A Very TODAY Show Valentine

If you're an American at the Olympics, you might as well be leaving your patriotism at passport control if you don't make it at least once to the NBC TODAY Show set in Olympic Park.

Been there, done that in Atlanta, Athens, Torino (they brought Al Roker to my P.R. client's B.C. Canada Place log cabin pavilion), Beijing (we took client, the Premiere of British Columbia, to sit with Matt Lauer), London and Sochi.

Wednesday night (Tuesday morning stateside) brought the first opportunity to check this five-ringed ritual off the list, and it turned out to be an exciting night to be there!

I stuck around for the first hour of the show with about 200 fellow Team USA fans and a few curious South Koreans.

Behind the scenes, members of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team awaited their national TV spotlight and conversation with Al Roker to preview their competitions.

Cute to see Olympic silver medalist Devin Logan meet briefly with her boyfriend. Gotta hand it to her for gently stroking his beard with her Trump-size pretend mitts!

Roker's main updates were about the strong winds that temporarily shut down much of Olympic Park.

Other news du jour concerned four-time Olympian, three-time medalist and No. 100 U.S. Winter Olympic medalist Shaun White's triumphant return to the gold medal podium.

White, who earlier in the day got flustered when reporters asked about past #MeToo-relevant choices, took time to apologize in his TODAY interview that focused mostly on his big day in competition.

White addressed questions from co-hosts Koda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.

"I've grown as a person over the years and it's amazing how life works, and twists and turns and lessons learned," said White. "Every experience in my life I feel like it's taught me a lesson and I definitely feel like I'm a much more changed person than I was when I was younger."

Way to stay on P.R. message.

I was delighted when Kotb later worked the crowd and responded to my offer of an Olympic blog pin, which she complimented while posing for selfies.

We had previously talked hours before the 2016 Olympic opening ceremony (in front of the Rio Marriott) and, as always, she was all smiles and so friendly to each of the fans on site.

Not sure when there might be another late night at Olympic Park (the live broadcasts to the States start at 9 p.m. in Korea), but it will be fun to discover TODAY sets in Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022 and beyond.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Adjusting to Carioca Pace; Chatting w/Matt Lauer

Sunday and Monday were designated catch-up days in the Olympic City. I had some lingering client work to tend to, affording less time for exploration.

Fortunately, there was still time for shorter adventures.

It's been tricky for me to adjust to the slower pace of Carioca life. Everything seems to take twice or three-times as long as it could or should. It's not as bad as the pace in Athens, Greece (where far less seems likely to be accomplished), but the simplest of tasks drive me to the brink. 

For instance, my favorite camera of all time inexplicably broke on Friday. Quick fix, right? Easy to replace in one of the world's biggest cities?

Photo NOT taken with preferred Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX100

Not so in Rio, where I visited more than 10 "camera stores" only to find photo processing or discount frames but not a single point-and-shoot device. 

After many hours of inquiries, I was directed to a beautiful but remote-for-tourists upscale shopping mall and came across a camera or two, but nothing on par with the wish-list replacement. Who would have thought "no cameras for sale in Brazil?" 

Also faced challenges at the CoSport ticket center, where I expected to arrive and walk away with my remaining Olympic tickets in 10 minutes tops (that's how it worked in London and Sochi). 

Not so at the Rio processing, where there's an emphasis on processing to the tune of 1.5 hour or more wait times. We're talking old-school clip boards and runners hustling in and out of an office tower in search of ticket packets. This was ridiculous! And to top it all, I have to go back later this week to get some of the tickets they did not have the option to prepare since May purchase dates. Frustrating. 

I could not resist laughing and poking fun at the CoSport signage (see photo) in what was later nicknamed the "room of disappointments" (this writer was neither the first nor last to invest hours for the CoSport ticket pickup only to be given news of delay and many unhappy returns).

Looking for positives, however, I did find some essentials on my shopping list. At the mall a small Official Rio 2016 Olympic Store came into view, and they had a men's XL polo shirt long-since sold-out at the Copacabana Megastore. 

