Dear NBC,

[mdklatt]

Is it really necessary to show every single minute of a marathon? The only thing more interminable than running a marathon is watching it on TV.

[StoopTroup]

It's finally over....

Evidently there were no winners as they all ran off the edge of the Earth...

http://andrew.soave.net/EndOfEarth.jpg

[mdklatt]

It's finally over....



I'm thinking they should have showed the final 5 minutes, and before that they could have cut in if there was a big pile-up or if somebody did something interesting like dropped to her knees and made with the dry heaves. Think of all that wasted time that could have been spent on fellating Michael Phelps some more.

[mdklatt]

I take it back. I'd rather watch 150 minutes of marathon coverage than 150 minutes of Mrs. Phelps looking pensive. :rolleyes:

[mdklatt]

Germany's anthem is pretty inspiring. I feel like invading a Low Country all of a sudden.

[Curly Bill]

I like that they showed more of the marathon, as opposed to just the end. Showing more I had a better sense of the race.

Of course I like running.

[JohnnyMack]

Germany's anthem is pretty inspiring. I feel like invading a Low Country all of a sudden.

Try Russia. In the winter.

[mdklatt]

I like that they showed more of the marathon, as opposed to just the end. Showing more I had a better sense of the race.

Of course I like running.

I like sailing, but I don't they should be showing every minute of it on TV. But they should show at least some of it. You can see every minute of any event online if you want to. They should jump around more during the TV coverage, and cut out a lot of the fluff.

[mdklatt]

Is Bolt's nickname "Lightning"? If not, it should be. 'Cause he's fast and stuff. "Lightning" Bolt. Get it?

[Curly Bill]

I like sailing, but I don't they should be showing every minute of it on TV. But they should show at least some of it. You can see every minute of any event online if you want to. They should jump around more during the TV coverage, and cut out a lot of the fluff.

They get to jumping around too much they show stuff like trampoline and synchronized diving, guess that's why sticking with the running was fine by me.

[Ike]

No MD...I got you beat....watching a marathon on TV where the commentary is all in French is even worse.

[mdklatt]

Why so many sprinters from the Caribbean? Weed must make you fast, mon.

[mdklatt]

No MD...I got you beat....watching a marathon on TV where the commentary is all in French is even worse.

It's not like you couldn't tell what was going on anyway. :D

[mdklatt]

They get to jumping around too much they show stuff like trampoline and synchronized diving

Exactly. I want to see that stuff, no matter how absurd it is. Synchronized diving is cool ****, even if I don't think it should be an Olympic event. All of those other athletes trained just as hard as Michael Phelps, Kerry Welsh, and Shawn Johnson. They should get their moment in the spotlight, too. Have they showed any of the whitewater events on TV? Those are awesome. Forget Dara Torres, how many people know that the oldest guy in the Olympics is 58, is American, and is in gold medal contention right now? MSNBC was showing dressage earlier today. That is the most ridiculous "sport" ever, but it was fun to watch for 5 minutes. Instead, we get hours and hours of buildup to a 5-minute swimming race or a 10 second sprint.

[tbl]

I'd have rather watched the BB gun comps instead of the marathon. Give me the starting pistol, then the last mile. Done.

[Blue]

Exactly. I want to see that stuff, no matter how absurd it is. Synchronized diving is cool ****, even if I don't think it should be an Olympic event. All of those other athletes trained just as hard as Michael Phelps, Kerry Welsh, and Shawn Johnson. They should get their moment in the spotlight, too. Have they showed any of the whitewater events on TV? Those are awesome. Forget Dara Torres, how many people know that the oldest guy in the Olympics is 58, is American, and is in gold medal contention right now? MSNBC was showing dressage earlier today. That is the most ridiculous "sport" ever, but it was fun to watch for 5 minutes. Instead, we get hours and hours of buildup to a 5-minute swimming race or a 10 second sprint.

Get cable, dude. 5 different channels of olympics. Quit yer bitchin. :D

Boy that usa guy swimmin the 1500 meters sure looked like a drag queen, huh?




I'm glad NBC got rid of all the Jimmy Miller 15 minute sob stories of the athletes. That used to make me change the channel with a quickness. Thank you NBC.

