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NASCAR: Keith Olbermann picks really stupid fight with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

By Asher Fair

HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 19: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 AXALTA Chevrolet (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 19: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 AXALTA Chevrolet (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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ESPN’s Keith Olbermann picked a really stupid and pointless fight with former NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Twitter.

ESPN’s Keith Olbermann decided that he didn’t like the fact that former NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., who now works for NBC as an analyst for NASCAR on NBC, was featured on NBC’s live broadcast of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

NASCAR’s 15-time Most Popular Driver Award winner was interviewed by NBC’s Mike Tirico during the first intermission of the game, at which time the Capitals, who led the series 2-1, had already taken a 3-0 lead over the Golden Knights.

The interview, which pertained to the NASCAR Cup Series and Earnhardt Jr.’s upcoming role with NASCAR on NBC when NASCAR races begin being broadcast on NBC Sports Network and NBC starting at the beginning of July, barely lasted a couple of minutes.

Here is what Earnhardt Jr. had to say before the game.

https://twitter.com/DaleJr/status/1003724117219168267

Here is what NASCAR on NBC  had to say following Earnhardt Jr.’s interview with Tirico.

But as a result of this, Olbermann, who has already proven to have several screws loose in other circumstances involving his divisive rhetoric, decided to pick a Twitter fight with NBC, the NASCAR community and JR Nation. Even Earnhardt Jr. responded to him.

Here is what Olbermann had to say.

Here is how Earnhardt Jr. responded.

Earnhardt Jr. also replied to a since-deleted tweet that was stated by someone who agreed with Olbermann’s point of view and stated that the former NASCAR driver should have just stayed in the stands and cheered — as if he doesn’t work for NBC or something.

Several others came to the defense of Earnhardt Jr.

More from Dale Earnhardt Jr

The jury is still out in regard to why Olbermann would pick such a stupid and pointless fight on Twitter, especially given the reasoning that he gave for doing so. Apparently he is not aware of the fact that cross-promoting is a key element of broadcasts of literally any network despite the fact that he has been involved in broadcasting for decades.

But then again, how can he not be aware of this fact given the fact that, as referenced above, he has been involved in broadcasting for decades? Could Olbermann just hate Earnhardt Jr. for some reason and be making an excuse to criticize him because him appearing on this broadcast somehow offended him? Could he just be trying to say relevant knowing that picking a fight with Earnhardt Jr. would rile up the biggest driver fanbase in the sport?

Olbermann didn’t complain when the Stanley Cup showed up at the Preakness Stakes.

If his complaints about Earnhardt Jr. were really due to the fact that NASCAR and hockey have “utterly different demographics”, shouldn’t he have made the same complaints about horse racing and hockey?

At the end of the day, Olbermann is the classic case of what I was referring to in an article from earlier this week about non-racing fans attempting to bash and criticize the sport and its drivers/athletes despite the fact that they literally know next to nothing if not nothing about it.

Next: Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time

Be sure to tune in to the first race of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season that is set to be broadcast on NBC Sports Network, as that race is set to be Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s first Cup Series race as an analyst for NASCAR on NBC. That race is the TheHouse.com 400, and it is set to take place at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. It is set to be broadcast live at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 1.

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