Olympics Suck: Reason 1

[riverc0il]

I wonder how many of you guys complaining follow DH racing during the rest of the four years of non-Olympics? Honestly? I come from a racing background and there are few things less exciting on television than watching dozens of racers ski down the same course pretty much the same within a few tenths of a second. What videos get sent around the social networking channels? The winner and the crashes and that is about it.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Just seeing a story that Canadian Zamboni drivers screwed up the ice surface on the upcoming speedskating sprint. What an awesome sidebar between events. Too much Tim Horton coffee perhaps.
Greatest coverqge ever!

 

[WJenness]

I wonder how many of you guys complaining follow DH racing during the rest of the four years of non-Olympics? Honestly? I come from a racing background and there are few things less exciting on television than watching dozens of racers ski down the same course pretty much the same within a few tenths of a second. What videos get sent around the social networking channels? The winner and the crashes and that is about it.

I'll admit, I don't follow it much outside of the olympics...

My complaints are more with spending as much time as they do on stories such as the polar bears in manitoba... The olympics should be about the sports (IMHO). I understand sharing stuff about the host country, but that stuff doesn't interest me nearly as much as the competitions.

-w

 

[thinnmann]

I wonder how many of you guys complaining follow DH racing during the rest of the four years of non-Olympics? Honestly? I come from a racing background and there are few things less exciting on television than watching dozens of racers ski down the same course pretty much the same within a few tenths of a second. What videos get sent around the social networking channels? The winner and the crashes and that is about it.

IRONICALLY, Universal Sports had been doing a great job covering WC skiing, up until this week... So as of last winter I followed it fairly closely. Before that, it was kind of hit and miss, but always followed closer than I ever followed the NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR and other sports the media considers important.

Check out how much time they have spent explaining things, hosting us in and out of commercials, doing polar bears & Zambonis, while showing us a few SBX and DH races, and even only one pair of skaters. It is really pathetic.

 

[abc]

What about DVR? Those of you who has it, at least you can skip the commercials.

 

[riverc0il]

My complaints are more with spending as much time as they do on stories such as the polar bears in manitoba... The olympics should be about the sports (IMHO). I understand sharing stuff about the host country, but that stuff doesn't interest me nearly as much as the competitions.

Which speaks to that there are a lot of different viewers that care about a lot of different things and most people are not interested only in the competition but rather in the "essence" of the Olympic Games. If the Olympics were only about the sports, they wouldn't be able to compete on network television against its existing line up. Who really gives two craps about bobsledding and louging and curling? Where are these fans the other 3.9 years? Non-existent because most people don't care that much about them.

Just like your average Olympic viewer does not really care that much about skiing. People here don't seem to be taking issue with non-skiing coverage but are jumping all over NBC about mogul coverage and downhill coverage. How about the biathlon coverage on the first day? It was about five minutes before they cut away to live speed skating. No one is complaining about the lack of biathlon coverage on the first day. Why is that?

It just seems like everyone is arguing from a self centered perspective and not seeing or considering other perspectives and what other people, outside of an enthusist niche, want to watch.

 

[RootDKJ]

What about DVR? Those of you who has it, at least you can skip the commercials.

I was just going to suggest that. I hardly watch anything in real-time.

 

[WJenness]

Which speaks to that there are a lot of different viewers that care about a lot of different things and most people are not interested only in the competition but rather in the "essence" of the Olympic Games. If the Olympics were only about the sports, they wouldn't be able to compete on network television against its existing line up. Who really gives two craps about bobsledding and louging and curling? Where are these fans the other 3.9 years? Non-existent because most people don't care that much about them.

Just like your average Olympic viewer does not really care that much about skiing. People here don't seem to be taking issue with non-skiing coverage but are jumping all over NBC about mogul coverage and downhill coverage. How about the biathlon coverage on the first day? It was about five minutes before they cut away to live speed skating. No one is complaining about the lack of biathlon coverage on the first day. Why is that?

It just seems like everyone is arguing from a self centered perspective and not seeing or considering other perspectives and what other people, outside of an enthusist niche, want to watch.

You're right... And honestly, how NBC did beijing was perfect for me... Probably not for others, but they had all the live streams available online, and I was able to watch stuff I really cared about from an insider / enthusiast perspective (fencing) as it was happening, as well as other stuff that I was curious about, but had much lower exposure to (badminton, judo, greco roman wrestling, team handball). Watching wall to wall figure skating and polar bear coverage isn't my ideal, but I recognize that they probably make a lot of money by covering the games this way.

I'm just disappointed that they gave me a method to watch what I wanted and could see it all in Beijing, and have seemingly taken that avenue away. I'm guessing they did that because they felt like it cut into their profits from broadcasting the games (less eyes on the prime time coverage maybe?). Other countries are doing it for these games (granted most of them probably have government subsidies to do it, discussing the ramifications from that may get too close to the 'no politics' rule, so we'll skip that) so it's just upsetting to have the only outlet (NBC) controlling our access to the media from the games restrict a lot of us from what we want to see.

-w

 

[wa-loaf]

Which speaks to that there are a lot of different viewers that care about a lot of different things and most people are not interested only in the competition but rather in the "essence" of the Olympic Games. If the Olympics were only about the sports, they wouldn't be able to compete on network television against its existing line up. Who really gives two craps about bobsledding and louging and curling? Where are these fans the other 3.9 years? Non-existent because most people don't care that much about them.

Just like your average Olympic viewer does not really care that much about skiing. People here don't seem to be taking issue with non-skiing coverage but are jumping all over NBC about mogul coverage and downhill coverage. How about the biathlon coverage on the first day? It was about five minutes before they cut away to live speed skating. No one is complaining about the lack of biathlon coverage on the first day. Why is that?

It just seems like everyone is arguing from a self centered perspective and not seeing or considering other perspectives and what other people, outside of an enthusist niche, want to watch.

I think for all those sports there are followings (maybe not on this board). That they can't offer a live feed (even if it's just online) for those folks and then the tape delay recaps in the evening is pretty sad.

 

[ZYDECORICH]

IRONICALLY, Universal Sports had been doing a great job covering WC skiing, up until this week... So as of last winter I followed it fairly closely. Before that, it was kind of hit and miss, but always followed closer than I ever followed the NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR and other sports the media considers important.

Check out how much time they have spent explaining things, hosting us in and out of commercials, doing polar bears & Zambonis, while showing us a few SBX and DH races, and even only one pair of skaters. It is really pathetic.

i understand and agree to alot of this. at least you liked the Universal coverage.. I did alot of editing on that... thanks.. the rest is what it is. just as a side bar don't think the other networks would have done all that much better. Fox is notorious for ads, fluff, over the top grfx and obnoxious announcers... ESPN fawns over whoever they can book, CBS has Phil Simms and Nance... ok thats cool... can't argue that. ABC is known for their News (liz cho wow!) they all do it and your fooling yourself if you think not.

 

[witch hobble]

The figure skating often has the only reliable drama for the people who don't necessarily care about any one sport very much. So it is easy for them to schedule it. Enough skating events for it to go on every day for two weeks. Agonizingly spead out over the course of the evening, with skiing, curling, speedskating etc as filler that may or may not produce an exciting finish or captivating story to follow up on, or a US medal to stoke interest. I bet on the biathalon message board they are complaining about lack of coverage.

 

[billski]

IRONICALLY, Universal Sports had been doing a great job covering WC skiing, up until this week... So as of last winter I followed it fairly closely. .

Universal Sports is wholy owned by NBC. For the world cup events, I watched hour after hour of racer after racer, just as rivercoil described.

Alpine coverage has always been given the short shrift - coverage would do very little for the ratings. Now, Lindsey Vonn will attract a following and it's not because of her racing abilities - it will because it's a "human interest story" with drama and the like. NBC would kill for another Tanya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan drama. Look at how much press the tragic luge accident has caused. We've got another dramatic controversey and everyone wants to be an expert. Alpine racing is too much a precsion science to be dramatic. Then again another sensational crash, recorded in infamy for "the agony of dee-feat" would help the ratings.

Frankly however, I was a bit disappointed that NBC didn't offer some sort of for-pay live feed, or at least a delayed feed of the race. Cripes, if you're so worried about grabs from streaming it on the net, send me to a movie theater where I can sit with my hot buttered popcorn. I see money even in the fringe elements (you and me), don't you???

 

[Warp Daddy]

F NBC and all other us networks -- for 3 decades we've been lucky to watch CTV or CBC in pasy Olympics -- SKIING in Canada is HUGE they really cover in depth -- not too much human interest schlock

Costas is effin clueless and the hair came from a YAK -- i think the nether regions of said YAK

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

Which speaks to that there are a lot of different viewers that care about a lot of different things and most people are not interested only in the competition but rather in the "essence" of the Olympic Games. If the Olympics were only about the sports, they wouldn't be able to compete on network television against its existing line up. Who really gives two craps about bobsledding and louging and curling? Where are these fans the other 3.9 years? Non-existent because most people don't care that much about them.

