NBC's wire-cam will provide a better perspective of a race than the running camera that has been usedGetty Images
NBC this weekend will "debut a wire-cam that runs 15-18 feet above the surface of the entire backstretch at Churchill Downs during its broadcasts this week of the Kentucky Derby and other races," according to Matt Hegarty of the DAILY RACING FORM. The wire-cam is "secured by a 1,400-foot long cable" and "will be capable of traveling up to 80 miles per hour." NBC Sports Producer Rob Hyland said that footage will be "similar to the Sky Cam views that debuted several years ago on NFL broadcasts." Hyland added that the wire-cam will "provide a 'better perspective' of a race than the running camera that NBC has used for racing broadcasts in the past." The camera also will be used to "provide better footage of the infield" (DRF.com, 5/2). In Louisville, Kirby Adams notes more than 50 additional cameras will be used for the Derby, "including a helmet camera on the outrider, who escorts the winning horse and jockey to the winner's circle." NBC will also have a camera "suspended 80-feet high on the Churchill Downs video board structure, a robotic camera in the paddock saddling area and a camera focused on race caller Larry Collmus." A jockey, trainer and owner "will be wired-for-sound for final jockey's instructions and post-race reactions" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 5/4).
STAY CLASSY: In San Diego, Bryce Miller wrote the two biggest features on NBC's Derby coverage "center on the San Diego area's four-legged roots." Bob Costas will "paint the scene in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby, shaping the sadness and soaring triumph born out of the deadly Dec. 7 fire at San Luis Rey Downs." Costas said, "This is more than a horse racing story, otherwise it would be just another story for people who read the racing form." NBC Sports Producer David Picker "helped guide both stories." He said that the "potential power of the piece" is less in what you can see and "more in what those involved felt." NBC's Mike Tirico has also been "working on a story about the owners of Derby entrant Vino Rosso" -- NHL Panthers Owner Vincent Viola and BodyArmor Chair Mike Repole (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 5/3).
ALL BETS ARE OFF: In L.A., John Cherwa wrote the Derby is a reminder of the "competitive infighting that exists among the services that want to control the betting dollar." TVG, horse racing's only full time TV net, "will have no one on the grounds at Churchill Downs this week because the track denies it credentials because it has a competing bet-taking service." Online betting channel XBTV also is "barred from the track because it is affiliated with a different bet-taking service." At the center of the friction is an "online betting service called ADW, for advance deposit wagering." It is estimated that 35-40% of "all wagering goes through these services and that number is expected to grow" (L.A. TIMES, 5/1).
COVERING A LOT OF GROUND: USA TODAY's Erik Brady writes NBC's Eddie Olczyk is the "busiest man in showbiz when Stanley Cup intersects with Triple Crown." Olczyk will be an analyst at the Derby Saturday and again Sunday for the Bruins-Lightning, "not much more than 20 hours betwixt post time and puck drop." Olczyk, who was declared cancer free on March 14, said, "This time of year, with the playoffs and the Derby, it's just good to be back on my feet and have some normalcy in my life. The last seven months have been pretty rough" (USA TODAY, 5/4).
