Stephen Colbert and the Colbert Nation to sponsor the US Olympic Speedskating Team
By
Click on the picture to donate to the US Speedskating Team!
The Associated Press has more information for those of us who are ready to get behind Stephen Colbert’s latest call to the nation to support the US Olympic Speedskating Team. In an interview that was conducted before Monday’s show, Stephen Colbert said, “On their enormous, billboard thighs, it will say, ‘Colbert Nation’. Be looking for that logo as it comes around the final turn. It will be easy to see because it will be in first place”
One interesting development in this story is that Stephen is considering taking the ‘Colbert Report’ to Vancouver for the Olympics. “My character sees the Olympics as war, but nobody gets hurt,” Colbert said. “It’s a way to peacefully figure out who has got the top country.” He is also going to be featuring the team prominently in future shows. “It still tragically involves a lot of Canadian -it’s kind of unseemly how many Canadians I’m going to have to be dealing with.”
To make donations to the US Speedskating Team on behalf of the Colbert Nation, you can either go to ColbertNation.com, or USSpeedskating.org.
EDIT:
Behind the cut, read the full Comedy Central press release on the sponsorship.
THE COLBERT NATION TO SPONSOR THE US SPEEDSKATING TEAM DURING BID FOR OLYMPIC GOLD
NEW YORK, November 3, 2009 — They may not get their own flag at the Opening Ceremonies, but The Colbert Nation will be represented in Vancouver. As revealed during last night’s historic show, The Colbert Nation is now the primary sponsor of the US Speedskating team. The announcement was made by Stephen Colbert, Olympic Gold medalist Dan Jansen and executive director of US Speedskating Bob Crowley.
With Team USA having lost its previous sponsor when the Dutch bank DSB folded, The Colbert Nation is stepping up to help America bring home speedskating gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Donations should be made in the name of The Colbert Nation via www.colbertnation.com.
Said Colbert, “We must ensure that it is America’s 38-inch thighs on that medal platform!”
“US Speedskating is thrilled to be able to create a unique partnership between one of the great entertainers in the industry and one of the great sports in the Olympic movement,” said Crowley. “Embracing the U.S. Speedskating Team will provide immeasurable exposure for our sport and very talented athletes.”
US Speedskating is a non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union as the governing body for the sport of speedskating in the United States. With 75 Olympic medals, US Speedskating athletes are the most successful of all winter sports in the United States. After winning a combined total of 64 world cup and world championship medals for long and short track events in the 2008-2009 season, Team USA is prepared to melt the ice with some fast skating and heart-pounding action. For additional information about US Speedskating please visit www.usspeedskating.org.
Legends like Eric Heiden, Bonnie Blair, Dan Jansen, Cathy Turner, Amy Peterson and many others propelled the sport to great heights. Current athletes including Apolo Anton Ohno, Chad Hedrick, Jen Rodriguez and Catherine Raney are sustaining a high degree of athleticism while newcomers like Trevor Marsicano, J.R. Celski, Katherine Reutter and Heather Richardson, and now Colbert Nation, are taking the sport to the next level.
“The Colbert Report” is produced by Jon Stewart’s Busboy Productions, Inc. in association with Colbert’s Spartina Productions, Inc. Stewart and Colbert are the executive producers with Meredith Bennett, Richard Dahm and Tom Purcell as co-executive producers. Jim Hoskinson is the director. Lisa Leingang is the executive in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL.
COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 95 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of Viacom Inc.’s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL’s Internet address is www.comedycentral.com. For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit Press Central, COMEDY CENTRAL’s press web site at www.comedycentral.com/press.
MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 400 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, TV Land, Atom, GameTrailers and Xfire.
Related posts
33 Comments
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:47 am
By the way – I’ve made my pledge! How many of you so far are on board?
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:10 am
I can’t donate to this. I’m Canadian!
Is he saying there are Canadians on the U.S. team?! How many? LoL, oh this is weird. Talk about unseemly. Well, good..luck?
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:32 am
I think he made the comment about Canadians because the Olympics are going to be in Vancouver.
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:02 am
I don’t know how much I should donate what are you guys donating?
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:11 am
Well, look at it this way. The team is trying to raise $300,000 from the loss of their sponsor. If 5% of Stephen’s audience (1.2M/night) donates just $5, they’ll reach goal. Or if just 12,000 donate $25 (1% of TCR’s audience), the team will meet the goal as well.
It’s a ton of small donations, as well as a few big ones, that will push this over the edge. So donate whatever you can. Even $5 will be helpful, I’m sure.
Reply
November 4th, 2009 at 6:17 am
Thanks for the perspective, DB.
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
Done!
Stephen never ceases to amaze me. Go Colbert Nation.
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
This is just the coolest thing! Will donate when I can and often.
proud
U
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:10 pm
I’m in!
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
So, I got really excited because I’m moving to Vancouver next year. But I got over excited too fast. I didn’t realize that i’m moving there after the olympics. BUT! I will be visiting, so this is FANTASTIC news for a Canadian Colbert-Fan like myself. If this is true, i can’t wait to see Stephen in Canada!! Should be highly entertaining!
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I fully plan on donating to this! Because this? This is AWESOME. :)
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:58 pm
If he does indeed take the Report to the olympics, I’m hoping there will be fake fireplaces and outfits like the one he wore for the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. Yes I’m shallow and just want to see Mr Colbert in cute wooly caps.
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:17 pm
whew, hope you don’t mind me stealing the code you used for that picture.