Bonus, also found an Intimissimi shop to buy new undershorts, an Olympic tradition since the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics in the company's home country. 

And at CoSport, a savvy customer service professional kindly offered to provide periodic updates via email to reassure me the tickets would be ready mid-week. Breathing easier. 

Later, at the Rio 2016 ticket office, their volunteers eagerly handed my tickets and posed all sorts of questions about arriving to the city. Good energy. Feeling better. 

The evening brought a nice surprise of running into Olympin patriarch Don Bigsby showcasing his wares to curious potential pin collectors. Don really enjoys teaching children about the hobby and it was fun to see him in his element while interacting with families.

Also met my first pair of Olympians at this Games: Two female sailors from Slovenia.

We chatted about their practice runs in the harbor (yes, there is pollution) and how they are getting acclimated to South America (they arrived July 25 and all is well). 

They told me they are medal contenders for their boat class and I presented them with blog pins. So cool! 

Across the street at an upscale hotel, I stopped to ask the concierge for directions and wound up having a conversation with NBC's Hoda Kotb, who introduced herself and asked how my Rio adventure was unfolding so far (she is one super lady). 

Moments later we were joined by "The TODAY Show" host Matt Lauer sporting white slacks and casual dinner attire.

I asked if he recalled meeting for a brief interview in Louisville on the day of Muhammad Ali's memorial service. 

Matt Lauer (center right) hits the town.

Not surprising, Lauer did not recall the early-summer introduction, but he did briefly comment on his other experiences from that day in Kentucky before the Rio anchor duo dove into an awaiting town car bound for dinner reservations.

It all happened so fast there was barely time to snap a photo. 

Bumping into Lauer did remind me to locate the audio from our conversation in Louisville, and here's a transcript of that June 10, 2016, interview:

Wolaver: Mr. Lauer, I write and Olympic news website in Atlanta. Do you mind if I ask a question while your taking these selfies (with fans)?

Matt Lauer in Louisville June 10

Lauer: Let me do it now when I'm not taking selfies. 

Wolaver: How many times did you have an occasion to meet Muhammad Ali?

Lauer: Many, many times, probably 25 times. He was on the show all the time, and I would come down here to do events at the Ali Center. Lani is a good friend. I love their family and I am grieving with their family but I think this is a great day to be able to really celebrate his life. 

Wolaver: Where were you when you learned the news of Ali's passing?

Lauer: I was home. We were getting ready to go on the air. We knew it was grave last Friday night and so we were sitting at home in touch with the family and got the call a little after midnight. I've been really very pleased at the outpouring of love and respect that I've seen for him over the last five or six days.

Wolaver: With the news of your colleague and Zika, how are you feeling about your trip to Rio?

Lauer: I'm looking forward to it. I completely understand Savannah's reasons for not going. I think that's smart for her, but we've got a great team going, we've been planning for it for a long time and Rio should put on a great show.

(Note: Savannah Guthrie had just announced her pregnancy and passing on Rio a day before this Lauer conversation.)

Wolaver: Got some pins to trade yet?

Lauer: Haven't gotten 'em yet -- I usually get those a few weeks before.

Here in Rio I was so surprised by the chance meeting there was not time to offer Kotb or Lauer a trade.

Next time!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Sochi 2014 in 365



Where will we be one year from today?

For this guy, there's hope of blogging near the banks of the Black Sea, as the waterfront city Sochi beckons for the 2014 Winter Games. The opening ceremony is set for Friday, February 7, 2014, and I will work toward acquiring a seat at Fisht Olympic Stadium.

This time yesterday I was confused -- why did the U.S. Olympic Committee, NBC and other Olympic Movement organizations eagerly declare today (Feb. 6) as the one year to go milestone?

At last, clarity arrived today via the New York Times report noting the XXIIth Winter Olympic Games include some pre-Opening Ceremony competitions that stretch the event to 18 not 16 days. Mark your calendars for NBC's Winter Olympic broadcast launching on this night (Feb. 6) in one year.

