Lunar Adventures: exploring a little bit of everything
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Note to NBC: The Olympics consist of more than three sports
If all I knew about the 2008 Beijing Olympics came from NBC’s television coverage, I would conclude that:
- Swimming was the most popular sport in the world, and Michael Phelps was running for supreme dictator of the planet — he gets interviewed more than the U.S. presidential candidates;
- Gymnastics was the second most popular sport in the world, even though it appears to be dominated by female children (arguably true in China’s case, apparently) and bulky, stocky men;
- Beach volleyball was the third most popular sport in the world. By the way, can anyone explain to me that women wear next to nothing to play the sport, but men wear loose shorts and shirts? Is it mandated by some volleyball governing body that the women competitors have to show off their caboose on national TV, while the guys can cover it all up?
- Bela Karolyi is some sort of international superspy, lagging behind only Michael Phelps (and his “flat behind” as described by NBC as giving him a swimming advantage) in camera time. I think Bob Costas is getting jealous.
I know, I know, NBC just televises what gives ratings. And people want to see volleyball, gymnastics, and volleyball. But, what if — and I’m just thinking out loud here — NBC squeezed in a few other events during prime time, between Michael Phelps and Bela Karolyi interviews? Just throwing it out there.
Thu August 14th, 2008 9:18 pm
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This addresses your question: http://ask.metafilter.com/98786/Beach-Volleyball-Bikinis
Patrick is the official go-to guy for bikini information.
Somehow you missed the endles hours of coverage on the sport of rowing. Lucky you. Not on primetime, but on at naptime during the weekend. Maybe that was the point.
I caught about a minute of rowing, yeah, on the weekend. I watched the bicyclists in the background and tried to see if any crashed.