I feel bad that I can’t give much (damn you expensive education!)
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 3:24 pm
How great! Done and done. What a fun way to support our US Speed Skating team. USA! USA! USA!
:-D
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 3:46 pm
This is probably one of the most fantastic things I’ve seen yet about the olympics. I’m a retired Speed Skater, did it for 9 years of my life. I still love the sport, and now my comedic idol is supporting it! Although I have a duty to root for my homeland of Canada, I’ll be doing a secret little cheer for the US team in the back of my head and lets hope that they get silver. :) (Cindy Klassen will RULE the womens long track, and Charles and Francois Hamelin will dominate the short track mens… Just so you know…)
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I totally thought of you when this was announced on the show last night! :-)
I’ll check the finances and see what I can pitch in. I think this is such a wonderful thing to do!
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Tee hee hee. I feel so loved! <3
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Wow! How awesome for you! You be can be our speedskating commentator during the Olympics:)
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Wow. I love that Colbert put the onus on the Nation to support the team, and did not use the TCR image as the sponsorship (even though I’m sure Colbert will contribute a handsome amount to this). Its not very often where regular citizens come together to sponsor something of this magnitude.
While reading across some articles about this today, I saw someone comment that Colbert is doing this to boost his ratings–I just had to laugh. Even with the heavily promoted Iraq week, Colbert only averaged 1.4M viewers. Obviously events like these are not for publicity, but for supporting causes that others aren’t in the spotlight.
Very proud of Colbert for stepping up to the plate.
reCaptcha: jogging nutritionists
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:50 pm
I’m watching the rerun of last night’s show right now so I just heard the fantastic news. I’m so excited that the Colbert Nation is sponsoring the Olympic Speedskating team! What an awesome, amazing idea! I’m definitely in. Going to donate right now…
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:56 pm
I was really distracted all day today because all I could keep thinking was OMG we’re sponsoring the U.S. Olympic Speedskating Team? Really??? I don’t even have the words to express how cool this is! And it’s kind of mind-boggling, too. I am definitely in on this!
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:29 pm
It’s great to know that he knows he can rely on his Nation. From helping underfunded schools to keeping an extremely successful US Olympic team on its feet (er, skates), under Stephen’s direction we have done and will continue to do great things!
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Amen to that! :)
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:47 pm
You know what’s funny about this? Sunday night in Red Bank Stephen said that he enjoys doing just about everything — except watching sports. Hah!
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:33 pm
OMG I would die if Stephen came to Van (3 hour drive from where I live). So much more feasible than New York! Except that Van is going to have all the roads closed down, so the likelihood of me actually being able to get down there would be slim to none. *shakes fist at Vancouver Olympic Committee*
Reply
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:56 pm
I’m in too! I’m just amazed at the wonderful and creative ways that Stephen finds to involve the Nation in fine causes! The funny thing was that I saw Dan Jansen being interviewed at the NY Marathon on TV on Sunday, and there he was on TCR on Monday, and next thing you know we’re getting involved in supporting the US Skating team! This has to be unprecedented. Leave it to Stephen! I hope we will be getting a running total of how the fund-raising from the Nation goes in the next month or so.
Reply
November 4th, 2009 at 12:05 am
I kinda saw these posts, and knew we were sponsoring, but actually watching the show tonight (I am busy/lazy!) I was still so excited. I donate to lotsa things in kinda small quantities, because I love to be philanthropic but I need to give within my means, yknow? anyway, have definitely thrown a little bit toward the speed skaters! I’m so proud!
Reply
November 4th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Just a bit of ins information for all of you here: A lot of the skating Olympians will sell their skinsuits on ebay right after the Olympics and donate the money. So if you’re that intense about collecting Colbert-related things, it’s probably going to be a very limited thing to be able to acquire.
Funny story, I was all set to make a Colbert Nation-themed skinsuit a couple years ago. I find it funny that one is actually going to be produced now. Hahha
Reply
November 4th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
The man has done more for America than just about anyone else in modern times – and this is just one more example. Go Colbert Nation (I donated my $5)! And good luck to the American speedskating team in the Olympics! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Reply
November 4th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Please, please, please tell me that the Colbert Report will come to Vancouver. I live in Vancouver and have gone to TCR a few times in NYC. It would be great to see the show here.
Reply
November 6th, 2009 at 6:19 am
In Holland the bankruptcy of DSB bank was quite chaotic, but this must be the most funny / positive thing that could possibly be extracted from it.
Greetings from the Netherlands and good luck ;)
Reply
November 6th, 2009 at 11:40 am
I was able to donate $5 on Tuesday night – I will donate more when I’m not so strapped for cash lol, Colbert Nation is worth it :)
TIME wrote an article about Colbert Nation sponsoring the team earlier this week, and I wanted to post this great part in it about an email from Apolo Ohno on the sponsorship:
“A bit embarrassing that our leadership couldn’t secure other sponsors three months before the Olympic Games…But BIG UP’s to Stephen Colbert for his willingness to help out our nation’s greatest athletes. I’m personally 100% in support of his show and think that this is a very good thing. NOW can I get on the show? *wink? haha.”
It would be so awesome if they had Ohno on the show – anything to continually promote the US Speedskating team! :D
You can read the whole TIME article at http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1934349,00.html
Reply
November 6th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Sorry! – Didn’t realize that Ann had already posted that TIME magazine article. Still love the Ohno quote tho :D
Reply