Perennial podcasting powerhouse and all-around good guy Joe Rogan has dismissed Keith Olbermann's ridiculous take on former college swimmer Riley Gaines.
Rogan spoke with fellow comedian Tony Hinchcliffe and recalled Olbermann's August post criticizing Gaines, saying that Gaines was “not good at swimming” and that it was a reference to transgender swimmer Leah Thomas. Mr. Gaines implied that this was the reason he “lost” to Mr. Thomas — although Mr. Gaines did not lose to Mr. Thomas. The NCAA declared that the pair: tied Gaines appeared to have a better time than Thomas in the women's 200-yard freestyle, but finished fifth.
Rogan criticized the tweet, calling Olbermann an “insane son of a bitch” for implying that Gaines is not a skilled athlete.
Joe Rogan says Riley Gaines totally owns Keith Olbermann
“Keith Olbermann said something ridiculous about how she had no athletic accomplishments, so in response I made a video showing all the awards she's won. She seems pretty advanced. is… pic.twitter.com/2QhCGhfHUM
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) January 2, 2024
“Keith Olbermann said something ridiculous that she had no athletic accomplishments. So she made a video showcasing all the awards she's won. She's seriously accomplished She's like an athlete. She's a great athlete. But for this crazy son of a bitch to say something like this…” Logan said.
🥱 https://t.co/rTyZMNcc34 pic.twitter.com/vGPlXrEJoP
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) August 31, 2023
Rogan's guest then pointed out Olbermann's rapid fall from grace, who was fired three times, and wondered aloud, “I want to know what kind of shitty soup he's been eating, what's in his meals…” It showed.
“Oh, he's vegan,” Logan chimed in. (Related article: 'It's blatantly obvious': Riley Gaines explains why she believes women are afraid to speak out against trans athletes)
“Oh, is it him?” Hinchcliffe asked in a puzzled tone before letting out a comical laugh.
These two were not the only ones to draw attention to Olbermann's absurdity. Twitter's Community Notes feature also corrected Olbermann's comment, writing, “Riley Gaines was a highly successful swimmer who finished his collegiate 'Wildcat' career as one of the most decorated swimmers in program history. It was,” he claimed. She played a key role in helping the Wildcats win their first-ever conference championship title in 2021. ”
