It’s Mind-Boggling Just How Many ‘SNL’ Stars Will Be Participating in NBC’s Olympic Coverage

Colin Jost, a guy who must have learned to catch a wave on the shores of his native Staten Island, is joining NBC’s Olympic coverage as a surfing analyst. Cowabunga?

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Weekend Update anchor will travel to the South Pacific to interview athletes and preview the waves, leaving the actual commentary and play-by-play to, you know, sportscasters. Their names are Joe Turpel and Michael Parsons, two guys who’ve only spent a lifetime preparing for an opportunity to ask Colin Jost questions about gnarly conditions at the beach.

Ready for the corporate PR speak? “Colin Jost hit the NBC Sports jackpot with an epic assignment covering surfing in Tahiti for the Paris Olympics,” read a press release masquerading as Molly Solomon, executive producer for NBC’s Olympics coverage. “Although the setting is a little different than the ‘Weekend Update’ desk in Studio 8H, Colin, an avid surfer, is going to bring his unique flair to reporting on the competition, athletes and beautiful surroundings in one of the most breathtaking Olympic venues ever. Tune in to see if he catches a wave for America.”

Translation: Saturday Night Live is entering its 50th year, and NBC is going to do everything it can to cross-promote this milestone during one of the only television shows that viewers might watch live. Jost, who says “my Writers Guild Health Insurance is excited to see what the coral reef does to my back,” will be joined by several other current and former cast members on Olympic coverage, including:

• Kenan Thompson will join Kevin Hart for a Peacock show featuring Olympic highlights.
• Leslie Jones will jump a plane to Paris to serve as NBC’s “chief super fan correspondent.”
• Bowen Yang will team with his Los Culturistas partner Matt Rogers for a podcast called Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics.

And it sounds like NBC is just getting started. The network has a full year's worth of events planned around Saturday Night Live’s 50th season, so get ready for crossover events all summer long. Mikey Day asking panelists whether a particular athlete is an Olympian or an elaborate cake? Sure. James Austin Johnson breaking out his impersonation of beach volleyball star Kelly Cheng? Hilarious. Sarah Sherman just walking around the Olympic Village making everyone feel uncomfortable? Priceless.

I love Saturday Night Live as much as the next guy, but come on. Here’s hoping NBC stops assigning comedians to sports before Pete Davidson shows up to sheepishly date members of the rhythmic gymnastics team.