(From The New York Daily News)
Where in the world is AL ROKER?
THE TODAY SHOW's star weatherman has been in sick bay this week during the havoc of HURRICANE KATRINA -- arguably the biggest meteorological story of the past five years -- and hasn't been on the air for nearly two weeks.
The 51-year-old Roker has had health problems in the past, including OBESITY, for which he underwent GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY. So some of his fans -- including me -- have been a tad worried about him.
"Al is still under the weather," TODAY co-host MATT LAUER acknowledged on the air Monday. "He's been fighting it for the last several days. And, you know, he's got to be champing at the bit."
Tuesday, superflack HOWARD RUBENSTEIN, Roker's personal publicist, cleared up the mystery of what "it" is.
"He goes in today for minor BACK SURGERY for A RUPTURED DISK," Rubenstein told me -- notwithstanding that back surgery doesn't sound particularly "minor" to me.
"He expects to be back within a week or so," said Rubenstein. "He told me he had his hurricane go-bag all packed and ready to go, but he couldn't lift it."
TODAY Executive Producer JIM BELL added, "It's painful. But we expect him to be back on Monday the 12th" of September.
In the meantime, Roker has been watching from home with a jaundiced eye.
"He called in. He was checking in," substitute weather guy CHRIS CIMINO said on the air.
"Making sure you're on the straight and narrow?" Lauer asked.
"C-Plus so far, he says," Cimino revealed.
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