Matt Lauer back at work despite deer shenanigans

By Hanh Nguyen

March 26, 2009 9:26 AM ET

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Matt Lauer, undeterred by a deer's harrowing attempt to do him in, is back and ready to put his shoulder to the wheel, so to speak.

The "Today" host returned to his televised stomping grounds Thursday, March 26, sporting a rather rakish sling to ease his dislocated shoulder that was caused by a weekend cycling accident.

"It'll be all the rage next year," says Lauer, who will be required to wear the sling for the next six weeks.

Lauer, 51, was riding his bicycle on Long Island when a deer -- all ninja-lika -- suddenly appeared in front of him. Startled, the intrepid talk show host braked hard, was tossed from his bike and landed on his shoulder.

He's well on the mend, however.

"I feel good," he told co-anchor Ann Curry. "I doubled up on the meds so I'm ready for all your jokes."

When Lauer first emailed in sick on Monday, he had quipped that the deer was "hired by the competition."

A flurry of deer-related puns and headlines, followed. And just because we feel like it, here's the picture of the deer again that may or may not have been behind Lauer's "accident."