Al Roker has no time for Ryan Lochte’s crap, which was evident on a recent episode of NBC’s “Today” in which he lambasted the U.S. swimmer for embellishing a story about being robbed at gunpoint during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
But while many probably agree with Roker’s assessment, the outburst landed the longtime TV personality in hot water with “Today” insiders who were “embarrassed” by his response to the Lochte scandal, according to Page Six.
“There were several producers and talent who were left trying to explain Al’s over-the-top behavior,” a source told Page Six. “Several insiders found themselves wanting to distance themselves from his response.
“It was a great thing to watch online, but a lot of NBC staff thought that he took it way too far for something that, while it was certainly a legitimate issue and certainly bad behavior by Lochte, outrage to that level just wasn’t justified.”
An NBC executive downplayed the controversy, saying “no one feels this way” about Roker’s reaction. NBC does produce the Olympic broadcasts, though, so perhaps a few people were worried about the network maintaining a good relationship with the U.S. Olympic Committee and certain athletes.
Either way, who knew Roker would be the man to lay the smackdown on Lochte?
