So many words have been written about this that it probably falls into the category of beating a dead horse, but I can't help myself.
Never mind that one of the most dramatic moments of these Games was relegated to MSNBC, that being the U.S.-Canada hockey game. At least I get MSNBC at my house, and was able to enjoy what surely was one of the most dramatic games involving the U.S. since the Miracle on Ice.
And now, more than 3 hours after the end of the game, the tape-delayed West Coast coverage switches to "the last minute" of the game, followed by Bob Costas breathlessly talking about how Canadian newspapers all over the country will be talking about this game. And then, a quick cut to Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth breathlessly talking about how dramatic the game was.
Well, shame on you Bob, Al and Cris for participating in this charade. And screw you, NBC. Yeah, we'll keep watching, because we really don't have any choice, do we? But make no mistake about it - what you're doing with these Games demonstrates a contempt for your audience the likes of which hasn't been seen since...oh well, about three weeks ago, I guess.
8 comments:
I'm so with you on this. Criminy! Every frakkin' two year, we get the crappiest of coverage from the Peacock network! Thanks for posting this.
You're welcome!
I can understand tape delay when the Games are on the other side of the world (even if I don't like it), but for them to be delayed when they're in the same time zone? Just absurd.
Uh, NBC? What Jeff said! We were also fortunate to be able to watch the game on MSNBC. Now THAT was Olympic competition at its most exciting best!
And speaking of broadcast of major sports events, I'm really hoping that we don't get screwed on coverage of the World Cup in South Africa this year!
Thanks for this post and your comment on my Michael Connelly post, Jeff! Glad to "meet" you!
Living in London, I am having a completely different experience. Unfortunately, we are in the "wrong" timezone, so watching events live doesn't really make sense, except some of the daytime stuff, like Alpine Skiing (which we can see at night). On the other hand, each event we see, we see in its entirety. You have no idea how different this is and for a true sports fan, how awesome. Though the big stuff is shown on BBC, far better is the coverage on a channel called Eurosport. As it sounds, it is shown across Europe, taking away all nationalism. Futhermore, the network shows one event at a time, so for example, from 5:30 to 6:15 pm tonight, we get the first run of the Men's Giant Slalom (all of it). I watched the mens 30 km cross country event in its entirety Friday night. Weird, but great in a way that highlights what I like about the Winter Olympics: New sports, great competitors.
For what it is worth, this same network covers the Tour de France each year and does it equally well.
Cheers.
CK
Christine, I think the World Cup coverage is on ESPN? Even with their faults, I think they'll do a good job. I've heard rumblings that they plan to bid for the next available Olympics, so maybe there is light at the end of a far tunnel.
Craig, you don't know how lucky you are. Though there are moments when NBC shines, they are few and far between - the coverage is like ABC's old "Up Close and Personal" run amok.
You know this time delayed broadcasting is only because the larger market share is on the East Coast. Follow the dollars.
Fight the power!
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