Illustration: Ryan Inzana
Most individuals know Steve Kornacki, NBC’s chief knowledge analyst, because the white-shirt-and-khakis, nerdy-sexy stat man who meticulously breaks down ballot outcomes on Election Evening. He additionally makes common appearances on the community’s sports activities broadcasts — as he did this previous weekend on the Breeders’ Cup — however regardless of his weekly presence on the community’s Sunday-night NFL protection, Election Day is Kornacki’s actual Tremendous Bowl. (This yr, he live-streamed updates for over ten hours straight courtesy of the “Kornacki Cam,” amassing a report 29 million views.) Having spent over a decade overlaying politics, Kornacki has a developed a strict Election Evening routine that purposely excludes meals. “I learn a biography of Crimson Auerbach, the legendary Boston Celtics coach, a few years in the past,” says Kornacki, who grew up within the Boston space. “He by no means ate on a recreation day as a result of he believed that it took his edge off. That’s caught with me by way of the years.”
Friday, October 30
I’m staying at a Residence Inn close to the airport in Lexington, Kentucky, right here to be a part of NBC’s Breeders’ Cup protection. Our first day could be very gentle. There are 5 races for two-year-old horses — they name it “Future Stars Friday” — and my function is proscribed, which is nice as a result of it offers me extra time to prep my segments for the present tomorrow, extra time to sneak in election prep for Tuesday, and extra time to attempt to put some successful bets collectively.
Once I’m dwelling, I normally have two egg bites on Ezekiel muffins within the morning. Nothing like that right here, however there’s a buffet factor within the lodge foyer, so I seize a scoop of scrambled eggs. Most individuals don’t like runny eggs, however they’re effective by me! I additionally seize a cup of espresso, which tasted prefer it might need been Starbucks. I’m an enormous Dunkin’ man. The app on my cellphone lists my previous orders, and I believe I’ve been to a few hundred completely different Dunkin’s across the nation. I discover one not too removed from Keeneland, which is the monitor the place the Breeders’ Cup is held, and ask my Uber to cease there. I soar out and seize an XL espresso with milk that I preordered. I make it to the NBC trailer simply in time. Now the world feels proper.
Horse racing is my favourite sport, and the Breeders’ Cup is about as massive because it will get. There’s actually no time for lunch. I seize a Weight loss program Coke from the cooler within the trailer and head to the set. I get to be with our two handicappers, Matt Bernier and Eddie Olczyk, at a touchscreen close to the betting home windows, which is ideal. Edzo is a hockey legend but in addition a critical horse participant. I’ve seen him give you some unbelievable scores right here by way of the years. Somebody from the crew takes out a backpack filled with snacks, and all of us get to select one. I take a large pouch of MadeGood Granola Bites.
I go away the race monitor round 6 p.m. and head again to the lodge. We’re in a business park, and there are a ton of meals choices. I find yourself sitting on the bar at a Mexican place known as Campestre. I order a Weight loss program Coke with some sort of taco-salad factor with rooster served in a crispy tortilla shell with lettuce, guac — which I actually don’t need — and a pair different spicy issues in there.
I spend a while in my lodge room rehearsing my segments for tomorrow. It should sound unusual to anybody strolling by. Then I do about 90 minutes of handicapping for the races. I all the time think about nailing the precise picks to make a monster rating and what I might do if I received. In all probability retire. So, if I’m not on air subsequent election, you’ll know why!
Saturday, October 31
I stayed up later than I deliberate final evening going over the race types and determining my betting technique. The one espresso choice is the stuff they omit within the foyer, which is way from preferrred. Identical as yesterday, I order one other XL Dunkin’ espresso. I ask the Uber driver to provide me 15 seconds to run in to get it; he doesn’t appear too completely satisfied about driving to Keeneland on race day. He additionally doesn’t appear to understand my strategies for learn how to navigate the site visitors. He finally ends up dropping me off on the freeway, and I’ve to schlep to the set with all my baggage as a result of I’m heading straight to the airport after. The juggling act prices me about 25 p.c of my espresso.
I play a bunch of the early races however no winners, only a ton of chalk and loads of remorse. There aren’t too many meals choices inside, so I seize one other pouch of granola bites from the snack bag. Lastly, after two days of swinging and lacking, my picks within the closing two races come by way of. I take Sovereignty to win within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional, and I wager the exacta with a horse known as the Puma, who was 17 to 1 to come back in second, and he got here in second. I additionally hit the trifecta with Knightsbridge, who was 5 to 1. It’s one of many greatest tri bets I’ve ever made. I am going loopy on our set watching Sovereignty win, then instantly have to modify gears to prerecord a phase in regards to the new election ballot we have now popping out within the morning. It’s arduous to maintain it collectively as a result of I simply hit pay filth ten minutes earlier.
After the final race is over, all of us collect within the NBC trailer, the place they’ve some snacks and booze. I seize a Bud Mild, however then I see Randy Moss, who’s not the well-known soccer participant however is one in every of our racing analysts and likewise a wine professional, pouring a glass of crimson. He says it’s fairly good, so I swap over to a glass of wine as a substitute. Randy is correct. I’m already wanting ahead to this spring in Louisville, after we get the band again collectively for the Kentucky Derby.
I hitch a journey with Matt to our lodge close to the airport in Cincinnati, the place there’s a bar-restaurant within the foyer. I actually haven’t eaten a lot in any respect right this moment and it’s already, like, 10:30 p.m., so I order the salmon on the menu with asparagus and a few sort of base — quinoa, perhaps — and a Weight loss program Coke.
