The first Saturday in May has always been fascinating to me as someone who's only observed the Kentucky Derby from afar. No matter where you live it's hard to escape the network's coverage of the derby that day in May, and for the non-racing enthusiasts, the broadcast always felt stodgy and elitist.
No doubt it's difficult to fill six or more hours of air time about sports figures — nope, not having this debate today — who can't talk so it's natural that there's additional focus on betting schemes and live odds.
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But NBC's decision to throw former Olympic ice skaters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir as the derby's "fashion and lifestyle correspondents" into the mix injected life into a sport generally targeted to the nation's most privileged viewers.