Wednesday, August 18, 2004

I'm beginning to get scared. Is NBC really going to keep presenting this many actual events? Or, are they just getting ready to break my heart. Honestly, I don't know, but I'm loving the ride!

• We start Wednesday's coverage in the first Olympic stadium in Olympia, Greece. Actually, since I was up pretty late last night (this morning?) writing this update, I got to see at least some of this live. Let me tell you right now that my favorite analyst on NBC's entire payroll is Dwight Stones, whose knowledgeable commentary on almost every "field" event of track and field is just plain outstanding. He knows the events, he doesn't play favorites, he explains what the athletes are trying to do, and he explains what the officials and judges are looking for. In short, everyone else should be taking lessons from him.
  
  Anyway, the event was the shot put, as that was pretty much the only thing Olympians still throw that wouldn't fly out of a stadium that small. The crowd got free tickets. They got to sit up on the hill surrounding the playing surface. The sky was deep blue. The sun was shining. The birds were singing.
  
  Let me be concise. How cool was holding an Olympic event in the Olympic stadium? It was so cool that even Jimmy Roberts' introduction couldn't ruin it. Big thumbs up to the Olympic committee for pulling this one off.
  
  
• In fact, the Olympic stadium shot put event was so cool that even one minute of fluff on how American Adam Nelson screams while he throws didn't phase me.
  
  
• The Olympic stadium event was so cool that even Jimmy Roberts shoddy interview technique couldn't mess it up. Adam Nelson, who could only scream his way to a silver medal, was gracious, intelligent, and completely sportsmanlike when Jimmy tried to give him an excuse for not winning the gold. Nelson was having no part of it, insisting that he didn't deserve the gold because he was only second-best that day. Point, Nelson!
  
  
• The Olympic stadium portion of NBC's coverage was so cool that even given one more chance and two-and-a-half minutes after the shot put was over to fluff it up, Jimmy Roberts couldn't do it. That's right, Jimmy! With a full quarter of the shot put coverage dedicated to your fluff, you still couldn't ruin it for me! Ha!
  
  
• The women's single kayak final showed us three runs total from two riders. American Rebecca Giddens, who got the silver, had both of her heats covered. It would have been nice to see more, but I guess NBC's cash cow is gymnastics, not whitewater rafting. I'm assuming that there has been more kayaking MSCNBravoBC during the day.
  
  
• More excellent swimming coverage and...Hey! The world-record line is back! Awesome! American Aaron Peirsol fell just short of it while winning the men's 200-meter backstroke semifinal, but it was good to see it again. Now I don't know how they could make the swimming coverage any better, not that they'd need to.
  
  
• "Chevrolet Olympic Moments." Oh-ho, Jimmy Roberts. So, we meet again today, eh? But no! I refuse to let you bring me down from my Olympic high (by the way, that has nothing to do with the Greeks lighting an enormous joint during the Opening Ceremonies)! Do your best, Jimmy!
  
  Still in Olympia, Jimmy tries to woo us over with tales of the first modern Olympic games back in 1896. Actually, to be fair, this whole segment wasn't that bad, because for once Roberts pretty much kept himself out of the story. However, I found a couple of lines particularly revealing.
  
  As the camera rose in slow-motion over the ancient stadium in Olympia, Roberts said, "The sun rose this morning over a new day, and a very old idea. Sports presented without anything but...the sport itself."
  
  What? Why, Jimmy...who else could ever think that perhaps Olympic viewers might just be more interested in seeing the sport itself rather than treacly stories that send diabetics into shock? Who? Who?
  
  Roberts closed by saying, "What a wonderful day. Sports got smaller and simpler--call it progress--by moving backwards."
  
  Here's hoping that Jimmy moves backwards the rest of the games.
  
  
• Okay, this is just pathetic. Just minutes after the "Chevrolet Olympic Moments" aired, another fluff piece came on. Why is this so bad? Because fluff piece number two used some of the exact same stock footage that the "COM" used. Look, NBC, I've been impressed that you've foisted so little fluff on us so far, but that doesn't mean you should be using the same shots over and over again.
  
