Monthly Archives: March 2022

Paul Wilson never ran a 10,000 meter race at the Olympics, but he sure must feel like it.

Wilson has supervised much of the work that NBCUniversals ad-sales team has had to do over the past two decade to make the companys investment in the Olympics pay off. He is stepping down from his role as senior vice president of Olympics ad sales at NBCU, ending a streak of selling commercial inventory for the past ten editions of the Games, eight as the leader making him directly responsible for $10 billion in ad revenue. During the pandemic, NBCU really had to work for its ad support, breaking down buys that sponsors had committed for the 2020 Games, then rebuilding them for 2021 after coronavirus forced a years delay of the Summer Games. There was even more work to do the delay meant the Summer Olympics took place just six months before the 2022 Winter Games.

Wilson hopes to keep his ties to the event. Once it gets in your blood, it stays in your blood, he says in an interview. Olympics advertisers come into it, and they come in all guns blazing. They want to do their bit for the movement. They want to do their bit for the athletes.

Dan Lovinger, who had been overseeing all of NBCUs sports ads sales, was named earlier this year to take on the Olympics directly. NBCUniversal executives hopes that the Games, which have proven nettlesome as viewers migrate to streaming venues and try to suss out how to watch athletic contests that have taken place in Beijing and PyeongChang in recent outings, will be easier to broadcast from Europe and the U.S., where they are slated to take place in 2024, 2026 and 2028.

Wilson spent the past 22 years at NBCU, starting out selling MSNBC and Today as part of the companys efforts to line up advertising behind news programs. After making a jump to sports, he first started selling the Olympics during the 2004 Games in Athens. He truly believes the Olympics are the soul of our company and the greatest platform available to marketers! Lovinger said in a memo to staffers. That passion has helped Paul build the strongest customer relationships in the business.

Wilsons exit is the latest in a parade of veteran ad-sales executives who have specialized in sports when streaming wasnt really a verb. He will follow Neil Mulcahy, the longtime Fox Sports executive; Ed Erhardt, the head of ad sales at ESPN; and, most recently, Seth Winter, who supervised NBC Sports ad sales before moving over to Fox. These sales chiefs started out in an era when sports were fully the province of TV, and they exit when the companies they work for are increasingly interested in using NFL games, MLB match-ups and NHL contests to bring viewers to subscription-video-on-demand sites. The hope is that once the viewers do that, the ads will follow.

Modern marketers understand that they need to embrace every platform, Wilson says. The content alone is enough to separate you from the pack. They also recognize they need to try new things. In his time, Wilson helped Toyota move to support the Paralympic Games, and worked with Visa to devise real time ads that had messages responding to the wins viewers saw just before the commercials aired.

Putting together and creating those partnerships really was what kept me going, he says.

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Paul Wilson, NBCUs Olympics Ad-Sales Guru, Passes The Torch - Variety

Dan Hicks should be exhausted.

If he is, the veteran NBC sports announcer is doing a heck of job of hiding it.

Hicks, 59, will anchor the network's weekend coverage of The Players Championship for the 30th year on Saturday and Sunday at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, working again with producer Tommy Roy, a Ponte Vedra Beach resident.

This week is just another huge event for Hicks, who in the last eight months has covered swimming at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, the final two events of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup, the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, skiing at the Beijing Winter Olympics and now the third leg of the PGA Tour's four-event Florida Swing.

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Except Hicks thinks there should be a bit of a disclaimer: like most of the NBC talent covering the Winter Games, Hicks did it from the NBC broadcast compound in Stamford, Conn.

"I've got to say that the Winter Olympics was a bit of a break on the body and the wear and tear," he said. "That last thing I thought I would do is drive from my own house in my car to cover the skiing. It was still a lot of work and because of the difference in time, a lot of late nights.

"It's not what you sign up for, to cover an Olympics from the studio. We tried to do the best possible job to convey to the audience what they were seeing but there's no substitute for being there. The good news is that the cafeteria food is Stamford is pretty good."

