February 20, 2018
If there was one lesson to be learned from the Indianapolis Colts' Josh McDaniels debacle, it's this: Don't announce a new hire until the ink on the contract has dried.
Scranton, Pennsylvania, native and American figure skater Adam Rippon has become a star of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang for his activities on and off the ice. The 28-year-old helped Team USA win a bronze medal in the figure skating team event, and has made headlines for speaking out about LGBT equality, especially after becoming the first openly gay U.S. Olympic athlete to win a medal. On top of all that, he's incredibly entertaining.
So, with him finished as a competitor in the 2018 Olympics, it would make sense for NBC to offer Rippon a job covering the rest of the games. In a since-deleted announcement, the network announced it had added Rippon to its coverage team. Via NPR, here's a portion of the cached version of that announcement:
After three strong skates in his Olympic debut, Rippon will serve as an NBC correspondent for the rest of the PyeongChang Games.
...
With luck, Rippon’s 2016 quote of “I’m like a witch and you can’t kill me. I keep coming back every year, and every year, I get better,” will ring true, and the U.S. will have years of Rippon to come, whether it be on the ice or behind the mic.
One problem: Rippon turned down the job Sunday, noting he found out about the whole thing via social media like everyone else.
I am flattered that NBC wanted me to work as a correspondent for them here in PyeongChang. Doing this would require me to leave Team USA and move out of the Olympic Village. I don't want to do that so I had to declined the opportunity.
— Adam Rippon (@Adaripp) February 19, 2018
I love being on Team USA and representing our country. My teammates were there for me during my events, and now I NEED to be there for them. I look forward to being with them, and I’m very excited for the rest of the competition. Go Team USA!!!
— Adam Rippon (@Adaripp) February 19, 2018
I actually found everything out about the offer via twitter HAHA 😂😂 2018 is wild girl
— Adam Rippon (@Adaripp) February 19, 2018
Oops. Certainly, if he wants it, Rippon will have a future in media. Someday soon, hopefully, we’ll be treated to nuggets like this one on a consistent basis:
Adam Rippon wants a Xanax and a drink when he hits the ice and when can we hang out? #Olympics pic.twitter.com/EC9CqgXwTp
— Rachel Rose Gold🌹🏅 (@RachelRoseGold1) February 12, 2018
Just not now, as being a good teammate seems to be his priority.
