Beijing Olympics
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
For so many months, like the people of Beijing, I was focused on August 8, 2008. One of the things about my job that I look forward to the most is covering the Olympics. These were the fourth Olympic Games I have reported for NBC, and they have been everything I expected, and then some.
Beijing is an amazing place, and there has been no shortage of rich, exciting and colorful stories to tell. That said, as I approach my final Weekend Nightly News broadcast here, I must admit my focus the last few days has been on August 26, 2008. This is the day I board a plane back to the United States. It's been just about a month since I arrived, and it's time to go home.
In a few hours, Americans will witness a spectacular closing ceremony. Then, the Games that have brought so many millions of us together, will be over. Those of us working the Olympics have enjoyed talking to friends and family at home, and hearing how American audiences have united around coverage of the Beijing olympics. But we have all reached a point that conversations in the hotel lounge now revolve around "what's the first thing you're going to do when you get home?" I've got a pretty long list, but I'm fairly certain it will involve Mexican food, preceded by sleep.
We'll have full coverage from Beijing, on this, the final day of competition and the closing ceremony. Brian Williams will join me from Denver to head up our coverage of this week's Democratic convention.
I hope you'll tune in. In the meantime, thanks for checking in.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
So I'm sitting in the NBC Sports studio on the night when Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal, and Bob Costas, who had just completed his own interview, tells me in front of a studio full of people that the one element he didn't have time to mention was the fact that Bruce Springsteen, at a concert in Jacksonville, had announced to the crowd that Phelps had just won his seventh gold medal. Bob went on to say that Bruce had dedicated "Born in the U.S.A." to Phelps.
Forced to ignore the journalist's creed, "If your Mother tells you she loves you, check it out," and one minute away from starting the interview, lights on, mics on, cameras rolling, I mentioned the Springsteen story to Phelps in a question that has already aired.
Then the posts started coming in to our blog. A quick check of Backstreets, the leading website of our community of E Street fans, indicates that those who wrote us are right: no such thing apparently happened. It's especially embarassing given my status as an E Street fan in good standing (I've attended an embarassing number of concerts on the current tour, foreign and domestic, including at the Meadowlands just before leaving on this trip), and I'm working on finding out how this happened.
Because it was so entirely plausible, (Bruce has been doing quite a number of dedications during this tour, and it sounded so much like something he would do), and because there was no time to research it to confirm it or knock it down, it made it on the air. And because I often rely on Backstreets for set lists and news and concert reviews (and they've never steered me wrong before), I'm left to apologize for our good-natured, well-intentioned flub. I feel badly for Michael and his Mom, who were pretty psyched to hear the news from the Springsteen tour!
On the pleasant surprise front: I stopped by Canada House here at the Games yesterday. Thankfully I was with two of our resident Canadians, Kevin Tibbles and Subrata De, so I was a "sponsored" guest -- and we had a great time. It's a fabulous facility (many nations have a "house" at the Olympics to sell merchandise and provide a haven for visitors from back home -- we visited USA House earlier this week) designed to give visiting Canadians a place to go and watch the coverage and cheer on their team, while enjoying a meal and a drink. Our hosts were some of the nicest, kindest people we've met on this trip. My thanks to them for their hospitality, and my family members will no doubt be thrilled with their forthcoming Canada t-shirts!
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Watching and being around Michael Phelps last night reminded me of covering and interviewing presidents in one fundamental way: the aura of fame, importance and popularity – the palpable feeling of building anticipation — the people positioning themselves along the "route" he's expected to take, the blur of his arrival accompanied by flashes and shouts and the surge of the crowd, and then the total vacuum when he departs a given space...and it’s all over. Yesterday, there was indeed an aura around him, and an excitement – a feeling in the atmospheric bubble wherever he traveled – that was the unmistakable marker of the biggest global celebrity of the times. His entourage was actually rather small, comprised of coach, manager/PR guy, and his family. His height (6-foot-4 inches) helps call attention to his every move. His head — at times eerily backlit by the camera lights — lit his profile wherever he travelled.
His draw is undeniable. We learned today that nearly 40 million people were watching NBC at 11pm last night. In an on-air chat with the anchor of WNBC in New York last night, I predicted that the evening might be "the first stay-at-home-and-watch-TV Saturday night in the modern era," and I might have been right. NBC's broadcast average (over the whole evening) of 31.1 million viewers represented the best Saturday night viewership since the "Golden Girls" spinoff program "Empty Nest" debuted before 31.4 million viewers on Feb. 24, 1990. Michael Phelps was 4 years-old.
