Winter Olympics general discussion

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

That's pretty sweet. I know countries want to show off their modern engineering marvels in stadium technology, especially since they'll use those stadiums long term for future events, but it'd be sweet to have a throw-back winter olympics with outdoor hockey and curling like that.

 

My favorite Bills game the past decade minus the buzzer beaters was when the stadium lost power and the first half was played without any announcing, PA, scoreboard, etc. It was just the game and your understanding and appreciation of it.

[josie]

It isn't the network exec that decides it. It's the advertisers that decide it for him. Like it or not skating, like gymnastics, generates the highest ratings via the large female audience those events generate.

 

GO BILLS!!!

Skating and gymnastics get wayyyy too much coverage imo. You could argue that's to appeal to ladies- the whole ice princess/america's sweetheart thing. But on the other side of the coin, during the summer olympics, other than gymnastics all NBC covers is beach volleyball. Want to watch cycling? Too bad. Track and field other than a Major Superstar competing for a new world record/gold? Nope. Regular volleyball? Good luck.They show the skimpier clothed version spritzed with a golden california tan so every male viewers eyeballs are glued to that screen... and the ads in between. I've been avoiding NBC like the plague and just watching what I want via BBC when it's live. So, lots of ski jumping, skiing and speed skating.

 

oh, and I'm a little tired of NBC seeming to deem an athlete worthy of a story only if they have had something super sad/terrible happen to them and/or their family. Inspiration. Overcoming adversity. Fantastic. But it feels like a bad tabloid. Well, I guess it is.

[Eleven]

My favorite Bills game the past decade minus the buzzer beaters was when the stadium lost power and the first half was played without any announcing, PA, scoreboard, etc. It was just the game and your understanding and appreciation of it.

 

Chargers, about five years ago or so?

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

Chargers, about five years ago or so?

 

Yep. It was amazing how many of the young fans don't understand the game at all. If you have ref signals, chains, and eyes....you're good to go.

[JJFIVEOH]

Skating and gymnastics get wayyyy too much coverage imo. You could argue that's to appeal to ladies- the whole ice princess/america's sweetheart thing. But on the other side of the coin, during the summer olympics, other than gymnastics all NBC covers is beach volleyball. Want to watch cycling? Too bad. Track and field other than a Major Superstar competing for a new world record/gold? Nope. Regular volleyball? Good luck.They show the skimpier clothed version spritzed with a golden california tan so every male viewers eyeballs are glued to that screen... and the ads in between. I've been avoiding NBC like the plague and just watching what I want via BBC when it's live. So, lots of ski jumping, skiing and speed skating.

 

oh, and I'm a little tired of NBC seeming to deem an athlete worthy of a story only if they have had something super sad/terrible happen to them and/or their family. Inspiration. Overcoming adversity. Fantastic. But it feels like a bad tabloid. Well, I guess it is.

 

I was talking to somebody about that last night and we both agreed it was getting really old. Why does there need to be a story behind everything, why do they need to dramatize every event? We just wanted to see them focus on an athlete that was just happy to be there, talk about how good they were and they expected to win, talk about going home and getting back to work. I don't mean to sound cold, I feel sorry for him, but I was pretty sick of hearing about Bode Miller. The way they had his wife mic'ed up for his last run was comical.

[LGR4GM]

I agree with the points about the dramatized back stories taking over. Sometimes there is a place for it, like there was a snowboard cross guy or ski cross or something that his mom died in August and he was really motivated to win because of her. That is something you say because it is true. Some of these stories are dredged up and shoved into peoples faces. Everyone has to over come adversity to become an Olympic athlete. This happens in 100 different forms and fashions from the poor kid begging for money to the rich kid beaten with expectation.

 

Some stories should be told but every athlete doesn't need some unholy tragedy to push them or prod them. Some people are built to do it and everyone has problems in life. I feel like NBC is trying to bring in lots of shmaltz to liven things up when they don't need to. It reminds of White Christmas when Bing calls Ed Harrison and Harrison wants to play up the forgotten man angle and tear out the audience's hearts. Bing says no, thats not the idea. The idea of the Olympics is trying to see if you are the best at something. You don't need some drummed up back story to pull it all together.

[Iron Crotch]

I agree with the points about the dramatized back stories taking over. Sometimes there is a place for it, like there was a snowboard cross guy or ski cross or something that his mom died in August and he was really motivated to win because of her. That is something you say because it is true. Some of these stories are dredged up and shoved into peoples faces. Everyone has to over come adversity to become an Olympic athlete. This happens in 100 different forms and fashions from the poor kid begging for money to the rich kid beaten with expectation.

 

Some stories should be told but every athlete doesn't need some unholy tragedy to push them or prod them. Some people are built to do it and everyone has problems in life. I feel like NBC is trying to bring in lots of shmaltz to liven things up when they don't need to. It reminds of White Christmas when Bing calls Ed Harrison and Harrison wants to play up the forgotten man angle and tear out the audience's hearts. Bing says no, thats not the idea. The idea of the Olympics is trying to see if you are the best at something. You don't need some drummed up back story to pull it all together.

