2018 Winter Olympics Goes To PyeongChang

And, maybe, for once South Korea will get to do something without North Korea threatening to blow it up if they don't cooperate and let them play in the reindeer games with them.

The 2018 Winter Olympics were given to South Korea this morning over Annecy, France and Munich, Germany.

Here's part of the promo package that the organizing committee put together to "sway" the bid their way.
((HT: 2018newhorizons))


Let all the bribery jokes start anew...
Congratulations to them and all their planning...

BREAKING: NBC Gets A New Four-Five Ringed Circus Deal

NBC/Universal has come out on top for the next four open winter and summer competitions defeating both ESPN and Fox for the bids on Sochi, Rio, 2018, and 2020...

"I think we had a compelling presentation and we hope they felt the same way. The rest is business," longtime Olympics NBC host Bob Costas said after the Comcast/NBCU presentation earlier in the day to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Fernandez in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The other two networks thought that the absence of Dick Ebersol may hurt the Peacock's bid, but it didn't in the long run...

From Brian D Fischer's Twitter feed...

So NBC/Comcast will pay $6 billion for the Olympics over 10 years (2010-20). By comparison, NFL was supposed to get $4billion in 2011 alone.

ESPN just sent out one of those congratulatory e-mails:
From The Big Lead...

“We made a disciplined bid that would have brought tremendous value to the Olympics and would have been profitable for our company. To go any further would not have made good business sense for us. We wish to congratulate the IOC on a fair and transparent process, and we offer our best wishes to Comcast/NBC. We put our best foot forward with a compelling offer that included the enthusiastic participation of all of The Walt Disney Company’s considerable assets.”

NBC Sports Chief Dick Ebersol Resigns

[HT: AP, Sports Business Daily]

Chalk this up as really bad timing. The next round of Olympic negotiations is set to begin and the top executive of the "Network of the Olympics" has stepped down.

NBC Sports Group Chairman Dick Ebersol resigned from the peacock network. International Olympic Committee executive board member Richard Carrior, who negotiates the U.S. television rights, said Comcast CEO Brian Roberts confirmed that.

The Associated Press citing a person with knowledge that what caused Ebersol's resignation was a contract dispute.

Here's Richard Sandomir and Bill Carter's New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/sports/dick-ebersol-resigns-from-nbc-sports.html?_r=1&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nyt%2Frss%2FSports+%28NYT+%3E+Sports%29&utm_content=Twitter&seid=auto&smid=tw-nytimessports

The Olympic auction for U.S. television rights begins next week with NBC, ESPN/ABC and Fox expected to compete. Could the Olympic Rings be on the verge of leaving the peacock network?

Mike Milbury Calls Russian Effort "Eurotrash"

((HT: Gawker.tv/NBC))

The HQ has heard NBC's Mike Milbury go after anyone in his beloved sport of hockey in the past...

To wit... the "pansification" and/or "wussification of hockey" comments on CBC that got him wrist-slapped by a lot of people...

Now, we have him calling out those silly Russians who were outclassed and shell-shocked 7-3 in the five-ringed circus quarterfinals Wednesday night...

The fun starts a little after a minute in...


JR's look was priceless...
And, yes, Milbury went there comrade...

Vonn may not ski at Olympics (Can we say Olympics?)

This years Winter Darling, the person that NBC was hoping would be this Olympics Michael Phelps, may not be able to participate in the Winter Olympics. Skiing sensation Lindsay Vonn, apparently hurt her shin in training last week and is having problems just putting on her boots right now.

More from the Calgary Sun RIGHT HERE

((This is another excuse to post Lindsay Vonn//Courtesy: SI.com))

Vonn, who has a history of injury problems was favored to win the the Gold Medal in the Downhill and Super G events. She's still trying to figure out her options. Apparentlyl, she will need to be ready before Sunday's Super Combined event begins.

Should she be unable to compete, it would not only be bad for her. It would suck for NBC, who has already been said to be losing at least $250 million on the Games this year. Vonn may and could be the star that they need, much like Phelps in China last summer, to vault the games into the national eye and regain some advertising. For Vonn, she will be successful either way. She is already a World Champion. The Olympics (can we say olympics without being sued?), would provide her with the marketing potential to become a major star here in the states, though the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photos certainly won't hurt either.

Here is some video of Vonn crashing in an event last year. Courtesy: You Tube

Olympic Junkie Hosts Winter Olympics

[HT/AP]

Al Michaels is returning to the event where he made his iconic call.

The announcer will serve as a host for NBC's coverage of next year's Winter Olympics, the 30th anniversary of his call of the "Miracle on Ice." The network announced Thursday that Michaels will host more than 50 hours of live weekend and weekday daytime coverage from Vancouver.

"I've really been an Olympic freak my entire life," Michaels said on a conference call.

Michaels famously exclaimed, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" when the U.S. hockey team shocked the Soviet Union at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

Vancouver will be his sixth Olympics and first as a host -- but his first since the 1988 Calgary Games.

Since Michaels joined the network's Sunday Night Football broadcasts in 2006, NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol had intermittently gauged his interest in calling other events. Last month, Michaels said he'd love to host an Olympics.

"I immediately offered him this role," Ebersol said.

Michaels never expected to go so long between Olympics. He had a clause in his contract at ABC to serve as a host at futures games on the network.

"That was never manifested," Michaels said, "because Dick kept stealing the Olympics away from everyone else."

We here at the OSG HQ did Al. We look forward to Mr. Michaels but honestly, we are learning toward the Canadian because for them, the 2010 Winter Olympics are a home game.

Give Al Michaels this, he's versatile. From calling Sunday Night Football to his cameo on Hawaii Five-0.

Al Michaels Hawaii Five-O
by bsap11

Here's Al from the 1984 Winter Olympics doing Figure Skating with Peggy Fleming and an OSG favorite, Dick Button.



Photo Courtesy: NBC Sports