All he wanted after yesterday’s race was McDonalds. Before our interview, a 
producer asked him for his order. He initially wanted a cheeseburger, Big Mac and fries. Then I stepped in (having done the research) and told him that the double cheeseburgers here were good, better than in the States. I told him there was no mustard on them, and that the minced onion was kept to a minimum. I could see in his eyes that he realized he was in the company of a fellow aficionado. He changed his order – so excited at the thought of McDonalds for the first time since arriving here in Beijing — and the interview began.
Portions of our interview will air tonight, with more tomorrow night. We will post the entire thing on our Web site. Pay special attention to the conversation about his iPod, and how happy and relaxed he is. Right now, Michael Phelps has the world on a string and history hanging around his neck.
We hope to see you tonight from Beijing.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
While I was working on the other side of the world, my wife and son were in upstate New York touring colleges. Their plans called for them to fly from Syracuse back to JFK on Jet Blue yesterday afternoon. Then weather moved into the New York area, forcing a "ground stop" -- a fancy term for "nobody in, nobody out." All three major New York-area airports were a disaster -- and so began an 8-hour odyssey for them in Syracuse.
The biggest problem wasn't the fact that they boarded their Jet Blue flight at least once before being told to get off the plane and go back to the terminal. The problem was: the television sets in the airport were tuned (more like hard-wired) to the CNN Airport Network. Nothing against my friends at CNN, mind you (I've spent many an hour in many a lounge watching the CNN Airport Network) but: the Olympics are on. Phelps was swimming. Women's Gymnastics. Costas. Rowdy. Bella. America.
My wife apparently appealed to the airport management (in the most polite way) and was turned down at every turn in her quest to have just one television set tuned to the Games. The only other television, in the airport bar, was apparently not up to the task. Telephone calls were made to city officials. The crowd of viewers who wanted to see the Olympics was peaceful and civil, but growing and insistent. There was no effort to light torches, pillage or scare the good townspeople of Syracuse -- but it was close. The answer to the telephone inquiries came back saying the "Syracuse Commissioner" (is that the same as "Theodoric of York" or the "Chancellor of the Exchequer?") had turned down the outlandish and highly unusual request to change the channel, saying the city had a binding contract with CNN. CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
For all the blessings we have to count (being here to witness these games, having occasional access to tickets and history-making feats of athleticism), the one thing we miss all too often is NBC primetime coverage. Due to logistics, electronics and timing, we often have to find out results and story lines from the folks back home.
Last night, I was fortunate enough to see the swimming events -- followed by a classic Beijing downpour that soaked us to the skin during a run of 200 yards. We had some ferocious thunderstorms last evening -- light rain during the middle-of-the-night walk to work -- but we're hoping for a good day ahead.
The often-mentioned air pollution has mostly manifested itself in a constant state of eye irritation, and the occasional rain does clean the air and increase visibility between showers.
On a one-to-one level, the Chinese people have been wonderful; kind and accomodating and hard-working. I do not know of a single negative encounter with a single member of our traveling party on this trip. Two of our staffers had an interesting outing to a local restaurant last night -- a menu featuring donkey meat (in a pot), braised bullfrog, hog hoof, and turtle. Our pals went with the Kung Pao chicken.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Our trip has become a merged version of "Lost In Translation" and "Groundhog Day."
We talked about it as we walked to work in the 2a.m. (local time) darkness today in a spitting rain.
We were all feeling pretty fortunate to be here last night, when the boss sent out an email inviting several of us to the swimming event. The ride over to swimming in the mini-van should probably be a television show of its own. Picture this: me, Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Al Roker -- all in one vehicle en route to the venue, and then at the venue. It was a blast, and it was truly an honor to be there for another piece of Olympic history, as Michael Phelps became the most highly-decorated athlete of all time.
I later went shopping with Al Roker -- which could easilly be the pilot for a 13-week sitcom.
We are working on several stories that I hope you will find interesting. We're starting the writing, and pushing through to airtime.
I just had a cup of newsroom coffee that brought back memories of the firehouse. I don't trust coffee I can't chew. Onward.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Watching interviews with the athletes during the Olympic coverage last night -- especially the swimmers -- I found them so incredibly impressive. While anyone willing to work that hard toward a single goal is to be admired, I found them all especially gracious, incredibly thankful and emotional. They truly carried themselves in keeping with the spirit of these Games, and represented the best of the Olympic ideal. It hasn't always been the case. It seems to be the norm at these Games so far.