 

As of yesterday, NBC has done 35 stories on an athlete's dead relative and counting. It really is ridiculous. The interview with Bode Miller where he was asked repeatedly about his dead brother was just wrong.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Potato

[JJFIVEOH]

It's a real shame. I thought NBC did a good job the last two Olympics. This Winter Games has been an absolute joke. From the media coverage, to the stories, to the hype and the poor scheduling. They're using five channels, with all the coverage they show they could probably squeeze it all into one channel if they aired 24 hours. I hope they get their act together for the next one.

[drnkirishone]

Yep. It was amazing how many of the young fans don't understand the game at all. If you have ref signals, chains, and eyes....you're good to go.

I am usually the go to person when the volume is off or cant be heard for games. If your gonna tell me you just love the game then you have to take the time to at least learn the signals..... same goes for hockey....... damned fairweather yuppie fans

 

Skating and gymnastics get wayyyy too much coverage imo. You could argue that's to appeal to ladies- the whole ice princess/america's sweetheart thing. But on the other side of the coin, during the summer olympics, other than gymnastics all NBC covers is beach volleyball. Want to watch cycling? Too bad. Track and field other than a Major Superstar competing for a new world record/gold? Nope. Regular volleyball? Good luck.They show the skimpier clothed version spritzed with a golden california tan so every male viewers eyeballs are glued to that screen... and the ads in between. I've been avoiding NBC like the plague and just watching what I want via BBC when it's live. So, lots of ski jumping, skiing and speed skating.

I never have issue with the underlined..... and It is one of the sports I always make sure to watch during the summer games. Granted I do normally track it down on the "other" channels for round robin play Edited February 19, 2014 by drnkirishone

[shrader]

I am usually the go to person when the volume is off or cant be heard for games. If your gonna tell me you just love the game then you have to take the time to at least learn the signals..... same goes for hockey....... damned fairweather yuppie fans

 

There is a limit to that though, especially with football. How many different penalties does the false start sign represent? Without volume and going with the standard meaning of that signal, many people watching the superbowl probably thought the game should still be 0-0 after that first play.

[Eleven]

Yep. It was amazing how many of the young fans don't understand the game at all. If you have ref signals, chains, and eyes....you're good to go.

 

Once we finally got into the stadium, it was a pleasure. The crowd pushing at the gate to get in because the scanners didn't work, well, that wasn't so much fun at all.

[SwampD]

Being gay may not be a choice, but being fabulous is absolutely a choice. Johnny Weir is absolutely fabulous.

[LGR4GM]

As of yesterday, NBC has done 35 stories on an athlete's dead relative and counting. It really is ridiculous. The interview with Bode Miller where he was asked repeatedly about his dead brother was just wrong.

That is disgusting.

[dEnnis the Menace]

That is disgusting.

 

That interview was BS. I felt so bad for him. I wanted to punch the reporter

[Jsixspd]

As of yesterday, NBC has done 35 stories on an athlete's dead relative and counting. It really is ridiculous. The interview with Bode Miller where he was asked repeatedly about his dead brother was just wrong.

 

It's hard to believe the network of Mike Milbury would do something wrong. :lol:

 

My productivity working from my home office is low today, I gotta admit.

[biodork]

Being gay may not be a choice, but being fabulous is absolutely a choice. Johnny Weir is absolutely fabulous.

 

lol indeed. And no joke: when they first showed he and Tara Lipinski in the studio with Bob Costas, my first thought was "why are they interviewing Paul Reuben about figure skating?"

[spndnchz]

The Russian hockey team has gone missing.

[Huckleberry]

The Russian hockey team has gone missing.

 

Siberia is where i'd start looking :D

[K-9]

That interview was BS. I felt so bad for him. I wanted to punch the reporter

 

In fairness to the reporter, she asked two skiing related questions to start off and during the answer of the second one, Bode Miller brought up his brother's passing. Could she have chosen not to follow-up on that angle? Yeah, probably. But it was Miller's choice to go there to begin with.

 

It's also worth noting that MIller and the reporter are long time friends who have known each other through the pro racing circuit for years. I think that offered a certain intimacy and comfort level.

Edited February 19, 2014 by K-9

[apuszczalowski]

The Russian hockey team has gone missing.

Can anyone confirm that they actually showed up?

[dEnnis the Menace]

In fairness to the reporter, she asked two skiing related questions to start off and during the answer of the second one, Bode Miller brought up his brother's passing. Could she have chosen not to follow-up on that angle? Yeah, probably. But it was Miller's choice to go there to begin with.

 

It's also worth noting that MIller and the reporter are long time friends who have known each other through the pro racing circuit for years. I think that offered a certain intimacy and comfort level.

 

did not realize that part. I know he brought it up, but I don't think I would've kept digging in there.

[JJFIVEOH]

Every time I see Fred Roggin I think of Christopher McDonald. Juice by Tappy, juice by Tappy, Tappy's got juice, Tappy's got juice, whooooaaaa Tappy!

[SwampD]

lol indeed. And no joke: when they first showed he and Tara Lipinski in the studio with Bob Costas, my first thought was "why are they interviewing Paul Reuben about figure skating?"

It really is amazing what you can find on the internet.

[biodork]

It really is amazing what you can find on the internet.

 

 

LOL that's awesome

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Jennifer Jones and her ever so hot curlers were perfect (11 - 0) in winning the gold for Canada.

 

http://olympics.cbc.ca/news/article/jennifer-jones-skips-canada-gold-women-curling.html