Olympic Opening Ceremonies

[mirandashell]

The BBC said today that NBC had apologised and said they didn't realise it was a tribute to the 7/7 victims. Quite what they thought it was, I don't know.

[veinglory]

Um, quite. I watched it online and it was pretty self-explanatory--and was shown at a considerable delay so it didn't sneak up on them. One also assumes the networks were given an event agenda.

[mirandashell]

I honestly don't know. Maybe they were just desperate for a space to interview Ryan Seacrest.

[veinglory]

War in Terror! (Except when Seacrest has something to say).

[fredXgeorge]

We have terrible coverage in Australia too. I mean, obviously most the events happen while we're asleep but Nine has the rights and, despite having 3 channels, they don't start showing any Olympics until 7pm! Instead we get The Bachelorette, and Seinfeld and Bewitched repeats??? They do have an extra channel which shows the Olympics most of the day but most of the country can't even bloody access it! So frustrating.

[JohnnyGottaKeyboard]

Originally Posted by fredXgeorge

We have terrible coverage in Australia too. I mean, obviously most the events happen while we're asleep but Nine has the rights and, despite having 3 channels, they don't start showing any Olympics until 7pm! Instead we get The Bachelorette, and Seinfeld and Bewitched repeats??? They do have an extra channel which shows the Olympics most of the day but most of the country can't even bloody access it! So frustrating.

I'm American and am relying on NBC for my coverage. It's interesting that so few other countries are entered into men's gymnastics. Other than the Americans I have seen one Irish person, two Germans, and a Romanian--all of whom apparently competed in only one event each. There are maybe one or two Chinese and a fellow from Japan who did two events. Amazing that the rest of the world is so completely uninterested in gymnastics.

[fredXgeorge]

And you guys don't get the events live, do you? That's a common complaint I've seen from Americans. I mean, I think we at least get most events live, it's just that that is between 7pm-9am.

[JohnnyGottaKeyboard]

Originally Posted by fredXgeorge

And you guys don't get the events live, do you? That's a common complaint I've seen from Americans. I mean, I think we at least get most events live, it's just that that is between 7pm-9am.

My biggest complaint is that it is so incredibly Yankeecentric. The Olympics are supposed to be a time for the world to come together. But if you watch swimming on American tv you have to believe that the Olympics were staged so that Michael Phelps could compete against Ryan Lochte.

[fredXgeorge]

Originally Posted by JohnnyGottaKeyboard

My biggest complaint is that it is so incredibly Yankeecentric. The Olympics are supposed to be a time for the world to come together. But if you watch swimming on American tv you have to believe that the Olympics were staged so that Michael Phelps could compete against Ryan Lochte.

Yeah I've seen a lot of complaints about that, too. In fact, John Green tweeted about an hour ago saying exactly that.

Has NBC always had the Olympics? It seems like it's a new thing this year.

[JohnnyGottaKeyboard]

Originally Posted by fredXgeorge

Has NBC always had the Olympics? It seems like it's a new thing this year.

They've had them at least since 84, i know this because I worked for them (NBC) for them (LA Olympics) at the time.

[fredXgeorge]

Originally Posted by JohnnyGottaKeyboard

They've had them at least since 84, i know this because I worked for them (NBC) for them (LA Olympics) at the time.

Ah well then I was right off lol.

[JohnnyGottaKeyboard]

Well tonight in Primetime (Monday 7/30), NBC abandoned the American team once it started to implode and focused on the three medal contenders--tho they showed only a few events (no rings!!! and no high bar!) and they couldn't even be bothered to show all the final scores (despite the fact that it came down to a contested score from Japan)!

NBC's men's gymnastics coverage totally sucked from start to finish.

[K. Taylor]

They flashed them on the screen for like 2 seconds, but yeah.

This is the worst coverage of the men's gymnastics they've ever done, to be honest. It used to get more air time than this and you'd see all the apparatus. Individual gets more than team.

The women's is more popular, so that should have more coverage, but we'll see.

[Stiger05]

Originally Posted by JohnnyGottaKeyboard

Well tonight in Primetime (Monday 7/30), NBC abandoned the American team once it started to implode and focused on the three medal contenders--tho they showed only a few events (no rings!!! and no high bar!) and they couldn't even be bothered to show all the final scores (despite the fact that it came down to a contested score from Japan)!

NBC's men's gymnastics coverage totally sucked from start to finish.

I have been so frustrated with the men's gymnastics coverage! No rings! I didn't see a single competitor on the rings. I know they were there, I could see them on screen next to the pommel horse. Why didn't they show it? They showed high bar during the qualifiers and then a couple of the Chinese and Japanese competitors on that and the parallel bars. Did the US not compete in those events? Did we just suck too bad so they didn't show anyone? Ugh. I enjoy watching the women, which is more popular here, but I actually prefer watching the men. They have so much power! And I didn't see the scores either.

We got a few seconds of equestrian coverage finally last night, but all they did was talk about how the jumps were British landmarks, oh and the Queen's granddaughter rode. That's it.

I enjoy the swimming but I'm honestly getting tired of it. I fast-fowarded during most of it last night.

I don't remember the coverage being this bad in the past. On Saturday, NBC had three channels (that I got--there was a fourth too) with coverage. The last couple days they've really just shown the Games on the main channel. The others have been Real Housewives of Whatever, etc. Get with it NBC.

[backslashbaby]

All the gymnastics coverage is pissing me off! I like to see every Russian, Chinese, Romanian, and German at a minimum. Certainly this year the Brits would also be on that shortlist (YAY for the Bronze, y'all!) and the Ukranians. Men's and women's.

