It's a style of sports reporting that was pioneered by Roone Arledge at ABC. When he started Monday Night Football he needed a way to draw non-sports fans to his broadcasts. That's where Don Meredith came in. Frank told you who scored the touchdown. Howard knew all the dates and history. But Don would pull out this one off beat nugget about a player no one was looking at. That was often the story most people remembered after the game was over.
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NBC's Coverage of 2021 Tokyo Olympics and Qualifiers
- Thread starter Mikey Radio
- Start date
It's a style of sports reporting that was pioneered by Roone Arledge at ABC. When he started Monday Night Football he needed a way to draw non-sports fans to his broadcasts. That's where Don Meredith came in. Frank told you who scored the touchdown. Howard knew all the dates and history. But Don would pull out this one off beat nugget about a player no one was looking at. That was often the story most people remembered after the game was over.
There is a lot of coverage for the leaders both up-to and during the games. Sometimes viewers want to see the human interest piece of athletes who might be forced to overcome unexpected adversity. It goes to a human-element that's lost sometimes in the celebrity of favorites who have become the stars. Remember, a great deal of the viewers watching the games no little to nothing about the sport itself, and prefer to see more of a human interest aspect.
Chances are there was a Producer or Director in the Reporter's ear saying something to the effect to keep pressing for a response. It isn't always the reporter's fault. Nor is it NBC's fault for a Producer or Director trying for some potential low-hanging-human interest-fruit.
I get all that, and it's always great to hear the back stories and special interest stories, and at the last summer games, for instance, Michael Phelps was obviously going to get more coverage than some others, simply because of his achievements and the fact that he had or was going for the most medals won. That said, everyone has a story, every athlete there has worked hard and beaten odds to get to the Games and all of them deserve their 15 minutes. It shouldn't just be constant attention paid to the handful of people NBC has chosen to single out and talk incessantly about while others go relatively unnoticed in their coverage. When watching the men's diving qualifiers a few weeks ago, they had a 2 person team with a guy doing play by play if you will, and a woman who was a former Olympic diver herself doing analysis/color. It worked well IMO and she did an excellent job of delivering technical information in basic terms, she knew the backstories of almost every diver competing, they showed each diver's parents/families in the stands at times, and she was complimentary to those who did well, but diplomatic and worded her comments as objectively as possible when someone flubbed a dive. I thought the coverage was solid, informative, kept a good pace and well-done overall.
Regarding my comments above about the guy who was still mourning the loss of a family member when the NBC staffer turned his Olympic run into a sorrowful event by running up to the guy after his competition and asking questions about the recent death and how he felt, and continued questioning him after he was openly weeping and obviously in emotional pain, I have no idea if it was NBC, a director or producer, or horrible judgement on the part of the staffer who was hammering away on the guy even after she'd already brought him to tears, but as mentioned, it sorted itself. After lots of viewer complaints and an outpouring of empathy for the athlete in question, that "reporter" was never seen again for the remainder of the games.
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Was Arledge behind "Up Close and Personal" features in Olympics telecasts, or did they begin after NBC won the rights to the Games?
That was Roone. The NBC Sports people worked Roone at one time.
It sounds like you want their unanchored coverage. They've been making that available for the past few Olympics. I assume it'll be on Peacock this year. Otherwise you're going to get "the show." That's what we're talking about: The Olympics and The Show. If you watch prime time network coverage, you get The Show.
For the majority of viewers, the stars are the stars. When you're a network carrying the games, the stars bring in the ratings, as do human interest stories of other athletes, provided they're really compelling stories.
Got it, and given all the coverage over several channels, you can expect some gaffs or less-than-popular reporting. Nobody's perfect.
Observations on televising the Olympics without fans from Bob Costas:
www.cnn.com
Of course Bob won't be there this year. He works for CNN now.
Olympics 2021: NBC faces 'hell of a challenge' producing Tokyo Games
NBC was presented with a new challenge producing the 2021 Olympic Games on Thursday after organizers said that spectators will be prohibited from the Tokyo venues, a move that eliminates a key component of live sports broadcasts and could give the competitions an eerie feel.
www.cnn.com
Of course Bob won't be there this year. He works for CNN now.
‘Family Game Fight!’ Gets Post-Olympics Premiere, Replacing ‘Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide’
'Family Game Fight' Gets Post-Olympics Premiere, Replacing 'Ultimate Slip 'N Slide'
deadline.com
NBC has announced post Olympic plans.
Fun fact: The beds the athletes will sleep in have supports made of cardboard, designed to be "anti-sex", in an effort to prevent them from hooking up and potentially spreading covid:
www.foxnews.com
I happened to see one of the athletes showing his room on Instagram and I thought the bed supports and headboard looked like cardboard boxes, then saw the story posted above that confirmed it....And explained the reasoning behind it (aside from the fact that I'm sure cardboard supports are markedly cheaper than other materials like wood or metal).
