# Olympic Coverage Hits a New Low **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 27, 2000, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-coverage-hits-a-new-low/34685 "2000-09-27T00:15:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-coverage-hits-a-new-low/34685/1 "2000-09-27T00:15:28Z")
Time Shifting – I suppose they have to. Heartwarming Stories – I’m sometimes a sucker for them, even if they are overdone. Overwhelming focus on Americans – Understandable. But, BUT, what they’re showing now is the Gymnastics “Gala”, in which Olympic Gymnastic medalists demonstrate their routines. There have been hundreds of exciting competitions that have taken place over the past day that they could show, but they show a Gymnastics demonstration. I wish I had a really good rant in me, but this is so pathetic I don’t know what to say. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-coverage-hits-a-new-low/34685/2 "2000-09-27T13:50:32Z")
I with you, Bildo. As I was flipping channels yesterday, I saw a very brief part of the “Gala” and I couldn’t believe it. That is one of many reasons why I’ve boycotted NBC’s Olympic Coverage. ---
**Author:** ![filthy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@filthy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filthy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-coverage-hits-a-new-low/34685/3 "2000-09-27T14:37:42Z")
I’m not going to see it, as much as I enjoy watching gymnastics. The overall coverage, and now with the seemingly endless snivveling over doping - justified and otherwise - has been so shitty that I’ve completly lost interest. Hope 2004 is better. ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-coverage-hits-a-new-low/34685/4 "2000-09-27T15:14:29Z")
Oh shit they do that every Olympics! The gymnastics gala is not a new phenomenon. I believe it was done the first time at the LA Games in 1984. It was created because no matter what gymnastics usually gets better ratings than anything else. They do the same in the Winter Olympics with ice skating. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-coverage-hits-a-new-low/34685/5 "2000-09-27T15:38:56Z")
I say let ABC do Olympic coverage again. IIRC, they seemed to do a pretty good job when they had it. ---
**Author:** ![OrcaChow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e47c2d/32.png) [@OrcaChow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrcaChow)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-coverage-hits-a-new-low/34685/6 "2000-09-27T18:36:50Z")
I hear ya, Billdo. Coverage of that gymnastics “gala” is nothing short of a theft against other sports. They put that crap on, but I’ve gotta wait until 1:30am to watch one wrestling match? Up yours, NBC. Living in Seattle, a Canadian network, CBUT, was long an option; it’s part of our expanded basic cable service. CBUT’s Olympic coverage put American networks completely to shame–no mind-numbing concentration on gymnastics and swimming, few bio pieces, no fluff. But I recently switched to a satellite dish and, ironically, now I’ve lost CBUT. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-coverage-hits-a-new-low/34685/7 "2000-09-27T18:54:08Z")
If I see one more child abuse victim in a sparkly leotard do one more handspring type thing off of one more piece of gymnastics equipment followed by some kind of commentary from a woman named Elfie…I’m gonna…I’m gonna…(making fist)…change the channel? ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-coverage-hits-a-new-low/34685/8 "2000-09-27T19:57:49Z")
Not to mention showing all the qualifying heats for foot races, just because Americans are sure to do well in them. Is it just me, or was there a more diverse coverage of the sports, even as recent as four years ago?