O’Donnell: So many stories, so little time for NBC and the ’26 Winter Olympics
IN SOME OF THE UGLIEST TIMES in the history of electronically immersed, Earthbound man, the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics hit their cheery midpoint this weekend.
Ask any media relations flack from NBC and no breathing room is left but to acknowledge the resounding success of the American TV effort.
The trans-Atlantic Peacock platforms, inquirers are being told, have already drawn in excess of 200 million viewers, with that number quite possibly more than doubled before the closing ceremonies next Sunday in Verona — gateway city to “Romeo and Juliet.”
A FAIR ASSESSMENT IS THAT the NBC production has been crisp, bordering on masterful, compelling and encompassing to a fault.
The whole truth is that the extravaganza is geared toward younger demographics — which it should be — and to more “sports alternative” viewers who steer clear of the many dead spots in the annual NFL-NBA-NHL-MLB grind.
A rational conclusion is that two weeks is no longer enough to fully mine all of the advertising lucre out of any modern Olympics.
FOUR WEEKS MAKES more sense. But where to begin?
Los Angeles (Summer 2028) is too soon.
The French Alps (Winter 2030) are too logistically daunting.
Brisbane (Summer 2032) presents a whole different sort of international dateline hocus-focus.
So Utah (Winter 2034) it may have to be.
THE WAGONEERS AROUND THE SALT LAKE have always prided themselves on in-the-moment living and resourcefulness.
So why not be the hosts who assist in ushering in a four-week Olympics?
By then technological delivery of streaming services will make today's standards look like the audio limitations of Nipper the Victrola Dog.
SO WHAT CAN A SHINY GLOBAL SPORTS FESTIVAL do but expand?
Isn't that the cheery American advertising way?
STREET-BEATIN':
If Caleb Williams and the Bears wind up playing their 2026 opener at Seattle, the game will be on either Wednesday, Sept. 9, or Thursday, Sept. 10. That's because the International Series match between the Niners-Rams from Melbourne will fill the other date. Either American night would be the following afternoon in Australia. Netflix, YouTube and Peacock are prime contenders to air from The Land Down Under; Vegemite sandwiches will be optional. …
Speaking of the Seahawks, head coach Mike Macdonald took a victory bow the night after Super Bowl 60 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” He projected the youthful geniality of a 38-year-old EMT for the Des Plaines Fire Department. Kimmel, who spent five years in an earlier life as morning sportsman on KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, is on a remarkable roll as piercing nightly monologist of The Opposition. …
Not that anyone's keeping score, but shovels will be in the ground for the Browns' new stadium in the Cleveland suburb of Brook Park March 2. (If the site were any closer to Hopkins Airport, it'd be under FAA jurisdiction.) Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam have a point of leverage the McCaskey/Ryan group can only dream about: Spooked CLE memories of Art Modell's abrupt departure with his classic Browns to Baltimore back in 1996. …
Local media hearts are at half-staff over the recent passing of Pat Benkowski, age 70. He cut his chops at the old SportsPhone operation and moved through the next decades as a pleasant, energizing presence on an assortment of Chicago broadcast outlets. Program director Li'l Tommy Edwards tabbed Benkowski as his sports guy on a buoyant morning team at the old WKQX-FM (101.1) (“Q 101”) that also featured dawn matinee idol Robert Murphy, pert foil Beth Kaye and newsman Dave McBride. …
Most New York NFL taskmasters have been cautiously optimistic about John Harbaugh's hiring of former Bears head coach Matt Nagy as the fresh OC of the Giants. The more astute have been textured enough to note Nagy's record mentoring Mitch Trubisky with the Bears — 25-13, 63 total touchdowns, 30 interceptions (2018-20). Nagy will win over the hard-core Big Apple if he can develop Jaxson Dart. …
Chicago-based talent waiting for heightened national close-ups: Taylor McGregor, now in extra innings accepting direct deposits from the Cubs' Marquee Network. She has outgrown the slip-sliding subscription operation. Still, there seems to be something atavistically sexist about her only basepath up being sideline reporter. …
Now it can be told: If Roy Arnold's group had been the successful bidder for Arlington Park, it planned to offer Green Bay Packers-style public “stock” to help fund maintaining the race track's global standards. There are some around the 2021 bidding process who still say the sale of the 326 acres from Churchill Downs Inc. to the Bears was foreordained, even as an interim action to make the obscene demolition of the spectacular palace more palatable to regional sensibilities. …
And two straight overtime losses later, Brad Underwood and No. 8 Illinois try to stem the Big Ten free fall Sunday with a rare “Stripe State Farm Center” afternoon vs. visiting Indiana (noon, CBS). Fans in even-numbered sections are asked to wear blue; all Illini students and supporters in odd-numbered areas are to don orange. Even better would be if bumped-around freshman ace Keaton Wagler could add 20 pounds of muscle before Underwood's annual March minuet …
Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Wednesday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.