NBC Sports broadcaster Todd Richards has addressed the hot mic moment in which he described the men’s snowboard big air final at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics as “boring.”
“That was boring, that was so boring. I thought the qualifiers were better,” viewers heard the snowboarding legend tell co-host Todd Harris during the live broadcast on NBC Sports.
After the comment went viral on social media, Richards shared a video on Instagram to admit he did think “the qualifiers were better” and “more exciting,” pointing to their “drama” and different creative tricks and spins. “In the final? A lot of people fell and a lot of people truly did the same trick,” he added.
Watch the full video on Instagram.
Richards stressed his comments were not a criticism of the athletes.
“That had nothing to do with what these athletes do because the riders come out here and they throw down,” he said. “I have the utmost respect for them. It really just lent itself to the format, and I thought the qualifier had a lot more excitement.”
“It truly wasn’t about them,” the pundit added. “These guys are my heroes, they are my friends, they are my colleagues and they are all rippers. So, huge shout-outs to everyone who came out here tonight and threw down.”
In the caption of the Instagram post, Richards said it was “nothing I wouldn’t say to a reporter or in public” and “was my opinion based on what I saw in the qualifier vs the final medal round.”
“Not one word I said had anything to do with a rider in this event. I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that, but I am. They all rule,” he concluded.
