The Sochi Olympics will not leave many lasting memories as far as the U.S. team goes. Shaun White didn't medal, both USA hockey teams were ruthlessly dispatched by Canada and didn't win gold. The Dutch monopolized the speed skating and America's curling teams were dismal. The U.S. figure skating women also failed to medal but mark that down to treacherous figure skating judging.
But one bright spot in the Olympics, other than the gradual, continuing recovery of Bob Costas' ocular membranes, was the emersion of Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski as star figure skating analysts and fashion mavens.
Not wanting to wait four years to see them again either, NBC has offered the pair a job as fashion analysts for Access Hollywood. They will head to Los Angeles to critique the fashion at the Academy Awards, hopefully staying objective enough to call out red carpet celebrities for inadequate twizzles.
The two former olympians coordinated outfits, are total fans of the sport, and happen to be very skilled analysts. They became friends and developed an excellent commentating chemistry over the two weeks in Sochi. Working on NBCSN and NBC's live stream, Weir, Lipinski and play-by-play man Terry Gannon were appointment television during the skating competition.
"People were tuning into a cable network and spending an entire event with us. They were sneaking us at work," Weir told USA Today. "That's our biggest thrill, that people decided to spend their time with us and to hear figure skating from us and let us teach them what we know."
Now people can tune into a non-cable network to see Weir and Lipinski talk about strictly fashion. Then they can write a book, maybe start a website or a reality show. Maybe replace Pierre McGuire for an NHL game with Doc Emrick.
"We hope to be in America's living rooms for a long time to come," Weir told USA Today.
America shares that hope. The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea would be too long of a wait to see them again.
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About Jonathan Biles
Jonathan Biles is a staff writer for Awful Announcing.