  
• On to men's individual gymnastics! Al Trautwig proclaims of American Brett McClure, who has little chance of medaling, that "sometimes those guys who are playing with house money are very dangerous." Don't tell me Al is one of those people who thinks that poker should be an Olympic sport. We're all in, Al!
  
  
• Tyler Hamilton, Lance Armstrong's teammate in the Tour de France, picks up a cycling gold in the men's individual time trial, and dedicates the victory to his recently deceased dog! He even had the tag with him. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, just that I've never seen it before. And isn't that why we watch sports, to see the unusual?
  
  
• One minute of fluff on what Michael Phelps eats. Apparently, the answer is "everything."
  
  
• Ads. If NBC's new show "Hawaii" actually does use The Scorpions' "Rock Me Like A Hurricane" for its theme song, I am so there.
  
  
• The men's 100-meter freestyle final in swimming has Ian Thorpe, the moving world-record line, and, winning the gold, Pieter van den Hoogenband!
  
  Pieter van den Hoogenband! Pieter van den Hoogenband! Pieter van den Hoogenband! It's the name that never gets old!
  
  
• In what must be unprecedented in modern Olympic coverage, NBC shows 24 straight minutes of uninterrupted coverage of events. No ads. No fluff. Nothing. Just a short jump to Bob Costas to make the transition from swimming to gymnastics. And it's not like either of these events lacked drama.
  
  The swimming was the U.S. women destroying their competition in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, swimming so fast that the moving world-record line I love so much was actually behind the anchor-leg swimmer. And then we transitioned to the biggest story of the night...
  
  
• Paul Hamm had been leading the men's individual gymnastics competition until the vault rotation. Then, while the vault itself was okay, Hamm's landing was so bad he nearly fell on the judges. Tim Daggett called Paul Hamm's Olympic dream over. And watching it over and over in slow-motion, with a judge reaching up repeatedly to catch a stumblng Hamm, how could you not agree?
  
  
• Minutes later, Hamm does well on the parallel bars. Al Trautwig says Hamm still has a chance! Really! Uh-huh. Thanks, Al, but denial ain't just a river across the sea from Athens.
  
  
• U.S. gymnast Brett McClure does a routine on the rings that looks good, but gets a low score. Daggett explains that was because it was only worth 9.5 if perfect. I know he's right, but maybe this is something NBC can work on for next time. I'm thinking of a graphic that says, in advance, "this exercise is worth 9.5 points max." Diving competitions tell us the degree of difficulty before the dive, why not something similar with gymnastics?
  
  
• So, Paul Hamm goes into the horizontal bar with a pretty good chance at a bronze. NBC gives us a nice breakdown of the reasonable score he needs for a bronze, the high score he needs for a silver, and the absurd score he needs to get the gold medal. So then he...
  
  No. Way. NO! WAY!! Are you kidding me?! Hamm, who just two apparatuses ago was a 12th place loser, is now the first American ever to win the gold in the men's all-around. Wow. I mean, wow.
  
  
• By the way, right after Hamm won, commentator Elfie Schlegel said she was speechless. Uh, doesn't that sentence contradict itself?
  
  
• Medal ceremonies. Hamm first, and though this should be the happiest moment of his life, he looks up towards the flag like he's checking the ceiling for leaks. Smile, Paul! You're the best in the world!
  
  By comparison, the U.S. women's swimming relay team both sings and smiles all through the Star Spangled Banner. Well, most of the way through, anyway. Seriously, if you were an Olympian, don't you think at some point you might practice the national anthem? You know, just in case you won?
  

Wow. Again, wow. Great day, NBC! It doesn't hurt that the events have been incredible, but the coverage has been a giant step above the Sydney games. Keep it up and maybe I'll have Juan Antonio Samaranch write a special column for the Olympic Watch proclaiming these the best covered games ever! See you tomorrow!

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