olympics thoughts

[lirazel]

So despite my typical complete disinterest in sports that don't involve doing pretty twirling on ice or doing flips on four-inch-wide beams, I actually quite enjoy the Olympics. Mostly because of the ideal behind them--the idea of the whole world getting together peacefully to just have some serious fun. Like, that's beautiful (I wish there was something else where everyone in the world got together that way--something that doesn't involve sports, but what can you do?). And I know it doesn't always live up to the ideal (Munich 72), and I also know that there's really nothing fair about modern sports (the amount of training and the facilities the rich countries get skew everything horribly towards them), I still like it.

Mostly I like hearing the stories about the competitors--those little mini-documentaries we get--and I'm always on the lookout for a good story, some beautiful transcendant moment like that one swimmer from Equatorial Guinea who had never swum the length of a pool and yet kept going a few games ago, or the time the runner hurt his leg while running and his dad came down and helped him struggle through the end of the race--people, even if sports are silly (which, they really are when you think about it), that is gorgeous.

So I'm always on the lookout for things that construct narratives out of something that is essentially narrative-less (which I think is why I can enjoy sports movies without actually enjoying sports). Yay that.

But you know what I hatehatehate about the Olympics? NBC'S COVERAGE. The way they chop things up--we get fifteen minutes of swimming, then we're back to gymnastics for thirty minutes, then we're back to swimming, then we move over to diving. NO. DO NOT WANT. It's stupid because of the time difference--you absolutely could show all of each event at the same time. I feel like they're trying to manipulate me into watching things I don't want to watch--into keeping the TV on even during events I don't care about so as to make me watch ads so they can get money. Gross.

I would watch things online where you can do it all in one sitting, except that I like making icons while I watch, and I can't do both. So I'm stuck with muting the TV during things I don't care about while keeping one eye on the screen so I can turn the volume back up when something I like comes back on. UGH.

Also: Ryan Seacrest, go home. I cannot take you seriously.

I bet y'all in other countries have better coverage than we do, don't you? Tell me about it and make me jealous.

To close on a happier note: as I was watching the countries come into the arena on Friday night, the only thing I coud think of was I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE IN ONE PLACE.

Comments

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure other countries have better coverage too. The only thing NBC really has going for it is that on the weekend they spread the coverage to all of their channels (NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, Oxygen, etc.) so for that stretch of time they cover virtually everything. But their primetime coverage is incredibly annoying because, as you say, the way they chop things up, there's no narrative. I want to see an event in its entirity. Is that so difficult to do??!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Literally the only reason I can think of that they would do it that way is so that we have to watch everything whether we want to or not so they can rake in more ad money.

It's times like these that I wish I had a TiVo. Normally I don't care enough to actually need one, but right now I wish I had one.

[magisterequitum.livejournal.com]

NBC is the worst goddamn coverage. I hate it. I hate them. I hate the commentators.

I hate too that they've turned what should be an American bonding time into cat fights when someone ON THE SAME TEAM does better. Case in point: Jordyn and Aly. Now they hate each other! Also Ryan and Michael! LIKE COME ON.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

God, I felt so bad for Jordyn. I just kept yelling at the screen for them to GET THAT CAMERA OUT OF HER FACE OMG. I would have cried, too, of course she cried, but she didn't need everyone on earth to see it! And of course there's going to be some pain for her re: Aly, but the idea that they'll now be at each other's throats is ridiculous. I think both Ryan and Michael are kind of asses and probably really full of themselves, but I also think they're way more professional than the commentators are making them out to be. This is not the kind of drama that serious athletes get sucked into, come on.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I just kept yelling at the screen for them to GET THAT CAMERA OUT OF HER FACE OMG. I would have cried, too, of course she cried, but she didn't need everyone on earth to see it!

This! So this!

Have some decency. Leave the girl ALONE to compose herself. If you want to speak with her, speak with her TOMORROW! And for God's sake don't have her standing in the background as you interview her teamates. Think of those girls! Let the winners enjoy their moment. Allow that girl the room to grieve OFF CAMERA!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Seriously. I was so angry on her behalf.

[ellievanna.livejournal.com]

We have awesome coverage! One of the main TV channels in Sweden (which is owned by the state so no commercials) is doing all the coverage, and they've done an amazing job. The hosts are great, and people who've worked in sports for many years, the commentators are awesome and the coverage is great. They really went for not splitting things up as much as possible for us, which I really like. Plus, the additional events air either on their side channel, or on their website (for free and legal and all). They also adapted it to show as much Swedish medal possibilities as possible (which I suppose is not as much of a thing in the US since you are everywhere), for example, today they changed the schedule to show horse jumping for four hours, because we surprisingly had really good opportunities (we got silver! I'm so happy! :D). They also have regular talks to update people on events that have happened through the day. I'm sorry for babbling but I've been watching olympics constantly (seriously, the TV has been on all day long and we've seen olympics all the time. Good thing about it being in London is that we only have an hour time difference) and I'm really happy with the coverage we've got. :)

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's so lovely! I'm really glad for y'all! Doing it right.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

NBC's coverage really sounds awful. Over here we have two public service channels showing pretty much anything that's interesting live all day long, and web streaming of everything else.

On the other hand, you guys actually, like, win stuff. And you didn't look like complete dorks at the opening ceremony. So there's that? :)

[gillo]

I thought your guys looked cute. Did you see the Dutch had enormous plastic tulips?

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I kind of assumed those were bongs. :)

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

It is quite terrible.

We do have web streaming, though I haven't checked it out yet, so I don't know how good it is--I expect a lot of commercials.

