NBC's regular primetime coverage of the Olympics is so unabashedly biased in favor of anything USA that it is unwatchable for me - as a foreigner. Several coworkers and family members - both American and non - feel the same way as I do, so I know I'm not alone.
Simply that a competitor - female and from evil China - can be superior to two American males must be a plot or the result of doping, instead of simply skill, talent and athleticism, as if there have never been American athletes who ever used illegal substances yet still won gold medals.
I really don't care about the constant emphasis on Phelps, Lochte, the women's gymnastics team or whoever else is the flavor du jour simply because they win gold medals and are Americans. These athletes may be the best in their sports but there plenty of other athletes from other nations who are just as good in their respective sports. Yet, nary a word on them, simply because their jerseys represent a non-USA nation. What happened to the Olympic spirit of brotherhood and a celebration of athletics? It is very tiring to make the Olympics into some sort of 'Our nation is better than yours... na na na na boo boo' nationalistic spectacle.
There are more sports than gymnastics, swimming, beach volleyball and basketball during the Olympics. But if there aren't any Americans competing in them, you can bet you'll never see them, unless you don't have a daytime job and any of the NBC affiliated channels or read the foreign media. For instance, UK cyclist Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France recently. He also won a gold medal in cycling. He is the first to complete the feat, an astounding athletic achievement. Not much has been said about him in the American press.
Instead, there are the same canned stories about the sacrifices the parents make (as if they are unique to athletes), or the sappy back stories about someone's crappy hometown upbringing. They could certainly replace them with the performances of the many other non-USA athletes who also compete and also ...gasp! win and break records.
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