An Olympic rant...
Dear NBC commentators:
As a Canadian, I can nevertheless very comfortably admit that American athletes are fantastically talented and that I admire their skills, strength and sportsmanship just as much as I do the same towards my own countrymen.
Your athletes are humble, grateful and powerful, and I honestly love watching them perform at the Olympics.
You commentators however, make me want to punch puppies, babies and the cure to cancer in the face simultaneously, while cursing your entire nation's population to permanent explosive diarrhea and pustulent bacne. While I watched the women's gymnastics qualifiers on NBC, I found myself burning into a malevolent rage as your brainless blathering scorched my ears and made my IQ drop with every moronic word.
Never have I EVER heard such pompous, borderline offensive, and overly-dramatic rhetoric. Among other things, I heard you declare that your athletes will "crush the entire world" because they are "definitely the better than anyone else", while "everyone else pales in comparison". I heard you downplay the performances of other countries. I also remember cringing at the unending amount of bullshit you put words in those young female gymnasts' mouths OVER, AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, as you presumed to know exactly what these girls were thinking while they performed their routines, making it absolutely IMPOSSIBLE for me to enjoy what they have sacrificed for years, to do.
I mean for god's sake, what happened to sitting back, shutting up and just ENJOYING what a privilege it is to watch these professionals perform what they've trained their entire lives to accomplish?
I'm sure your athletes are hard-working. I'm sure they are world-class. I'm sure they might even indeed win medals.
Nevertheless, your absolutely ridiculous commentating makes me lose perspective and HATE THEM; hate these brilliant young women without meaning to, just because of the everpresent, insipid, cheesy and pompous narration going on in their background constantly. Maybe you don't realize it, but you pumping up the competitors like biased, irrational ass-kissers accomplishes the absolute contrary of what you are intending.
For the love of sportsmanship and for the sake of all the hard work these young women and ALL other athletes do, STOP making your competitors look bad, just because you cannot stand not hearing the sound of your own voice nattering on.
Instead, learn from the athletes you are shaming with your ridiculous ranting, and realize that modesty, sportsmanship and open-mindedness go a long way.
Sincerely,
An embittered Canadian viewer cursed with your network.
Comments (54)
Well said!!
I hope NBC loses the Olympics. They lost Wimbledon for refusing to televise it live. We really don't need to see the back story of every athlete.
NBC is an embarrassment to us all (meaning Americans.) No game is worth broadcasting unless the US is competing. Only broadcast in prime time those events in which the US dominates. Focus on the US team irreguardless of the amazing talent from around the world staring them in the face.
They believe they know what we want to see and how we want to experience it. (backstories, parents in the stadiums, broken up presentations like right now - mixing swimming and gymnastics) Loud and obnoxious is only secondary to the whole mishandling of the entire broadcast of the games.
China may do a worse job of broadcasting the game. N. Korea, it's possible. But I can't imagine most other nations coming close to the bias reporting of NBC. Turns my stomach.
Unfortunately many third world countries will only get US feeds - maybe they can do their own commentary - let's hope!
NBC - National Biased Commentary
Don't worry... those commentators can't come between us.
We are honestly tired of NBC too. Thus far I think the only commentators I liked was the basketball announcers. Maybe because one of them is from my area, but regardless they know what to say and how to show the uniqueness of every player on the court. But yeah NBC is terrible especially with Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer on the first night.
From a fellow Canuck, THANK YOU!!!
i always turn off the volume when i watch sport programs, esp. the olympics.
AMERICAAAAAAAAAAA!
Yeah, I agree. I was terribly disappointed with their coverage of the opening ceremonies, which despite its already lengthy run time they felt needed to be padded with some Ryan Seacrest interviews of athletes. They could have run it an an earlier hour (since it wasn't live anyway) and finished up before midnight but instead they dragged it out longer than it needed to be. And from what I've watched since, it seems the usual in which they babble about the competitors while showing precious little of the actual sport they are supposed to be covering. Yet, I assume SOMEONE must like this endless, inane commentary, since they've been doing it as long as I can remember.
I've been annoyed, too, but not to that exent. I haven't watched a lot of it, but I guess I just expect them to go on and on. I tune it out. I suppose Ryan Seacrest is supposed to appeal to the target market. My husband wanted to know why Ryan's hair was so big! I hadn't notice it before, but it does defy gravity.
I find it obnoxious too and I'm here in Amurrca. This evening, during one of the events (one of the diving or gymnastic things), they showed one mother's constant mumbling as her daughter was preparing for her moment. SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LET ME WATCH THE EVENT, DAMN IT. I wish I could enjoy the US team but I can't with the reporters and the insane amount of fluff that they put into the broadcast.
Ugh.
I'm moving to central Europe in a touch over a month. I hope that when I watch the next Olympics there that I can enjoy the event without such terrible reporters.
For the people in Canada, I've watched some of it on CTV, which seems not as bad but maybe I'm not watching at the same times.
As an American, I just want to say I completely agree with you.
mute button. problem solved.
MOST of us can't stand NBC or MNBC to the same level as you. I think the Only reason they are still on the air is bc of the night time TV shows can be pretty good.
i don't remember there being so much commentary in the past. when i was a kid, i definitely remember silence during some sports like gymnastics. now everyone is gabbing stupidly the whole time. stfu.
Bob Costas ranks down there with Joe Buck. Neither should be sportscasting. Period.
I fucking hate commentators. When I do watch sports, I watch on mute.
I must agree, and we do have quite a few of them. I despise having to sit through a Fox baseball game.
My wife was complaining last night about how they were not showing the routines of anyone but the Americans.
I personally have enjoyed the coverage and it makes sense that in the U.S. that they would make the coverage American centric. I remember years ago visiting Utah when the Chicago Bulls were playing against the Utah Jazz in the NBA finals. I was from the Chicago area and it was hard listening to the coverage in Utah. I think this is sort of natural. I imagine if you were listening to a Canadian broadcast that it would be a little bit centered around Canada?
NBC is killing the olympics this year.
You should be happy you can't hear Croatian commentators - they say the craziest and stupidest things unlike you never heard before.