It's true--we do win a lot. Though it hardly seems fair when our sports industrial complex is so big, you know?

I'm personally not a fan of how frumpy we looked in our Ralph Lauren, but I found y'all outfits like dorkily adorable and endearing.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Yes. Lots of commecials. But you can see stuff live, and the commentators aren't nearly as annoying.

[laeria.livejournal.com]

Well, and also there is https://www.examiner.com/article/olympics-opening-ceremony-tribute-to-london-terrorism-victims-not-shown-us and https://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/28/1114648/-NBC-We-skipped-terror-tribute-because-it-wasn-t-tailored-for-the-U-S-audience which fascinated me utterly, because I have this huge curiosity about things getting lost in translation, and this, kinda, qualifies.

I haven't been able to see Serbia's coverage, but generally it tends to be quite professional? Like, a bit stuffy to be honest, but none of that annoying nudge-nudgeness I think you're describing.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

^^ Whoa. I'd heard about NBC cutting the terror victim tribute, but I didn't realise they actually had the balls to be that blatant about why they did it.

[laeria.livejournal.com]

Right? It's like the evil cynical icing on the ugly cake of disrespect.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that made ZERO sense to anyone I know. Everyone I know was ticked off about it, because it was insulting both to the people it was intended to honor and to our intelligence. I made sure to email the video around once I got it. I'm still not sure what actually happened with that, though I find their explanation bull for various reasons.

I'd prefer the stuffiness, yeah.

[laeria.livejournal.com]

Definitely, it's insulting to absolutely everyone. I guess their explanation just prove that they're disconnected from their audiences - I cannot imagine even the most Ameri-centric viewers actually objecting to being reminded of the 7/7 tragedy.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I know no one who would have had a problem with it. It's unbelievable to me that that was really their thought process. It's such a ludicrous explanation that I feel like there must have been something else going on, but I can't imagine what it might be.

[gillo]

It's bloody hard here to get anything but the Olympics, as you'd probably expect. The BBC has multiple channels during the day, so you can watch pretty much anything live, with three hours of recorded highlights at least every evening. It's the BBC, so no adverts at all, of course, apart from trailers for their own shows.

I am not really interested in most sport, but for those who like this sort of thing, this really is the sort of thing they like.

The opening ceremony was broadcast live, of course, with an option of an alternative channel without commentary. The viewing figures were the highest in decades. Around half the population of the entire country was watching.

NBC are clearly a bunch of jerks and dopes. Are they staffed by former Fox schedulers, do you think?

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

NBC doesn't need FOX schedulers. NBC is the lowest rated network for a reason.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's about what I expected.

You had a no-commentary option? That's AMAZING. Our commentary pissed me off--it was so asinine, ugh. It really took away from the visuals.

Are they staffed by former Fox schedulers, do you think?

Unfortunately I think there are enough idiots here to staff both stations.

[zombie_boogie.livejournal.com]

There are plenty of problems with the Olympic Games, and the competitive sports mindset, but I love the Olympics for the same reasons you do - the human stories.

I don't know how Americans tolerate NBC's coverage - from the constant flipping back and forth to only airing things in primetime to almost exclusively focusing on American athletes during events. CTV's coverage is pretty good - there is obviously a Canadian focus in terms of event selection and who they focus on, but they also cover major non-Canadian events as well as just good general human interest stories. They're also pretty good at covering things for a decent amount of time, showing stuff at all different times of day, and not having obnoxious broadcasters. Bless you Brian Williams.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Yup--I'm like the least competitive person on the planet, and it's not something I value, though I admire the hardwork and dedication (to an extent--I think with some people it becomes unhealthy). But I like stories of extremes, and the games do provide them.

I don't know how I tolerate it, either. Y'all's way sounds fantastic, like a really good balance. I like Brian Williams! Has he gone back to Canada? I never watch the news anymore, so I didn't know.

[zombie_boogie.livejournal.com]

Oh haha I wasn't actually referring to this Brian Williams. I was referring to this one!

And when I was looking up Brian Williams to try and decide whether I got his name wrong, I came across a couple of articles about NBC vs. CTV coverage.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Haha! Such a common name, I shouldn't have assumed. And now I remember--it's not Brian Williams who's from Canada, it's Peter Jennings, another one of our big-time newscasters. I got all mixed up!

Ooooh! I will definitely check out those articles--thank you so much!

[blackfrancine.livejournal.com]

Weirdly, I love the Olympics. There's just SO much human drama. I've come up with the plot to no less than 4 movies in the past few days while watching. Granted, the 4 movies are basically the same--but they're good. Like, Karate Kid good. (PS, I love The Karate Kid).

And holy moly on the attractive people. Watching the Olympics gives me a whole new understanding for Renaissance artists--just appreciating the human form. I swear, one of the US men's gymnasts was like a comic book super hero--I could see his abs through his shirt. Yowza.

And--YES to your Ryan Seacrest problems. What is wrong with the world? Since when is Ryan Seacrest a journalist of ANY sort, let alone a sports journalist? Seriously? We can't pull someone off of one of the TWENTY BILLION sports channels and let them interview athletes? Seacrest is basically just reading notecards that someone else prepared for him--he doesn't ask follow ups or know how to banter with guests. It's absurd.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything in this comment. Everything.

About Renaissance artists, a favorite quote:

"Modern art is what happens when painters stop looking at girls and persuade themselves that they have a better idea." - John Ciardi

I mean, I like some modern art, but seriously, there will never be a better idea than the human form. We can keep making art about it until the end of time and not exhaust the potential. If I were a sculptor I'd just make six zillion statues of people's hands or twenty million of their cheekbones. Our bodies are crazy amazing.