NASCAR: Dale Earnhardt Jr. to work Super Bowl LII and Olympics for NBC Sports
By Asher Fair
Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. is set to work Super Bowl LII and the Winter Olympics in his new role at NBC Sports.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who retired from his full-time role as a driver in the NASCAR Cup Series after 18 full seasons in the sport following the conclusion of the 2017 season, is set to join the NBC Sports broadcast team on a multi-year deal with focus on NASCAR on NBC beginning in July when NBC and NBC Sports take over for FOX and FOX Sports 1 when it comes to Cup Series race coverage.
However, the 43-year-old from Kannapolis, North Carolina, who ended his Cup Series career as the driver of the #88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, will be covering more than just NASCAR, and he will be doing so in the very near future — as in within the next few weeks.
According to ESPN, NBC Sports will reportedly use Earnhardt Jr., a Washington Redskins fan, for their pregame show prior to the NFL’s Super Bowl LII. Super Bowl LII, which will be broadcast on NBC, is set to be held on Sunday, February 4th.
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Super Bowl LII is set to be held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the first time in its history. The stadium is in just its second full NFL season. The game will feature the champion of the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).
The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to travel to New England to take on the Patriots this Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, and the Minnesota Vikings are set to travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game as well. The winners of those two games will meet in Super Bowl LII in just under three weeks.
NBC Sports will also reportedly send Earnhardt Jr. to South Korea to cover the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. The 2018 Winter Olympics are set to begin on Friday, February 9th and go until Sunday, February 25th. There are expected to be 102 events across seven sports and 15 disciplines in the 2018 Winter Olympics featuring athletes from roughly 90 countries from around the world.
Here is what Earnhardt Jr. had to say about what the prospects of working for NBC Sports in the Super Bowl LII pregame show and for the 2018 Winter Olympics, according to ESPN.
"“It’s not going to be putting me anywhere outside of my comfort zone; obviously I’ve never been to a Super Bowl or South Korea. What they are asking me to do is just go out there and be myself and hopefully get people interested in tuning in to NASCAR.”"
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How will Dale Earnhardt Jr. do as a member of the NBC Sports broadcast team for sports in which he has never participated? Will he get off to a good start before starting his role as a NASCAR broadcaster in July? Tune in to Super Bowl LII and the 2018 Winter Olympics to find out.