Sunday, November 1
I’m up at 4:15 a.m. That further hour for daylight financial savings actually helped. I take a fast shuttle to the airport, the place there’s a Dunkin’ close to the gate. There’s an enormous line, however I’ve simply sufficient time. They don’t have XL-size cups, so I simply get a big. We land in Newark round 7:45 a.m., and I should be at 30 Rock for a Meet the Press phase at 9 a.m. I’m nervous about site visitors as a result of it’s marathon day, however fortunately I make it to the studio on time.
We’ve got a sequence of Election Evening rehearsals earlier than I’ve to drive as much as NBC Sports activities headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, to do the NFL pregame present within the studio at 7 p.m. I order one other Dunkin’ espresso, this time XL, and determine I ought to eat one thing, so I get their omelet bites: two rubbery cheese-ish issues. They’re full of cheddar and what they declare is bacon, however I’m fairly certain it’s not. Can’t say it was the very best meal I’ve ever had, however I don’t go to Dunkin’ for the meals. Final yr, my medical doctors gave me a kind of genetic checks the place they’re in search of preventive stuff they usually informed me I’m a caffeine super-metabolizer, which implies I don’t really feel the consequences of it like everybody else.
I sneak out to attend mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which is conveniently a number of steps from 30 Rock. I’ve to meet my Sunday obligation! I obtain communion — isn’t that crucial meal of the week? Transubstantiation, they name it.
On my approach as much as Stamford, I cease at a Qdoba and get a salad. Nothing too elaborate, primarily rooster, lettuce, and a very tasty dressing. Have extra water, too. Once I get to the studio, I seize another Dunkin’ to sip on for the subsequent few hours. Due to the entire different stuff occurring, I’ve been fairly ineffective with regards to concepts for tonight’s soccer segments. Fortunately, one in every of my producers greater than picked up the slack and bought me proper on top of things. They’ve bottles of water right here with no labels on them. I suppose they don’t need free publicity for any water firms on air. My wager is that it’s Poland Spring. I drink one between segments and seize another for the journey dwelling.
Once I get again to the town, I understand I do must have one thing to eat, so I discover a bar-restaurant across the nook and seize a rooster sandwich and a Michelob Extremely, and guzzle two glasses of water.
Monday, November 2
From right here on in, it’s all election on a regular basis, main as much as 5 p.m. Tuesday evening, when NBC’s election particular begins. The community is planning 13 hours of uninterrupted protection, which is essentially the most it’s ever performed for a midterm by far. I will likely be on just about all through the whole broadcast and still have my very own livestream occurring concurrently. So right this moment and tomorrow are spent juggling conferences, taping issues to air right here and on affiliate stations, going over spreadsheets and maps, attempting to not burn myself out. I must really feel as recent as attainable when the actual motion begins.
I’m again to my typical morning routine now. I order Dunkin’ on my solution to the studio, XL with milk as all the time, and likewise take the same old egg-bite-on-Ezekiel-muffin breakfast with me to work. The Ezekiel bread is meant to be wholesome as a result of it has sprouted grains or no matter, nevertheless it truly tastes actually good, too. I all the time run them within the toaster twice as a result of I like my toast further darkish and crispy. After I eat at my desk, I refill my used aluminum can on the fountain. I’ll do that a number of occasions all through the day to ensure I keep hydrated.
We’ve got an important assembly at 2:30 p.m., and I’ve been going nonstop. I’ve a five-minute window and will actually use one other espresso, so I dash to the Dunkin’ right here and decide one up. However I reduce it too shut, and find yourself attending to the assembly two minutes late. I hate strolling right into a room the place persons are ready on me. Nobody right here this week has time to attend round.
Once I get dwelling, I make myself a tuna sandwich. Canned Bumblebee, that’s the good things, with Hellman’s and a slice of melted cheddar cheese on a toasted Ezekiel muffin with a glass of apple cider that I bought from a farm out in New Jersey close to the Delaware River. Truthfully, I’m a horrible cook dinner. This was the success of the week for me.
Tuesday, November 3
Election Day! The morning is chaotic, juggling last-minute planning and logistics, poring over my maps and spreadsheets. I’ve a protracted assembly with my producer to go over how we anticipate the vote returns will likely be processed and reported out in each key state tonight. It’s so essential to have that understanding so I could make sense of partial returns as they pop up on the board. After we end, I resolve it’s time to clear my head. I order a espresso and take a protracted stroll from 30 Rock over to close the Hudson River and again. The minute I am going again inside, the frenzied prep continues nonstop till 5 p.m., when NBC’s election protection begins.
On massive occasion nights like this, when all people is working late, they normally herald pizzas. They’ll preserve a stack of like 30 pizza containers out within the hallway. I by no means eat earlier than the published, however I all the time inform my producer that after we’re performed, we’ll go all in on the leftovers; we all the time undergo the containers, they usually’re all the time empty.
As a result of I’m on-camera mainly nonstop, I don’t actually eat something throughout the broadcast. I make it for ten and a half hours straight, which is a private report for one in every of these livestreams. There’s solely time for one lavatory break! The crew retains refilling a ceramic NBC mug with water for me the entire time. It doesn’t look like such a strenuous factor on paper, however being in your toes for ten hours speaking nearly nonstop takes extra of a bodily toll than you may assume.
No matter it’s, I kind of hit a wall at about 3:30 a.m. Issues have additionally slowed down dramatically resultswise at this level, too. So after I take a break, I huddle with the producers and we resolve it’s truly the logical time to name it an evening. They convey some random snacks over to me: a factor of path combine, some grapes, and Cheez-Its. I chug an enormous can of lemon-lime Gatorade. I believe it’s round 5 a.m. after I lastly get dwelling, and I’m too exhausted to eat anything.
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