‘Here comes Diggins!’ Finish of Olympic cross-country skiing enthralls viewers
NBC has caught a lot of grief during the Winter Olympics.
Announcer Bode Miller apologized for saying a female skier’s performance could be affected because she had gotten married. The network fired an announcer for saying Japan, which colonized Korea from 1910 to 1945, served as an important example in South Korea’s cultural and economic transformation.
NBC also left the women’s Super-G coverage and told viewers Anna Veith would win, but Ester Ledecka took the gold medal in the biggest upset of the Games.
But on Wednesday, NBC’s coverage of the team sprint freestyle cross-country ski race was fantastic. Analyst Chad Salmela didn’t try to hide his emotions as Jessie Diggins rallied down the stretch and, along with teammate Kikkan Randall, won the first gold medal for the United States in the history of the event.
Salmela cried out: “Here comes Diggins! Here comes Diggins!”
As play-by-play announcer Steve Schlanger excitedly called the action, Salmela kept yelling, “Yes!” and then “Gold!” when the U.S. team won by 0.19 seconds.
UNBELIEVABLE!@kikkanimal & @jessdiggs earn the first ever cross-country #gold medal for @TeamUSA, with a pass that will go down in American Olympic history! #WinterOlympics #BestOfUS https://t.co/4YMw63E4C3 pic.twitter.com/bfHoGnPCWw
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2018
Here’s a little secret: The announcing crew wasn’t in South Korea.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that NBC has announcers call some of the Olympic sports, including cross-country skiing, biathalon, and events, from its International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.
That mattered little to people who watched the race and were thrilled by Diggins’ effort and Salmela’s enthusiasm:
Standing a foot from my TV with my arms in the air SCREAMING at the top of my lungs for a CROSS-COUNTRY race. Jessie Diggins, cry it out girl YA EARNED IT. #USA #Olympics
— Katie (@klrosenb) February 22, 2018
Listening to the commentator lose his freaking mind when Jessie Diggins crosses the finish line was maybe one of my favorite things that’s ever happened in any Olympics
— sarah harbulary (@slothanova) February 22, 2018
Listening to the commentator go wild when Jessie Diggins finished the cross country sprint for gold deserves its own gold medal tbh
— Rocktober dreamer (@hurryhurryomaha) February 22, 2018
That call by @NBCOlympics of Jessie diggins was unreal. #WhatItsAbout #USA
— BLGallagher8 (@blhawk8) February 22, 2018
Not sure who ol boy is calling women's x country ski relay, but he's got me hyped #USA Diggins just went #beastmode for the gold
— BronSolo (@IsChamps) February 22, 2018
Wow. That was legit inspiring. USA/Jessie Diggins takes gold.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) February 22, 2018
Not since Al Michael's legendary, "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" has there been such a more perfect call: "HERE COMES DIGGINS! HERE COMES DIGGINS!"
— Rick Taylor (@rickeysticks80) February 22, 2018
@ChadSalmela amazing job calling the women’s sprint relay race! Your final call of Jessie Diggins down the homestretch was something I won’t forget for a long long time! You need to be NBC’s track and field announcer too!
— Mark (@psumurray) February 22, 2018
“Here comes Jesse Diggins! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” Greatest call ever and what a gutsy race by these two amazing women.
— Erik Kirkhorn (@Kirkhorn) February 22, 2018
Pete Grathoff: 816-234-4330, @pgrathoff
This story was originally published February 22, 2018 at 8:07 AM.