Rio 2016 Olympics Television Coverage, Judges Say?

NBC and the Olympics are synonymous

The Summer Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were nothing less than a success on the fields, courts, pools*, roads, course, beaches, oceans, tracks, and any other surface I missed.  More on pools in a minute.  The environment around the games was not as crisp.  Reports of unsuitable quarters for the athletes, rumors of unsafe conditions on the streets, and some events not selling tickets as expected (and, shockingly, those in power scalping tickets) provided some tarnish, but fans tune into watch sports and their athletes, not a documentary on a city.


So how was the TV coverage?  Excellent, good, bad, and worse.  But mostly good.  This is reflective of the United States coverage of the Games, I cannot comment on other countries TV coverage.

The Excellent

Event on air talent.  NBC did a great job of bringing in event experts that could break down the events for a layperson to understand.  Be it Water Polo, Gymnastics, Volleyball, Golf, you name it.  Ato Boldon and Sonya Richards-Ross were particularly strong in Track and Field.  Announcers had a great balance of commentary or letting the moment speak for itself.  There were a few cases of gender bias noted (in my opinion limited to individuals, not systemic), but in whole, this was a strength.

Focus on United States.  Let's face it.  Americans do not watch Fencing (or Judo or Equestrian or Volleyball or Water Polo and I could go on).  But if there is an American stake, I'm going to watch.  NBC again did a good job of focusing on United States while still showing great moments from other sports.  I never felt like either was let down, the balance was good.

Mike Tirico.  One of the great broadcasters/anchors of our era, great they signed him in time to do these games.  He's extremely knowledgeable, his demeanor rubs no one the wrong way, and he's extremely well prepared.  He's not overbearing and his ego is in check (unlike other talent).  Next Olympics he needs to be the featured guy.

Mike Tirico is finally getting his chance to lead a broadcast

 The Good

Interviews.  The balance of interviews either just after the event (excellent) or in the studio (pretty good) were fun to watch.  The event ones were sometimes awkward due to the instant nature of them, but athletes and on court/field media talent were a strength.  Good example was Carmelo Anthony just after the United States Men's basketball win or Lewis Johnson on the track.  The studio interviews were nice, but canned questions and predictable answers sometimes left me thinking that it was gratuitous.  I still watched, though.

Lewis Johnson captures a moment when this athlete was DQ'd just after event (later overturned)

Breadth of coverage.  With all the channels within the NBC network, no event was left uncovered.  You could review the daily schedule and find your event no matter what it was.  At worst, you could revert to online watching.  It was frustrating in that many times it was unclear what event was starting when, forcing you to watch another event for fear you might miss what you wanted.  A more clear itinerary (which changes in real time) is an improvement to consider here.

The Bad

Focus on off field issues.  This is not all NBC's fault.  Ryan Lochte focus (he's just one very bad person among a thousand athletes).  Focus on who had their hand over their heart (mostly on social media).  Who was wearing religious headgear.  But mainly Lochte.  He and his teammates acted foolishly and their Olympic legacy is forever impacted negatively.  The drama was more of a TMZ nature, not worthy of continuous discussion at the expense of other stories.  By no means am I saying downplaying what happened, the behavior was despicable.  But like the hand over heart, focus on religion, etc., there were too many real inspiring sports stories that got less air time because of that focus.  Disappointed in the average American viewer that every single turn of events had to be turned into a racial divide (again, holding hands over hearts, treatment of Lochte, even the otherwise extremely inclusive Ellen DeGeneres was accused of a racist tweet...she was just trying to be funny).  I was hoping the Olympics could have been more uniting.

There should have been more joy and less scorn by media and fans

Bob Costas.  Retire.  Please.  He's offering very little these days.  His voice overs seemed over rehearsed at best, canned at worst.  He's way more interested in advancing his own profile than actually covering sports (in my humble opinion).  He acts like whatever he says is the most important thing ever (while a guy like Tirico is offering good, fresh insight).  The page of the novel needs to be turned.

