NBC rolls-out 416hrs of Olympic Coverage, 415 of it backstory related

[LynneSin]

with 1 hour devoted to a few American Figure Skaters and bobsled run.

http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2006-01-11/#tv1

The NBC Universal broadcast and cable outlets have scheduled a record 416 hours of coverage of the Torino Winter Olympics, the company said Tuesday. The figure amounts to an 11 percent increase over the previous record of 375 1/2 hours set during the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. NBC will carry 182 hours of coverage, while the rest will be divided between the CNBC (61 hours), MSNBC (71 hours), and USA (101 hours) cable networks as well as two HDTV (high definition) channels, NBC HD and Universal HD, which will simulcast programming from the other outlets. NBC has set Bob Costas to anchor the primetime coverage, while Jim Lampley has been set to anchor the daytime and late-night telecasts. NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol indicated that as much as 75 percent of its coverage will be live, including all 54 games of both the men's and women's hockey tournaments. "Our hockey coverage is a fan's dream come true," Ebersol said. In addition NBC has agreed to supply espn.com with two-minute highlight videos each day narrated by Costas.

[jane_pippin]

1. Ugh. Good thing there's nothing on NBC worth watching anyway.

Or, if there is it's on when I'm at work so I can't see it and I don't care that it will be replaced by boring stories about a bobsledder who overcame a hangnail to sled on to international glory, or a curler with a pegleg who's curling for a cause.

If they seep it into Keith's timeslot though, my little fist will be a-shakin with fury.

[Beer Snob-50]

2. did they say anything about coverage of events

with no americans in it? also what is the over/under on teh number of times we will hear "chariots of fire" theme.

[Beware the Beast Man]

3. They should air a 24-hour loop of the "agony of defeat guy" on one channel

I'd watch it. :)




I know that didn't take place during an Olympic event, but it's still fun to watch.

[underpants]

4. "her college roommate's cousin tragically lost her 100 yr. old grandmother

:eyes:

[LynneSin]

5. He had a chronic medical challenge with hang nails that plagued his career

:eyes:

[underpants]

6. She spent 8 hours everyday DETERMINED to get her education

( read:went to high school)

[Yavin4]

18. My Favorite: "In Her Small Town of East Bumfuck, The People

cheer their hometown hero and hold a parade in her honor." Aren't there Olympic athletes from big cities like Chicago or Philly?

[underpants]

21. Not from small towns?

Why I've never heard of such! :eyes:

Good point. The soft hues around them is what really kills me.

[LynneSin]

24. If they were from Philly we'd probably pelt them with snowballs

or whatever other projectiles we could come up with

:shrug:

[Lochloosa]

7. 54 games of both the men's and women's hockey tournaments.

You have got to be kidding....

[xmas74]

26. I've got to get that smilie!

[Lochloosa]

30. right click on it...will take you to the web site.

[MissMillie]

8. It's really a shame

that one of the sports networks can't get the contract for the Olympics and leave those of us who don't care to watch alone w/ our favorite programming.

[kick-ass-bob]

9. Too bad it wasn't 419.

We could bust 'em for being a Nigerian scam.

[underpants]

10. Curling RULES on CNBC

The stock market boys just LOVE hitting the bars and betting on the curling. It was HUGE in 2002 and will probably be again.

[kick-ass-bob]

11. I can't wait to see Arctic water polo.

:bounce:

[underpants]

13. Man, they better have some thick blankets for those horses

[kick-ass-bob]

14. I thought they rode on polar bears.

Half the sport is not getting eaten.

[underpants]

15. BTW- A got a tip on the solo competition

Bet on the Viking guy -he kicks serious butt

[kick-ass-bob]

19. Just wait till you hear his story.

All that he had to put up with in his life after that rhino gored him in the head.

:cry:

[seemunkee]

12. Ohno

[Hell Hath No Fury]

23. Total. Screaming. Hottie.

Sigh.

:loveya:

[Sannum]

16. I hate the "go america" coverage.

I love watching the Olympics...Last time I watched Archery for days, but NBC does not seem to realize that there is more than one country competing.

The "overcame great odds" is getting old too. I just hope that Michelle Kwan does not compete this year. Though her little hissy fit a few years back was quite entertaining. Not as good as Tonya "Whack a Nancy" Harding's broken lace, but entertaining nonetheless:D

[Initech]

17. Sweet, I love the winter olympics!

Only on the winter olympics can you see such fucked up sports as curling or the biathalon.

:woohoo:

[LynneSin]

20. What cable system do you have

Other than 20 minutes of backstory about some curler who gave up her dreams to be an olympic figure skater only to turn to curling as her last chance for the gold, it's not like we'll actually get to watch the sport

[Initech]

22. I use Dish Network

Hopefully I'll actually get to see the sports this year instead of watching 10 hours of backstory followed by 45 minutes of actual competition.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. Or, as happened in Nagano in 1998--

Ten minutes of backstory, ten minutes of ads (the same ones over and over and over and over and over and over and over), and ten minutes of competition, followed by ten minutes of ads, ten minutes of backstory, ten minutes of ads, ten minutes of competition, repeat ad nauseam.

:banghead:

[satireV]

25. Curling and the biathalon are actually REAL competitions..

Whereas events like Solo Synchronized Swimming, Ice Dancing and such are not but merely subjective entertainment events.

But you can bet the most coverage will be of the crappy non-competitive events like Ice Dancing, Figure Skating and such ilk.

Yes I said crappy, others may disagree just like they can disagree on who wins those events. There is no argument in events like curling or the biathalon who wins.

:rant:
Side Rant: Hating the Biathalon because it has firearms as part of the event is a sign of cognitive dissonance and right wing extremism.

:hide:
Flames ====> dev/null

[Initech]

27. That's why I love these sports

[tigereye]

29. well

I'll be glued to the TV. I love the Winter Games. I just turn down the commercials, or tape each night and then FF through boring stuff.


:woohoo: Can't get enough. My husband is like a widower when the Olympics are on.