Chinese Love

[Joe Miner]

Those WERE his comments in the game.

 

Those were just a selection of his comments in the game, even around the play I'm talking about. But they weren't all of his comments.

 

I"m not just talking about this one instance either. It seems like a good portion of the Olympics is centered around how great China is at everything.

 

Maybe they are great at many of the events, and maybe they're better than America at most of them, big deal. For me, and many people like me, this is the only time we get to see Americans competing in some of these events. When the announcers of many of these events spend so much time talking about how great China is instead of what America is doing (good or bad), it's a little frustrating.

 

I don't get to see Americans compete in these events very often, and when I turn on the Olympics and the coverage is mostly about another country's team, and what that country needs to do to win, or seal a victory, or comeback, or whatever, I find it a little disturbing. I would like to think that we all are rooting for our own men and women above another country's in any event. But watching some of the broadcasts, it's tough to tell at times.

[UConn James]

Those were just a selection of his comments in the game, even around the play I'm talking about. But they weren't all of his comments.

 

I"m not just talking about this one instance either. It seems like a good portion of the Olympics is centered around how great China is at everything.

 

Maybe they are great at many of the events, and maybe they're better than America at most of them, big deal. For me, and many people like me, this is the only time we get to see Americans competing in some of these events. When the announcers of many of these events spend so much time talking about how great China is instead of what America is doing (good or bad), it's a little frustrating.

 

I don't get to see Americans compete in these events very often, and when I turn on the Olympics and the coverage is mostly about another country's team, and what that country needs to do to win, or seal a victory, or comeback, or whatever, I find it a little disturbing. I would like to think that we all are rooting for our own men and women above another country's in any event. But watching some of the broadcasts, it's tough to tell at times.

 

Kind of like listening to John McEnroe spend almost every breath during the French Open and Wimbledon talking about Davis Cup (as if it matters anymore).

 

Make no mistake, China's athletes are pretty damn good, and their committee has targeted events where they can increase their medal count. Their program has been streamlined for results. And again, this is the kind of attention that host countries historically get from the broadcaster. In the Sydney games, you couldn't tune out all of the coverage of the "Thorpedo" and their swimmers, their aboriginal (a population in that country that had been treated rather horribly) track runner, etc. In Torino, it was that downhill skier. In Athens, the talk was about the Acropolis and the pagentry of the Games returning to its birthplace and Greece bringing in players from other countries to fill their rosters (a girl I went to high school time out of mind ago played on their soccer team). In Lillehammer, Yolan Olof Kauss was the buzzword. In Atlanta it was Michael Johnson, the Russian and Romanian women's gymnastics. Here in China so far, it's all Michael Phelps all the time. Each Games has their different focuses on different stories. That's NBC's job --- to tell an overarching story.... China's display has been one of the major stories thus far b/c the meat of the event schedule hasn't really happened yet.

 

NBC receives criticism from people who want to see USA athletes and also from people who want to see the best competition regardless of countries represented; as such, some events get major coverage, others are given such short shrift you can only read one sentence about online if you're really really looking for that event (such as the target shooting events). That's life. Your remote has buttons --- you can watch it, turn the sound off, or change the channel if it irks you enough. <shrug>

[LongLiveRalph]

You guys can argue till you're blue in the face, you're both missing the obvious. It's clear that our televsions are manufactured in China, and are programmed by the Communist government to spew pro-China propaganda at every opportunity.

[aussiew]

As a very good young swimmer who a zillion years ago dreamed of the Olympics but didn't make enough of a commitment, I cheer for every one of these athletes regardless of the country they represent. I cheer because I appreciate a life time of hard work and sacrifice for them and their families.

 

However, I must admit, I cheer a little louder for those in the little yellow caps.

Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie.