Alison Stewart is in Turin, so if Keith takes any vacation soon...

[Berry Cool]

...we're stuck with Alex Witt or someone else!

Let's all pray he doesn't HAVE to be on the scene when pitchers and catchers report! LOL!

Please Keith...no "spring training vacations" until AFTER the Olympics!

In the meantime, members of the ASTB can enjoy their little snowbunny every day as she reports on the skating, skiing and sliding.

[Catchawave]

1. I'm really surprised NBC didn't send Keith to anchor !

Brian Williams was such a miserable failure during the opening ceremonies, with his political jabs here and there :( Of course, he was reading a script, but I know some DUers are complaining to NBC. OK, just answered my own observance, Keith would have never read that script !

I saw Allison's report on Michele Kwan's "miserable" practice too. That's "news"? Geez-louise, and as a mother of a competitive figure skater for 7 years, I can safely say, Allison is doing a miserable job too. Practice is all about mistakes,holding back and "psyching out the competition". Uhm, NBC sure caught on to that during the snowboard practices.

The Olympics (or the US coverage?) have truly jumped the shark, and as a DUer mentioned last night, that would be an event s/he would watch...Ski Jumping over a Shark Tank....LOL.

[Gogi]

2. They wanted KO to cover the Olympics last time...

but he wanted to stay with Countdown because the show was just gaining traction. I don't think KO wants to cover sporting events, other than his first love baseball, anymore. If he could remote broadcast Countdown from Florida he'd be in seventh heaven! Hey, Rita gets to do remotes, why not KO?


Question: Why is Brian Williams dressed like a Catholic priest?

[Berry Cool]

3. I'm not so sure about that, Gogi.

When Keith was on Dan's radio show on Friday, he was sort of snarking (with Dan's help) about the fact that Bob Costas got to host the Olympics. Keith even made some jokes (which he loves to do at Dan's expense anyway) about how when Bob went up to the podium to collect his next Sports Emmy, he'd lean down to Dan and whisper something like "They really should put what I do in a DIFFERENT category from what you do."

And my understanding is that it was NOT Keith's decision to not cover the Athens Games--that he was HIRED by NBC/MSNBC in the first place for that purpose back in 2003--but by the time of the Games in '04, they had given him Countdown, and THEY didn't want him to leave while the show was gaining traction, so they canceled the plans to put him on the Olympics. I don't think it was his choice at all, except that given his dislike of travel, he probably wasn't quite as disappointed as he could have been. And, possibly, that's why he's not completely in a snit about not getting to cover the Olympics.

Before someone else chimes in and says Keith can't fly, let a reminder be said: Keith CAN fly, he just doesn't like it all that much (and it probably causes him some discomfort). Tony Kornheiser REALLY hates to fly, which is why when he got the Monday Night Football gig, Dan and Keith teased him on Dan's show about how the NFL would either have to move all its Monday-night games to Washington, or Tony would have to catch a ride on John Madden's bus to every game.

Oh, and Michelle Kwan has withdrawn...so, Catch, she wasn't playing any psych-out games. She really, REALLY reinjured herself, and she can't compete. Which you probably now know.

on edit: I hear Matt Lauer got to do an exclusive interview with Kwan today. Maybe that will help assuage the wounded ego he has from not getting to Michael Schiavo first. Wait, what's that I hear? Keith used his CONNECTIONS to contact Kwan and interview her over the phone and it was on MSNBC before Lauer's interview?...Uh-oh... (:rofl: just kidding.)

[Gogi]

5. KO hates to fly for the same reason my father does...

they're both BIG & TALL men who can't compress themselves into airline seats easily. Adding KO's vision problem he's just not comfortable in all likelyhood.

[Berry Cool]

6. Yeah, bulkhead seats actually give more room, but

I still don't imagine it's easy for Mr. Big and Tall to spend lots of time cramped into a plane seat. An overseas flight would probably be especially unpleasant.

I wonder, has Keith ever been overseas? I can't think of a time when either his job required such travel of him or any stories of his traveling there on vacation, either as a child or an adult. I know much has been made of how his family spent their money during his growing up years on Yankees season tickets rather than vacations.

[crispini]

7. Girls, Mr. Big and Tall can certainly afford to spring...

for a first class plane ticket. And those give you PLENTY of room. Ahhhh ... BA first class.... I can only imagine how swanky THAT must be.

[Gogi]

8. Have you tried to get a decent first class seat lately?

Unless you manage to get one up near the front there's not a whole lot of room there either. Southwest Airlines does'nt even have first class. On my trip to NYC last August I could'nt get a plane larger than an MD-80 and you can keep the Embraer planes they fly! All the good seats are blocked out for frequent fliers, too.

KO is also on record as not liking to do man-in-the-steet interviews because he does'nt like to be mobbed. Sounds like he does'nt enjoy being in close proximity with a bunch of strangers for several hours.

I flew to China from St. Louis via San Francisco in 1984, 18 hours flight time, most grueling flight I've ever taken!

Somebody gave me a VD card! That you Botany?:hi:

[crispini]

9. When I was a Peace Corps Volunteer I flew

from SFO via Tokyo and Taipei to Bangkok. A twenty four hour flight. Uhhhhhhhhgh.

I wouldn't know about first class availability since I haven't ever flown first class, but if British Airways business class is anything to judge by, BA first class is like having your own personal sleeping berth. Ahhhh... I love BA.

[WolverineDG]

10. Before I die

I want to fly Qantas first class from LAX to Sydney. Not only do you get a seat that transforms into a bed, they give you jammies. :) One of these days, I'll get back to Oz....

dg

[Gogi]

13. I was thinking of domestic.

Foreign is way superior. Domestic has two classes: third and steerage. Southwest airlines has 737's are all tourist class: Moo.

[Berry Cool]

11. I am sure he DOES spring for first class, OF COURSE! But from what I see,

first class doesn't offer a real ton of room all the time. I haven't been there, but I've passed it, and from what I have seen it is not always that big. I guess it depends on the airline.

[gkhouston]

4. Monica! Monica! If Keith takes vacay, we want Gidget! n/t

[RevCheesehead]

12. Maybe there's a "no competition" clause in his contract....

either with ESPN or MSNBC.

I can't imagine ESPN would be thrilled with Keith leaving to cover the olympics for NBC. Just a thought. :shrug: