I have been a fan of the Olympics for forever.....are you? If you are, then you know the coverage for these Olympics was the best ever. 24-7 on at least one of the four channels---even the Spanish channel had it going for a couple of hours a day. You could see all kinds of sports, not just the usual and most popular. NBC did a great job!!! Bob Costas was terrific but what was Chris Collinsworth doing there? Oh, yeah....the tie-in to the coming NFL season. Duh! Setting that aside, what was your favorite moment and your observations? Mine definitely came through my female prism. Did you notice that women athletes did really well this year? Yes, Michael Phelps was unbelievable and lucky. He is the most decorated athlete ever but I was disappointed that both he and his mother immediately scurried off to make commercials and promotions. He didn't even stay for the closing ceremony. He was in London promoting the next Olympics, I think and his mom had a Johnson & Johnson commerical screening during coverage before the Games even ended. Truly living the American Dream.
But not as noticed were all the women who won gold or lesser medals in the Pole Vault (Silver), Discus Throw (gold), Rowing (gold), Gymnastics (Gold & Silver), Beach Volleyball (Gold), Swimming (Gold, Silver & Bronze), Volleyball (Gold), Softball (Gold), Soccer (Gold), Track (Gold, Silver & Bronze) etc... I am sure there are more but those are the ones I remember. The women were fabulous to watch and while I am not sure, I think they won more medals overall than the men. Thank you Title Nine!!
And there were other moments that just plain left me with my mouth wide in amazement---How about the man in the 120 lb. wrestling category from US who won the gold. He was the son of undocumented Mexican immigrants!!! Or the guy on the firing range whose gun (rifle!&) went off in his arms canceling his Olympic dream. Then there was the pole vault coach (male) caught on camera berating the women who had just won the Silver against a Russian who is the best in the world. The US woman had only been vaulting for four years and the coach was so unbelievably out-of-place yelling at her as if she had screwed up in some way and she had just won Silver. Then, there was the gymnast who proceeded to the vault before the light giving her permission to start turned green. Her dreams evaporated too.
I learned that Softball which has only been in the Olympics since 1996 will no longer be in the Games. Why? Because it is dominated by the USA---we have never lost the Gold and so no one wants to play us. Wow!
I really enjoyed watching it all. Although I admit, the gymnasts who do incredible but dangerous leaps and jumps into the air made me squirm in my seat...it is amazing there are not more serious injuries but maybe there are and we are not told. I know my daughter takes after me and loves the Olympics as well and I think there are several hundred million more. Good work NBC.
3 comments:
the only coverage i saw was when i was in the uk, and they don't package as much, so it was always "okay we have the swedish tiddly winks player going on jamaica in their preliminary match to determine last place" so it just sport and not everything else, which was nice.
of course i only watched 17 seconds but i felt like i watched it.
or the women's basketball team who had a player who has participated in 4 olympics and has 4 gold medals to prove it...one of the few athletes in that many olympics who has won all gold medals!
But I really came to your blog to see posts about the DNC...and now Palin...but there are no DNC posts and now the RNC starts!!! you need to start blogging...each day write some thing...
for a few days, every 2 years, the world sets aside time to celebrate achievements and unity. there is a lesson here....
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