just watched the closing ceremonies
 

i didn't get home in time to watch the whole production but when it comes on tonight i highly recommend watching. if 378 brides rocking out to ricky martin doing salsa doesn't sound too boring. ok - i know - you just gotta see it! and andrea bocelli

WOW! Thanks for the heads up. I taped it and just watched it. Taping is great because I could fast forward through the boring parts. The "flying" guys were great. Andrea Bocelli's voice is pure heaven! Who ever thought Andrea B. and Ricky Martin would perform at the same venue??!!

Oh, so this is why all those "overaged brides" came out - for Ricky! Thanks to your post, I know now.

It was awful, the way the closing was presented. First, it took an hour down the memory lane to the WWII... would people interested in the Olympics be patient to watch that? Nobody at my work (law firm) did. It would be a nice program on KQED named appropriately, but not Olympics.

And the commentaries... first time I'm glad it's over and I hope the next one won't be presented by NBC.

faina, i live in maine and pick up a couple canadian tv stations. so i got to listen to a whole diff sort of commentary. actually i liked the canadian coverage better all the way through. for starters they showed things live as opposed to nbc's long tape delay so they can air during prime time. and a less ethno-centric view point. their commentators seemed genuinely excited when non-canadians won.
glad to know the brides confused someone else...

Faina,
That's why I taped it. I couldn't understand why they pretended that first hour had anything to do with the Olympics. I only watched the entertainment sections of the closing ceremonies and they were quite good!

Ugh, totally agree -- NBC coverage was awful. They treated it like it was a hard-nosed investigation series, and the athlete "interviews" sounded more like interrogations. I felt like I was watching like "Front Lines: The Olympics!" Ugh.

Virginia, I used to live in Seattle, and like you, always watched CBC's coverage which was far superior to whichever American company was broadcasting the games.

Another thumbs up to the Canadian coverage -- far superior to NBC's. I will miss Terri Libel from the morning host position -- she is retiring from the Olympic coverage team -- it was just so nice to have a female handle the lead role for awhile. Bob Costas was just a big blabermouth -- it seemed nothing he said was ever original or natural -- all very scripted and reheased -- since it was taped -- how many takes does it require to go to the next taped event -- and not return to it for another hour.

I read in the paper today that NBC is expected to make $50 million profit despite the low ratings. That's understandable since 9 out of 10 times when I turned to watch some competition there was a commercial instead.

A+ to the USA's Olympic Ice -- very funny and entertaining for a closer look at the figure skating behind the scenes -- liked "Press Dick's Button" and host Mary Carillo should get NBC's look as a prime time host.

A+ to the curling coverage -- outstanding announcers and miked coverage which brings the stategy and chesslike moves into play. The US men looked buff in their nike outfits.

I, too, was somewhat dissappointed in NBC's coverage. Not having cable did limit us since it seemed like much was shown on their cable stations (I would have like to have seen the curling) But, honestly, to show NASCAR on Sunday afternoons instead of the Olympics (please don't hate me, NASCAR fans. Yes, I know it was the Daytona 500)
Also, we tuned in to the Sunday morning NBC show and, while they were broadcasting from Torino, they would show fashion shows and stories about chocolate and how to make risotto and very little Olympic coverage. What's up with that!

Virginia, on American TV a big share of commentaries was made by a canadian skating couple.

Maybe they were picked for his cute some-what french accent. Maybe because they cried out to become a co-gold medalists (it's not me, it's what I heard on TV: CO-gold medalists, I kid you not!!)

For whatever reason the candians were picked to comment on the Olympics on the US TV... how was it on the Canadian screen? Reverse: US commentators? Somehow I doubt it.

Well, I just came back from Florida and spent the last two weeks watching NBC's coverage from time to time. It was not very good to say the least..Americans would of had to stay up quite late to take in the day's competitions. Why could they not have done some coverage live? Coming back to Toronto on Friday, I was able to see how CBC did...a great job...though proud Canadians, a lot more international in their approach, i.e., you heard about the successes of other athletes not just of the American ones.

Seriously, can someone explain the brides? It really was sort of creepy.

It was probably reincarnation of HillBillies when women came to leave a resume, only here at the Olympics they were ready. Seriously ready.

Those brides couldn't be all from Utah you think?