I think they show so much swimming not just because of Phelps and other Americans but because there’s so much of it. When we get to track and field it’s going to be the same thing. There’s the hundred meter, the hundred five meter, the hundred ten meter, hundred fifteen while hopping on one foot, etc.
And Jesus Christ, volleyball of any stripe. I have no desire to watch any sport, ever, that I was forced to play in any sort of mandatory PE class.
I agree with you in that there seems to be some sexualization of it and they are all way too young. Also, they are really young. The men do have more difficult tumbling passes in general, but the stuff the women do is still pretty tough shit. That double front Nastia did freeked me out. That’s not even common for men. I wish they would drop the dance routine and just tumble like the men. I’m pretty sure they hate it too. But they really like the fact that they get to take a step when they land a tumbling pass.
It would be nice, given all the time devoted to women’s BV, to have at least some longering closeups of the non-American competitors. I thought one of the Norwegian women was pretty stunning, but she got virtually no camera time because it would have taken away from Misty and Kerri.
Women’s gymnastics gets too much (and too icky) coverage for the same reasons women’s figure skating does in winter, and because it has the same coughdrama queencough demographic appeal.
Beach volleyball. And synchronized diving. The latter should have been televised for exactly one dive (ok, one pair of dives) along with the commentary “look what non-sport they allow now”.
I agree about the judges, but would narrow it down to the worst of the bunch:
DIVING!
I love teh women divers. More please.
No way! Beach Volleyball is the best sport!
You clearly didn’t watch the America vs Belgium game then.
Anything that isn’t live gets too much coverage. I don’t want to watch stuff on tape delay. Ever. Sue me.
Incidentally, that’s one of the reasons for so much beach volleyball - they have been starting the first match of the day (often with the Americans) at 9am Beijing time, putting it where they can throw it in live at 9pm EST for the US audience. Then all of the swimming live from 10 to midnight or so. It actually worked out really well for that first week.
When I found out that I was getting mostly tape-delayed stuff from this morning tonight, my interest in watching past the beach volleyball match dropped precipitously.
(Incidentally, I also find that I really like volleyball in general, both Beach and Indoor, and it isn’t a sexist thing - I’ve seen a couple of the Dalhausser/Rogers matches too, and those have been just as fun, or maybe more so since they have been competitive. Though I still do like bikinis . . .)
It’s kinda hard to work around that when the Olympics are in a time zone that’s 12 hours earlier (later?) than EST.
Beach volleyball and Boxing. One of the channels spent the first FIVE DAYS showing nothing but boxing.
CNBC’s coverage was set up to just show boxing though. Put it on a channel which has very high male viewership. That way, no female has to see it! 
During 1984-2000, the ‘sob stories’ years, boxing was absolutely ignored in an attempt to pander to the female demographic. Putting it on CNBC, which has zero ratings when the stock market is closed was a good idea.
My wife says beach volleyball, but me… I think it’s beach volleyball.
Men’s Judo in the nude -
Menudo! Ha!
I crack myself up!
I think they show too much beach volleyball, but it should be over now that the gold has been won. And too much rowing! That is one boring sport.
In winter it is womans figure skating. In summer it’s the womans gymnastics. Hour after hour of human interest and up close and personals.
Followed up by volley ball. I have 3 channels and I try to watch boxing and softball.
What is team handball. ? What a weird sport that is.
I understand that - but they somehow managed to have compelling live coverage from 9PM - 1AM EST for the entire first week and change. Just for that I’m tons of impressed with NBC (even if I feel a little bad for the people doing sporting events at 9 or 10 in the morning over there). The live stuff has the side benefit of not letting them fit in nearly as many of the infamous “stories” (though the suits probably see that as a drawback . . .).
I’ll tell you what gets too much coverage is the damn song. They should play it at the start of the show and at the end of the show. It loses its impact when they play it coming in and out of every segment and commercial.