His time in a NBC production truck more than two decades earlier will guide him through his analyses of complex movements, which he’ll have to relay in a way anybody can understand.
“It was a net zero as far as pay, but that was irrelevant,” the gymnastics reporter and analyst told USA TODAY Sports. “It was a great experience.”
Sitting next to a producer, Roethlisberger learned how a sports broadcast comes together behind the camera. And as the three-time Olympian’s broadcasting career has brought him in front of the camera, it’s that experience he falls back on.
“I want people to feel the joy I feel and I want them to feel the excitement I feel,” said Roethlisberger, a four-time US national all-around champion, “especially because it’s gymnastics.”
While competing, particularly during his heyday of the 1990s, Roethlisberger critiqued analysts for what they said about his routines. Now he’s the one who hears from athletes. And it all brings him back to that production truck, where he realized live television was a lot more involved than he once assumed.
“It’s not as back-and-white as I used to think sitting in my living room,” he said.
John Roethlisberger was a four-time US national all-around champion. Mike DuBose / The Tennessean
Who is John Roethlisberger? Meets NBC's gymnastics reporter, scoring analyst
NBC was the first company to provide Roethlisberger with on-camera opportunities, including play-by-play, which came early – except not with the most plum assignments. But Roethlisberger, then as now, said he would have been content to call a Level 4 state meet. He said yes to every offer he could and made the most of the airtime.
“Definitely wasn’t always great, even good, sometimes,” he admits now.
He added: “(NBC) thought, ‘Well, John knows gymnastics, let’s see what he can do.’”
Roethlisberger called world championships alongside Tim Daggett and Nastia Liukin . He’s also worked for FOX, Big Ten Network, and the SEC Network under the ESPN umbrella. The NBC opportunities, he said, led directly to opening the door for him to call women’s college gymnastics on ESPN.
Roethlisberger’s initial Olympic broadcasting experience came as a scoring analyst at previous Games, and he was a longtime asset in the production truck, said Molly Solomon, NBC Sports Olympics president and executive producer.
Now heading into Paris he could be NBC’s “breakout star” of the Olympics, Solomon said.
When the International Gymnastics Federation abolished its “perfect 10” scoring system, the audience had a tough time following along.
“John has this unique ability to explain it to the layman, also make a lot of analogies to other sports, and he’s so gregarious and fun,” Solomon told USA TODAY Sports.
It wasn’t until the Tokyo Games three years ago he made his on-air Olympic debut, and he did so from Stamford, Connecticut, as the network partially broadcasted those Olympics remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even under those circumstances, headed to the studio in the middle of the night, he cherished it.
“That’s just who I am,” Roethlisberger said. “I go into this with the attitude, ‘I got to have fun.’”
How John Roethlisberger explains gymnastics' scoring system
In Paris, as a reporter and analyst for both the men’s and women’s competitions, he’ll be in a slightly different role – trying to put into words what just occurred on the mat or beam or bars and what the score on the screen means.
The purpose of his professional role in Paris is also the “bane of (his) existence.” The scoring is too complicated to follow and it’s not only a disservice to fans, Roethlisberger said, but to the athletes. For Roethlisberger, the complexity of the scoring on the international stage is what negatively affects gymnastics’ popularity most.
Simplicity is his friend. Whittling down the events to fundamentals helps. Going down the “rabbit hole” of technicalities won’t work on the Olympics stage.
“You can do an hourlong show on judges' scoring and leave the viewer more confused than they were before,” Roethlisberger said.
His message? “No one’s ever done a ‘J.’ It’s (worth) one point,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s a fine line.”
John Roethlisberger wants viewers to have a fun ride during Olympics
Roethlisberger will have the play-by-play call for the rhythmic gymnastics competition. Every producer Roethlisberger has worked with hears the same pitch, though: That he’s down to call other sports. Baseball, softball or soccer – the sports his sons (ages 6, 9, 11) play – are his preferences.
“I think those would be a good stepping stone,” said Roethlisberger, aware a faster-paced sport like basketball or hockey may not fit his style.
The University of Minnesota graduate strives for relatability to the point he wants people watching at home to say: “I could do that.” He believes sports don’t carry the same weight as other issues in the world. But Roethlisberger knows what it means as a three-time Olympian who never made the podium.
“I can count all the medals I won on zero hands,” he said.
Roethlisberger appreciates the heartbreak while not enjoying it. He’s a lover of sports drama. And sometimes he’ll even surprise himself with what clears his mental filter and makes it to the microphone.
“It’s all genuine and passionate,” Roethlisberger said.
Roethlisberger knows his style won’t be for everybody. Within broadcasting, Roethlisberger has admired the way his play-by-play partner on Olympic gymnastics can segue in and out of breaks while directing traffic. He respects the versatility of Joe Buck and is a fan of Tony Romo’s “regular guy” attitude. But there aren’t any broadcasting icons he holds dear.
“I kind of want to be myself. I want people to tune in and – not everyone’s going to love me, but I want them to love me for who I am. I want them to say, ‘No one’s quite like John. He didn’t get it all right. But he’s entertaining and he’s his own person.'
“It’s like gymnastics. You’re never perfect. You try to improve. And I hope as we go into Paris, that people tune into gymnastics and go, ‘Man, that was a fun ride.’”
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