NBC News President Steve Capus and his boss at the General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE)-owned network, Jeff Zucker, are thanking their lucky stars that Tom Brokaw will be the interim host of "Meet the Press" through the November election.

Brokaw, who was anchor of "NBC Nightly News" for more than two decades, agreed to take on more duties at the network after chatting over a beer with Capus aboard an Amtrak train traveling from Washington to New York following Tim Russert's memorial service, according to the Washington Post. The 68-year-old Brokaw later called Capus to volunteer to temporarily take over "Meet the Press," the paper said. It was a no-brainer for NBC to take Brokaw up on his offer.

"Meet the Press" is a cash-cow for NBC, attracting well-heeled viewers eager to learn about the doings in Washington. Advertisers likely pay premium rates for 30-second spots on the program because it is so prestigious. It needs a host to fill Russert's role who has both name recognition and a reputation as a non-partisan straight shooter. Brokaw fits the bill on both accounts.

In fact, the 68-year-old native of South Dakota is such a good fit for the program that the network probably wishes he would take the job permanently, even though Brokaw apparently would prefer to spend his Sundays clad in waders at his Montana ranch fishing for trout. Odds are fairly good that Brokaw's tenure will extend beyond the election because finding the right host is not going to be easy.

Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann of the MSNBC network are too partisan and grating to take over "Meet the Press." NBC's Andrea Mitchell and David Gregory are well-respected journalists but hardly household names. Look for them to try to land Katie Couric, whose future at the "CBS Evening News" is murky at best, or CNN's Wolf Blitzer or even Gwen Ifill of PBS.

General Electric's long-suffering shareholders are probably interested in the search as well. Any sale of NBC Universal would be easier knowing that one of its most visible shows is in good hands.

Determined to bring a more formal, stylish fashion to the U.S. Olympic team garb for the Beijing games later this year, the Olympic committee has dumped Roots Ltd. in favor of Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL). According to The Wall Street Journal [subscription], Tom Brokaw, former NBC news anchor, was asked by USOC COO Norman Bellingham to approach Ralph Lauren about the possible affiliation.

The deal, which also includes the Paralympics, builds on the company's growing affiliation with sports events, including the U.S. Open and Winbledon, and should result in a terrific boost to sales at both its own boutiques and other retailers with whom it is negotiating distribution.

The designs will supposedly evoke the styles of the film Chariots of Fire. The duds will be kept under wraps until the opening ceremonies in August, although the many Chinese who will probably sew the garments will have a good idea of what to expect. I'll be interested to see if the Chinese government's clampdown on counterfeit goods successfully keeps fake U.S. uniforms off of the streets of Beijing before the games even began.

The line of consumer clothing to be spun off the Olympic garb should dovetail nicely into Lauren's line and burnish its image, although it will be interesting to see at what price point this line will fall. The equalitarian nature of the Olympic sport may not be reflected in the cost of dressing like our champions.