wordy vs. wordy, analyzed by the wordy

Bill Simmons and Keith Olbermann had a Twitter fight. Blah, blah, blah, whatever, that’s what Twitter is for, I guess. It’s all summarized here.

I read some of the things involved, and here’s my take :

1. The way seemingly intelligent, established media figures like Olbermann and Pierce become angrily obsessed with everything Simmons does is really creepy and weird.

2. Someone — probably Deadspin — mentioned that all of these rants seem to have a distinct “get off my lawn” tone to them, and they really, really do.

3. Simmons occasionally sounds a little petulant in his media fights, but I can always visualize myself getting that way in a similar situation (being something of a literary hot-head myself). Olbermann, however, comes across as a massively condescending doofus in his endless ranting; I feel like punching him even when I agree with him.

4. Olbermann complaining that somebody says something in 2,000 words that could be said in 500 is the biggest “pot calling the kettle black” moment I’ve heard since the former Governor of Alaska complained about socialism and federal spending; this is a guy who goes on ten minute long rants on his TV show where he keeps calling whoever he’s mad at “sir”, only to turn to a different camera and KEEP GOING for another five minutes.

Basically, Simmons’ little comment — that KO is the worst case scenario for his career in twelve years — is actually pretty insightful, Olbermann’s context-lacking attempt to belittle the internet cult hero’s career notwithstanding. Simmons is a media superstar right now (the media is different, but whatever, tee-vee ain’t what it used to be anyways), and if he ever lets his head get too big, Olbermann’s exactly what I suspect he’d turn into.