# The NBC Olympics Coverage Pit Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 13, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656 "2004-08-13T04:21:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/21 "2004-08-13T20:16:17Z")
My local paper yesterday reported that all the HD coverage will be tape delayed-- some by as much as 24 hours. [Fuck you, NBC.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=262131) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Llama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@The\_Llama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Llama)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/22 "2004-08-14T01:07:05Z")
OK, no joke. I just turned on the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Less then 20 _seconds_ watching, and I have my first “must put on mute” gripe. Costas points out that St. Lucia has never won a medal, so just getting to the Olympics is what matters, and that the opening marh is the MOST IMPORTANT part of the Olympics to them!!! …shaking…shaking…shaking HEAD EXPLODES! ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/23 "2004-08-14T01:20:28Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > My local paper yesterday reported that all the HD coverage will be tape delayed-- some by as much as 24 hours. [Fuck you, NBC.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=262131) Which would explain why when I tuned in tonight to the NBC HD feed I found the opening ceremonies from Salt Lake City! :eek: What the fuck? Again: NBC, what the FUCK? OK, after going back to the HD feed it seems that the opening ceremonies are on a one hour delay. Only bonus of getting the delayed ceremonies: no ultra-perky Katie Couric to deal with. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/24 "2004-08-14T01:22:22Z")
I don’t mean to watch much of the ceremony stuff, but I did hear Costas drop this winner: “When one is a Greek god, one can pretty much do whatever one pleases.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Sparklo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Sparklo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparklo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/25 "2004-08-14T02:24:45Z")
Okay, this is pissing me off. Insipid announcer: Catching up on the countries from the break, we have… What the hell? You’re on tape delay; NBC cut and edited the damn thing. Don’t pretend it’s live…we’re not that stupid! ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/26 "2004-08-14T02:32:50Z")
Half an hour into this and I’m already sick of the talking buttheads. Grrrr. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/27 "2004-08-14T03:17:10Z")
Will you please SHUT THE FUCK UP and let us hear Bjork? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/28 "2004-08-14T03:19:23Z")
It was _sooooooo_ much more important for Katie to talk about kids playing “parachute” than to actually hear the singer of the Olympic song (Björk) sing. :rolleyes: And don’t even get me started on Bob saying “You bet Djibuti!” Or saying “You have to have guts to wear an outfit like that!” about a country’s traditional outfit. Har har har. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/29 "2004-08-14T03:20:29Z")
> [@ccwaterback](#): > > Will you please SHUT THE FUCK UP and let us hear Bjork? > > Thank you. I see I wasn’t alone. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/30 "2004-08-14T03:25:19Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Television coverage of the Athens Olympics begins tomorrow. NBC plans to use all of its free-to-air and cable networks, boasting for the first time to show all the sports of the Games. > > The purpose of this thread is to record all the complaints directed at NBC by Dopers who will not get a chance to see their favorite sport, favorite athlete, favorite country (other than the USA), etc., since NBC has a history of talking heads and endless up close and personal cutaways. > > Will America _really_ see the opening ceremonies? Or will we see the crap NBC pulled during the Sydney games? Now’s your chance to reserve your favorite gripe after the opening ceremonies. Will we see any athletes other than Americans? Any indepth stories about the Thorpedo? Will the Iraqi soccer team take center stage as the feel good team that NBC will focus its energies and make endless connection to the war in Iraq? > > Sure, NBC has its American television networks for its American audience. So will we see anything other than Americans? > > Your best pit complaints can start here tomorrow. A pre-emptive Pit thread… The games haven’t even started but you wanted to facilitate ranting beforehand… Aren’t you a blessing! :wally ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/31 "2004-08-14T03:26:42Z")
I’m just watching the beginning of the opening ceremonies, and what’s driving me nuts is their constantly saying that the Greeks invented sports, the Greeks invented drama, etc. Now, I greatly respect the achievements of the ancient Greeks, but there _were_ other civilizations at the time. ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/32 "2004-08-14T03:58:52Z")
… among the outright errors I heard (not that I could hear much of the commentary thank Gods), Belize is NOT an ‘island nation’ and Athena is NOT the fucking patron saint of Athens. Unreal. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/33 "2004-08-14T04:06:49Z")
