Brief Olympic Rant
(1) Is there some reason reporters like Andrea Kramer (swimming venue) has to ask some of the negative questions they do or make "little digs" when they are conducting interviews with the swimmers after the race?
(2) Is there some reason NBC needs so many "human interest" stories? There are thousands of athletes in hundreds of events -- why not just show athletes performing?
Actually, I know the answers to both of my questions, but I get so F R E A K I N' angry at times when the above occurs.
Yes, stop talking , show the events. Seaquest said to Micheal Phelps the other day so how's it going to feel to be the most decorated olympic athlete of all time. Micheal just looked at him and then said , we'll see when it happens. I thought , YOU jinxed him dummy!!!!!
Drama sells camera time...
I have reached the point of not watching except on the computer -- no sound and only what I want to see.
I love the olympics, I love watching swimming -- I'm already tired of it all...
Original Post by shane_paladin: (1) Is there some reason reporters like Andrea Kramer (swimming venue) has to ask some of the negative questions they do or make "little digs" when they are conducting interviews with the swimmers after the race?
Cause it's way more entertaining that the softball questions Ryan Seacrest asks the girls gymnastics team every night?
Original Post by shane_paladin:
(2) Is there some reason NBC needs so many "human interest" stories? There are thousands of athletes in hundreds of events -- why not just show athletes performing?
Because men will be watching anyway and women like human interest stories. It also helps them fill up the primetime broadcase without having to show any sport that isn't gymnastics, swimming, diving and womens beach volleyball.
South Korean fencer got robbed. I felt so sorry for her. It's so much like the 1972 US-Russia basketball game.
I think that the Networks that broadcast sports in the US think that Americans are too stupid to understand the concept of the sport that they are watching so they have the commentators break it down to a 3rd grade level so we can try to follow it.
They also think that we won't be interested in seeing who wins a competition unless we know what they had for breakfast that day.
And they think that we are more entertained by watching the reactions of parents and other spectators than we are by watching the sport itself.
Why in the world is Seacrest doing Olympic stuff? I agree, I cannot stand his cheesy interviews with all these athletes, some of who can't even answer questions satisfactorily (e.g. the women's gymnastics team). To be fair most of the questions are absolutely ridiculous.
Watching on the computer is the way to go. No commentating, fewer/no commercials, and no cheesy backstories no one cares about.
Some of the comments by the commentators are absurd too. You can tell some of them know nothing about sports/athletics or they were just handed a "cheat sheet" of information about the event.
NBC gets a big fat F in my book.
Original Post by trh:
I think that the Networks that broadcast sports in the US think that Americans are too stupid to understand the concept of the sport that they are watching so they have the commentators break it down to a 3rd grade level so we can try to follow it.
They also think that we won't be interested in seeing who wins a competition unless we know what they had for breakfast that day.
And they think that we are more entertained by watching the reactions of parents and other spectators than we are by watching the sport itself.
I agree with you. I know quite a bit about many sports and it is annoying. What I like are commentators who know the sport well and just point out esoteric things that ordinary viewer may miss. Other than that, I'd like them to stay quiet and let me follow the competition.
Original Post by trh:And they think that we are more entertained by watching the reactions of parents and other spectators than we are by watching the sport itself.
4 years ago they spent about 10 minutes getting the reaction of a gymnast to a video of Bella Karoli's reaction to seeing a video of said gymnast's reaction to something that happened during her competition.
I cannot stand the life stories. I hate watching them during football and I still hate the stories now.
I like the athletes to be a bit "mysterious" (if that makes sense). They do moves and have performances that I will never hope to achieve. The diving was awesome last night. It takes away from that mystery when I have to listen to them prattle about nothing.
Luckily, I do get several channels in the NBC TV Olympic sports package. But I was watching some women's weightlifting, archery, shotgun, judo, etc; and I was wishing the main two NBC Olympic channels would "cut-in" to show more clips of sports like those during the prime time evening coverage.
The questions that Andrea Kramer asked Ryan Lochte after he finished 4th really made me bristle.
Those stupid "human interest" stories! I have watched the final two rounds of major golf tournaments -- and suddenly someone like Jimmy Roberts will come on and, instead of showing the golf, we get some filler instead of the golf taking place.
We watch the Olympics with the volume all the way down. I prefer to hear my kids cheer for the athletes than listen to the verbal sewage of the commentators.
Then, of course, when something happens and I don't know what's going on (like men's gymnastics last night), I finally turn the volume up and the commentators are dead silent. 
Edit: I'd also like to add that I was bouncing up and down on the bed last night, giddy with excitement when Missy Franklin won the 100m backstroke. Hello 13-year-old self, nice to see you again!
Original Post by bierorama:
I was bouncing up and down on the bed last night, giddy with excitement when Missy Franklin won the 100m backstroke. Hello 13-year-old self, nice to see you again!
That was amazing she won with only a 12 or so minute rest. Some of those swimming races are just tooooooooooo exciting!
Agree, but it's really all ABC's fault. They were the ones that started the "up close and personal" stories. That was way way back in the day. 1976 maybe?? It was good back then, because you had no idea about many of the athletes because a large number of them were secreted away behind the iron curtain.
It all led to the sappy stories that now permeates every fawking competition of any kind, from sports to stupid reality shows like American Idol. Ever notice how Joe WithLessTalent gets voted further than Jim WithLessOfASobStoryButHasMoreTalent on all of the competition shows?
DAMN YOU ABC, you started it all.
ABC really did do a better job reporting. I wish ABC & CBS would start outbidding NBC for the Olympics. I'm sick of NBC.
Original Post by shane_paladin:
Luckily, I do get several channels in the NBC TV Olympic sports package. But I was watching some women's weightlifting, archery, shotgun, judo, etc; and I was wishing the main two NBC Olympic channels would "cut-in" to show more clips of sports like those during the prime time evening coverage.
The questions that Andrea Kramer asked Ryan Lochte after he finished 4th really made me bristle.
Those stupid "human interest" stories! I have watched the final two rounds of major golf tournaments -- and suddenly someone like Jimmy Roberts will come on and, instead of showing the golf, we get some filler instead of the golf taking place.
The golf wasn't interesting anyways.
Nthing the "life stories" aggro train. They're the reason I don't even watch Ironman coverage anymore. "The athletes have a long day ahead of them. Here's some slow-mo footage of people who look nicer than you ever will swim/bike/running. And now, here's a focus on this guy who owns 27 wineries and splits his time between the French Riviera and his private ranch on Texas and has a bike trainer on his private jet so he can be... dramatic pause... an IRONMAN." Yeah, that's what I want to watch on my telly.
Watching IRONMAN can be discouraging. I remember training hard, getting up at 4:30 am, training for hours every day. Then I'd go to the races and found guys and girls who could beat me not by seconds or minutes but hours!
My interest in the Olympics has been completely decimated. I've always loved the games, but it's impossible to watch these broadcasts.
Original Post by smashley23:
Someyimes one team has the ball. A whistle blows. The oher team gets the ball and no explanation as to what happened.
I haven't watched any of these games, but I'm pretty sure that the explanation is that someone on the offensive team committed a foul resulting in loss of possession.
Can I just add to the irritation by complaining that I just found out the results of the events I planned on watching tonight by visiting NBC's website to find out the schedule of said events? The results were plastered all over the front page. Couldn't they at least provide a link for a results page instead?
