One to One with Bill Goodman:
Tom Hammond
premiered November 16, 2008
NBC sportscaster and native Lexingtonian Tom Hammond discusses his career and his assignment to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing on this edition of One to One with Bill Goodman.
The Lafayette High School and University of Kentucky graduate talks about his Kentucky roots and his days as a high school athlete. Becoming a sportscaster, he says, never entered his imagination in those days because he was shy and didn’t enjoy speaking in front of people. He tells how, despite his fears, he started reading horse racing results on the radio.
Hammond began his television career at Lexington NBC affiliate WLEX with an annual salary of $9,800. He wrote scripts, taped and edited segments, acted as sports anchor, and even did the weather report. He talks about the importance of the experience he gained there and how that job helped him become one of NBC’s staple on-air personalities.
A veteran of eight Olympic Games, Hammond refers to the Beijing Olympics as the highlight of his career, thanks to the innovative venues, the warm reception from the Chinese people, and the unprecedented level of competition on display from swimmer Michael Phelps and sprinter Usain Bolt. Hammond also talks about the heartbreaking races lost by track and field favorites Tyson Gay and Lolo Jones.
Finally, Hammond discusses changes to the horse industry prompted by the death of filly Eight Belles after the 2008 Kentucky Derby. He talks about new safety measures in the sport, such as installing synthetic tracks and banning steroid use, and shares his optimism about the outcome of these changes.
