Underwhelmed by Athens Olympics?
Aug 24th, 2004, 12:26 PM
#42
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bugswife....During Yang's parallel bar routine, he had four holds.....you're allowance for holds is three.The deduction for that error is two tenths of a point...the judges missed it altogether!!
Aug 24th, 2004, 12:54 PM
#43
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THE CURMUDGEON?S POINT OF VIEW is that NBC?s Komrade Katie C. is one of the most obnoxious people on the tube, and I understand one of the highest paid.
Go figure.
When she?s not wearing her liberal bias on her sleeve, she stumbles, stammers, and giggles her way through any interview.
Costa, like most sportscasters, is over rated and shamefully over paid. Just another refugee of the "gee, I so wanted to be a real newsman but couldn?t make the grade" set.
The tagline, "a proud sponsor of the 2004 Olympics" is for sale, pure and simple. It means nothing, except that the company/corporation bearing the seal forked out the big bucks for it.
Athletes have been reduced to corporate shills. Company trademarks abound. (I read that people drinking Pepsi products have been turned away from some venues at the behest of Coke, because Coke is, after all, an "official sponsor".
Please!
The real athletes live in the Olympic camp, while the ludicrously overpaid American so-called "dream team" (basketball) lounge comfortably on THE phat luxury liner anchored off shore.
The games have become the bully pulpit for politicians and nut-job fringe groups world-wide.
The Olympics are a colossal bore. I?d much rather go watch local middle and high school athletes perform. They do a fabulous job and we can be reasonably sure that members of the winning team won?t be signing a multi-million dollar contract with Nike, at least not any time soon.
Go figure.
When she?s not wearing her liberal bias on her sleeve, she stumbles, stammers, and giggles her way through any interview.
Costa, like most sportscasters, is over rated and shamefully over paid. Just another refugee of the "gee, I so wanted to be a real newsman but couldn?t make the grade" set.
The tagline, "a proud sponsor of the 2004 Olympics" is for sale, pure and simple. It means nothing, except that the company/corporation bearing the seal forked out the big bucks for it.
Athletes have been reduced to corporate shills. Company trademarks abound. (I read that people drinking Pepsi products have been turned away from some venues at the behest of Coke, because Coke is, after all, an "official sponsor".
Please!
The real athletes live in the Olympic camp, while the ludicrously overpaid American so-called "dream team" (basketball) lounge comfortably on THE phat luxury liner anchored off shore.
The games have become the bully pulpit for politicians and nut-job fringe groups world-wide.
The Olympics are a colossal bore. I?d much rather go watch local middle and high school athletes perform. They do a fabulous job and we can be reasonably sure that members of the winning team won?t be signing a multi-million dollar contract with Nike, at least not any time soon.
Aug 24th, 2004, 12:58 PM
#44
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Good lord, you learn something new and exciting everyday: 95% of the world is not American and there are other great sportsmen out there. Who would have known?
I thought cute little Katie starred in a recent "Nip & Tuck" episode and got an extreme make-over. Maybe the legs will be "done" later in the season?
I thought cute little Katie starred in a recent "Nip & Tuck" episode and got an extreme make-over. Maybe the legs will be "done" later in the season?
Aug 24th, 2004, 01:06 PM
#46
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Well, I think it's terrific. Did you guys GET how unpopular the American favourite for the 100m was? The boy who won was streets ahead in the popularity stakes.
And, poor old Paula in the Marathon?
And Britannia ruling the waves in the boating?
And Scots all ove the place picking up medals. It's a great Olympics (even if the opening ceremony was surreal)!
And, poor old Paula in the Marathon?
And Britannia ruling the waves in the boating?
And Scots all ove the place picking up medals. It's a great Olympics (even if the opening ceremony was surreal)!
Aug 24th, 2004, 01:10 PM
#47
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Scots winning medals? Brits winning boating? How would we know that? US TV mainly shows highlights of how the Americans are doing and little else.
The other night I got so tired of all the commercials and being teased over and over about the finals of the men's gymnastics, while they kept filling time with other stuff, I went downstairs and checked on the computer to see who won. Then when I saw how controversial it must have all been (Paul Hamm winning) I went back and had to watch it all.
The other night I got so tired of all the commercials and being teased over and over about the finals of the men's gymnastics, while they kept filling time with other stuff, I went downstairs and checked on the computer to see who won. Then when I saw how controversial it must have all been (Paul Hamm winning) I went back and had to watch it all.
