Let me explain.
Long before the Games started, NBC hitched their promotional wagon to the American skier's train. Even if you had never heard of Lindsey Vonn, you probably couldn't watch more than 10 minutes of television without seeing one of a number of different commercials promoting her gold-medal winning chances in Whistler. News that she suffered a shin injury just before she came to the Olympics sent the peacock network into a tailspin. Suddenly every camera crew on site was given the unenviable task of tracking Vonn down after her first official training run and getting her to talk.
So yesterday at 8 a.m. I left for the site of the ski events with one of our reporters (2-time Olympic bronze medalist in the high jump back in the 70s, Dwight Stones, pictured above). We waited. And waited. And waited. Just on the outside chance that she'd come over and say something insightful about her injury. Or the condition of the course. Or what time she went to the bathroom that morning. We really didn't care what she said, as long as she said something. Nearly five hours later, and without having seen any sign of Lindsey, we got the call that we could leave. Turns out she never skied all the way down the hill and ducked out into the stands away from reporters. My neck ached from spinning in every direction to make sure we didn't miss her. And I was freezing cold.
The upside? I didn't run out of tissues. No chance of that happening with this very convenient amenity right near the entrance of the gondola!
While I was freezing my tail off at the bottom of the women's course, something much more exciting was happening on the men's.....Bode Miller was in position to medal for the first time in 8 years. He ended up winning the bronze. And then he immediately called a press conference. I wasn't assigned to cover it, but I wondered which Bode Miller was going to show up for the presser. So I darted over there to listen in.
Meanwhile, back at Whistler Village, NBC's Peter Alexander was determined to find the sports fan with the craziest hat. It seems every Olympics we do a story on the wacky fashion statements of the Games.
Too bad I didn't find this group before filing my piece.
6 comments:
Too bad they didn't let you borrow one of their hats for a while. Thanks for the update! Been wondering where you were and what you were doing.
Can't believe she stood you up. Doesn't she know who YOU are? Have fun and thanks for the update!!
I'd like to know if her shin smells cheesey.
Now, which one is you in that last photo? I'm confused.
Great update! I'm gonna stop griping to Chris about the media saturation on one woman's shin, now that I know it's hurting YOU -- and plenty of others like you -- worse than it's hurting HER.
P.S. - "Sniffle Station." Heh. We need these at our house.
Please tell your buddy Dick Ebersol to stop pretend that American athletes only win medals during prime time. That old fart has no idea how to run an omni-media presence and is going to take that franchise and run it into the ground.
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