That is Olympic gold medal American bobsledder Steve Holcomb. He led the American team to gold in the 4 man bobsled back in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. To promote the 2014 Olympics from Sochi, NBC had him pose as Joe Dirt in a mock high school yearbook photo. Because… why not! And Holcomb is far from the only one.
NBC dressed up scores of American athletes in equally goofy costumes and they're easily a contender for most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. Some of them are hilarious, some are disturbing, but all of them are completely and totally ridiculous. You can see the full album here and actually vote on all those high school superlatives you weren't cool enough to win yourselves because you weren't in the popular crowd and nobody appreciated you helping with answers on the math test or your sense of humor and when the football players turned you upside down in your seat and threw your shoes across the classroom you laughed but you were really hurting deep down inside behind the laughter… sorry, had to get something off my chest there.
Anyways, here are some of the best/funniest/weirdest yearbook pics NBC tweeted out yesterday, complete with Anchorman like quotes and descriptions.
.@AmandaKessel8 is looking to make her next merit badge a gold medal: http://t.co/rx6UtY1Smm #GoTeamUSA pic.twitter.com/DouavYpo16
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) January 24, 2014
For @JohnDalyUSA, it's all about the hair: http://t.co/rx6UtY1Smm #GoTeamUSA @USBSF pic.twitter.com/hxb5O3U2dX
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) January 24, 2014
Gold medalist @ShaniDavis is looking to make history in Sochi: http://t.co/rx6UtY1Smm #GoTeamUSA @USSpeedSkating pic.twitter.com/iioGoyKyHb
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) January 23, 2014
For silver medalist @CharlieaWhite, denim is always in: http://t.co/rx6UtY1Smm #GoTeamUSA @USFigureSkating pic.twitter.com/0yktN3hWXG
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) January 23, 2014
.@JRCelski's most prized possessions: 2 Olympic medals & his sweet mullet: http://t.co/9mTOjg4OyD #GoTeamUSA pic.twitter.com/zKjP7Oqgii
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) January 23, 2014
.@GraceEGold is the 2014 Nat'l Fig Skating champ & rocks a great beehive: http://t.co/9mTOjg4OyD #GoTeamUSA #tbt pic.twitter.com/vz47TYf0yY
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) January 23, 2014
The ones NBC didn't tweet out are even more ridiculous if that's at all possible. It's certainly one of the more unique ways to promote a sporting event that I've seen. Good for these world class athletes to have a good enough sense of humor to be willing to wear mullet wigs, denim jackets, and everything in between and dare to be photographed in them.
Why not go all out with this, though? I think I'd rather see our Olympic athletes dress up in insane retro garb than whatever this is for the Opening Ceremonies. Dressing in high school yearbook costumes like we're going to a bad Halloween frat party because we're the USA and we can while everyone else is in their fancy hoity-toity outfits would be a great statement to make to the rest of the world and win the medal count before the games even start.