Hicks covered two of the biggest storylines of each Olympics, Green Cove Springs native Caeleb Dressel in swimming and Mikaela Shiffrin in skiing.

Caleb Dressel's careerin photos

They were at both ends of the spectrum in terms of Olympic success.

Dressel won five gold medals for the U.S., the fifth swimmer to accomplish that. In the process, Dressel captured fans all over the world with his power, grace and homespun background.

"Caeleb had all the pressure and the spotlight on him going in," Hicks said. "I was taken aback by how calm and focused he was. He's never tried to be anybody he isn't. He's true to himself, a small-town Florida guy. It's his comfort zone."

But Hicks told one anecdote that spoke of Dressel's confidence and passion. He interviewed Dressel at the USA Olympics swim team camp in Hawaii before the Tokyo Games and at the end of the interview, Hicks said Dressel gave him a preview of coming attractions.

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"He just said, 'I'm going to put on a show for you guys,'" Hicks said. "I thought, 'wow ... this guy's ready to roll.' And then he went out and put on that show."

Then there was Shiffrin. A two-time Olympic gold medalist and the youngest slalom champion in Olympic alpine skiing history, she was favored to win gold in as many as three events, but then fell in each of her first two, the giant slalom and the slalom.

After she skiedout in the second event, she dragged herself to the side and sat forlornly on the snow for around 20 minutes.

NBC was criticized for keeping its cameras on Shiffrin until she finally left the slope with a U.S. official. But Hicks defended the network's coverage.

Hicks said Shiffrin's agony could be compared to the best golfers in the world coming to the 17th hole of the Stadium Course and dumping balls in the water, in front of thousands of people on the ground and millions watching on TV.

"Golf is one of those sports that strips you bare," Hicks said. "We've seen some of the catastrophes at No. 17 and you feel for the athlete. We all felt for Mikaela but it's not our job to pick them off the snow and give them a pat on the back. It's the same situation at No. 17. You see the splash and you see that crushed look on their faces."

"When she fell the first time, you could just say, 'well, that's racing,'" Hicks said. "But then it happened again, and all I could think of was Dan Jansen."

Jansen was favored to win 500-meter speed skating gold medal in 1988. Hours after learning his sister had died of cancer, Jansen took the rink and then fell. It took him until 1994 to win his elusive gold medal.

Hicks said Jansen must have read his mind. He got a text from Jansen that said, "sometimes the best don't always win at the Olympics."

Hicks said one key story line at The Players is the emergence of young stars such as Viktor Hovland, Joaquin Niemann and Scottie Scheffler.

He's especially looking forward to see how Scheffler handles the Stadium Course after winning under difficult conditions last week in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

"I've got to give credit to [broadcast partner] Paul Azinger ... before the Ryder Cup, he was saying constantly that this guy has the most potential of all of the young players," Hicks said. "This guy won a birdie fest at Scottsdale, then went bogey-free on the weekend at as tough any test we've seen at Bay Hill ... a very deserving winner and he might be the main story on Tour this season. 'Zinger said it best. He said Scottie has a great disposition and nothing rattles him."

Hicks said a Players field that doesn't include both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for the first time since Woods turned pro before the 1997 tournament doesn't leave the field short of star power and that includes the Stadium Course and its finishing stretch from Nos. 16-18.

"There's nothing like having those guys in the field," Hicks said. "But if The Players has proven anything, you're going to get some incredible competition down the stretch, even with guys who might not be the biggest stars at the moment. The course is always the biggest star of this tournament and I'd put that finish up against any in the world."

