A frenetic first weekend of the XX Winter Games is complete in Torino, Italy, with the Tomato flying to halfpipe gold, a Texan with Vulcan eyebrow skaking really fast, Bode a medal bust, Italy a luge winner on its $100 million track, Norwegian cross-country skier making a miraculous last-to-second run, Apolo saying "Ohno" as a semi-final risk goes bad, women playing hockey around the clock, and Michelle Kwan withdrawing, celebrated, respected, admired, but sans Olympic gold.
Blogcritics coverage:
Winter Olympics TV Coverage: A Contrived Dialogue
So, you're pulling out the Pass Notes format for this article? Yes, I am. That's rather lazy writing, isn't it? Don't proper columnists steer clear of formats like this? What are you saying, that the format has absolutely six kinds of worn out...
Posted to Sports by Cameron Archer on February 26, 2006 05:37 PM
The Winter Olympics: Courage Devalued
My city, Vancouver, has been getting some international attention lately as the next in line to be Winter Olympic hosts, and we had a tiny trickle of snow yesterday to mark the occasion. Fortunately, we can rely on co-host Whistler...
Posted to Sports by Diane Kristine on February 26, 2006 06:20 AM
The Olympics Are Boring and Disappointing This Viewer
Sorry, GE/NBC, but I'm part of the reason your ratings are down this time. Frankly, I miss Tonya Harding. Well, not her personally, but a controversy/news event of that caliber. This Winter Olympics has been, in Dawn's words, "lame." There was...
Posted to Sports by Scott Butki on February 25, 2006 08:42 PM
The Olympic Ramble: Sasha Cohen, Julia Mancuso and Apolo Anton Ohno
Amazing performances and terrific chokes are at opposite ends of the “performance spectrum,” but generate equal amounts of interest among the masses. The past few days at the Olympics prove this as axiomatic. Sasha Cohen. Winning a silver medal...
Posted to Sports by Sal Marinello on February 25, 2006 08:08 PM
Olympic Curling: Canada (Um, Really?) Wins Gold, USA Takes Bronze
Canada 10, Finland 4 Usually a gold medal winner will cry, but Brad Gushue's tears meant a bit more than a decisive victory over Finland. After the game, Brad Gushue spoke to his mother Maureen, who was unable to make the trip...
Posted to Sports by Matthew T. Sussman on February 24, 2006 05:58 PM
Article comments
1 - Nancy
A propos of nothing, I stand in open-mouthed awe & astonishment at the antics & actions of the snowboarders, of ANY team. And I thought ski-jumping was spectacularly, suicidally insane....
2 - Eric Olsen
agreed: that Snowboard Cross is as insane and exciting as it gets
3 - Will
Totally cool article! I agree. And could someone PLEASE tell the NBC to cut down the commentator's army to ONE only?! They were actually sitting there with FOUR PEOPLE and commented all through the programms!(like the men's) Respect for Dick Button, but I do not thnk that former skater ever jumped more than double, the most, is at all! But how he is ripping those people apart is no fun to watch and hear. It is also no fun to watch the contest, trying to listen to the interpretation of music, when ALL of these guys are talking it down and dead! I don't know who had such a hidious idea, but it does not work! PLEASE shut the F*** up when someone is trying to perform! I am jelling at my TV - at the reporters to make them silent - at least for the minutes the skaters "talk" with their program and performance! And I still prefer the skaters "talk"!
And the normal viewer can not tell the difference between a tripple toe-loop or a lollipop, even if you try and try and try! You have to be a skater to understand that.
Bring back the SILENCE during a program. Remember the Torwell/Dean "Bolero" interpretation. Not one word was spoken, and it was a historic treat! No stupid comments like "Oh - look at his momento in the air...bla bla bla! That is as annoying as the Olympic hymn over and over and the heavy load of commercials. Please make these people simply shut up!
4 - Eric Olsen
thanks Will, I agree there is far too much babbling - some explanation is helpful, I think, but not the constant chatter