Morning Rant: 2004 Summer Olympics
Is it just me, or has NBC's coverage of the 2004 Summer Games been the worst ever? Based solely on the prime-time broadcast network coverage (all I've been able to watch), someone unfamiliar with the Olympics might be forgiven, I think, for assuming that the games consist entirely of swimming, gymnastics, and beach volleyball. (The latter, however much fun it might be to play on the hot California shore, proves the most tedious spectator sport since curling -- though the spectators at the Olympic event evidently have other inducements, as an amusing Washington Post article documents.)
Full disclosure: I have long thought that the Olympics themselves are an enormous quadrennial sinkhole of money, time, and effort. The one thing that, in theory at least, gives them some value is their internationalist component: Bringing together atheletes from all classes and countries to compete in good-spirited etc., etc., bullshit, bullshit. The NBC coverage, however, has one basic theme -- The U.S. Takes On A Bunch Of Other Countries And Kicks Butt. You would have little idea, based on this coverage, that China, for example, is slightly ahead of the U.S. in gold medals (at least as of this writing). The coverage in the New York Times has been far better, at least giving some idea that other countries are also participating and winning.
The only reason I'm watching the games is the interest of my son and daughter. My son and I in particular would have liked to see some fencing -- but that, for the most part, was pushed out beyond the pale, into the wildnerness of cable, where we cannot, must not tread. We did see three minutes of sabre, however, when Mariel Zagunis took the gold medal. This was a bona fide story: First fencing gold medal for the U.S. in 100 years. It raised an excellent opportunity for NBC to broaden its viewers' horizons by exploring a sport they may not have been familiar with. But . . . what did NBC do with this Teachable Moment? They gave us a three-minute "highlights" reel, fully half of which consisted of slow-motion headshots of two of the U.S. contenders, celebrations of the victory, American flags, and the medals ceremony, with full rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Almost no actual fencing. Hmm.
On the other hand . . . last night at the fencing club I occasionally attend (I go there mainly as comic relief for the people who really know what they're doing), the fencing coach who runs the thing thought the network had done "a really good job." And the other club members there were burbling about the performance of the U.S. atheletes -- not just in fencing but in other sports, like . . . well, beach volleyball. (And gymnastics, too, of course.) I was the lonely voice of internationalism -- or, rather, would have been, if I hadn't chickened out and said nothing at all.
So I guess my first working hypothesis is correct. It's just me.
Full disclosure: I have long thought that the Olympics themselves are an enormous quadrennial sinkhole of money, time, and effort. The one thing that, in theory at least, gives them some value is their internationalist component: Bringing together atheletes from all classes and countries to compete in good-spirited etc., etc., bullshit, bullshit. The NBC coverage, however, has one basic theme -- The U.S. Takes On A Bunch Of Other Countries And Kicks Butt. You would have little idea, based on this coverage, that China, for example, is slightly ahead of the U.S. in gold medals (at least as of this writing). The coverage in the New York Times has been far better, at least giving some idea that other countries are also participating and winning.
The only reason I'm watching the games is the interest of my son and daughter. My son and I in particular would have liked to see some fencing -- but that, for the most part, was pushed out beyond the pale, into the wildnerness of cable, where we cannot, must not tread. We did see three minutes of sabre, however, when Mariel Zagunis took the gold medal. This was a bona fide story: First fencing gold medal for the U.S. in 100 years. It raised an excellent opportunity for NBC to broaden its viewers' horizons by exploring a sport they may not have been familiar with. But . . . what did NBC do with this Teachable Moment? They gave us a three-minute "highlights" reel, fully half of which consisted of slow-motion headshots of two of the U.S. contenders, celebrations of the victory, American flags, and the medals ceremony, with full rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Almost no actual fencing. Hmm.
On the other hand . . . last night at the fencing club I occasionally attend (I go there mainly as comic relief for the people who really know what they're doing), the fencing coach who runs the thing thought the network had done "a really good job." And the other club members there were burbling about the performance of the U.S. atheletes -- not just in fencing but in other sports, like . . . well, beach volleyball. (And gymnastics, too, of course.) I was the lonely voice of internationalism -- or, rather, would have been, if I hadn't chickened out and said nothing at all.
So I guess my first working hypothesis is correct. It's just me.
posted by ahab at 7:55 AM
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