STAMFORD, Conn. — Like the Olympic athletes themselves, sportscaster Matt Winer loves a challenge.
He's one of the broadcasters for NBC's Olympic coverage, but not for highly rated sports like gymnastics or for swimming, instead Matt's doing handball and learning all the names for teams like Hungary.
"It seems to me there has been a capricious and cruel use of the letter Z, "Winer joked.
Fresh out of Hazelwood West and then Mizzou, Matt's sportscasting career began in Billings, Montana.
"Market 170 I believe it was, where as the news director described to me at the time that there were more cattle than people, " Winer said.
After stops in Jackson, Mississippi and Grand Rapids, Michigan, Matt came home to St. Louis to work here at 5 On Your Side.
"It's one thing to do local sports in these other places that I didn't really know. It's entirely different to come to St. Louis. All of a sudden, I have the opportunity to interview Ozzie Smith or Jim Hart or all these these legendary sports figures in St. Louis who I grew up watching," Winer said.
But then ESPN came calling. We dropped in on him in 2004 and even though he loved the job, he was a little homesick.
"I really miss Forest Park," Winer told us then. "When I was in St. Louis I was on the running kick and I was training for things and I did a lot of it in Forest Park."
Since 2000, Matt Winer has worked for Turner Sports covering everything from baseball to his first love, the NBA.
And now he's freelancing for NBC's Olympic coverage. But not from Tokyo.
"So I'm in Stamford, Connecticut, NBC sports headquarters," Winer said. "And we will be in basically an audio booth. It's fascinating the logistical achievement of putting these games on this way. It's just mind-blowing to me."
It's yet another accomplishment for his already impressive resume. Again, like the athletes, the most important thing about the Olympics is not the winning, just but taking part.
So, what's next for Winer?
"Spelunking," he said with a smile.
We admittedly didn't ask if he wanted to go spelunking or broadcast spelunking!
