Continued from page 52 MSNBC interrupted their live morning coverage of the Olympics as Kelly Tilghman and I talked about Women’s Skeet. Tilghman, an anchor with the NBC Golf Channel, shot skeet when she was younger. She discussed shooting as a sport, how much fun it is and the level of athleticism it takes. During my weeks working with the NBC Olympic staff, I found that not all producers, directors and researchers are antigun. More than anything, they’re curious about the shooting sports. They really don’t understand the sport and why we have such passion for it. Often, when I walked out of the broadcast booth after finishing an event, play-by-play announcers, anchors, audio technicians and other crewmembers would tell me how exciting and interesting the sport was, some asking more questions. So, instead of criticizing NBC for not showing enough of the shooting sports, writing disgruntled op-eds or ranting on talk radio, perhaps we should try a different approach. Let NBC know how much the shooting sports were watched and enjoyed, and how we appreciated the historic amount of coverage. This is an opportunity to educate and enlighten an audience — the media — that’s never been so receptive. During the 2012 Olympic Games, athletes set numerous records, including those by our U.S. Olympic shooters. Vincent Hancock made history as the first shooter in the world to win repeat gold medals in Men’s Skeet. Kim Rhode won the gold medal in Women’s Skeet and made Olympic history, becoming the first U.S. athlete to medal in five straight Olympics. Jamie Gray set an Olympic record in Women’s 3-Position Rifle during qualifying and the finals, breaking a 20-year absence of American women from the event’s podium. Matt Emmons fought hard for the bronze in Men’s 3-Position Rifle, winning his third Olympic medal in as many games. And in looking at the overall support NBC gave the shooting sports — including our U.S. Olympic shooters — in London, I say they, too, brought home a gold medal. So, as we continue to celebrate the outstanding performance of our athletes, let’s do the same for NBC. Let them know we appreciate their great performance and just like any great athlete, they’ll keep rising to occasion. Send your comments to: www. nbcolympics.com/contact-us. 9 Great Performances Shari LeGate (left), NBC Shooting Analyst, and Kelly Tilghman, NBC Olympic host, discuss Women’s Skeet live during the Olympics on the MSNBC. LeGate was NBC’s Shooting Analyst for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. A champion skeet shooter, she was a member of the U.S. National Team for 12 years, winning numerous titles and medals. 54 Subscribe to SI DIGITAL www.shootingindustry.com • NEW BUSINESS YEAR SUPER ISSUE 2013
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