Olympics: And the Gold Medal for Most Offensive Opening Ceremony Comments Goes To -- NBC!

[mariness]

NBC: Fail

Comments

[tekalynn]

I've never forgiven...CBS, I think it was...during the Lillehammer opening ceremonies for yammering over the jokul sung by a Sami shaman. It should have been a breathtaking, solemn moment. Instead, it was yammering.

I hate that I have to scream at the TV every damn Olympics, when I look forward to it and love it so much otherwise. I hate the timeshifting, and I hate the total lack of couth, knowledge, and courtesy too often displayed by US commentators and coverage. It's so damn frustrating.

[mariness]

I'm ok with the timeshifting, but I honestly cannot understand why the commentators cannot simply shut up during Opening Ceremonies. I realize that they are trained to talk over sporting events, especially since those events are often simulcast on radio, but it's one thing to explain to viewers that the ball has been kicked by player X when the viewers might not be able to see the number on player X's jersey, and another thing to gratuitously insult several other countries and cut out coverage.

[tekalynn]

Rantlet ahead:

I'm in the Pacific time zone, so I tend to bristle more at timeshifting. I understand it for events taking place outside of the American continents, but I was livid when the VANCOUVER coverage was timeshifted for the West Coast. Seriously. The 2010 Olympics were in my own timezone, and I STILL couldn't watch them live, because the broadcast was pushed back three hours for Pacific prime time.

[mariness]

Yeah, that was awful. And inexplicable -- California, last I checked, is a fairly populous state. I have no idea why that was shifted to favor the East Coast and the Midwest.

And I see that they are already time shifting stuff for us here that we could easily see live.

[mdg1]

I'll have you know those Corgis are trained SDS commandos (Special Dog Service, of course).

Could someone explain the fellows in top hats doing interpretive dance?

[mariness]

They were dancing through English history and celebrating the Industrial Revolution!

[mdg1]

Danny Boyle presents Abraham Lincoln, The Last Earthbender?

[fbhjr]

"The good thing is that NBC's Opening Ceremony coverage will give us all plenty of time to visit the bathroom."

I also made use of this.

[mariness]

It was helpful.

[dewline]

"NBC, telling us that the young athletes are embracing their sponsors, presumably thinking we can't see this through their talking."

This alone makes me glad I skipped the whole thing.

[mariness]

To clarify that particular tweet....for the torch lighting, which was brilliantly done by the London people, they selected some young unknown athletes who had been sponsored by older, well known athletes. There was some very nice hugging as the torches were exchanged and it all would have been very touching and lovely if NBC had shut up.

I heard the Canadian coverage was somewhat better.

[dewline]

I missed all of it. Now I'm having second thoughts about that.

[mariness]

There should be some video popping up someplace eventually. I recommend the dance portions and the torch lighting which was pretty cool.

[malterre]

Olympics will be watched on Telemundo so we don't break the TV.
Hmm, I may have to go eat at Taco's Acapulco ...that voiceover was effing TEDIOUS.

[mariness]

Agreed.