by Mark Silva
We never thought of Matt Lauer as having that deer-in-the-headlights look about him, but it seems the Today show host could have used some radar on the weekend bike trails.
The Today host was a no-show on today's show.
Lauer, NBC News reports, "was laid up with an injured shoulder after a mishap while bicycling on Long Island. Lauer "was riding his bike over the weekend and he had a run-in with a deer," co-host Meredith Vieira explained today.
His shoulder was hurt -- badly enough to require surgery -- Vieira said, but his sense of humor was intact: "He joked in an email that he thought "the deer was hired by the competition."
"I'd hire the deer -- but just to graze him," Vieira quipped to Weekend Today anchor Lester Holt, who filled in for Lauer on the set today.
The deer leapt in front of Lauer, who hit his brakes, which threw him off the bike and onto his shoulder. "Lauer, 51, is an avid cyclist who has ridden a bike on Today on a number of occasions, most recently around the Olympic velodrome in Beijing,'' NBC reports. "He also rode a bike last year in the Netherlands during his annual 'Where in the World is Matt Lauer?' globe-girdling trip.''
(Photo of Matt Lauer by Richard Drew, / AP. Deer photo from NBC News.)
Comments
Best wishes for a speedy recovery Matt....I look forward to your smile every morning. You are still a young pup and with Gods help...you will be back soon!
Posted by: Teri Moulton | March 23, 2009 3:41 PM
Matt,
Sorry to hear about your unfortunate mishap. Those front brakes and inertia can combine to be a real killer.
Thank goodness it was only a shoulder.
Get well soon.
Richard
Posted by: Dr. Richard Waingold | March 23, 2009 4:19 PM
Matt, Get well soon, we miss you!!!!!!!
Posted by: debi eller | March 23, 2009 4:32 PM
Hey Matt,
Last June 11, I actually hit the deer that was in front of me. Unfortunately for me I had some spinal cord injury associated with the accident. Hope your recovery goes as well as mine has. Back riding the bike and looking forward to some long road trips.
Posted by: Thaddeus Cieslak | March 23, 2009 5:18 PM
I Miss You, Matt. I hope you feel better soon.
Posted by: Donna | March 23, 2009 6:19 PM
i have a 3 wheel bike much more stable than a 2 wheeler.Perhaps you should consider one. Get well soon.
Posted by: joyce pearce | March 23, 2009 6:45 PM
Get well Matt. Your a cool dude.
Posted by: Seth | March 23, 2009 7:59 PM
my name is also matt lauer. it's always fun to hear about the trouble you are getting me into. thanks matt. get well soon.
Posted by: matt | March 23, 2009 8:04 PM
mmmm, venison.
Posted by: Terry | March 23, 2009 10:09 PM
matt...if you get a 3 wheeled bike, let me be the first to kick your a$$.
Posted by: juan jesus | March 23, 2009 10:11 PM
Matt,
.
Hope the loons from PETA don't come after you?
Posted by: Terry | March 24, 2009 8:21 AM
Matt, I'm really sorry about your bike accident and injury. I hope you are back to the Today Show soon.
I also had a deer bike accident. I hit a femur bone on a bike trail and when the bike slid out sideways. I did a spread eagle onto the asphalt.I fractured two ribs.
Take care and heal up and hit the trail again.
Posted by: LINDA ROSLAND | March 24, 2009 8:36 AM
Hi Matt;
Am a big fan and hope to see you back on Today soon, but not before you are completely healed. Please listen to your body and do not come back to work before you have been given the "all clear" signal. We shall be here waiting your return.
Ron Bowman
Posted by: Ron Bowman | March 24, 2009 5:24 PM
Hi Matt, I watch the today show every morning, but didn't know you were an avid cyclist. Me too. I had a run in with a kamikazi squirrel. He came out of nowhere and hit my rear wheel taking out two spokes. Luckily, I stayed on the bike. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Posted by: Catherine Deluca | March 25, 2009 2:47 PM
You don't need a $9,000 custom-fitted Trek Madone 6.9 Pro bicycle to dislocate your shoulder.
See
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/anatomy-of-a-blogger/
Posted by: Mike Licht | March 30, 2009 12:24 PM
Here in Iowa we hit 'em with our cars, then our insurance rates go up. Once you hit one 3 times, your insurance drops you. Sure glad you are ok.
Posted by: Wanda McNeese | April 2, 2009 3:32 PM