'Today' show in Tampa draws about 1,200

NBC Today host Matt Lauer hosts a segment in front of University of Tampa's historic Plant Hall this morning. [SCOTT KEELER | Times]
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One thing is obvious here, one hour into the Today show's stop at the University of Tampa this morning: Going on the road is no problem for NBC's well-oiled machine of a morning program.

A crowd of more than 1,200 now stands around the fountain at the campus center, plopped in front of Plant Hall, where the show has created several station for segments featuring anchors Matt Lauer and Al Roker. On Plant Hall's patio is a set of two chairs where Lauer interviewed Gov. Charlie Crist, ribbing him for having more and better hair. Before the fountain are two more stations lit with huge studio lights, drawing sign-holding partisans like fireflies to a nightlight.

At the edge of this makeshift studio space, anchors for local NBC affiliate WFLA-Ch. 8 are lined up to shoot interviews and promo segments with Today's best-known names. Roker, a seasoned professional, can shift seamlessly from small talk with an achor for WFLA's midday show Daytime ("I find myself mistaken for Denzel Washington a lot -- he's a hunk, I'm a chunk") to trading quips with weather forecaster Jennifer Hill for a series of promotional messages viewers will see for months to come.

Crowds began to form at the site early at 3 a.m.; by the time WFLA began its morning remote broadcasts at 5 a.m. or so, at least 250 people were gathered to watch it all. But the shifting locales of remote spots made it tough for those holding political signs to stay in front of the cameras, and many who showed up early for a good spot wound up watching the action behind people who came later, but chose their spots better.

"i just want my mom to see me on TV," cracked Andrew Learned, 22, the student body president at University of Tampa, who watched some pals stay up through the night making T-shirts in tribute to their visting hero, Roker. "If I can get in front of a camera that quickly, I'll be happy.''

Comments

[Mat]

Sarah Palin is a big baby and when Joe Biden gets done with her at the debate, she will go running home with her tampon string between her legs, crying.

[tim]

Matt Lauer sure is a sensitive if not somewhat mealy-mouth politically correct hunk, but don't forget that NBC is so completely biased against the Republications that Sarah Palin has refused to appear on any of his shows.