Snoop Dogg and track and field?
That’s right. In one of the more unlikely crossovers between sports and pop culture, the famed rapper has taken over the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Snoop has been part of NBC’s TV broadcast coverage of the event as a guest commentator.
He ran a 200-meter dash, recording a time of 34.44 seconds. That’s slower than Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-two-hour marathon pace, but still not bad for a 52-year-old.
He provided commentary on the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final, one of track and field’s most unique events that features runners jumping over a barrier into a water pit. It’s always a sight to behold, but Snoop made it all the better, saying, “Oh, he’s jumping from the top of the hurdle! You can do that? That was a cold trick right there. I like that one. He went off the tippy-top!”
He did a stadium walk-in with top American sprinter Noah Lyles, who just won the men’s 100-meter final at the Olympic Trials. Snoop carried Lyles’ briefcase into the stadium of the semifinal for the 100 meters, which featured Lyles’ Adidas uniform for that night of competition.
From the stands, Snoop watched the final of the 100 with Lyles’ mom as the young star, 26, punched his ticket to Paris.
Snoop has also provided an explainer for some of the field events, like his segment on the pole vault.
He’s done stand-up interviews trackside with NBC’s Mike Tirico.
It’s part of an overall strategy employed by NBC as the company tries to drum up interest for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. And it seems to be working as social media was abuzz with Snoop-related content.
This won’t be the last time either with Snoop and NBC. Back in December, it was announced in a news release that Snoop would be part of NBC’s coverage for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I grew up watching the Olympics and am thrilled to see the incredible athletes bring their A-game to Paris. It’s a celebration of skill, dedication, and the pursuit of greatness,” Snoop said. “We’re going to have some amazing competitions and, of course, I will be bringing that Snoop style to the mix. It’s going to be the most epic Olympics ever, so stay tuned, and keep it locked.”
Snoop will be on-site in Paris and will be part of NBC’s primetime coverage of the Olympics. The coverage for NBC and Snoop begins on July 26. The broadcast will also be streamed live on Peacock.
In a video announcing the new role, posted on YouTube, one of the Olympic athletes featured next to Snoop is skateboarder Jagger Eaton — the Mesa native who just qualified for his second Olympics.
NBC executive producer and president Molly Solomon said Snoop got the role after his performance during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Snoop provided highlight commentary alongside comedian Kevin Hart. It was Snoop’s commentary during dressage, a form of horse riding, that went viral.
“We don’t know what the heck is going to happen every day, but we know he will add his unique perspective to our re-imagined Olympic primetime show,” said Solomon.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, ASU and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Snoop Dogg takes over US Olympic Track & Field Trials coverage
