The Paris Olympics opening ceremony featured some bizarre moments, from the city’s spooky catacombs to a death metal band to a singing, beheaded Marie Antoinette.
Yet one of the main topics of conversation on social media involved Peyton Manning and Kelly Clarkson, who joined broadcast veteran Mike Tirico in the NBC Sports booth.
The broadcast trio drew mixed reviews for their performance. The consensus on Tirico was not surprising. One of the most respected play-by-play announcers of this generation, he drew high marks for his deft handling of the ceremony.
Manning and Clarkson, on the other hand, did not impress many fans. Joshua Johnson, a former host with MSNBC and NBC News Now, posted on X, “Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning sound like the American tourists Parisians dread. Please, y’all. Less.”
Manning drew the stronger reviews of the two, but there were haters.
The legendary quarterback seemed to get more comfortable as the broadcast progressed. He did get off a Spygate joke. And another moment that stood out is when he displayed a QB-style wristband that he claimed had information on all 10,000 athletes from the games.
Clarkson, however, drew more harsh reviews, with many fans calling out her over-usage of exclamations such as “wow” and “cool” whenever the ceremony entered a new phase.
These opening ceremonies would be more fun if Kelly Clarkson didn’t react to everything that’s happened like she’s never left her house before.
— Dan (@DanSparano) July 26, 2024
Kelly Clarkson… wow, just wow. Was she not prepped at all?! I have had better commentary sitting in my living room on my couch.
— RP (@mna4852) July 26, 2024
In events of this magnitude, there’s a fine line between letting the moment speak for itself, and explaining something viewers may not understand. Tirico, with his extensive broadcast experience, seemed to understand that balance.
Hopefully, Clarkson has been taking notes.
[Image from NBCSportsPR on X/Twitter]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.