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'The Colbert Report' adopts U.S. Speedskating
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It has to go down as the best Olympic stunt since David Letterman rode a luge sled down a ramp in his studio.
"The Colbert Report" has become a primary sponsor of the U.S. Speedskating team for the Vancouver Olympics, with host Stephen Colbert literally signing the deal on his show Monday night.
Colbert, who plays a mock conservative talk-show host on the popular Comedy Central show, made the deal despite the fact that "it's kind of unseemly how many Canadians I'm going to have to be dealing with."
Colbert is stepping in for longtime sponsor DSB, a Dutch bank that recently declared bankruptcy, leaving U.S. Speed skating -- both the long-track and short-track versions of the sport -- without a promised $300,000 with just four months before the Games begin.
The show won't directly give money, but is starting a campaign for viewers to donate funds through www.colbertnation.com or www.usspeedskating.org.
The attention couldn't have come at a better time -- the Olympic flame is on its way to Vancouver, and Wednesday marks the start of the 100-day countdown until the Games, which open Feb. 12. Speed skating appeared to be in dire straits.
Starting with this weekend's World Cup meets in Berlin and Montreal, look for U.S. speed skaters to be sporting "Colbert Nation" patches, the name given to fans of the show, on their hooded skinsuits instead of DSB.
Colbert's guest on Monday was Olympic gold medalist Dan Jansen, one of a storied group of U.S. speed skaters including Eric Heiden and Bonnie Blair who made history on Olympic ice. Throughout the years, speedskating has won more Olympic medals for the U.S. than any other Winter Games sport. Despite the success, the sport gets little attention here outside of Olympic years.
In fact, Colbert poked fun at the sport's "American" roots, asking the audience to remember the story of a young Hans Brinker skating down the frozen Ohio River.
Colbert undoubtedly will give the sport a needed boost. He has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Yellow Ribbon Fund to benefit injured troops and their families.
He has made an art of self-promotion. This is the guy who managed to successfully campaign for votes in a national "name the international space station" contest (NASA relented and named a treadmill there for him instead) and got himself a Ben & Jerry's flavor (Americone Dream).
Bob Crowley, U.S. Speedskating executive director, jumped up to the stage with a pen and contract when Colbert announced the sponsorship on his show Monday. Both signed with a flourish as the audience cheered.
"We're highly optimistic that the country is going to get behind this and get behind the Colbert Nation and support this amazing team," Crowley told the Associated Press. "I don't have any idea if it's going to make $5 or $500,000. I couldn't tell you."
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