Keith Olbermann Returning To ESPN; Will Controversial Broadcaster Implode And Get Fired Again After Return?

Keith Olbermann, one of the more respected broadcasters in television but one who tends to leave his jobs after burning bridges beyond repair, is set to return to ESPN after being fired previously.

Olbermann, among ESPN's most noted SportsCenter anchors in his days being paired with Dan Patrick, is set to make his return as host of an hour-long show on ESPN2 starting on Aug. 26 and shown at 11 p.m. ET. The show will be titled Olbermann.

Olbermann has been off the air since leaving Current TV a year ago.

After leaving ESPN in 1997, Olbermann had news and political stints with MSNBC, Fox and his most recent stint with Current TV.

Leaving many of his past jobs on less than friendly terms, Olbermann says he doesn't want being fired from ESPN "to be in the obituary" and pledges to "put a different ending to my relationship with ESPN, reports USA Today. "We can't go back and undue everything that happened 20 years ago but I would to do my best to correct as much of it as I can and I appreciate the fresh start."

Robert Thompson, the director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture calls Olbermann "still one of the biggest names that ever came out of " ESPN and thinks his celebrity is a great boost for the network but sees the hire as double-edged, said USA Today.

"He strikes me as a guy who is going to do what he's going to do. And I'm not sure anything can stop it including him, himself."

But Olbermann was happy to talk about his pursuit of making amends.

"I'm as excited about that prospect as I am about the show itself and I'm pretty excited about the show," Olbermann said.

"I could apologize a 1,000 times and we could get anybody whoever took offense to anything I ever did and bring them all into one place -- we probably need Yankee Stadium -- and I point to everybody and say 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry' and we could do it that way or I could do it as a mass blanket thing...but practically speaking....all that is going to make difference is how I conduct myself."

 Olbermann has been a loose cannon

ESPN president John Skipper whose first comment was "this makes better" said "we don't ultimately have to work through anything except my having some discussions and being sensitive to some of the previous issues, having some conversations with some of those folks. It was ultimately my decision about whether the merits of Keith's singular talents and being on this show.....it is my getting some comfort with Keith. It is much more about what Keith is going to do than what people at ESPN have in their memory."