It turns out the Forbidden City isn't at all. We had a great (but hot) walk through the entire distance of it yesterday.
We've run across a wonderful story that we will package together on videotape to show you: it's the story of a young Chinese college student who works in the NBC Olympic ticket office. It turns out she learned English in school by listening to tapes of NBC Nightly News. I went to go meet her two days ago, and she just could not be nicer. She's an accomplished musician who will soon be coming to the United States to attend college. She is from the earthquake zone, and nevertheless was thoughtful enough to bring me a gift from home. It was a wonderful kind of "reunion" which apparently, for her, matched a face with the voice. We can't wait to bring you her story.
Since I haven't done music in a while: the top songs on this trip (and since everyone in our open workspace is sadly forced to listen to my music over my iPod speakers) are, in order, "Dreamin' Of You" the new Dylan single; "Vul'indela" by the late great Brenda Fassie; "Ooh Ahh" by Grits; and a holdover fave from the Afghanistan trip, the fantastic "Buildings and Mountains" by Republic Tigers. I apologize to all Beijing-based co-workers who do not share my enthusiasm for these particular gems.
That's it from the night shift in China. We hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I was the lucky recipient of a ticket to this weekend's swimming event, and so, with two American presidents present, I was able to watch Michael Phelps shatter the world record and win the gold medal.
It was an absolute treat, and I felt so fortunate to be there. We sat with some wonderful folks in the stands -- and had the pleasure of sitting two rows behind former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and his family -- who were joined by a rabid Australian cheering section. It's axiomatic at Olympic games: everyone loves the Australians... they are so much fun, so full of life, such great boosters for their team -- and they sing their anthem louder than those from any other nation.
The Aussies had a great outing and may well have launched a new global star when Stephanie Rice won her 400M event and revealed her beautiful smile on the medal stand, later wrapping herself in the flag of her nation during the required victory lap of the venue. Later (when the boss offered me a ticket) I was able to attend the U.S.-China basketball game, which truly had the air of a global event. It's raining non-stop here, and we're hoping it will clear both the air over Beijing and the atmosphere -- perhaps clearing the way for blue skies. During the hours when we're in the workspace, we're glued to television coverage of the war in Georgia. We're all horrified by the civilian loss of life and the rapid and violent escalation. Right now I'm sewing a button onto a blazer, signaling the end of the glamorous portion of my day. Yesterday, I was able to greatly improve life at the hotel room and at our workspace by scoring a pair of iPod speakers at the Apple Store in Beijing. An experience in itself. We're about to buckle down and get to the writing for tonight.
An early reminder: Monday's broadcast will be a rare one: a remote from Tiananmen Square. We're excited about bringing it to you, as we are tonight's broadcast.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
The flame in the cauldron snaps and dances in the nighttime air as it curls above the Bird's Nest stadium — visible, depending on air quality, for either a city block or several of them. The buzz surrounding Michael Phelps — deafening before the start of the games —has gotten even louder. The murder of a visiting American is getting a lot of attention as well. The heat (combined with the humidity) is positively withering, but the teeming crowds here in Beijing are in fine spirits and there is a palpable wave of excitement as these games get underway. President Bush obviously had a grand old time for himself today.
In the meantime, the world has a new war. A violent, dangerous, awful, and (so far) little war. The first pictures are both scary and devastating. Soviet fighters and bombers releasing their loads, bombed-out buildings in small towns that look like Cherbourg in France during the height of World War II. As with all the conflicts in that part of the world, this one is emotional and complicated, and could burst wide open with the tiniest spark. We're putting together an extensive package of coverage tonight.
We'll also remember Bernie Mac. As a fan of the "Oceans" films, I loved his work in Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen. He was a gifted entertainer and we'll miss him.
We'll look for you from Beijing tonight.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I was on standby at the Broadcast Center during the Opening Ceremonies (which U.S. audiences will see tonight on NBC) so while I could not attend, I watched it all.
There was an interesting juxtaposition when the coverage got underway this morning. We here are able to see a satellite feed of WNBC-TV programming in New York, where this morning on local news, just before the Opening Ceremonies, the lead story was about an overpass that was hit by a truck and collapsed onto the roadway on the Major Deegan Expressway back home in New York. Traffic during the morning commute was tied up for miles. The heavy construction effort to lift up the wreckage (say nothing of repair and replacement) hadn't yet begun. It looked like a collapse of the aging New York City infrastructure, and it was jarring to go from that image to this city's gleaming, high-tech public "coming out", the unveiling of Beijing for the world.
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