Snoop Dogg and track and field?
That's right. In one of the most unexpected marriages between sports and pop culture, the famous rapper hosted the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Snoop participated in the NBC telecast of the event as a guest commentator.
He ran the 200 meters in 34.44 seconds, slower than Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon pace but still not bad for a 52-year-old.
He was commentating on the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase final, one of the most unique events in track and field, where the runners jump over the hurdles and into a pool of water. This event is always a spectacular sight, but Snoop made it even more spectacular by saying, “Wow, he jumps over the hurdles! You can even do that? That's a great move. I love this move. That's amazing!”
Snoop entered the stadium with top American sprinter Noah Lyles, who had just won the men's 100m final at the Olympic Trials, and carried Lyles' briefcase into the stadium for the 100m semi-finals, where the Adidas jersey that Lyles had worn in the competition that night was prominently displayed.
Snoop watched from the stands with Lyles' mother in the 100m final as the 26-year-old star earned his ticket to Paris.
Snoop also commentated on some of the field events, including the pole vault segment.
He did a trackside stand-up interview with NBC's Mike Tirico.
It's part of an overall strategy NBC is employing to drive interest in the Paris Olympics in 2024. The strategy appears to be working, as social media is abuzz with Snoop-related content.
This won't be the last time Snoop has been associated with NBC: Last December, a news release announced that Snoop would be joining NBC's coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I grew up watching the Olympics and I'm excited to see all these incredible athletes doing their best in Paris. It's a celebration of skill, dedication and the pursuit of greatness,” Snoop said. “There will be some amazing competition and, of course, I'll be bringing my own Snoop style to it. It should be the most epic Olympics ever, so stay tuned and tune in.”
Snoop will be on-site in Paris to appear during NBC's primetime Olympic coverage, which begins on July 26th and will also stream live on Peacock.
In a video posted to YouTube announcing the new role, one of the Olympians featured next to Snoop was skateboarder Jagger Eaton, a Mesa native who just qualified for his second Olympic Games.
Molly Solomon, executive producer and president of NBC, said Snoop got the role because of his performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he was a highlights commentator alongside comedian Kevin Hart. It was Snoop's commentary on dressage, a type of horse riding, that became a talking point.
“While you never know what's going to happen from one day to the next, I know he will add a unique perspective to our reimagined Olympic primetime programming,” Solomon said.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter for The Arizona Republic, primarily covering high school, Arizona State University and Olympic sports. To suggest a human interest story or other news idea, contact Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter):translator.
