Sunday, July 4, 2004
The network is broadcasting a record 1,210 hours of the games.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Champion triathlete Siri Lindley was being interviewed by NBC Olympics honcho David Neal for an announcing job recently when she casually mentioned coaching field hockey at Princeton a decade ago. Neal's eyes widened.
Her cell phone rang before she even reached her hotel after the interview. Lindley didn't have just one new job. She had two -- NBC's Olympics commentator for the triathlon and field hockey.
NBC's staggering plan to broadcast 1,210 hours of the Olympics over six networks this summer left its executives with a real problem.
Just where do you find somebody who can talk skillfully and colorfully about badminton? Or handball? Or tae kwon do?
The answers came from some unlikely people.
Like Pat Croce. The former president of the Philadelphia 76ers, and basketball studio analyst for NBC, is a black belt in tae kwon do and regrets the sport was added to the Olympics after he was too old to try out. Neal remembered his interest and sought him out.
Or Bill Clement. One of the best-known hockey announcers told Neal that he had been a badminton champion growing up in Canada. Another problem solved.
Trace Worthington, a former champion free-style skier, has a side business performing aerial stunts on a trampoline. He'll be Al Trautwig's partner in telecasting the Olympic trampoline competition.
99 announcers
NBC will have 99 on-air announcers at the Summer Olympics in Athens, compared to 67 in Sydney in 2000. Many are familiar -- Rowdy Gaines for swimming, Dwight Stones for track and field, Doug Collins for basketball.
But 51 of the announcers will be working at the Summer Olympics for the first time. And with NBC on the air so much -- more hours telecast than the last five Summer Games combined -- they'll have plenty of on-the-job training.
Neal, executive vice president of NBC's Olympic coverage, and Molly Solomon, managing director of NBC's cable coverage, looked at a lot of audition tapes.
"We want people who will have the ability to make a point precisely, to be able to paint pictures with language," Neal said, "and make a point about things people don't really understand."
Former athletes who still keep up-to-date with their sports had a big advantage. Neal and Solomon looked at tapes of them being interviewed to see if they're articulate and enthusiastic.
They liked Lindley's tapes. She had quit the sport at the top because she didn't want to linger too long, and was interested in broadcasting. She sent a letter to Neal seeking an interview.
The field hockey gig helps out NBC, which otherwise would have to pay her way to Athens for just a couple of days of work.
"Multitasking," Neal said with a laugh. "That's what we're all about."
Lindley shrugs off the extra work, saying: "After having been a triathlete and as hard as you have to work to do that, if I'm not working hard at something, I'm not happy."
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