Think the IOC is sorry now it chose China?

Too bad NBC and papers like the NY Times and Wash Post don't have the balls to do it

 

I'm surprised one of the big chains doesn't boycott and claim they are doing so for some high and mighty reason when the reality is they want to save the money...

 

That's a great point. We may still see that.

 

The average rating for World Cup games was 2.6 million viewers. And it was the highest U.S. rating in World Cup History. The Olympics averaged eight times as many viewers in one of its worst years. The Olympics' best night more than doubled the viewership of the World Cup Finals.

Apathy at its finest.

 

And this is with the broadcasts overburdened with sugary, feature-y horseshit, amid gross misrepresentations (you are (not) looking LIVE . . . ).

Olympics were worth watching, when you weren't buried under multiple layers of pap.

Haven't wasted the time, in many years. You can't pay me, enough.

 

The viewers must be there for soccer. ESPN isn't carrying Euro 2008 for nothing. The only reason they carry it is advertising which comes from ratings.

 

Which means soccer draws better than poker reruns or whatever else they show midafternoon.

And I'm sure someone will be along to mention the final will be shown on a Saturday afternoon. Great, ABC's summer midafternoon schedule is pretty shitty as well so it won't be tough to surpass that number either.

 

They're too busy enjoying their gifts from the Chinese Communist party. Of course, the way the Chinese are about security, you can bet the trace of those receipts is like looking for white paint in a bottle of liquid paper.

 

I think we could have a healthy debate and vote on that statement. Top Five, maybe but is he No. 1?

 

Considering the current state of the newspaper biz _ budget woes, hyper-local emphasis _ there is absolutely no reason for papers to send writers to these Olympics.
The time difference means the coverage that matters will not end up in the paper until long after the events are finished. And if there is a protest or a Mexico City-type moment, it will be blanket-covered. Even a paper's loyal web site visitors are probably going to head to ESPN.com or other "national" sites to get their Olympics info.

 

I've covered three Olympics and two World Cups.

I'm not a soccer fan, but the World Cup is the most amazing event I have ever covered and I've covered the championships in every major sport except tennis.

The Olympics suck. They suck to cover. They suck to watch. In most markets, papers will care more about preseason NFL.

The only reason people will watch is because there is nothing else on TV and NBC markets the games in a way that a lot of people will feel guilty if they don't watch.

 

Are people that weak-willed these days?

The last time I recall even watching any Olympics coverage was when the bomb went off in Atlanta. Hell, I can't even remember the last time I even watched NBC. There's plenty else to watch on TV.