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NBC's Dan Hicks has had a whirlwind year covering two Olympics, Ryder Cup and PGA Tour - The Florida Times-Union

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLANDIn the wake of two straight Olympics with record-low TV ratings, an increasingly desperate International Olympic Committee announced plans Friday to increase viewership by adding skinny-dipping to the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. As times and tastes change, the Olympics are no different, which is why were giving viewers young and old alike a chance to watch the most ripped, nubile nude athletes compete to bring home the skinny-dipping gold, said IOC president Thomas Bach, describing how the committee fast-tracked several skinny-dipping eventsincluding pairs, synchronized, and 400-meter-relay skinny-dippingso that each nations sexiest, most desirable athletes could train over the next two years. These events will of course be broadcast live and with no censorship whatsoever. Well be working with our television and internet streaming providers to offer comprehensive underwater coverage of these outstanding, totally nude athletes as they seek Olympic glory. Who knows what theyll get up to in the crystal-clear waters of our giant Olympic pools? You wont want to miss the most supple, alluring, completely undressed athletes the world has ever seen. Skinny-dipping is reportedly one of several new, more sensational changes to the Games, with the IOC also modifying rules for dressage events to mandate that all competitors must be nude and riding bareback on a horse.

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Desperate Olympic Committee Attempts To Increase Viewership By Adding Skinny-Dipping To 2024 Games - The Onion

Local freestyle skiers Alex Ferreira and Hanna Faulhaber and cross-country skier Hailey Swirbul competed in the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing last month.

Ferreira, who grew up in Aspen, took home a bronze medal for Team USA in the mens ski halfpipe.

To have people rooting for me that I dont know is bigger than my wildest dreams, said Ferreira, 27. Bringing home a medal is like a cherry on top, in my eyes.

In 2018, he won silver in his first Olympic appearance.

Mike Dawson

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U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Basalt resident and Olympic rookie Hanna Faulhaber finished sixth in the womens halfpipe. The 17-year-old has been making waves skiing the superpipe over the past year, starting with her fourth-place finish at the world championships last spring in Aspen.

In December, Faulhaber earned her first major podium, finishing third at the Dew Tour at Copper Mountain. She won bronze in her X Games debut in January.

All of the podiums that I had throughout the season were just shocking, and I dont think that any of them have really hit me yet, she said. Honestly, Im just happy with how I skied and I gave it my all.

Ryan Escandon

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U.S. Ski & Snowboard

El Jebel resident Hailey Swirbul made her Olympic debut last month in three cross-country ski events. The 23-year-old led the first leg of the course on the U.S. womens 4x5-kilometer relay team, which finished sixth. Swirbul's teammates were Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan and Novie McCabe.

In Swirbuls first two events, she finished 32nd out of 98 in the womens 10-km classic and 40th out of 62 in the 7.5-km + 7.5-km skiathlon.

A medal was way out of reach for me this year unless it was in a relay-team event, where our team actually did have a shot, she said. Im not leaving disappointed in my efforts or my results.

Ryan Escandon

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U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Aspen Public Radio talked with Ferreira, Faulhaber and Swirbul about their experience competing in the Winter Olympics and growing up skiing with the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club.

Listen to the conversation above.

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'Bigger than my wildest dreams': Three local athletes share their experience skiing at the Winter Olympics - Aspen Public Radio

Julia Marino signs autographs at Copper Mountain on Saturday, March 5. Photo courtesy of Copper Mountain Adventure

Fresh off becoming Americas first medalist at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, we caught up with the snowboarding star at Copper Mountain.

A pack of kids followed snowboarder Julia Marino everywhere she went at Copper Mountain this past Saturday. The 24-year-olds visit was part of a tour following her silver medalwinning performance in the womens slopestyle event at the Winter Olympics in Beijing last month. It was also a chance for her to pay homage to the region where she learned to ride after switching from skiing at age 13.

Marino, who has also collected seven X Games medals, is originally from Westport, Connecticut. But she considers the two winters she spent in Breckenridge and Vail as a teenager to be some of the most important on her path to becoming one of the best snowboarders in the world.

During the event this past weekend, we caught up with Marino to hear how winning an Olympic medal has changed her life, why she decided not to participate in the Big Air competition after the International Olympic Committee asked her to cover the Prada logo on her board, and what she hopes to accomplish next.

5280: How has life changed now that you have an Olympic medal?Julia Marino: Its changed a little bit, but not too much. I have more people recognizing me, I guess. But its snowboardinga little different than basketball or something super popular. Its mostly been a lot of messages from friends and family and people I havent heard from in a while.

