Olympics #4

Before I launch into my first post of these Games, let me start off by apologizing in advance for what I assume will be overuse of the following phrases in the next two weeks and when I return to the States.

BRILLIANT:  The Brits use this word to describe anything even remotely favorable.  It makes even mediocre things sound insanely cool.  "Did you see the edit room setup in there?  It's brilliant.  Just brilliant."

MENTAL:  Probably not the most politically correct word as mental conditions are not laughable, but the English use "mental" in wacky contexts.  "He was almost mental the way he was driving up that hill." 
 
CHEEKY:  Still not exactly sure what this word specifically means, but my cab driver from the airport used it in this context:  "You'd get a good view of that bridge if not for that cheeky tree in the way!"

QUITE: Almost pronounced with two syllables.  "The food is quite bland", "the weather is quite lovely", and "the tube is quite crowded."

CHEERS:  Never say thank you, always nod and say "cheers!"

With that out of the way....Greetings from London!

I'm thrilled to be covering my fourth Olympics for NBC as part of a unit called the Sportdesk.  We're a team of producers, camera crews, correspondents and editors, and we cover a variety of things from local London flavor, to live shots around the city, to stories for a local affiliate show called Olympic Zone.  So far I've been assigned a number of stories including a piece on a set of sisters from the US Women's Water Polo team, an education on traditional British High Tea, and a feature on what Greg Louganis has been up to since his gold medal winning days in the pool.  All three of these can be seen on Olympic Zone, and I'll be sure to give you a heads up on the air dates (keeping in mind that there can always be last minute changes).  But I'll provide a lot of content for the web and for other channels airing over 5,000 hours of Olympic coverage over the next two weeks.  Five thousand hours of coverage!  Sleep will be tough to come by!

Returning as part of the NBC Olympic family is kind of like attending a college reunion every couple of years.  It's fun to see old faces and reconnect with colleagues.  But we always do it in a different place, and for me that's always been in a part of the world I've never seen before!  Which brings me to this all-at-once vast and sprawling and charming city.  To be honest, London received some pretty big hype, so my expectations were sky high before I arrived.  So far it hasn't failed to deliver.  On one of my first days here we took a boat ride on the Thames.  It's a truly fascinating way to see this city.  My head was bouncing from one side of the river to the other - the Shakespeare Globe to my right, Parliament and Big Ben to my left.  Facebook users already saw this gem:

You won't be able to turn on coverage without seeing the Tower Bridge which spans the Thames.  Here's a shot of me and a few of my colleagues one night on the town with the iconic image in the background:

One more pic before I get kicked out of here -- our offices are on lockdown because of tonight's Opening Ceremony.  This is me in front of Olympic Stadium where tonight's festivities will take place.  Truth be told, I was disappointed when I first saw it because I was comparing it to the Bird's Nest in Beijing which is one of the most beautiful structures I've ever seen.  This stadium almost looked like scaffolding when I first saw it.  But I'm sure it will be the site of an awesome spectacle tonight.  Tune in at 7:30 for the "pre-game" and a 9:00 start for the big show!