Just like your average Olympic viewer does not really care that much about skiing. People here don't seem to be taking issue with non-skiing coverage but are jumping all over NBC about mogul coverage and downhill coverage. How about the biathlon coverage on the first day? It was about five minutes before they cut away to live speed skating. No one is complaining about the lack of biathlon coverage on the first day. Why is that?

It just seems like everyone is arguing from a self centered perspective and not seeing or considering other perspectives and what other people, outside of an enthusist niche, want to watch.

I would watch nearly everything if it was live. My point is if x country skiing/biathlon events I will watch them live, but will not watch them when replayed at 10:00 at night. DH Skiing I would rather watch live, but will attempt to stay up late enought to watch it in replay. Boarder X I watched results posted on a blog live, but then did stay up until I got to see the race............Seth being fellow Mainer and all.

And yes some of this is selffish in nature, but what is wrong with wanting to watch the Olympics live in some capacity........

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

i understand and agree to alot of this. at least you liked the Universal coverage.. I did alot of editing on that... thanks.. the rest is what it is. just as a side bar don't think the other networks would have done all that much better. Fox is notorious for ads, fluff, over the top grfx and obnoxious announcers... ESPN fawns over whoever they can book, CBS has Phil Simms and Nance... ok thats cool... can't argue that. ABC is known for their News (liz cho wow!) they all do it and your fooling yourself if you think not.

Thanks for stating the obvious.....boy thank god I got you setting me straight.

BTW ESPN is the worst with the fluff stories. Nothing like a fluff story on a accomplice in murder and a story about his church or something...gay.

 

[drjeff]

I think it's a safe bet to say that at least for her 1st races, NBC will devote a bit more time to Lindsey Vonn and the women's events then they did for the Men's Downhill. Lindsey's shin bruise most definitely adds to her story of these games, and that's the kind of stuff that can get even NBC to devote extra time too instead of showing some random figure skaters who at best come in 8th or worse!

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

I think it's a safe bet to say that at least for her 1st races, NBC will devote a bit more time to Lindsey Vonn and the women's events then they did for the Men's Downhill. Lindsey's shin bruise most definitely adds to her story of these games, and that's the kind of stuff that can get even NBC to devote extra time too instead of showing some random figure skaters who at best come in 8th or worse!

And the LJE story about her showboat move last time and her gold to silver meltdown....

 

[wa-loaf]

And the LJE story about her showboat move last time and her gold to silver meltdown....

You are mixing up Lindsey Vonn with that Jacobellis chick.

 

[x10003q]

Here is a review of NBC's Olympic DH coverage.

They showed us 6 skiers in 35 minutes and three sets of commercials. The race call was scripted after the competition. Now they at least are talking to Bode.

Here are the real-time notes I took:

At 8 minutes into NBC Olympic coverage tonight and I have seen one DH race - they skipped the first 6 skiers - one Bode Miller profile piece, and we are into the first set of commercials so far lasting two minutes...

At 17 minutes in there have been 3 skiers shown and into 2nd set of commercials. They only showed USA guy, Bode, Svindal; now back out of comercials with an on-hill Bode interview, and skip to Defago with totally post race scripted commentating. And I swear they have enhanced the sound of the crowd cheering. They also added in a lot of post race slow mo analysis and writing on the screen. O skip to a profile on Cuche - he deserves it. And back to commercials @ 25 minutes.

I predict that Cuche is the last skier they show, because he is winning the WC, but comes in 6th. Half an hour into the coverage and they have shown us 5 skiers. O I forgot they have to show a Canadian, especially because he crashes...

At least they showed the skiers in numerical order. Nyman was bib 6, Bode was bib 8, etc. In the golden olden Wide World of Sports days they used show the racers out of order in an attempt to build some drama.
They really do a great job covering the World Cup on Universal Sports. They should have had the DH live on Universal. Every newscast on the radio and tv (including the update crawl on NBC and Universal) gave the results. They still could have done what they did in prime time.

Didn't that course look like a big Super G? It seemed the racers were always turning.

 

[billski]

They should have had the DH live on Universal. QUOTE]

That's a good point. put a small piece of the olympics on universal sports. Load it full of commercials as far as I'm concerned.