Though work hours prevented tuning in live this morning, a TODAY Show segment showcased a good array of Sochi facts and figures. It makes me smile that there are palm trees in Sochi (sort of looks like Savannah, Ga.); with that said, a quick spin of the globe shows Russia's seaside resort is as far north as past Winter Olympic sites Torino, Italy; Nagano, Japan; and even Lake Placid, N.Y. (a few clicks west of Vermont ski resorts). Rest assured, there will be snow.

The U.S.O.C. Road To Sochi site features an array of 2014 details and links to Team USA athletes on deck for next year.

Bring on the Games of Sochi!

Photo via Sochi2014.ru

The Shalit Just Hit The Fan (er, the door, leaving The TODAY Show)

My eyebrows ascended upon reading that longtime TODAY Show film critic Gene Shalit is leaving the program later this week to continue film reviews online.

I'll never forget meeting Shalit in New York. During the fall of 1996, I had a brief apartment-sitting gig on the way-upper West Side (north of the George Washington Bridge), and a great friend of mine was working at Au Bon Pain beneath Radio City Music Hall.

I had just slipped in to the restaurant to surprise my pal Meg, who was working the counter, and undetected by yours truly, Mr. Shalit stepped in line behind me during the surprise, so my friend reacted both to Shalit and my appearance simultaneously.

Its fair to say Shalit was as surprised as Meg and I were with the gleeful exchange that ensued (Shalit was a regular at this location, if memory serves me, and Meg and I had not seen each other in months, so the retail reunion was boisterous). Shalit was a nice guy and really cheerful for our brief exchange, and as Meg and I later finally got to chat, Shalit waved goodbye and wished us well. Nice guy.

Shalit did a memorable review of an Olympic film when I was in grade school, stating "'Chariots of Fire' will lift you with exultation and hold you there." Agreed!

During the Vancouver Olympics, Shalit even took to the slopes of the Eastern U.S. for a ski-clad review of "Shutter Island." Well done!

Here's hoping Shalit's great work continues for years to come. Long live the puns!

Photo via this site

T-Minus 100

Today marks just 100 days until the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Excitement is building ... just watched Team USA interviews and winter sport stunts in Rockefeller Center on NBC's TODAY Show.

I have yet to really start hunting for Vancouver tickets -- opening and closing ceremony are top priority, with snowboarding on the wish list, too (anyone out there already got their tickets?). I suppose after The Colbert Report announced sponsorship of U.S. Speedskating, tickets for the Oval will be on the hot ticket list, too.

Hope to see you in British Columbia in just 100 days!

Photo via Vancouver 2010.

100 Days from Olympic Day

Today was Olympic Day around the globe, and the morning started with a great NBC TODAY Show segment about the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid.

It was a low key holiday in Atlanta. I tried, but could not find details on the apparent local celebrations listed by Olympic Day organizers (until tonight, too late, I stumbled upon a listing on a website -- if I missed something big, read the following with a grain of salt).

To pause and commemorate things, this evening I took a walk through Centennial Olympic Park (which has a great virtual tour online) and asked a mix of locals and visitors if they knew what Olympic Day is or when it takes place -- to my surprise, one woman from Puerto Rico, who was posing for a photo with the park's monument to Modern Olympic Founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin, exclaimed "TODAY is Olympic Day, and my birthday, too!" (not surprising, no one else quizzed had any idea).

The walk provided a mixed bag of sentimentality and cynicism about the Olympic Movement and Atlanta's place in Olympic history.

On one hand, the Atlanta Olympic legacy including the vast urban park, other legacy venues and Turner Field (in view as I type this from high rise office downtown) are priceless. Almost every downtown Atlanta structure that borders Centennial Park -- except for The INFORUM, CNN Center and Tabernacle -- would not exist if the Games went to another city in 1996. And now that Centennial Olympic Park is in its adolescence, it is booming (remember when the trees were sticks in the ground? Now a gorgeous urban forest in bloom, and the fountains are all working again, post-drought!).

