The TV Zone

Unfortunately, there's a real-world consequence to all this coverage of the on-going Keith Olbermann-Chris Matthews war: A peace meeting was almost certainly enforced yesterday in the wake of all these stories (and youtube highlight reels) during which both were enjoined to be on their their best behavior tonight so as not to disrupt the dignity of the moment.

This ruins it for all of us, because MS has become the de facto go-to network this week, simply because we all want a front-row seat to the mother of all blowouts when it does happen (God willing).

That could play out this way, with Chris (hypothetically) reaching across the desk and mussing (hypothetically) Keith's hair, or snatching those glasses and then send 'em skittering across the studio floor; or Keith (hypothetically) reaching over to Chris, and pulling his necktie so hard that Chris turns a deeper shade of red, while security then shuffles over to break it up, at which point Keith grabs a Louisville slugger he keeps under his desk for just such a eventuality and starts to wave it in their faces...and then MS boss Phil Griffin throws a cream pie (kept on set for just such an eventuality) at Keith's large (and growing) head to calm him down, as well as provide some comic relief...

Sadly, none of this is going to happen now. Thanks, all you spoilsports at Politico and Huffpo.

Killjoys.