise me.
Ennuipundit on October 12, 2006 at 9:32 AM
Olbermann is a flaming ass . . . does anyone seriously subscribe to anything this moron says? MSNBC is nothing more than an electronic gargabe dump.
rplat on October 12, 2006 at 9:34 AM
Actually there is a bigger point that was lost in this whole tragedy. As Keith was on the air saying all of this, no one bothered to call the family. His father heard about this on the television and his wife and child were on an airplane with no way of knowing he was dead.
So in addition to Keith making an ass of himself, we had a press that was so eager to get the story that the people that had the right to know about this were forgotten. Shame on alot of people!
Pam on October 12, 2006 at 9:42 AM
Ahem.
I’ll have you know that the KC Royals were eliminated from next season’s post season contention before the first game of the regular season.
KCSteve on October 12, 2006 at 9:51 AM
I don’t care whether the man was a star, a journeyman, a has-been, or a never-was that was about to be booted off the team. His death is no less tragic than if it was A-Rod, Sanchez, Piazza, or any other person.
This is all part of the culture that tells us that great sports players are better people than ‘good’ ones, and Hollywood stars’ opinions are more important than those from the average Joe.
dalewalt on October 12, 2006 at 10:17 AM
I understand how offensive this is, but I really don’t understand why you’re giving Olberman so much face time on this site.
You’re almost promoting him. No offense intended. It’s just my oppinion.
One Angry Christian on October 12, 2006 at 10:44 AM
Calling him a journeyman is hardly an insult!!!
What I found troubling is that Lidle’s father heard about this on the news, the networks not respecting the tradition of keeping victim names out of the news until the family is notified. Mrs Lidle and child were in flight commercially and were notified when they arrived in NY.
honora on October 12, 2006 at 10:53 AM
Keith Overbite of Countdown to no rating has got to be the biggst schmuck on TV. And that is saying alot considering you have got Chris Matthews on the air also.
Long Island Pete on October 12, 2006 at 11:45 AM
SATAN , but he cant get anyone to follow him.
Sad how the lowest of the low seem to find a way to try and lower others. He so desperately wants to be on someone’s level and the only way for him to accomplish this is to lower everyone else. Psych books could be written on Olberdoosh. Inferiority, delusions, illusions, and obsessions.
He’s a walking talking psychological disaster area. I am NOT kidding.
He hates because that what he is. Attraction.
shooter on October 12, 2006 at 2:07 PM
this is really making a mountain out of a molehill
There’s plenty of fracking things Olby does to get honked off about.
This isn’t one of them. Olberman was a sports journalist for a long while and has seen Lidle’s career like I have.
Defector01 on October 12, 2006 at 2:09 PM
I did like the one comment:
“Did not appear much in the postseason; neither did the Yankees for that matter.”
Go Tigers!
Brainster on October 12, 2006 at 2:36 PM
And everyone I know, that did not make it to the Big Leagues, would kill to be there. And for 7 years? Heaven.
There are only about 1000 players in the Majors each year, out of hundreds of millions who would like to be. Possibly 2 superstars on each team avg., so say 60ish?. So why beat him up instead of telling the truth? How remarkable it is to make it to the Big Leagues, and what an extremely pleasant, kind and professional ballplayer, and man, that he was. An AMAZING life, cut short. Ask the sports writers.
There were so many great things to say about this gentleman, but olberdoosh chose to demean a man that has accomplished far more than most people can dream. All the disgrace is Olberman’s.
shooter on October 12, 2006 at 2:39 PM
AP,
You’re killing me! Why does this moron’s ugly mug appear on your blog so often? Argghh!
PRCalDude on October 12, 2006 at 2:39 PM
As ennuipundit points out here, Lidle was a strike-breaker.
It is a wonder Olberman didn’t celebrate his death.
B Moe on October 12, 2006 at 5:39 PM
B Moe!
Not a superstar. Again. I repeat not a superstar.
What a strange thing to highlight the day a man died.
He died folks, but he was not, I repeat, not a superstar. Lest you be confused on the story, not a superstar.
Hey genius, if you have to tell people he was not a superstar, they already know.
entagor on October 12, 2006 at 10:56 PM
When that day comes that Keith passes, I’ll be expecting some tv analyst to say ” Olbermann, though he put his heart and soul into his show every day, never quite achieved the success he sought, nor the influence he craved. Constantly living in the shadow of the more talented Bill O’Reilly, Keith flailed away with ’special comments’ and other gimmicks, but could never grab the country’s imagination. Universally thought of as a disappointment by the networks, he lived out his final years writing and performing circus-like editorials on Sunday nights, on NPR.
eagles5 on October 13, 2006 at 12:04 AM
Look folks, Olbertwerp can’t go on like this much longer. If you watch the clips, (and that’s all I can stand, shortened clips) you will see that every time he says something a little more off the wall than his last statement, the gleam in his eyes is a little brighter and the spittle forming at the corner of his mouth is getting more prominent. If Bill O’ ever does mention his name on air, Olby will peobably die then and there of a massive cerebral hemorage.
ArkCon on October 13, 2006 at 8:42 PM
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