5 questions for... Mike Tirico
Q: What was your experience with horse racing growing up?
A: I would go see the trotters at Roosevelt on Long Island. I remember Jim McKay and Al Michaels (covering the Kentucky Derby) for ABC on “Wide World of Sports.” That’s what kind of struck me this week in preparation. It used to be a nice, tight 90-minute show. You’d meet the horses, meet the connections, get them on the track and be off the air. For us it’s obviously a much more involved day that just parallels the growth of the event.
Q: How have the transitions worked with both the Derby and Olympics?
A: This transition wasn’t on the same scale as the Olympics, so Tom and I haven’t had that time together. It’s really simple, you don’t replace these guys. Bob (Costas) is a one-of-a- kind sensibility and talent that has brought a unique fingerprint to everything he’s covered, especially the Olympics. Tom has been a part of horse-racing industry for many years. I can’t think the way he does. … I am going to try and equal what they brought, but I am not going to try and act like them. That wouldn’t be fair to the viewer.
Q: Was the Olympics the biggest reason you were interested in NBC?
A: No doubt. There were so many (reasons) and that was certainly near the top of it. My sports bucket list was the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby and the Indy 500. It’s pretty cool that I get to knock off two in a great way.
Q: Was there any trepidation about the switch after the NFL blocked you from calling Thursday night games? A: I knew I would be involved at the big events and I really trust the people I work for. … It’s been exactly what I thought it would be. If it’s six or eight less football games than I was hoping to do, that’s fine. I am doing things I’ve never done before and I am still involved with Thursday and Sunday night football. There’s not one regret or a bit of disappointment of what the year has been. Q: Did you have any worries about the future of ESPN when you left there, given the layoffs of last week? A: I wouldn’t say that. The part that I spent most of my time in, play-by-play, that’s still something that’s not just really important, but is part of the lifeblood at ESPN. Since I wasn’t in Bristol as much I wasn’t that in touch with what was going on with “SportsCenter” and stuff like that.