NBC casting for Olympics
By David Bauder
Associated Press
Champion triathlete Siri Lindley was being interviewed in New York 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 has left its executives with a problem.
Just where do you find somebody who can talk skillfully and colorfully about badminton? Or handball? Or tae kwon do?
The answers have come 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 that the sport wasn't added to the Olympics until 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.
NBC (www.nbcolympics.com) will have 95 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 36 of the announcers will be working at the Olympics for the first time. And with NBC telecasting more hours than the last five Summer Games combined — they'll have plenty to do.
Former athletes who keep up-to-date with their sports had a big advantage.
Lindley had quit the sport at the top because she didn't want to linger too long, and was interested in broadcasting. 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. "Multi-tasking," Neal said with a laugh. "That's what we're all about."
Now, Lindley's worrying about pronouncing the names of players in a sport where the teams from Pakistan and Japan are strong. Not to mention the name of her broadcasting partner.
"I wish I could pronounce his name," she said.
He's Spero Dedes. (That's spear-oh dee-dis.)
Few announcers can match Karch Kiraly in being up-to-date. The three-time Olympic gold medalist still competes in beach volleyball, and his NBC audition came last summer during a tournament in which he participated.
Kiraly and his partner lost a match, he wiped away the sweat and the sand, and headed to the booth to comment on a tournament final featuring the team that had just beat him.
"He's blown us all away with how sharp a television mind he has," Shannon said. "He has an ability to tell stories, to give life to the different personalities on the court. He just has that innate sense. I think beach volleyball will be prominent in our network coverage. It will be rocking."
Kiraly is getting tips from a broadcasting coach. Others are preparing too — like Croce, who took a course certifying him as a tae kwon do referee.