I can't believe we are seeing so few performances.

Telemundo occasionally throws in a different country (and obviously countries like Mexico... so Latin-centric ), but they aren't giving much more complete coverage.

Watching it live doesn't really work because the events take place at the same times

The coverage was much better back in the day. I can't remember who had it, but it used to be much more complete.

eta - oh, Telemundo still gives the best actual coverage of each routine. They don't just blabber or talk about the gymnasts' parents the whole time. I love the human-interest angles, but during the actual event I want to hear technical discussion.

[Priene]

Originally Posted by backslashbaby

Watching it live doesn't really work because the events take place at the same times

This probably isn't going to work if you're outside the UK, but have you tried the BBC? They have at least three or four dedicated terrestrial channels and eight billion streams on the net.

[Nick Rolynd]

It's quite interesting seeing what all these other countries are doing to screw up the Olympics coverage. I'm actually in the UK right now, so I'm getting live coverage--which I suppose is decent, but I don't have any first hand comparisons. Glad I'll be staying over here until all the events I want to see are done. It sounds like NBC has turned into a nightmare again... >.>

I actually watched the women's team gymnastics earlier--the first event I fully watched do to various trips around England over the weekend--and thought they did a decent job covering most of the teams. Though, of course, they focused more on the few teams in the top spots.

Although, I remember when the Olympics started a few days ago and Cavendish lost the road race that they would not stop talking about it. They kept framing it like everyone was "out to beat England," as if no one could fathom wanting to win an Olympic event because it's an Olympic event. It was kind of irritating because they kept repeating the same "shock and horror" sequence of the guy's loss over and over and refused to give the winner any actual attention.

I'm not sure how much the BBC has been doing that since then, though, because I only watch a few select events.

[mirandashell]

They've only really done it with Cavendish.

[Nick Rolynd]

^ Good to know. I feared it would be a running theme.

[JohnnyGottaKeyboard]

How is the Bronze-Silver-Bronze status of the men's gymnastics team playing out over in Britain? Personally I think Kohei did NOT attain a handstand on the horse, and (also) personally I don't think a score should change unless there can be no question on reviewing the tape that a mis-scoring has occurred.

[mirandashell]

I don't think anyone is too bothered about it, to be honest. Anyone who follows gymnastics knows that this kind of thing happens and we're just so pleased to get any medal that it's not a problem.

And the gymnasts themselves are not making a fuss so...

[Stiger05]

Originally Posted by Nick Rolynd

Although, I remember when the Olympics started a few days ago and Cavendish lost the road race that they would not stop talking about it. They kept framing it like everyone was "out to beat England," as if no one could fathom wanting to win an Olympic event because it's an Olympic event. It was kind of irritating because they kept repeating the same "shock and horror" sequence of the guy's loss over and over and refused to give the winner any actual attention.

I'm not sure how much the BBC has been doing that since then, though, because I only watch a few select events.

Here, NBC has done the same thing with women's gymnastics. Instead of focusing on the two girls who made the all-around, they're focusing on the one who didn't. They keep showing her crying over, and over, and over. They talk about her, the camera follows her, it's irritating. We get it, it's sad, move on. We didn't even see the beam score for the anchor girl!

Although I am glad they finally showed some other teams. I absolutely love watching the Russian gymnasts. The Americans are skilled, but the Russians are so graceful, and the Romanians on beam was a real treat.

[backslashbaby]

Originally Posted by Priene

This probably isn't going to work if you're outside the UK, but have you tried the BBC? They have at least three or four dedicated terrestrial channels and eight billion streams on the net.

I'm going to mask my IP and do that! NBC's coverage of women's gymnastics last night was just too much. We got to see the Russians, but we missed the competition for Bronze (so the fight for 3rd and 4th). Apparently the Chinese messed up, for instance, but there was nary even a clip of it.

The Russians' artistry is still so brilliant! I wish we'd get back to copying their ballet skills The US girls did fabulous, though! We did rock on technical stuff (except parallel, but Gabby solved that!) and the performances were amazing to see.

[mirandashell]

Why is Gabriel Douglas known as The Flying Squirrel?

And yeah, your girls did really well.

[JohnnyGottaKeyboard]

Originally Posted by Stiger05

Here, NBC has done the same thing with women's gymnastics. Instead of focusing on the two girls who made the all-around, they're focusing on the one who didn't. They keep showing her crying over, and over, and over. They talk about her, the camera follows her, it's irritating. We get it, it's sad, move on. We didn't even see the beam score for the anchor girl!

Although I am glad they finally showed some other teams. I absolutely love watching the Russian gymnasts. The Americans are skilled, but the Russians are so graceful, and the Romanians on beam was a real treat.

Originally Posted by backslashbaby

NBC's coverage of women's gymnastics last night was just too much. We got to see the Russians, but we missed the competition for Bronze (so the fight for 3rd and 4th). Apparently the Chinese messed up, for instance, but there was nary even a clip of it.

I have a theory about this that has been forming since NBC messed up American Susuki last month.

I think Reality TV (Big Brother/Survivor, et al) has convinced whomever is incharge of these things, that there has to be A NARRATIVE--no one wants to watch just plain old competition anymore--they have to have A STORY they can follow. And even worse, the story has to be simple.

The theory explains the debacle that was Men's coverage. Ug, it annoys me just to remember it. And it explains why anyone watching gymnastics on NBC last night would assume only two women's teams competed. And NBC is so unsubtle about it--did you all notice that we never even saw the final score on (Alex's) on floor exercise?