Olympic Rebound

I believe I wrote in this blog a few weeks ago about my frustration with NBC for their prior television coverage of the Olympics.  My complaint being they had gotten away from covering the actual sports and were focusing on the human interest stories, usually accompanied by sweeping strains of some sort of elevator music. It was turning into a version of a Hispanic Soap Opera instead of a sporting event.  I really don’t need to know that some athlete’s second cousin is suffering from debilitating case of (insert heartrending illness here) which is what he/she uses as motivation.  ABC used to cover the Olympics when I was growing up and I thought they did an absolutely great job and I was captivated as a young boy watching the Mexico City games and then the tragic games of Munich, both hosted by the incomparable Jim McKay.  NBC took over after that and gradually descended into the almost unwatchable schlock of the past few games.  They spent way too much time with smarmy hosts and “experts” explaining to us what was happening instead of showing us.  I guess NBC thought we were idiots who needed endless explanations.  It was almost as if they were trying to manufacture emotion and drama.  This is of course, laughable, because within the games themselves, the competition is replete with honest emotion and drama that does not have to be manufactured.  My brother in law (who’s in the sports reporting business) says this started in an attempt to attract more female viewers but agreed that NBC had gone too far.  Maybe the emergence of female sports in which world class female athletes are showcased has helped NBC grasp the error of their ways because I find myself finally enjoying the Olympics again.  NBC must have realized the groundswell of unhappiness about their earlier efforts because this year (so far) they are focusing on the athletic competition and we are all better for this.  (Maybe they just fired the idiots who produced the last few Olympics) They still sneak in their little background stories which immediately has me reaching for the remote but they minimize this and get back to the competition, reducing Costas time which is so appreciated.  This is such a welcome change because the Olympics are great.  You see sports that seldom gets coverage and the athletes strive to realize life long dreams on this fleeting stage of fame.  This is so much more enjoyable to watch than the spoiled, over paid superstars in most US major sports that don’t always give you their best effort; despite the millions they are paid.  It’s just refreshing to see athletes genuinely struggling to be the best and NBC is FINALLY is showing it to us in all of its glory.