Athletes to sleep on ‘anti-sex’ cardboard beds at Olympic Games amid COVID
Lustful Olympic athletes should think twice before making the bed rock in Tokyo.
I happened to see one of the athletes showing his room on Instagram and I thought the bed supports and headboard looked like cardboard boxes, then saw the story posted above that confirmed it....And explained the reasoning behind it (aside from the fact that I'm sure cardboard supports are markedly cheaper than other materials like wood or metal).
An Irish gymnast calls this interpretation of the bed story fake news, and, to prove his point, jumps on one of the beds without breaking it. Left unsaid is that gymnasts (along with the smaller freestyle wrestlers and judokas) would be the most likely athletes in the village to find a way around the supposed limitations of a bed in order to hook up.Fun fact: The beds the athletes will sleep in have supports made of cardboard, designed to be "anti-sex", in an effort to prevent them from hooking up and potentially spreading covid:
Athletes to sleep on ‘anti-sex’ cardboard beds at Olympic Games amid COVID
Lustful Olympic athletes should think twice before making the bed rock in Tokyo.
I happened to see one of the athletes showing his room on Instagram and I thought the bed supports and headboard looked like cardboard boxes, then saw the story posted above that confirmed it....And explained the reasoning behind it (aside from the fact that I'm sure cardboard supports are markedly cheaper than other materials like wood or metal).
Irish gymnast jumps on Olympic Village bed to debunk 'anti-sex fake news'
Athletes have been settling into their new accommodation at the Olympic Village as they prepare for the Tokyo Games -- and testing out what's on offer, both the beds and food.
edition.cnn.com
Well the story I linked to was from Fox News, so take it was you will.... Regarding your comments about the gymnasts, smaller wrestlers and judokas, you most likely have a strong point there! Lol.An Irish gymnast calls this interpretation of the bed story fake news, and, to prove his point, jumps on one of the beds without breaking it. Left unsaid is that gymnasts (along with the smaller freestyle wrestlers and judokas) would be the most likely athletes in the village to find a way around the supposed limitations of a bed in order to hook up.
Irish gymnast jumps on Olympic Village bed to debunk 'anti-sex fake news'
Athletes have been settling into their new accommodation at the Olympic Village as they prepare for the Tokyo Games -- and testing out what's on offer, both the beds and food.
As most all of us can probably attest, if these young people wish to participate in 'extracurricular activities' (there was a news story during the last winter Olympics held in Canada, explaining the athletes are so laser focused for months on training and competing that once their events are over, they tend to let loose), giving them a bed only supported by cardboard isn't going to stop them.
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In Japan they've been using the disposable-recycled cardboard furniture for years long before COVID was a thing. Using that furniture for the Athlete's quarters, has nothing to do with instability or discouraging sex, but about recycling and sustainability:
Cardboard Furniture: Lightweight & Eco-Friendly | Chairigami
Michael Phelps Joins NBC’s Olympics Broadcast Team
The most decorated Olympian joins Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines as a primetime correspondent for select swimming competition.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
Michael Phelps Joins NBC Sports on their Olympic coverage.
Good to know the cardboard design is primarily based on eco friendliness and care for the environment. Fox News are the ones who posted the story making the claim about the bed design being "anti-sex" per the above (Post #50). Perhaps they'll issue a retraction and correct it.
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FOX News reporting the story that way doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Wouldn't hold my breath that they will retract/correct the story either.
Hopefully NBC allows the unedited versions of the opening and closing ceremonies.
Top Olympic Sponsor Toyota Pulls Games-Related TV Ads
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota won’t be airing any Olympic-themed advertisements on Japanese television during the Tokyo Games despite being one of the IOC’s top corporate sponsors. The extraordinary decision by the country’s top automaker underlines how polarizing the Games have become in Japan as...
tvnewscheck.com
Here is a talk about Toyota Pulling sponsorship from the Olympics.
On Japanese television only.Top Olympic Sponsor Toyota Pulls Games-Related TV Ads
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota won’t be airing any Olympic-themed advertisements on Japanese television during the Tokyo Games despite being one of the IOC’s top corporate sponsors. The extraordinary decision by the country’s top automaker underlines how polarizing the Games have become in Japan as...
Here is a talk about Toyota Pulling sponsorship from the Olympics.
With the "bubble" now ruptured, cancellation of the Games with a few days to go is on the table.
edition.cnn.com
Tokyo 2020 boss not ruling out last minute cancellation of Olympic Games
Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto isn't ruling out a last minute cancellation of the Olympic Games amid rising Covid-19 cases.
edition.cnn.com
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