Summer Olympics: Beijing, China

[famita]

I'm surprised about some of the choices for the commentators, too. Although the diving ones were fair, especially the female. Hers was the most unbiased, almost as if she were recording rather than reporting, if that makes sense.

And as a side bar, the electricity came back on 10 minutes after I left. But it was a good time!

[CCL]

After the US relay team won last night the NBC commenters referred to Phelp's possibly winning 8 gold medals and said that they (the commenters) had refrained from mentioning it before. Have they been watching themselves? They mention it every five minutes! And when they were showing the medal ceremony they focussed almost exclusively on Phelps. There were a couple of quick shots of the rest of the team and then back to Phelps. I thought they should have focussed on them all equally. (I might be saying that though because I think Ryan Lochte is cute and should be focussed on prominently. ).

[FireWoman]

I'm still scratching my head why ABC has Chris Collingsworth, an American Football commentator working the games. Even he had the grace and humor to admit he's at a loss because he knows football.

I like Cris, Hes an Ohio Boy.. and hes got such a warm personality, I have be a fan of his since he was playing in Cincy.
He knows his limits, and doesn't try to go past them. (Bob and Matt *cough cough*) Hes there for the Human side for the story.. because of his warmth. People just open to him in interviews and dont think of him as a hard nosed reporter. I like seeing this grown man in wide eye wonder at the games, it really shows the magnitude of the games and how it can hit you no matter what age It is cute to see him question himself being at the games.. but in an odd way it fits. To me I'd rather listen to him over Costas.

I also LOVE to watch Béla Károlyi when they are shoiwng gymnastics.. hes a hoot! He really does have a passion for that sport that is like no other. His comments last night had me grinning from ear to ear. I loved when they showed him watching and jumping in his seat and saying.. no its good. no matter its good. lol

[ClosetRTWatcher]

And when they wereshowing the medal ceremony they focussed almost exclusively on Phelps. There were a couple of quick shots of the rest of the team and then back to Phelps. I thought they should have focussed on them all equally. (I might be saying that though because I think Ryan Lochte is cute and should be focussed on prominently. ).

I noticed the same thing when they were interviewing them as a team. She asked a few questions of the other guys and during this time the camera had the entire team in the shot, but then she asked Phelps a question and the camera zeroed in on him only. It's like they are saying "okay, we're done with the rest of you".

I thought Phelps reaction after the butterfly last night was strange because he looked mad. The commentators were talking about how he had wanted to do the race even faster, so maybe that's why he wasn't happy. However, I heard on the radio this morning that his goggles filled up with water during the race and that is why he was looking annoyed by the end!! I thought that was a much better explanation.

ETA - The thing I was listening to also touched on the topic of the Chinese gymnasts, talking about the past documentation of their younger age. They said the IOC just said they are overlooking it because they accepted the passports as documentation and that is that. While I can understand their decision for THIS Olympics, they really should take some action before the next one. China just one a GOLD apparently using girls that are too young according to the rules, it seems like this would just encourage them to do the same thing for the next Olympics. It seems to me that they should either warn China that they will take further action if these suspicions arise in the future, or lift the age rule so that all countries are on an even playing field. I also thought it was interesting that they said the avg weight of the US team was 106.5 lbs, which seems like nothing but the avg weight of the Chinese team is only 77 lbs!!

[MRD]

I like Collingsworth too. He was a great wide receiver at Florida when I was going to school there. In fact, in 1980-81, he was about the ONLY good thing we had as a football team. I just think he's an odd choice to comment on the Olympics.

Speaking of commentators, the other night we were watching the US Women's beach volleyball game (they played the Cubans) when the commentator actually said: "The difference in beach volleyball from other volleyball is the surface they play on".
NO! I was stunned! Simply stunned I tell you! I never, ever would have guessed that. And here all this time, I was just thinking that they don't sweep that court very well as it's just FULL of sand. (insert MAJOR sarcasm here. )

Do these people listen to themselves??? Do the producers tell them how stupid they sound???

[FireWoman]

I think they are so busy with other things that words just fall out of their mouths and they don't think. I loved the post event interviews and am a huge Phelps (and Ryan, Yummy) fan.. but I can't stand to listen to that blonde with the frizzy hair anymore. I feel bad for the rest of the US team.. and Phelps... when they zoom in on him.. even he tries to move the talk to the team and they dont let him. Its sad. At some point he will be saying the same stuff over and over again.. whats the point to ask him 4 or 5more time "So what's it feel like to get another gold"

On the swimming issues.. Mark Spitz sounds like a cry baby diva in that quote, I would think he would be more supportive of Phelps AND the USA team, but it comes across that he should have special treatment for being Mark Spitz.. he needs to get over himself.. im sorry if that comes across as disrespectful.

[jacobson00]

But I still fell horrible for Alicia. I think she feels that it was her own fault that her team lost. Andrea Joyce later interviewed Alicia, and Andrea wouldn't stop bringing up the fact that she fell twice. With almost every question, Andrea brought it up, saying, "So how do you fell about falling on the beam? What about the time you fell on your back during the floor exercise? And what about stepping out of the boundary?" And then later on when she interviewed the whole team, she brought up Alicia's deductions again. Alicia looked like she was going to cry

i thought it was uncalled for. why do reporters concentrate only on the negative. The girls just won your country a silver medal.

i am also sick of the michael phelps thing because of the reporters. it seems to me that more than half of the olympic medals are up for grabs in swimming, it's a little too much

[Ellen]

. . . I also LOVE to watch Béla Károlyi when they are shoiwng gymnastics.. hes a hoot! He really does have a passion for that sport that is like no other. His comments last night had me grinning from ear to ear. . .

I also like that he doesn't tap dance around the issue of the obvious dishonesty of the Chinese with regard to the ages of the girls on the gymnastics team.

[MsDiva2007]

I also like that he doesn't tap dance around the issue of the obvious dishonesty of the Chinese with regard to the ages of the girls on the gymnastics team.

Bela I love because of his passion for Gymnastics.

[ClosetRTWatcher]

Bela I love because of his passion for Gymnastics.

I loved when they showed the clip of him watching Nastia's uneven bars routine. He is so supportive of those girls and appears to genuinely want them to do their best!!