Well , enough of you have sounded off on your displeasure of the way the news about the London Games is being presented to the US public that I feel I should publish some of your comments that have been coming in to my email address georgebrose@yahoo.com. I won't list the names of those who are sending in these comments to save them from litigation later in their lives. Admittedly most of our writers are 60+ in age and remember the world when it was more provincial, more naive, and certainly less commercial.
It would be interesting to know, how much of the commentary of the chief spokesperson for the network beginning with N and ending with C is coming from his own brain and how much from a team of writers. Admittedly no one person could be 'expert' in all the sports that are part of the London Games. The editor of the blog Happy Runnings has certainly taken Mr. BC to task on some of his pronouncements. My chief complaints are the dragging track and field out to the limit of my endurance to stay awake. Of course that is reason for me to get Tivo on my set up and save all that stuff for viewing at my pleasure. My pleasure though is when the event is taking place, not six hours later and squeezed between full start to finish coverage of a beach volleyball match and a waterpolo game. So there. I also find it disingenuous when a network can show so little respect that it only names three to four runners in a semi-final. These are the top dogs in the world in an event that literally the whole world participates in. I'd like to know the name of the runner from the Ivory Coast and Azerbaijan, and if we have an announcer who can pronounce it. One of our readers also notes that a result is flashed on the screen for no more than two seconds. If you are dismayed by this, you must visit the IAAF (www.iaaf.org )website to get all the heat assignments, the biography and progressions of every runner, and their personal and season bests. The only thing missing are their blood types and shoe sponsors.
On another note, I posted the twenty-four names of the first inductees into the IAAF's Hall of Fame. I knew those choices would produce some outcries, and my colleague Roy Mason has pounced on the IAAF for their failing to include Perry O'Brien and a raft of other stars. I will let him speak for himself at the end of this. It is getting late and hopefully I'll be able to stay awake to watch the 400IH and I won't mention to you the winner, as you probably already know, although the people who will be channel surfing after the Bachlorette will get the full effects intended by the network wonks.
Finally, I figured out how to watch uninterrupted coverage of a field event (women's pole vault). Found it at nbcolympics.com. It's so nice to see the drama of the event unfold instead of the usual 4 jumps and here's your new champion coverage on the main network. Can't wait for the men's vault. Here is a suggestion for all sprinters not named Bolt. Take up pole-vaulting if you want to ever be the worlds best at something. Bolt on the other hand should try out for the NFL.
-- Lars (one of George's former vaulters)
Thanks for the notes George. Of all the things on the internet your Track Blog is more than a little great for us old track guys. It is a shame to only have the olympics that generates interest in track and field. When I ran in the 50's, track was really a big deal, little TV but the newspapers really reported it from high school through college. Oh well. As far as these olympics are concerned, it is hard for me to even watch them. NBC has so many commercials it has completely ruined the games for me. If I don't record what I want to see and be able to fast forward...... I am not sure I would just get the results and video's on the internet. Anyway, keep up the great work on the blog, you have made a lot of friends.
RW
KU class of 1958
R
KU
ARE YOU F-----G S------G ME?
Parry O'Brien doesn't make it? Bob Beamon and Ralph Boston didn't make it? Ralph Rose doesn't make it? Dan O”Brien makes it, butBob Mathias doesn't? Rafer Johnson doesn't rank ahead of somebody on this list? Junixa Wang (and Qu Yunxia) were so doped up they made the East Germans look like girl scouts. Thank God, the IAAF didn't include Flo-Jo. Don't get me started.......Do you know the last year that no American runner reached the 400 finals? It was 1644. Two guys from Belgium
Gentlemen:
I too am a complainer.
However, my former teammate, R M in Flint, Michigan told me a couple of weeks ago that if you go to the NBC web site and then to Olympic Games they have a complete time schedule, (some on NBC's other networks and affliliates that will give you programming and channels, etc. sport by sport.
I must admit that since I came home from a trade show in Las Vegas
Also, if any of you have cable or satellite near Canada
I get so sick of that Lady, (Is it Hanna Storm?) who B C interviews most nights, on her little "Kitch" visits to Olympic "Nitches", when I'd like to be watching prelims, semis and finals of track and field - when they are run and regardless of whether or not there is an American medaling in the event.
I refer daily to the IAAF web site for start lists and results. I do not mind seeing results and, certainly start lists prior to watching the race.
I love seeing the race unfold and feel more informed than if I get the TV coverage with their 2 sec. listing of competitors and then another 2 seconds of the results.
(I do not have a photographic memory.) I have been printing out start lists and studying them so, I get a little used to the difficult names that come mostly from the middle Eastern and N,. African Countries.
John B
John I think you might mean Mary Cirillo but since I don't watch the NBC BS as long as B C is on I could have missed Storm if she is the one you actually do mean.
The problem is: TV coverage has taken the center stage. I have always hated B C because of his 1980 deification of the Ice Hockey team. You both could look this up, BUT the 1960 team was way ahead of the 1980 team. They beat the Czechs and Austrians in the prelim rounds. Then they beat the Swedes and Germans in their lst two Championship rounds which set up matches with the Canadians and OH my the Soviets which theUS Squaw Valley and went into the games free and even covered it for a Norwegian newspaper back home. He was thrilled to see the US defeat the Soviets but few outside the Squaw Valley area were aware of what it meant.
Thus, I have never liked Bob Costas as he is a self promoter and lives off his Miracle on Ice statement.
There was a hockey coach at the AF Academy who was a silver medal winner in 56, John Matchefts, and they lost to the Soviets. John and I talked about the 60 vs 80 team and he said the 60 team was the lst to ever win vs Soviets plus he summarized that it was media hype that got the 80 team all the attention at the expense of the 60 team.
End of my sermon and bitch. The Happy Runnings blog is perfect and right on. But with all the $$ NBC is spending on the games you know that we are stuck with Costas and his bias. I remember maybe 3-4 Olympics back a person had the opportunity to purchase live TV coverage at a fairly good price. This guaranteed you the best coverage much like I expect the Canadian broadcasts are now.
E.C
The problem is: TV coverage has taken the center stage. I have always hated B C because of his 1980 deification of the Ice Hockey team. You both could look this up, BUT the 1960 team was way ahead of the 1980 team. They beat the Czechs and Austrians in the prelim rounds. Then they beat the Swedes and Germans in their lst two Championship rounds which set up matches with the Canadians and OH my the Soviets which the
Thus, I have never liked Bob Costas as he is a self promoter and lives off his Miracle on Ice statement.
There was a hockey coach at the AF Academy who was a silver medal winner in 56, John Matchefts, and they lost to the Soviets. John and I talked about the 60 vs 80 team and he said the 60 team was the lst to ever win vs Soviets plus he summarized that it was media hype that got the 80 team all the attention at the expense of the 60 team.
End of my sermon and bitch. The Happy Runnings blog is perfect and right on. But with all the $$ NBC is spending on the games you know that we are stuck with Costas and his bias. I remember maybe 3-4 Olympics back a person had the opportunity to purchase live TV coverage at a fairly good price. This guaranteed you the best coverage much like I expect the Canadian broadcasts are now.
E.C
Of course it was Al Michaels not B Cs who made the Miracle call. I have heard C refer to the game etc and hung the bad guy label on him, but I still don't like him as I am sure he would have made the call if he had been in the broadcast booth instead of or along side of Michaels. C had a big flap over the Chinese and the drugs their swimmers and runners used in the 90s.
For those of you expecting a June 1962 report, it will be along shortly in three parts covering the NCAA, AAU, and dual meet with Poland.
George
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