Matt Lauer Has Unfortunate Deer Encounter

Matt Lauer took on a deer this weekend. (NBC Images)"]
The Today Show was minus a host today, after Matt Lauer had an unfortunate encounter with a deer over the weekend.

Lauer's NBC co-host Meredith Vieira told viewers that Lauer reportedly missed work today, home recuperating from his weekend incident as he was riding his bicycle. The 51-year-old was riding his bicycle near his Long Island home when a deer jumped into his path. He flipped over the bike's handlebars and was slightly hurt, NBC said. He apparently suffered a displaced shoulder, but was able to pop it out.

"The bounding  deer knocked right into Lauer while he was on the road," said Vieira. "The deer fled the scene and was not available for questioning."

Lauer, she informed viewers, "thinks the deer was hired by the competition." Not true, Vieira insisted. "I hired the deer, but I said, 'Just graze him.'"