While Matt Lauer stayed in New York ahead of his pre-Super Bowl interview with President Obama, his “Today” show pal Al Roker is preparing for the big game in a different way. Roker ziplined over Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of tonight’s Super Bowl on NBC, on the Friday edition of “Today,” saying, “Indy never looked better.” Watch:

And not to be outdone, Kathie Lee Gifford (who is the wife of NFL Hall of Famer Frank Gifford) and Hoda Kotb showed off their throwing skills before turning their attention to — what else? — the drinks. Watch:

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It’s more than just a game… it’s an opportunity to absolutely blanket TV viewers with the spoils of your consolidated company. Call it Super Bowl everywhere.

NBC TV may have the rights to Super Bowl XLVI, but if you turn on just about any NBCU channel or watch any NBC-produced program you will see Super Bowl-themed programming next week.

NBC, CNBC, Golf Channel, Bravo, Weather Channel, E!, Telemundo, and G4 will all be taking part. The newly named NBC Sports Network (formerly OLN, formerly Versus) will air more than 18 hours of live programming ahead of the game.

The “Today” show starts next Friday, a split show with Al Roker and Ann Curry from Pan Am plaza in downtown Indianapolis. Jenna Wolfe is there for Saturday “Today.” And Natalie Morales and Savannah Guthrie will join coverage Sunday morning. It hasn’t been announced yet, but Matt Lauer will likely get a pre-game interview with Pres. Obama at the White House, which has become an annual event.

Absent from NBC’s listings is “Meet the Press.” The last two years, when the game was on FOX and CBS, “Fox News Sunday” and “Face the Nation” originated from Cowboys Stadium and Sun Life stadium, respectively.

And there’s more…

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Today is Kathie Lee Gifford‘s 58th birthday, and the folks at the fourth hour of NBC’s “Today” made a good attempt at surprising the daytime talk veteran. Kathie Lee’s husband–the legendary sportscaster Frank Gifford–made an appearance (which included a kiss from Matt Lauer, as Frank Gifford was celebrating his own birthday today), and Gifford’s dressing room received a special makeover:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Fear not, Bengals fans upset about the blackout on Sunday.

Chad Ochocinco is to the rescue … sorta.

The Cincinnati wide receiver went on Twitter and said he would buy the unsold tickets for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints so the game wouldn’t be blacked out locally.

“Dear Cincinnati I’m purchasing the remaining tickets for Sundays game, blackout my ass, now anybody know how many I need ti buy n how much?” Ochocinco tweeted yesterday.

One slight problem, though.

Those tickets had to be sold 72 hours before kick-off and the Bengals didn’t request an extension from the NFL.

Too little, too late, #85.

You have to give Ochocinco credit though. Not many players on a 2-9 team would be willing to open up their checkbook for the benefit of the fans.

Below are the broadcast teams for Week 13 of “Where in the World is Gus Johnson?” Read more

Ken Fang claims his site is “Your One Stop Source for All Things Sports Media.” It’s not – that would put us out of business – but it’s pretty close.

I could take or leave the viewing picks but the linkage to relevant sports media articles is worldly, wonderful, and occasionally witty. A must-read for anyone involved in this stuff.

(And no, I didn’t pick FB because he called us out.)

Konecky and wife, Isobel, at a 2007 event

Ron Konecky, the New York attorney who represented some of the biggest names in television news, passed away this morning TVNewser has learned. He was 80.

Konecky’s client list included Walter Cronkite, Morley Safer, Stone Phillips, Don Hewitt, Roone Arledge, Barbara Walters, Alec Baldwin, Harry Smith, Frank Gifford, Rick Kaplan, Budd Schulberg, and ABC’s Roger Goodman. His son-in-law Bob Wheelock, a former ABC News Senior Producer, said that Konecky had cut back some after a November surgery, but “never officially retired” and was still caring for clients’ affairs and estates in recent weeks.

He is survived by wife, Tony-nominated producer and performer Isobel Robins-Konecky, his daughter, ABC News producer Jennifer Konecky, and his son-in-law as well as two grandsons.

In addition to his work with television news legends, Konecky was heavily involved in the New York theater scene, where he and his wife were on the boards of The American Theatre Wing and The New Dramatists. Wheelock tells us that his father-in-law was “as proud of the theater work as anything.”

During the 10am hour of Today, co-hosts Koda Hotb and Kathie Lee Gifford addressed embarrassing news about a colleague.

“We have an issue today we have to talk about, and we do not want to because you never want these things to happen in our own family,” Kotb said on-air.

Today correspondent and former NY Giant Tiki Barber made headlines yesterday after the New York Post reported that Barber has left his wife for a 23-year-old former NBC intern.

Gifford — whose own husband, Frank Gifford, was involved in a scandalous extra-marital affair — then admonished cheating men. “I just wish you guys would start thinking about what you’re doing before you do it for once.”

Also today, the New York Post reports that Barber, a former Fox & Friends contributor, wanted to return to FNC last year, feeling underutilized at NBC.

“Tiki was unhappy that ‘Today’ wasn’t using him as much as he thought they would,” a source tells the paper.

> More: Click continued to watch Hoda and Kathie Lee…

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> For the first time in more than 15 years, Kathie Lee Gifford will be joined by her husband, Frank Gifford, to host a morning show. Frank fills in for Hoda Kotb (who’s back Monday) tomorrow for the 10am hour of the Today show.

> Scott Pelley‘s interview with Ben Bernanke, the first interview with a sitting Federal Reserve chairman in 20 years, airs Sunday on 60 Minutes. The double-length segment includes an interview with Bernanke from his hometown of Dillon, S.C.

> Breitbart.TV’s “The B-Cast” co-hosts Scott Baker and Liz Stephans were two of the many who attended Tuesday’s TVNewser Summit. Click continued to see their take on the biggest surprises, the most disappointing revelations and “the question” from our boss, Laurel Touby (and I call in as well)…

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