RSSAre The Olympics Ruined By Spoilers?
July 31, 2012
Johnny Goodman - See all 177 of my articles
- The Goodman Family Olympic Consumption Smart Device (OCSD)
My only complaint about the Olympics is that they happen once every 4 years (or technically once every two years if you figure the alternating winter and summer games….but who is counting)
The games are well underway now in London, with many medals already handed out.
NBC has 7 different stations on my television availability to view differing venues from the Olympics. These dwindle throughout the day, as the events on these stations by and large are shown live as they happen. NBC in an attempt to maximize viewers and advertising revenue does however hold back not showing some of the events and keeps those aside for the telecast every night on the “main” network channel.
The time difference depending on what part of the United States you live is a minimum of 5 hours. That means by the time you are seeing any of the events in prime time television, the athletes are already asleep for the night. (Assuming they are not partying it up in the Olympic Village that is)
Many question in this age of Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, if this is necessary. The athletes competing in the events posting pictures and sharing results immediately as things happen. Most all of the major web bases news sites – USA Today, Yahoo, Fox Sports, etc. all report the action as it happens, meaning anyone looking at their computer at work throughout the day is already going to know the outcome before they get home for the evening.
While many may like to know the results as they occur… I am too old school. I remember the excitement of watching the 1980 Men’s Hockey Team, seeing Bruce Jenner finish the mile and Nadia landing a perfect ten on our family’s less than perfect grainy console television set back in 1976.
These events were long done and over, but unless you had someone calling you from the event, or had a real fast carrier pigeon, you didn’t know any better until you watched in on television that night.
For that reason, I take a 17 day hiatus from any of the internet sites with the sole purpose of keeping it surprise for me and my family as we watch the coverage after dinner each evening.
I prefer to yell at the TV as if I am part of the action. I swear those swimmers can hear me in the crowd.
Speaking of yelling….
Was Jordyn Wieber robbed of a spot in the all-around finals?
One of the best interviews I have seen on Olympic coverage is Bela Karolyi being very outspoken about the fact that only two gymnasts are allowed from each country to qualify for the gymnastic all around finals. 24 gymnasts qualify to the all- around but only two are allowed from country. This on the heels of reigning world all- around champion Jordyn Weiber being knocked out by two of her other teammates,
“What a travesty!” Karolyi said in an interview. “How someone can afford to cut one of the best gymnasts?”
“But that is not the reason. How can it be a reason?” Karolyi, who coached teams from Romania and the U.S. to Olympic gold, said of the rule. “To eliminate somebody because a teammate beat her. Still among the first four gymnasts in the world, and still you’re eliminated?”
Bob Costas did his best to keep Karolyi from leaping out of his chair, but Bela is entertaining regardless if you agree with him or not.
Costas used the line to compare the “two per country” limit as not allowing the third best team in the ACC to make the NCCA tournament.
Maybe a bit of a stretch in terms of an analogy, but it is about the best I have heard.
Bottom line every Olympic Games has winners and losers. Great stories and colossal disappointments. Out of adversity many good things happen.
The remaining days of the 30th Olympiad are sure to bring us that if nothing else.
Until Next Time, Stay classy Jordyn Wieber!!!
Aug 02, 2012 @ 09:17:14
A somewhat better basketball analogy would be this:
– 5 teams are allowed to compete in the NCAA tournament. 3 of them win their first round games. However, there’s a rule that only two teams per conference can be in the Round of 32, so the third ACC team doesn’t get to advance.
Only allowing two from each country to compete in the prelims would be one thing. But allowing them to compete and then not allowing them to advance despite a high score is different – and far worse.
I’m sure something like this has happened in the past, just not this dramatically. The odds of the top 24 being 2 gymnasts from 12 countries is statiscally improbable.
I’m not sure what Bela’s upset about, though. The time to address this would have been when the rule was put into place. This should have been a forseeable outcome.
Spoilers don’t bother me much. It doesn’t change the performance.