By Sarah Stall
Snappy I love the Olympics, the perseverance of athletes from all over the world, the showcase of a country I have not travelled to and the hospitality of people who have a culture all their own. So then, tell me this: why does NBC have to be so impotent in their Olympic coverage? There is one answer here I avoided for so many years but it is now so obviously right: they are just Americans.
There are so many reasons why I watched American coverage instead of Canadian in years past, such as better times and broader coverage. There were even these amazing commercials where the latest technology was utilized and you just wanted to go buy a Coke and support the American women’s gymnastic team. This year is an Olympics all its own.
First of all, NBC shows everything one day late. While the commentators on NBC tell you the events planned for the day, CBC recaps the scores and highlights after showing the events. NBC did just fine when the Olympics were in that time zone before, showing things at delayed times. I realize they need viewers to keep their corporation afloat but this is just stupid. CBC, on the other hand, tends to show the events live or somewhat delayed when you are awake enough to actually watch them. They recap the good highlights of whoever won, whether it was a Canadian or otherwise. CBC then has these nice casual interviews with the athletes involved. NBC has the most dramatic interviews I have ever seen.
Showcasing an athlete is one thing but showing why their dog died and how their grade four badminton coach passed away does not show the viewers an indepth look into the Olympics. The melodramatics of the U.S. team are unreal, but why not show some other countries as well. Focus on a third-world athlete a little more than the middle-class, 17-year olds that saturate the US team.
While Canadians praise their athletes for their performances and their appearance in Sydney, the US puts down and criticizes the athletes they sent. I would like to see one of the gymnastic commentators do a floor routine and cartwheel on a beam that’s four inches wide.
NBC, there are other sports besides swimming. Maybe if your coverage didn’t suck as much as it did Americans would be more temped to watch your station instead of CBC. CBC has done a phenomenal job with the Olympics, really showcasing Australia and the countries involved.
The real winner for these 27th Olympics has got to be the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, winning a gold for outstanding performance. NBC was disqualified when they posted the scores of the upcoming events on a moving screen at the bottom of the picture. They deserve the criticism they receive. Americans should watch our commercials and see if they feel the least bit stupid. The fact that CBC now caters to a North American audience makes me proud. Canada is the greatest country in the world and now our Olympic coverage shows it.
No matter how many medals Canada wins, I know I’ll be proud of the athletes there and the impressive coverage CBC has shown helped me see the athletes and the journeys they have taken. I know I will watch CBC for the rest of my Olympic coverage and I encourage you to be Canadian and watch CBC if not for me and for the sake of the CBC, then to support the Canadian athletes in their quest to be the best.