[Curly Bill]

I'd have rather watched the BB gun comps instead of the marathon. Give me the starting pistol, then the last mile. Done.

Nah, you don't get a sense of what really happened that way. If I'm gonna watch it I want to know what the heck really happened.

I wouldn't want to see a football game with just the opening kickoff and the final two minutes of the game either.

[mdklatt]

Get cable, dude. 5 different channels of olympics.



Those other channels can (and do) cover events in depth. NBC itself should be the Olympics equivalent of Sports Center.

:les: I DON'T HAVE MUCH OF AN ATTENTION SPAN!

[PhilTLL]

Those other channels can (and do) cover events in depth. NBC itself should be the Olympics equivalent of Sports Center.

:les: I DON'T HAVE MUCH OF AN ATTENTION SPAN!

Plus, when NBC's primetime centerpiece coverage is on, the cable networks don't show Olympics.

[mdklatt]

Sailing would make great TV right now. There's a storm approaching Qingdao, so there is fantastic wind and huge waves for the Yingling medal race. The crew are getting dragged through water as they hike out. The two lead boats are going to dogfight each other for gold, and the USA boat is in a free-for-all for bronze. Plus, these boats have onboard cameras. But I bet NBC is going to replay Michael Phelps all night long.

[tommieharris91]

I just wish they'd show live stuff during late nite coverage.

[mdklatt]

GBR has a huge lead on NED at the halfway point for gold, but USA has some work to do for bronze.

[mdklatt]

USA is making trees on GRE to jump into the lead for bronze. Woot!

[mdklatt]

Crap. USA got caught in a total cluster**** at the windward mark and Greece shot ahead. There's not enough race left to catch them unless they catch a huge break.

[mdklatt]

What happened to NED? Did they sink?? GBR has the gold cinched, but I don't think anybody has the points to catch NED for silver no matter where they finish.

[mdklatt]

USA made up a lot of ground on the last downwind leg, but couldn't catch Greece.

G: GBR
S: NED (if they didn't sink--I think they might be lost in the rain and fog)
B. GRE

[Blue]

Damn wind.

[mdklatt]

Finn medal race is next, with unheralded American rookie Zach Railey battling British superstud Ben Ainsley for gold. Will Ainsley simply sail for the bullet in this race or get into a duel with Railey and knock him out of medal contention? The drama!

[mdklatt]

Damn wind.

The wind is perfect now. First real wind they've had all week. The rain has to be fun, too. I could personally do without the waves, and I'm sure they feel the same way.

UPDATE: The teeth-rattling waves have subsided, but there's still a lot of swell.

[mdklatt]

Mmmm...wet Dutch sailor chicks. :hot:

[mdklatt]

Wet British sailor chicks wrapped up in Union Jacks. :hot: :hot:

[mdklatt]

Finn race delayed due to a wind shift. That place has even shiftier wind than Dirtybird. Jeez.

[mdklatt]

Sonofabitch! Why did they cancel the start sequence? Another freaking postponement. C'mon, a little typhoon never hurt anybody.

Screw this, I'm going to bed and watching the replay tomorrow if they ever get a race off.

[tulsaoilerfan]

Is it really necessary to show every single minute of a marathon? The only thing more interminable than running a marathon is watching it on TV.

I have never figured out why anyone would want to run for 2 1/2 hours without stopping

[Soonerchaz]

I was shocked...but extremely pleased...that NBC aired the marathon. I'm a runner as well...so I found it fascinating.

She is 38 years old. 38! And to win it pretty much as a solo run for the last 12-13 miles is beyond impressive. Negative splits to boot...she ran the second half 3-4 minutes faster than the first.

[mdklatt]

I have never figured out why anyone would want to run for 2 1/2 hours without stopping

I see no need to run unless something is chasing me.

The first half-marathon actually predates the first marathon. Somebody got halfway through the first marathon and said, "**** this noise, I'm stopping right here." :D

[mdklatt]

Screw this, I'm going to bed and watching the replay tomorrow if they ever get a race off.

The Finns (boat class, not the country) got the medal race in after all. Brit "Big Ben" Ainslie won his third straight gold with an exclamation mark, USAian Zach Railey covered Sweden like a wet blanket to clinch silver, and...somebody else won bronze.

