Tom Hammond

Nope. I spend most of my time doing my eyeliner, admiring my manboobs, and picking out pleated pants.

The fact that that buffoon is still announcing every fracking meet leaves open the question of whether NBC wants track and field to be unpopular. At least the terrible trio of Masback, Johnson and Lewis (thank God we're rid of her, seemingly...) were once athletes themselves, but Hammond?! Why the heck does he have that job?!?

And the all too predictable cut-aways from the 5000. It's the Prefontaine meet for God's sake! The only reason the meet is on is because Nike wishes it. Can't they negotiate decent coverage of Pre's event?

I really need an intervention before next year's meet. Someone needs to strap me to a pole and blindfold me so that I can't watch NBCs crappy coverage. I'm getting too old to get this mad.

I can't wait for the day that traditional TV no longer controls any sports coverage.

Spotter's job is to tell the guy who's in the lead much like a guy tells an NFL announcer who made the tackle.

Hammond's specialty was horseracing. Four legs good, two legs bad.

He's the worst announcer in any sport that I've seen. He knows none of the athletes. When Soi won the 5k, he had no idea who won. He butchers the names of all the Africans, even the famous ones. He adds absolutely nothing to the telecast. It shows how little NBC cares about track.

God forgive me. Bring back Larry Rawson!

Tom Hammond certainly gives the impression of finding T&F basically boring even though he's covered pretty much all of the biggest meets for years. On the other hand, "thanks" to Paul Sunderland, I now appreciate Tom Hammond's basic skills as a general purpose TV host.

Puzzling fact: swimming - a sport with an even smaller core audience than Track & Field - gets play-by-play guy Dan Hicks, who seems to actually, you know, LIKE the sport he's covering, while we get stuck with Tom Hammond. Anyone know the story there?

NBC's distance event coverage has always been terrible... they could do so much more, but they are too set on doing the minimum. It's always much better when covered by flotrack, runnerspace, etc

Walt Murphey wrote:

Spotter's job is to tell the guy who's in the lead much like a guy tells an NFL announcer who made the tackle.

Are you still the one shuffling index cards on the announcers table as the lead changes?

Listen to Tom Hammond and Craig Masback announce a race on NBC

then listen to Steve Cram and Tim Hucthings on the BBC

It will make you cry

Wossamotta wrote:

Hammond's specialty was horseracing. Four legs good, two legs bad.

Good one.

Is it me or does NBC need to put sub-titles when they interview Sally Ann Frasier Price in the future.

WTF did she say after her race on Sat

I agree with this. I was going to say one of the most boring. But he now holds the position of the most boring track and field announcer to ever exist.

It sounds like he doesn't care. He has the most boring non exciting voice ever.

Why can't they hire a hockey announcer? WHy can't they get someone with excitement in their voice?

Did something happen to Hammond during the Trials? Watch replays of the early races and he's his usual sub-par self. Then as the meet goes on his voice starts to change, and then on the last day it's just Masback and Hutchings calling the distance races.

I am okay and I will be back my friends for coverage of the Olympics on NBC. Can't wait!