Columnist Tim Graham: Brash and cocky as ever, it's good to have Olbermann back in sports

Tim Graham's media notebook appears Wednesday. His page 1 column appears Thursday. Reach him at [email protected] or 259-4078.

He is smug, arrogant and self-aggrandizing. And I was glad he left.

Now I'm glad he's back.

Keith Olbermann returned to sportscasting Tuesday night as the new anchor for "Fox Sports News." The nightly sports highlight show runs locally on Fox Sports West.

"I'm back and badder than ever -- or something like that," Olbermann said at the start of the show.

"I'm trying on the Technicolor Dream Coat known as 'Fox Sports News,' " he later said. Co-anchor Kevin Frazier remarked, "It looks good on you."

Olbermann's much-publicized divorce from ESPN's "SportsCenter" led to his employment at MSNBC, where he grew wary of talking about Monica Lewinsky's smoking habits.

He had to get back to the sports desk.

Olbermann's return was like locating that long-lost, off-the-wall college buddy. Sure, every few nights or so he does something that makes you want to puke, but it's still good to know he's around if you feel like seeing or hearing from him.

It seemed so natural to hear Olbermann's voice running through the day's sports events again. Even though he sometimes comes off as a know-it-all who is talking down to the rabble, his delivery is smooth and entertaining.

And he can be extremely funny when he's not telling one-liners that only seem to humor himself.

Olbermann on Tuesday night used many of the old catch phrases he made famous at ESPN (e.g. "biscuit in the basket" and "from way downtown -- bang!").

Yet he seemed much more professional than before as he conducted interviews with newly elected Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan and NBA commissioner David Stern. He also narrated the first of a three-part series examining the lockout called "Who Shot the NBA?"

Maybe MSNBC rubbed off on him. Or maybe he just seems like Walter Cronkite compared to most of his amateurish "Fox Sports News" colleagues.

Either way, Olbermann lends instant credibility to the "Fox Sports News" desk, which recently added former ESPN stud Chris Myers as well.

Serial BowlDespite the controversy it has stirred for the college football postseason, the Bowl Championship Series apparently worked well for ABC.

And everybody knows if the BCS isn't about crowning a true national champ, it's about making money. So it must have been a success.

This year's big four bowls -- Fiesta, Rose, Sugar, Orange -- averaged a 12.7 national rating. Last year's average was an 11.9.

Monday night's Fiesta scored a 17.2 as Tennessee claimed the national title with a 23-16 victory over Florida State.

This year's Rose, Wisconsin over UCLA, drew a 13.6. The Sugar, Ohio State over Texas A&M, generated an 11.5. The Orange, Florida over Syracuse, was the lowest rated of the four at 8.4, but it still scored higher than last year's Cotton (6.2) and Fiesta (5.8).

StaticThe latest edition of ESPN The Magazine features an interview between two former UNLV quarterbacks. "SportsCenter" anchor Kenny Mayne questions the Minnesota Vikings' Randall Cunningham in an in-depth piece that touches on some moments when the two were Rebel teammates in the early 1980s. Also discussed is Cunningham's Las Vegas business, Custom Marble & Granite. ... Due to the lockout, NBC has lost nine of its 32 scheduled NBA telecasts this year in addition to the All-Star Game.

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