I find NBC’s Olympic coverage maddening. Asinine, really. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Olympics, and I like Bob Costas. So I’m willing to watch television for the first time since the Academy Awards last winter. But NBC doesn’t seem to care.

Everything here in Portland is tape-delayed. Events that could be live — like the women’s gymnastic all-around competition — are instead delayed three hours, putting them far past my bedtime. Why not run West Coast coverage from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m., NBC?

And why so much frickin’ beach volleyball? Is the sport really that popular? I don’t mind watching a match or two, but every single night? Ugh. Same with Michael Phelps. I admire what he’s done, and I’m glad to watch the races, but yesterday NBC not only ran a half-hour interview with Phelp, his mother, and his coaches, but they re-ran the same damn interview a few hours later. I would have rather watched archery! Or the equestrian events.

I would dearly love for some other network to outbid NBC in the near future so we can have a taste of what competent coverage might be like.

6 Replies to “A Gold Medal in Boring”

  1. BoxBoy says:

    Amen my brother, Amen!

  2. Lisa says:

    I entirely agree! Would that I could watch the gymnastics without missing sleep, catch some of the lesser known events like fencing, and not have to listen to bizarrely stupid commentary while I do it.

  3. Tiffany says:

    When I read the title, I thought a person from Boring, Oregon had won a gold metal.

    I agree with the rant.

  4. Lane says:

    One answer: Tivo.

    I only have basic cable, so I am only receiving the main NBC feed, which means I don’t get to watch some of the off sports like Team Handball, Table Tennis, Badminton, Field events (hammer, shot, javelin).

    But I do get to watch, nay fastforward through, TWO FRICKIN HOURS OF WOMEN’S MARATHON — BAH!

  5. I agree with your displeasure. I would like to see more obscure sports myself. I love to hear about the intricacies to a sport thats new to me.

  6. plonkee says:

    I haven’t heard anything good about the US Olympic coverage – but that’s mostly from British expats who were extremely disappointed that the track cycling wasn’t covered.

    If it’s any consolation, the time difference in the UK meant that all the coverage was between 3am and about midday. When I’m either asleep or at work. But I also managed to switch the tv on for extended coverage of the women’s triathlon which is no more interesting than the marathon.

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