The Richmond Register

Sports

August 8, 2012

OPINION: Waiting for the Olympics

By Tim Mandell Register Sports Writer

RICHMOND — The information age has still not caught up with the desire for greed.

We can use Twitter to give fans instant updates on high school sporting events, we can follow EKU on live game casts that provide detailed statistics and we can use our computers or phones to watch national and international sporting events as they’re happening a thousand miles away.

But NBC still refuses to show major Olympic events live on television.

Olympics fans like me are basically reduced to two options: Get the results on the Internet as they’re happening or avoid the Internet at all costs all day while waiting for NBC to get around to showing an event.

Option one gives me instant results, but takes away the excitement of watching the event live on television.

Option two means I have to convince myself that this event is happening live when I know all the athletes are probably deep in dream land.

Either way I feel let down.

Sure, events are being aired live on the NBC website, but to utilize the system you need a cable provider — which is something I don’t have at home or at work.

Sunday I was excited to see if Kentucky native Tyson Gay could win the 100-meter dash.

So I stayed off the Internet.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

When NBC finally showed the race it was nearing the end of their telecast, around 11 p.m. (4 a.m. London time).

Gay got fourth.

I was probably more upset about Gay missing out on a medal than he was, mostly because he had six hours to digest the loss before I even knew about it.

It’s been like this throughout the entire Olympics.

NBC holds the most exciting events until late in the evening, teasing viewers with the promise that a potential gold is waiting around the corner, when most people in the modern world have known the results for several hours.

Being technologically deaf, dumb and blind is the only way to avoid knowing the results long before NBC airs each event.

NBC’s Olympic telecast is on almost around the clock.

Still, NBC holds the best events until prime-time when commercial spots are far more expensive.

So, millions of people are denied the chance to watch a great – and sometimes historic –  moment in real time, all because NBC can make more money by showing it in the evening.

Sports are meant to be watched live.

Maybe one day NBC will come to the realization that allowing people to cheer on their countrymen as they’re actually competing (and not several hours later) is more important than a few extra bucks in their already deep pockets.

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