The Today show managed to squeeze a non-spoiler into their 4 hour show—Costas is being pulled tonight from prime time coverage due to his eye infection, and Matt Lauer is coming in to relieve him. On to the games!
- We have another new sport—“Ski Slopestyle”. Seems like a mouthful. Since the International QISE Committee is making up names anyway, how about “skistyle”? You’re welcome.
- Speaking of mouthful—the luge track is called the “Sanki Sliding Center” (technically, it’s Sliding Center Sanki). I hope no one involving is selling seashells by the seashore...
- So, Lauer stepped into the anchor chair at the Fortress of Solitude as prime time began. He doesn’t have Costas’ gravitas, and is better suited to morning happy talk.
- The short program for figure skating were originally based on very specific patterns—everyone did the same moves in the same way. As TV networks gained more control over QISE, that went out the window—now we just see short performances that look a lot like their final (longer) programs.
- The sub-tropical location of Sochi is—shockingly—creating issues with the snow. The Halfpipe is a prime example—it’s hard to “shred” in slush.
- The Peacock is doing a lame attempt at synergy with the Sochi QISE and the upcoming Captain America movie (which has the subtitle “The Winter Soldier”). It really doesn’t work.
More to come.