Aug 24th, 2004, 01:23 PM
#48
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I am posting with temerity, but I have a colleague who lived for some years in Texas who tells me that in the Us, if tehre is no US medal hope the chances of coverage are minute; and there will more than like be an interview over teh final with some American knoocked out in the heats about how unfair it all was (please understand, I'm quoting here).
I'd hate that. I love the internationality of it all- the three Kenyans getting gold silver and bronze tonight; your swimmer boy (who, as the BBc said, at one stage, were he a country, would have been 6th in the medal table); the Russian girl pole vaulter tonight; the Iraqi boxer the other night. It's a fantastic spectacle.
I'd hate that. I love the internationality of it all- the three Kenyans getting gold silver and bronze tonight; your swimmer boy (who, as the BBc said, at one stage, were he a country, would have been 6th in the medal table); the Russian girl pole vaulter tonight; the Iraqi boxer the other night. It's a fantastic spectacle.
Aug 24th, 2004, 01:41 PM
#49
And I knew the parents of a scot who won a medal, many years ago when I still lived in Scotland! But I would never have heard about it on NBC.
We do only get coverage of events in which American athletes participate. And even then, we don't usually hear much about any of the other athletes in those events. Actually, I think there's been a small improvement this year.
Sheila, if you mean Maurice Greene, I was sick to death of hearing about his ****** tattoo, etc. I was rooting for Justin Gatlin all along. Greene may have been NBC's favorite, but I'm not sure that necessarily translates into "America's".
Forget about the athletes for a moment. How about the commercials? I think some of them are far better than Superbowl commercials, which is lucky because we see them a lot more often! One of our favorites is the Allstate one where the shot put goes out of the stadium and demolishes a light pole, which falls on to several cars. Also, the one of Micheal Phelps "training" swim around the world.
We do only get coverage of events in which American athletes participate. And even then, we don't usually hear much about any of the other athletes in those events. Actually, I think there's been a small improvement this year.
Sheila, if you mean Maurice Greene, I was sick to death of hearing about his ****** tattoo, etc. I was rooting for Justin Gatlin all along. Greene may have been NBC's favorite, but I'm not sure that necessarily translates into "America's".
Forget about the athletes for a moment. How about the commercials? I think some of them are far better than Superbowl commercials, which is lucky because we see them a lot more often! One of our favorites is the Allstate one where the shot put goes out of the stadium and demolishes a light pole, which falls on to several cars. Also, the one of Micheal Phelps "training" swim around the world.
Aug 24th, 2004, 01:46 PM
#50
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True the main network coverage in the US generally focuses on mainstream events that the US does well in. They would also show the most popular events (gymnastics, etc) even if the US was not represented.
This year there are three other cable networks that are showing a much greater variety of events that US may not be in at all. If you are interested in something different you can see world class ping-ping or Batmitton, which is really a site to see!
This year there are three other cable networks that are showing a much greater variety of events that US may not be in at all. If you are interested in something different you can see world class ping-ping or Batmitton, which is really a site to see!
Aug 24th, 2004, 01:58 PM
#52
The three "other cable networks" are all NBC. The US has people entered in almost every event and so a lot of them get some kind of coverage.
The game with the shuttlecocks is badminton.
The game with the shuttlecocks is badminton.
Aug 24th, 2004, 01:58 PM
#53
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I'm so so disappointed that NBC had no coverage of proud and strong athletes from Rhodesia or Upper Hippola!
Every time I turn on the TV its showing some AMERICAN winning a medal. How crass and vulgar! And just think how it must make the losers feel - they will be scarred mentally for years to come! A tenth place finisher has feelings too!
Winning isn't everything you know - its often more about competing with a hangover, a bloated gut from eating too much starchy greek food or being dead tired from late night hanky-panky in the dorms!
Wake up NBC and think globally - we are the world!
Every time I turn on the TV its showing some AMERICAN winning a medal. How crass and vulgar! And just think how it must make the losers feel - they will be scarred mentally for years to come! A tenth place finisher has feelings too!
Winning isn't everything you know - its often more about competing with a hangover, a bloated gut from eating too much starchy greek food or being dead tired from late night hanky-panky in the dorms!
Wake up NBC and think globally - we are the world!