On the other hand, it seems sad that in spite of an army of employees and even larger army of volunteers rallied with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) from 1989 (bid days) to 1996, very few in Atlanta seem to celebrate or remember the Games on what is supposed to be its biggest day of celebration in a non-Olympic year.

They do come out of the woodwork every so often, getting out the pin collections and donning Olympic shirts from the glory days. There was a good (and large) celebration of ACOG's/Atlanta's 10th anniversary held in 2006, so that balances out some of what's negativity on the brain (the BBC's Kurt Barling filed an excellent report on the Atlanta Games legacy just after the 10th anniversary event -- be sure to watch the videos, too).

And then you look at the Los Angeles area's ambitious 25th anniversary gathering on the horizon and wonder "what will Atlanta remember/celebrate in 2021?"

Looking forward, it is cool to note that the 2016 host will be selected just 100 days from now. Here's hoping the 2009 Olympic Day celebrations across the U.S. only helped in that decision before the I.O.C. And perhaps, sometime in 2041, Chicago will celebrate its 25th Olympic anniversary.

Spotlight on B.C.

The first few days of the Games kept our B.C. Canada Pavilion team on the run for all the right reasons.

During sunset on Saturday, August 9, the Premier of British Columbia Gordon Campbell hosted Beijing city representatives and other VIP guests and officials to officially present the pavilion's Canadian hardwood archway entrance as a gift to the 2008 Olympic host city. Our Beijing Edelman team focused on getting Chinese media attendees to the event, while my Vancouver-based colleague and China roommate Paul and I tackled U.S., Canadian and other international media invitations. We also updated content for the B.C. Canada Pavilion website for this and other festivities at the Province's Beijing address. The photos tell the tale of secured media on site.

Our public relations activities also included outreach to large outlets in several nations. Though a high level executive friend of the Premier opened the big doors to create a TODAY Show segment, our team worked closely with the Premier's office and show producers to prepare for a live broadcast beamed back to North America from the Olympic Green. It was very satisfying to leave the TODAY Show green room with a few of NBC's coveted Olympic pins in tow, and it is always a great thrill to stand behind the camera operators and producers on the set with the live audience over the shoulders of Matt and Meredith.

Prepping for live or taped interviews involves getting background materials to reporters, editors or producers (to help them prepare smart questions) and to the spokesperson (in this case the Premier ... to help him prepare accurate and timely answers). We also arrange delivery of b-roll video. In Beijing, some of the most basic steps (like copying and pasting information into an e-mail, or getting a video tape across town) seem to take at least three times as long as usual. And don't forget: You must have your triple-stamped approval and paperwork to accompany EVERYTHING (this is my simple way of summarizing unbelievable, unexpected bureaucracy that accompanies most working hours -- but it's worth it all when you turn on CNBC and find your client interview went well).

For August 12, the team was all hands on deck at the Beijing International Media Center (BIMC), a haven for more than 10,000 reporters who could not get the official Olympic media accreditation for various reasons. It was hard work, but more than 25 TV cameras rolled -- including Chicago's NBC affiliate (look for their clip here, with the headline "Premier offers advice, eh?") and I don't know how many Chinese TV stations -- when the Premier took the stage to announce the International Media Center plan for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Perhaps the most interesting and satisfying media pitch thus far came to us by great timing. While enduring Beijing's summer heat just before our BIMC press event, I was waiting by security to greet our Chicago TV guests. A couple of young South American reporters with radio microphones passed through security, and after an impromptu pin trade negotiation, we also negotiated a live radio interview for the Premier to appear on W Radio, which is based in Colombia and airs across the Western Hemisphere. We were able to tune in live and listen to this phone interview, which involved a radio host (dare I say/write Latin America's answer to Bob Edwards) in Colombia, the Premier in Beijing, and other radio correspondents asking questions to the Premier from New York, Miami and Europe. !Que Bueno!