The game has passed up ole Bob

The Worse

Tape Delayed events.  The balance between the millions of dollars paid for the broadcast rights vs. sharing the moment with the world is the root cause.  Gymnastics mostly happened in the afternoon, yet NBC chocked their evening coverage full of replays to garnish ratings.  Everyone knew who won from online media.  You get to see the performances, but at that point, you're losing the part of your audience that is watching for the uncertainty, which is appreciable.  I know people who have to work, but show it live (on NBC) and let the United States engage in real time.

NBC missed a chance to let the USA be more global and share a moment with the world

Opening Ceremonies.  Related to the Tape Delay.  The one event the World is watching and the United States were watching a delayed production.  Unacceptable.  Broken up by frequent commercials (put at every six minutes by some).  The parade of athletes was choppy with the commercial breaks and overall it just needed to be more of the happenings in real time, than the coverage.

In summary, I give a 7.2 (out of 10).  Get rid of Bob Costas and tape delays and you're approaching 9 out of 10.  Unfortunately, in the divisive country we live in, I'm not sure we can ever watch the Olympics and see everyone as Americans, instead of African American, European American, Muslim American, and so forth.  Maybe by Tokyo.

Apology not accepted?

Every single person except maybe Jesus Christ, Buddha, Vishnu, or Mohammed has done something wrong and needed to apologize (more on Jesus in a minute).  From the time we can speak as toddlers, we are taught by our parent, guardian or teacher that if you do something wrong, you are supposed to say "I'm Sorry."  And you are supposed to mean it.  And in general at that stage of life, it's for something like spilling a drink or punching your sibling.  And usually, the apology is accepted.  Meaning that both parties move on and it is no longer held against the offender.  Until the next time your parents are looking and the sibling smacks you back.

Jesus took his ministry so far as to forgive the sins of all, for in the end all that believe in him will have everlasting life.  But I digress.

How does this relate to sports?  Newsflash.  Athletes (and in some cases, the media that covers them) are not perfect.  Far from it.  In fact, their stature, fame, and lifestyle lend itself to doing things wrong.  In a phrase: "Mo' Money, Mo' problems."  Be it people taking advantage of you, marriages that are far from traditional, or a feeling of entitlement (thou can do no wrong and if you do, someone will cover it up).  The cover up part is not happening as well in these days of social media and the hypersonic speed of the news cycle.

Over the past several years, we have had extremely egregious transgressions by athletes or sports media (the charge is my opinion of accusation, not an indication of legal guilt).  Here is a sampling that span the range of all sports, transgressions, genders, and fame.  The link for each offers a video or article on the apology.

Lance Armstrong (PEDs)
Steve Bartman (interference with catch)
Todd Bertuzzi (assault during a game)
Ryan Braun (PEDs)
Kobe Bryant (rape and infidelity)
Riley Cooper (racist comments)
Josh Hamilton (substance abuse)
Marion Jones (PEDs)
Jim Joyce (bad umpire call)
Mark McGwire (PEDs)
Britt McHenry (verbal assault)
Joe Namath (intoxication)
Adrian Peterson (child abuse)
Ray Rice (domestic violence)
Alex Rodriguez (PEDs)
Tony Stewart (wrongful death)
Rick Sutcliffe (intoxication)
Tim Tebow (losing football game) 
Mike Tyson (cannibalism during bout)
Michael Vick (dogfighting)
Tiger Woods (infidelity)
Don Zimmer (fighting)

Just read through those names.  These athletes and sports figures have literally all been at the top of their game or profession at some point.  But one action or statement and it all came crashing down.  It can happen to anyone; we all make mistakes.  So an apology is offered.  In some cases, seemingly showing legitimate remorse (Jim Joyce, Tim Tebow, Don Zimmer).  In others, more forced (Ray Rice, Mike Tyson, Ryan Braun) or disingenuous (Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Britt McHenry).  There's been tears, there's been significant others next to them, there's been their organization supporting, sometimes not.  But not all apologies are created equal.