They should absolutely show the 49er medal race on TV. It had enough wipeouts to keep a NASCAR fan happy. I think everybody capsized at least once, and it was an achievement just to finish the race.

I watched the table tennis doubles final earlier. Yep, not a sport. Singles table tennis--oh hell, who are we kidding--ping pong is okay (barely), but doubles is pointless. A ping ping table is too damn small for four people.

[Penguin]

Don't even get me started on how there are way too many ping pong medals!!!!!


:les: PRETTY SOON WE'RE GOING TO GIVE MEDALS FOR JUST SHOWING UP!!!

[mdklatt]

Would beach volleyball be as popular if they weren't wearing bikinis?

Yes, that's a rhetorical question.

[Ike]

:les: PRETTY SOON WE'RE GOING TO GIVE MEDALS FOR JUST SHOWING UP!!!

I already got a bronze in that

[mdklatt]

If you just have to have a floor exercise in men's gymnastics, for crying out loud, don't make them do the little flourishes that the women have to do. And why no music? If the goal is to make it seem less girly, mission not accomplished.

[Curly Bill]

womens gymnastics = not my favorite thing but not too bad

mens gymnastics = ghey

JMO

[mdklatt]

mens gymnastics = ghey



Except for the rings and the pommel horse. That stuff is bad ***.

[StoopTroup]

I like the rings.

I tried that in HS and thought..."I'll never be able to even do a good Iron Cross".

It's just an insane idea...I don't know how they do it.

http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/p5/20080331/04/2724455719.jpg

[Curly Bill]

Except for the rings and the pommel horse. That stuff is bad ***.

I know you have be strong as hell to do that stuff...

...and I'll give ya that the rings and pommel horse are better then the floor exercise

[Penguin]

I like that "circus" gymnastics. The ones with the bouncy ball and the streamers. Cool.

[tulsaoilerfan]

I see no need to run unless something is chasing me.

The first half-marathon actually predates the first marathon. Somebody got halfway through the first marathon and said, "**** this noise, I'm stopping right here." :D

I agree; even when i was young and thin i never liked running :D

[Curly Bill]

I like that "circus" gymnastics. The ones with the bouncy ball and the streamers. Cool.

rhythmic gymnastics...

...yeah, not too bad in small doses

[mdklatt]

rhythmic gymnastics...

...yeah, not too bad in small doses

The routines with the ball are :hot:.

[Curly Bill]

The routines with the ball are :hot:.

I haven't seen any rhythmic yet, has it started?

[mdklatt]

I haven't seen any rhythmic yet, has it started?

I don't think it starts until later this week.

[tommieharris91]

I haven't seen any rhythmic yet, has it started?

It starts Friday.

[Curly Bill]

Maybe if they're not showing "The Life and Times of Michael Phelps" some of it could make it onto TV.

[mdklatt]

Maybe if they're not showing "The Life and Times of Michael Phelps" some of it could make it onto TV.

Not to worry. Now that they're selling the DVD they're not going to give it away. :cool:

[Jimminy Crimson]

I'm sick of seeing Chris Kattan in spandex. Didn't even know he was German!

[Ike]

You wanna know whats hilarious...

So I'm in Geneva right now, and the only olympic coverage is in all French (no subtitles or anything). Anyway, after Phelps won his 8th gold, they put together this montage of the final pool-length of all of his gold medals (in the case of the relays, his final length, plus the one that ended the race)...

anyway, only knowing a bit of french, I naturally couldn't understand anything the announcers were saying...

so during the montage, which included the original commentary, it sounded to me like:

Blah blalez, blah blahlous, blavoions Mike-hell Phelps. blah blahloulons blah blez.

Over and over and over.

OK...maybe it doesn't come across so well in text...but it made me laugh.

[SouthFortySooner]

...funny, this is teh same way i feel about basketball games. :cool:

[Blue]

Can someone agree with me that not having the 15 minute tear jerker story every hour from Jimmy Roberts makes it 20 times more enjoyable? C'mon, agreeing with me isn't all bad. :D

Chris Connely has now taken that "Flaming" torch over to ESPN.