Forgive me if this is a “me too”. I’m irate to the point where I don’t care if I’m repeating previous posts. Why in the bloody bastard hellspawn of Bob Costas am I watching fucking figure skating on the HDTV feed? Why? Why? Why did I spend two hours on top of my roof in 100 degree heat on sunday to put up the antennae that I promised my wife would be up in time for her to watch the olympics, only to get inferior coverage? Why the hell couldn’t you at least use your alternate digital channel to show the same feed as your analogue signal? No, I gotta wait until 9 o freaken clock for the opening ceremonies to start. Fuckers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Llama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@The\_Llama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Llama)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/34 "2004-08-14T04:15:37Z")
I think my new favorite thing to bash is the total lack of passion from either Costas or Couric. At the end, I felt like I just watched MP’s Holy grail… “and there was much rejoicing”…“yay”. They’re as exciting as drying paint. I don’t know if any of you are Yankee fans, but I nominate Michael Kay as the perfect replacement. When he’s being dorky and punny, get this, _you can tell_. And when a player from either team makes a great play, he gets **genuinely excited.** These two dimwits aren’t even trying to fake it! I am so glad this thread opened, because we need a place to vent this shit. ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/35 "2004-08-14T04:31:21Z")
The more I watch the HD broadcast the more I appreciate not having Costas and Kouric blathering on about nonsense. Although the second-tier NBC HD commentators still can’t manage to keep their mouths shut: when the runner symbolizing the games was running around the track breaking ribbons for every modern Olympics I hear “…and then he falls for World War I.” Followed shortly by the runner falling and the stadium announcer saying “World War I”. Thank you so much for helping me figure out what 75,000 people in the stadium were obviously dumbfounded with: WHY exactly did that runner fall after 1912? Oh, that’s right: WWI. Thanks, NBC. :rolleyes: The benefit of putting up with this blather: only ONE commercial every half-hour. The downside: It’s the SAME commercial. If I see that idiot watching the “game” on his Sony TV one more time I just might have to kill him. On preview: **LordVor** you can “me too” yourself with me all day long about that ice-skating horseshit for the first hour on the HD broadcast! Fuckers. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/36 "2004-08-14T05:34:46Z")
> [@Sparklo](#): > > Okay, this is pissing me off. > > Insipid announcer: Catching up on the countries from the break, we have… > > What the hell? You’re on tape delay; NBC cut and edited the damn thing. Don’t pretend it’s live…we’re not that stupid! Dangit, that was going to be **my** rant. 😛 On the plus side, the opening ceremony was fucking outstanding. Ms. Ididntcatchhername Causeoftoomanysyllables deserves a medal for putting together such a great show in such a short period of time. ---
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/37 "2004-08-14T06:01:51Z")
I’m glad I wasn’t the only person who was annoyed by the “Gee, that’s quite a get-up!” comments. Only moment that amused me throughout the endless commentary was Bob’s comment about Astoria (Queens, NY) being the place where about half of the Americans of Greek descent live. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/38 "2004-08-14T06:27:39Z")
NBC is da debil. I don’t have a TV, so I didn’t watch the ceremonies, but I am STILL pissed at them for tape-delaying the Salt Lake Olympics in the Pacific Time Zone. Tape delaying from Sydney, well, it didn’t exactly make me happy, but there is some sort of logic involved. But when they tape-delayed in 2002, I practically had a shitfit. (AFAIK, it was only the PT that got the tape delay, the other time zones were live.) There’s a difference of ONE FUCKING HOUR and we can’t see it live? Idiots. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/39 "2004-08-14T11:03:46Z")
I’d like to thank my local cable company, Wide Open West. This morning, as I woike up to watch the 2AM CNBC coverage, they are showing INFOMERCIALS. Called up the cable company and got some line about they can’t get the feed changed over…blah blah blah. Now, I understand that cable companies have something to do with all the late night infomercials that air, but they should know that the OLYMPICS would be starting on 14 Aug and maybe they MIGHT want to have that “feed” switched over ahead of time. Anyone know of any online radio stations which are airing the games? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656/40 "2004-08-14T13:02:01Z")
Due to hurricane Charley, my local NBC affiliate handed over OC coverage to the Pax affiliate. Which I don’t get on Dish. Then, when Dish finally failed, we switched over to cable, stumbled across the Pax affiliate, and watched a few of the floats with actors posing as statues before the power finally failed. Any comments up to the level of “Attacked by giant icicles” from the winter games? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nbc-olympics-coverage-pit-thread/259656.md?page=3)