Aug 24th, 2004, 02:21 PM
#54
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Long ago I became disenchanted with the Olympics because of the skewed judging. I would froth at the mouth watching pairs skating in the Winter Olympics. But guess it's like having a bad tooth in your mouth--you know if you touch it it will hurt, but you do it anyway.
I did think the opening ceremonies were fabulous! Original, beautiful, unusual and just overall the best.
We've been watching most every night on NBC, mostly for lack of anything else to watch (what with reruns and summer replacements) and I have enjoyed some of what we've seen. Why does a judging controversy always have to spoil it?
Will have an alternative tonight at 10:00 when the Amazing Race is on and I will be glued to the screen. :-B
I did think the opening ceremonies were fabulous! Original, beautiful, unusual and just overall the best.
We've been watching most every night on NBC, mostly for lack of anything else to watch (what with reruns and summer replacements) and I have enjoyed some of what we've seen. Why does a judging controversy always have to spoil it?
Will have an alternative tonight at 10:00 when the Amazing Race is on and I will be glued to the screen. :-B
Aug 24th, 2004, 02:21 PM
#55
Upper Hippola, now there's another one of those countries I've never heard of before. Rhodesia no longer exists, but Zimbabwe won two swimming medals.
Of course we want to see US athletes in their events. As that does involve almost all the events there are, it would be nice if we at least knew who the other participants were.
Of course we want to see US athletes in their events. As that does involve almost all the events there are, it would be nice if we at least knew who the other participants were.
Aug 24th, 2004, 02:34 PM
#57
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Regarding Paul Hamm, at least his voice is more masculine than Mike Tyson's.
In general, I am disgusted with the NBC coverage. It is heavily edited so as to follow the artificial story arc they are trying to create (and are able to since they know the results before they start the editing job).
I was in Mexico for the first week of the Olympics and ALL of the broadcast TV coverage was live - what a difference!
Just had to get that off my chest.
In general, I am disgusted with the NBC coverage. It is heavily edited so as to follow the artificial story arc they are trying to create (and are able to since they know the results before they start the editing job).
I was in Mexico for the first week of the Olympics and ALL of the broadcast TV coverage was live - what a difference!
Just had to get that off my chest.
Aug 24th, 2004, 02:48 PM
#58
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I was absolutely sickened by the audience at the men's gymnastics event last night. What a bunch of hooligans. They should have turned the hoses on the lot of them, booing the way they did. I bet the majority of them wouldn't know a balance beam from a bartop, unless there was a pint of gin sitting on it.
Who do these people think they are?? They are not experts. This is the reason we have JUDGES at sporting events. These are the Olmpic Games. This isn't American Idol, where you call in to vote for your favourite performer.
Now the Russian gymnast Khorkina is saying the women's all-around event was fixed. I supposed the judges pushed her off of the uneven bars that she fell off of?????
If you don't win a gold medal, all you have to do is cry like a baby until someone finally gives in and hands it to you.
Who do these people think they are?? They are not experts. This is the reason we have JUDGES at sporting events. These are the Olmpic Games. This isn't American Idol, where you call in to vote for your favourite performer.
Now the Russian gymnast Khorkina is saying the women's all-around event was fixed. I supposed the judges pushed her off of the uneven bars that she fell off of?????
If you don't win a gold medal, all you have to do is cry like a baby until someone finally gives in and hands it to you.
Aug 24th, 2004, 02:53 PM
#59
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Patriotism is more than wrapping oneself in the flag, and it took the Olympics to prove it.
Gary Hall Jr., when he took the gold in his swimming event, wrapped himself in a dressing robe that was created out of the American flag, stars and stripes and all.
Boom! He gets hit with a $5,000 fine by our Olympic committee. Why? Because he came on crass and overblown with braggadocio? No. Because his American flag bathrobe was made by a company that was NOT the "official supplier of such-and-such" for our "amateur" Olympic team. Unbelievable.
Gary Hall Jr., when he took the gold in his swimming event, wrapped himself in a dressing robe that was created out of the American flag, stars and stripes and all.
Boom! He gets hit with a $5,000 fine by our Olympic committee. Why? Because he came on crass and overblown with braggadocio? No. Because his American flag bathrobe was made by a company that was NOT the "official supplier of such-and-such" for our "amateur" Olympic team. Unbelievable.
