Spoiler Alert: NBC Olympics partying like it's 1976

[Bragi]

I noted earlier today that while us Canadians could watch live in real time the US women's soccer team defeating Columbia, and S. Williams being cheered on by Michelle Obama, live, NBC chose to ignore these events and instead broadcast a tape of a 250 KM bicycle road race that had ended 2 hours earlier, in which no American won a medal.

Seriously, what kind of programming decision is that? Does NBC really think it's 1976, that there aren't news stations reporting Olympic results real-time on all media, and that appointment television is still happening?

[itsrobert]

1. Huh? the Soccer game was on live on NBC Sports Channel

But you are right about the Women's basketball, it was live on the East Coast, but taped for us on the West Coast. Luckily I have access to NBC New York on my Directv service.

[Bragi]

2. Noted, I only get NBC network

I was shocked, though, that the main network ran the bicycle race when there were events on live with much more American audience interest.

In Canada, we're getting 5 feeds (3 English, 2 French) with (mostly) different real-time events. I'd be curious to know how many feeds NBC is offering?

[laundry_queen]

9. Please could you tell me

how you are getting so many feeds? I'm watching CTV, what are the other ones? I don't have the sports package so if it's sportsnet, I'm SOL.

[Honeycombe8]

6. I get NBC, MSNBC, CNBC...what are the call letters for the sports channel? nt

[itsrobert]

14. NBCSN

NBC Sports Network. Channel 603 Directv. Check your local cable and satellite service.

[Honeycombe8]

22. Thanks! I found it. I now have several channels of the Olympics, all showing different things. :)

nt

[Honeycombe8]

15. I found NBC Sports. The call letters are NBCS (duh!). I just tuned...the soccer game just finished.

It's channell 603 on my DirectTV Dallas lineup. I had it not in my FAVES list (I'm not a sports fan), so I had to add it for the month for the Olympics.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. Come on, grown men riding bicycles. How can you not want to watch that?

[coalition_unwilling]

5. HaHa-I've always said that professional golf is a surefire

cure for insomnia, but watching grown men ride bicycles has to come in a very close second

Awesome thread-winning comment.

[Honeycombe8]

10. I like those bike shorts. And muscle-y legs. All in all, a good watch. nt

[Motown_Johnny]

12. I'm more of a women's volleyball guy myself

but I see where you are coming from

[spanone]

4. i'm on comcast here in tennesse and nbc is broadcasting olympics on at least four different channels

[Bragi]

11. Then I withdraw my criticism

I was unaware of that. Personally, what bugged me was that Serena Williams was playing live against a former #1 player, the First Lady was in attendance to cheer her on, so NBC network geniuses go with a tape of the bicycle race. Glad to hear that one of their channels might have carried the tennis match live.

[Booster]

7. Can't tell you what went thru my mind when I was watching that damned bicycle race and read on

my computer that the swim match was over, and that Serena had talked to Michelle after her tennis match. I thought the same thing you did - who the Hell is making decisions on this stuff at NBC. I worked at ABC for 34 yrs and the Olympic Committee should find a way to get them to do the Olympics again. Nobody does it better. On a braggart note, I won an Emmy for the 1984 L.A. Olympics, but, before anybody gets excited about that, EVERYBODY working on the Olympics won an Emmy. Still it's a big thing to my family so....ABC would have started the morning with anything but that stupid bicycle race. lol

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. I'm glad to see that we think alike

ABC used its Wide World of Sports expertise to provide top-notch coverage and commentary.

[Booster]

20. IMO, ABC also brought out the humanity of the games much better, which to me is a big deal because

that's the true meaning of the Olympics - working together. If I remember correctly, and I know someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but when ABC gave up doing the Olympics it was, for one thing, that the Olympic Committee wanted 3 billion for the rights to televise it. That's why you see so many commercials in the show today. Still, the Olympics are exciting and I look forward to them every time.

[Bragi]

16. No offense intended to ABC sports

I picked 1976 only because it was pre-Internet, pre-VCRs and before the multi-channel universe.

And congrats on your Emmy. Your family has reason to be proud.

- B

[Booster]

19. Oh, Lord. No offense taken. All those yrs in tv I thought winning an Emmy was a big deal until I

won one and then I realized it's an award for doing a good job, which we did by all of us being very professional and proud of what we were working on. Technical Emmy's don't really impress me anymore but talent Emmy's do because people nominated for talent (all talent, not just acting) really have to give something a little more special to win. I really still admire the talented actors because if we put in a l7 hr day, which wasn't unusual, so did they so I don't begrudge them for what they were paid. What people are missing re: the Olympics is the amount of work that goes into it. Everybody can sneer at the opening last night all they want, but from my point of view, to have all those special effects, that many people involved, etc, to come off without a hitch is quite an achievement and my hat's off to all the people involved. Good job.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. In 1976, ABC had the contract for broadcasting the Olympics

and they did a much better job of it.

I believe NBC first got the contract in 1988, and they've been terrible at it. Their coverage of the 1998 Nagano Winter Games drove me up the wall: 10 minutes of competition, 5 minutes of ads, 10 minutes of "up close and personal" about the athletes, 5 minutes of ads, 5 minutes of Bill Geist or someone clowning around about Japanese culture, 10 minutes of competition, repeat sequence. AAARGH!

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. We've had satellites since oh...

1961 with Telestar... so no, it makes zero sense.

But at least they... never mind. They are also running from one event to the next, and... they are using every channel in the network to transmit, so there is a chance it was SOMEWHERE in cable world.

[Warren Stupidity]

18. NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Sports. All with independent programming .

This time around they finally got it right. I have a choice of women's volleyball, boxing, football, and badminton at the moment, all full game coverage.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

21. I think Bravo carried the tennis matches today.