TM's Olympic Rant - Part Two
 

We tried to avoid them.

They were always getting nocked up.








(Archery joke, people.)

TM's Olympic Rant - Part Two
 

Our cheerleaders were frowned upon too. But that's mainly b/c they were skanks. And not the good kind.

TM's Olympic Rant - Part Two
 

Why is the second part a question? It should be a bold assertion of fact. What kind of lawyer are you!?!?!??!?!

Random Thoughts on the Olympics
 

I don't recall if you covered that or not, but you're ignoring the spillover effects of the Olympics on other networks' programing. There was fuck-all on other than the Olympics last night. I sat staring numbly at the hour-long sailing event. Boats bobbing around buoys (briskly?). The thai stick made it better, though.

TM's Olympic Rant - Part Two
 

Lawyer? There are lawyers here?

TM's Olympic Coverage Rant
 

I know the reasons why they do it. But appealing to middle America does not make for the best coverage. It's like watching the news now. Sure, the graphics and sound effects are way cool, but it's not giving you much in terms of news. When I watch the Olympics, I want to see sporting events. I also want it to be about international competition. I don't want coverage focusing on just the US athletes. We've covered this, though, so whatever.


You're going to have to give me an example of this in the Olympics. I don't see the two things as even a little analogous.

TM

TM's Olympic Coverage Rant
 

What's saddest is they've not tried to do it as a sporting event. maybe they'd get more people watching if they did. Jeez, they could at least try. I know I'd watch more than the few minutes I now do if they did.


Was Dr. Renee Richards in the Olympics?

TM's Olympic Coverage Rant
 

Tivo has never been more useful. I had my choice of beach volleyball, women's softball (is that right dtb?), and men's field hockey as breakfast-table viewing. I didn't see a single athlete profile. Of course, the early morning sun meant I didn't see much of the field hockey ball, either, but it's still better than the overly made-up pixies on display tonight. (And, as for that question, aren't more than 75% of teenage girls overly made-up anyway--if some eyeshadow is good, a lot is better always seems to be the approach).

TM's Olympic Coverage Rant
 

If the judges are predominantly Eastern European, isn't this just a question of trying to look good for them?

TM's Olympic Coverage Rant
 

They would undoubtedly get more sports fans watching it that way. However, they've made a profitability decision that there are more people out there who want storied and vignetted dramas than there are sports fans.

Or sex, of course. I was amazed to see the male Baggins-kinders and all of their friends glued to the TV for a part of the Olympics a few nights ago. Until I saw those wonderful beach-volleyball uniforms and realized why. Migawd, even I watched TV for a bit at that point.

sell out?
 

Sweet!

Yours ever so truly,

Flintay

TM's Olympic Coverage Rant
 

I'm not a TV marketer, but I'll opine like one here. No doubt NBC has, in fact, figured out ways to measure whether the alternative would do better, and attract a better advertising audience, and the answer is no. They paid $780 million for the games. Think they don't pay anyone to analyze these questions incredibly much? It sucks, yez, but be glad that at least the NBC friends networks do cover some real sports.

TM's Olympic Coverage Rant
 

I read that NBC expects a profit on the games of about $50M. Seems like a risky bet, $780M for $50M. But I'm sure there's other benefits, prestige, etc., that I'm not taking into account. The one to watch will be the Bejiing games in 2008--that's going to be insane--so much money flying for that one.

TM's Olympic Coverage Rant
 

I invented FB Eastern Bloc makeup jokes.

TM's Olympic Rant - Part Two
 

All the pictures of you really were out of focus. I swear.