Whats the coolest experience youve had since Beijing?One of the coolest things was going to the fashion week in Milan [with sponsor Prada]. That was insane. I got to meet a lot of really cool people. It was a culture shock to me. It was cool to see what that world was like.

You bowed out of the Olympic Big Air competition after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suddenly told you that the Prada logo on your board had to be covered up, even though youd already used the same board in the slopestyle event. I know they tried to cover up the logo with Sharpie. Did that really slow the board down? What exactly happened?A person from the IOC told me to my face in slopestyle that my board was fine, so I dont understand. They put something on top of the Sharpie so it wouldnt come off and it just felt kind of odd. I had gotten hurt a few practices before. It didnt help my decision [on whether to compete in Big Air]. My board didnt feel right in addition to my body feeling hurt. It was just a combination of factors. It was a ridiculous situation, but slopestyle is my main event. I was happy to walk out of there happy and healthy.

You were in the lead spot of the slopestyle event until New Zealander Zoi Sadowski-Synnott nailed an amazing final run. What was it like to watch her beat you out there?[Zoi] is such a strong rider. If she puts together what I think shes going to put together, its obviously going to be on top. Im super happy for her. Shes one of the hardest working out there. Shes always grinding. To see her success, thats something we all predicted. She deserves it a lot.

You spent some time here in Colorado when you were growing up. How pivotal was that time in your growth as a snowboarder?At 13, I made the switch from skiing to snowboarding. And at 14, I went to Stratton Mountain School [in Vermont]. My dad saw what I was able to do, and he thought being out West would be the best option. He moved out [to Colorado] with me. It gave me the opportunity to ride bigger courses and bigger jumps, and get prepared for whatever was to come.

Youve steadily progressed throughout your career, but you seemed to skyrocket to the next level at the Winter Olympics. How do you explain that progression?I think the progression has just come from having a better understanding of how I am on my snowboard, a deeper connection with my feet and my board, understanding tricks better, having a better knowledge of the sport and how to throw things. It makes me more comfortable to throw stuff that may have been scarier in the past and just try to approach the competitions like Im going to come and do what I know how to do.

Whats next for you?I dont think Im going to do many comps for the rest of the season. I just want to snowboard with friends. Im looking forward to getting to do some solo boarding and be on my own terms, not having a schedule to follow, just snowboard for the sake of snowboarding and having fun.

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Snowboarder Julia Marino Discusses Her Colorado Connections, Olympic Success, and the Prada Incident - 5280 - 5280 | The Denver Magazine

Former Clemson star and current Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow is back in Tiger Town, and hes been hanging out at Dabo Swinneys house this week.

The Tigers head coach said after Wednesdays practice that Renfrow, his wife and their baby daughter have been staying at Swinneys house since Sunday and joked that with Renfrow around, its like the Olympics are going on at his home.

Hes staying in my basement, Swinney said. He and (his wife, Camilla) and baby Collins have been in my basement since Sunday. So, theyre hanging out with us. We played basketball till 11 oclock the other night. For the record, me and Dillon, one of the guys, took he and Will (Swinney) down just for the record, two-on-two, that is an absolute fact. He wasnt real happy about that.

So, its like the Olympics at the Swinney house every day right now. When Renfrows in town, its always some type of competition cards, whatever it is, egg toss, theres something going on.

Swinney said Renfrow, who earned his first Pro Bowl selection last season, spoke to the Clemson football team on Wednesday and that Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will be coming to visit Clemson with Renfrow in a few days.

Its been great to see him and spend some time with him, Swinney said of Renfrow. He spoke to the team, actually, (Wednesday). Came to practice Monday, came to practice Wednesday, said a few words to the guys (Wednesday). I think hes going to down to Disney tomorrow for a couple days. Hes going to come back here Sunday, Monday. I think his quarterback, Carr, is coming in maybe Sunday to spend the day in Clemson. So, always good to see those guys.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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With Renfrow back in Clemson, its like the Olympics at the Swinney house - The Clemson Insider