HAMMOND & COLLINSWORTH NAMED COMMENTATORS FOR NFL WILD CARD GAME ON NBC

HAMMOND & COLLINSWORTH NAMED COMMENTATORS FOR FIRST GAME OF NFL WILD CARD DOUBLEHEADER, JAN. 6 ON NBC

Reunited in Booth for First Time Since 1995 Orange Bowl

NEW YORK � December 12, 2006 � Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (game analyst) will be the broadcast team for the first game of the Saturday, Jan. 6 NFL Wild Card doubleheader on NBC, Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, announced today. Hammond, who calls play-by-play for Notre Dame football on NBC, and Collinsworth, the co-host of NBC's "Football Night in America" studio show, last shared a booth at the 1995 Orange Bowl game, in which Nebraska defeated Miami to win the national championship. The pair also teamed up from 1992-94 on NBC's coverage of the NFL and Notre Dame football.

Rounding out the team is veteran broadcaster Bob Neumeier, a reporter for "Football Night in America," who will serve as the sideline reporter. The game will be produced by Tommy Roy, who produced Super Bowl XXXII, the last game on NBC prior to its return to the NFL this season. Roy also was executive producer for Super Bowls XXXII, XXX and XXVIII. John Gonzalez will serve as director. Gonzalez, currently the director for the NFL Network's Thursday and Saturday night games, directed four Super Bowls for NBC, including Super Bowl XXXII alongside Roy.

NBC's coverage of the wild card doubleheader will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET, with the second game kicking off at 8 p.m. ET. "NBC Sunday Night Football" commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play), John Madden (analyst) and Andrea Kremer (sideline reporter) will call the action for the 8 p.m. ET game.

TOM HAMMOND:

Hammond has been the play-by-play voice of Notre Dame football on NBC for the last seven years, as well as from 1992-96. One of the most versatile commentators in sports, he anchors NBC's broadcast coverage of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and every two years plays a prominent role in NBC's Olympic coverage by calling track and field at the Summer Games and figure skating at the Winter Games. Hammond was a play-by-play commentator for the NFL on NBC and the NBA on NBC.

Hammond's association with NBC Sports dates back to the network's regional college basketball broadcasts in the late 1970s. His big break came in 1984, when he was hired on what was intended to be a one-time-only basis as a reporter for NBC's telecast of the inaugural Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. That telecast won the prestigious Eclipse Award, and Hammond has been involved with NBC Sports ever since.

CRIS COLLINSWORTH:

Collinsworth, the most honored studio analyst in sports television, returned to NBC Sports this season as studio analyst and co-host of NBC's "Football Night in America" studio show. He also is a game analyst for the NFL Network and works for HBO on their long-running show "Inside the NFL." Collinsworth, who was first part of the NBC Sports family from 1990-96, has won a record five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports Studio Analyst.

In 1990, Collinsworth joined NBC Sports as a game analyst for the network's NFL coverage and select college football broadcasts, including Notre Dame and the 1994 Fiesta Bowl and 1995 Orange Bowl. Collinsworth was assigned to the "NFL on NBC" pregame show in 1996, where he provided analysis that led to his first Emmy Award in 1997. While at NBC, Collinsworth proved his versatility and received critical praise while working as a reporter for track and field at the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Collinsworth joined Fox Sports as a member of the "Fox NFL Sunday" pregame show in January 1998 and returned to the broadcast booth in 2004 alongside play-by-play announcer Joe Buck and former quarterback Troy Aikman to form Fox's lead NFL broadcast team.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection during his NFL career, Collinsworth played in 107 games, catching 417 passes for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns. He had four 1,000-yard seasons, played in Super Bowls XVI and XXIII and ranks first on the Bengals all-time career receptions list.

BOB NEUMEIER:

Neumeier, a reporter on NBC's "Football Night in America" studio show, has worked the last two Olympics for NBC, reporting from the bobsled, luge and skeleton competitions during NBC's coverage of the 2006 Torino Winter Games and reporting on track and field in the 2004 Athens Games.

Neumeier's NBC Sports reporting duties have included the Millrose Games, Penn Relays, Home Depot Invitational and Track and Field Olympic Trials broadcasts. In addition, he has served as an analyst for NBC's coverage of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes since 2001, providing expert handicapping insight for NBC's broadcasts, including the Eclipse Award-winning telecasts of the 2002 and 2003 Preakness Stakes.

Neumeier served as the weekend sports reporter for WBZ-TV in Boston from 1981-2000. During his two-decade tenure at the station, he covered major sporting events including the Cotton Bowl, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series and Stanley Cup Final. Neumeier also served as the "Voice of the Bruins" for WBZ Radio from 1995-99.

TOMMY ROY:

Roy, NBC Sports' long-time golf producer and its former executive producer for 15 years, is the most nominated person in the history of sports television. Roy has produced some of the sporting world's most prestigious events, including Super Bowls, the Olympics, NBA Finals and a college football national championship game.

Roy produces NBC's Emmy Award-winning golf tour (which includes the U.S. Open, Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and The Players Championship), and was named the second most powerful person in television (behind NBC analyst Johnny Miller) in the October 2003 issue of Golf Digest. Roy has served as executive producer of events such as the World Series, Kentucky Derby, Daytona 500, Wimbledon and Notre Dame football. He also served as co-executive producer with Ebersol of the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games.

After joining NBC Sports in 1981 as a production associate, Roy made a steady climb through the ranks. An associate producer from 1983-86, Roy was promoted to producer in October 1986. He was lead producer for NBC's college basketball coverage, including the ACC Championship game (1989-90) and produced NBC's coverage of the Orange Bowl. Roy also served as co-producer of coverage of the PGA, LPGA, and Seniors golf tours (1984-89); producer of NBC's NFL pre-game show, "NFL Live" (1986-89); and studio producer for NBC's broadcast coverage of the 1986 soccer World Cup.

Roy produced NBC's Super Bowl XXIII pre-game show and served as the executive producer of three Super Bowls (Super Bowl XXVIII, XXX and XXXII).

JOHN GONZALEZ:

Gonzalez is the director of Notre Dame football on NBC and most recently added the director assignment for the NFL's Thursday and Saturday night football package. An NBC Sports veteran of almost three decades, Gonzalez has been a major contributor to NBC ever since his debut as a director for "SportsWorld" in 1978. His comprehensive list of NBC assignments includes serving as director for the network's coverage of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2002 Olympic Games. He was director for NBC's Olympic gymnastics coverage in 1992, 1996 and 2000 and director of NBC's figure skating coverage from Salt Lake City in 2002.

Gonzalez was also a key figure in NBC's NFL coverage for years, directing the telecast of Super Bowls XXVII, XXVIII, XXX and XXXII. Since 1979, Gonzalez played a part in every NBC telecast of the game, serving as replay director at Super Bowls XV and XVII, replay and halftime director at Super Bowl XX and halftime producer at Super Bowl XXIII. Gonzalez also served as the director on NBC's coverage of Major League Baseball, college football, the WNBA and the Gravity Games.