As a courtesy to athletes and frankly anyone in life who messes up (that's you unless you are a diety), here are a few criteria to consider if apologizing

1) Do it soon.  The longer you wait, the more it will seem forced and disingenuous.
Examples good: Tim Tebow, Jim Joyce, Don Zimmer
Examples bad: Mark McGwire, Ryan Braun, Lance Armstrong
Examples never: Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa

Tim Tebow apologizes to Gator Nation right after losing to Ole Miss

2)  Say it like you mean it.  People can see fake.  Reading a statement doesn't come across as sincere.  It comes across as doing it to meet a requirement.  Look into the camera and speak from the heart.
Examples good: Marion Jones, Tim Tebow, Mark McGwire
Examples bad: Tiger Woods, Britt McHenry, Mike Tyson, Michael Vick

Mark McGwire is genuine in this apology for use of PEDs (albeit late)

3)  Let your actions do the talking.  Whatever you did wrong, try and fix it, preferably without fanfare.  If you are truly sorry, you will act to reconcile.  A phone call (not a tweet) to someone who was affected goes a long way.  Volunteering to help a cause that does good in the area you committed a transgression (battered women's shelter, animal causes, etc.)

Examples good:  Tim Tebow (won title), Don Zimmer (quit brawling), Michael Vick (Humane Society)
Examples bad: Ray Rice, Tiger Woods, Britt McHenry

Detractors thought Michael Vick's campaign for the Humane Society was less than genuine

4) Do something extra.  Find a new way to interact and win back your fans.  Volunteer your time, be visible in a positive way, but be genuine about it.

Examples good: Ryan Braun (answered ticket phone), Josh Hamilton (personable with fans)
Examples bad: Todd Bertuzzi, Alex Rodriguez, Tony Stewart.

Josh Hamilton "photobombs" Rangers fans

Ultimately it is up to the fans to accept an apology.  I find myself in each case having trouble forgiving some (Britt McHenry, Lance Armstrong) but easily accepting others (Steve Bartman, Jim Joyce).  Human emotion is a tough thing to reconcile with.  But one thing is for certain.  Athletes will keep messing up and keep apologizing.  But will we accept it?

What this blog is...

I've been kicking around the idea of having my own Sports blog for a while, always had "reasons why not". No time. Nobody would read. Too much pressure to come up with content. Phooey, I'm pulling the trigger. While blogs on sports are a dime a dozen, let me tell you why I think mine might be different...

1) You will see from my profile I'm from Houston, big fan of Houston teams. Graduate of the University of Texas. Also like and hate other various teams from around all leagues. However, I'm NOT going to write about one sport, one region, one aspect. For a while I was active on various Longhorn sports boards, loved to listen to local sports radio, etc. Now I feel if I write from that angle, I'm going to come up with very little new. It's just a borrow from here, rephrase from there, nothing added...I'm not that creative!

2) I refuse, REFUSE to take up the media bias that is inherent in sports. In other words, no uber-focus on Tiger, the Yankees, the Red Sox, Kobe, Sid the Kid, free agency, the BCS, King James, the Cowboys, the New York football Giants, the Mets, the Trojans, the Cubs, the Heisman or Barack Obama. That doesn't mean from time to time I won't talk about them, but it gets to the point that every NFL Today broadcast starts with the Cowboys round up, Baseball tonight must have the in depth about what's wrong with the Red Sox, and ESPN College Gameday does a 30 minute roundup of Heisman candidates. In September. Case in point is when Fox broke into the Red Sox game clinching game to discuss A-Rod's free agency move.

3) I will be very critical of TV coverage. I have been sorely disappointed in the direction of TV coverage and will let you know about it. See the A-Rod example above, I remember when Fox was chatting with Eric Byrnes in McCovey Cove without play by play when Ichiro hit the first and only inside the park homer in All Star game history. Last year Fox decided to spend the whole broadcast talking about Halladay's free agency. I tuned in to watch a game, not Byrnes floating around in the cove talking about his dog named Bruin.

4) It's about the numbers, I frequently will cite numbers to support my thoughts. I'm an engineer what do you expect!?

5) I will have a sports bias. There are certain sports I just don't follow as much (anymore). I remember when I was a kid, I would scour the daily newspaper just hoping some sporting event was on TV (before we had cable). Now it's a matter of which sport I want, so I no longer watch tennis or college basketball (gasp) just because it is on.

So sit back and expect to see a fans fan blog. I want to talk about how the fan interacts with sports. How the media skews what fans interpret. I hope to be evenhanded and fair to all in the sports world, we shall see!