Linda Cohn and Keith Olbermann co-anchored SportsCenter in 2018 in a reunion of two of the most iconic anchors to ever sit behind the desk of ESPN’s former flagship program.
Alas, the good vibes seem to end there, if a recent social media spat between the two is any indication.
On Wednesday, longtime Toronto Star sportswriter Damien Cox penned a scathing takedown of Toronto Maple Leafs star captain Auston Matthews, who has openly welcomed the embrace of Donald Trump following Team USA’s gold medal victory over Canada in the Milan-Cortina Games. As the face of arguably Canada’s most famous sports franchise, Matthews is in an odd spot, given how a majority of Canadians have an unfavorable view of Trump and the United States over his tough talk and actions against its neighbor to the north.
Cox’s column slams Matthews for his participation in the political events alongside Trump, saying “he failed in every respect as captain of the Leafs,” arguing that he should have skipped the celebrations in Washington D.C. like other athletes before him because of his ties to Canada and the team he represents.
This column didn’t sit well with Cohn, who voiced her displeasure on X, first as a comment to the Toronto Star’s post.
“Are you kidding me? If this is how Leafs fans feel, if I’m Auston Matthews, I’d take control of my life and go where I’m wanted,” Cohn wrote.
A minute later, she quoted the Toronto Star post, adding, “Be better. I hope you don’t speak for Leafs fans.”
That caught the attention of Olbermann, who posted a screenshot of Cohn’s post and added some scathing commentary of his own.
“Hate to finally break it to you [Linda Cohn]. I’d say “be better to you” but it’s an impossibility,” he wrote. “You’re a self-obsessed politically motivated clown who thinks HER leanings are sacrosanct and everyone else’s must be suppressed.
“We’ve indulged you all these years. That now ends.”
Cohn continues to anchor SportsCenter along with other duties. She briefly worked as a host for the Seattke Kraken games as well. Olbermann, meanwhile, transitioned into the world of political commentary in the early 2000s and has had his fair share of run-ins and controversies but does step back into the SportsCenter seat from time to time. This also isn’t the first spat with a current ESPN employee he’s had this year.
However, this spat seemed to out the kibosh on any potential Olbermann/Cohn SportsCenter reunions in the future.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.