Straight from the mouth of NBC (Neanderthal Broadcasting Company):
Watching live beach volleyball now and I can’t believe the women could be comfortable doing all that they’re doing in bikinis. Some are wearing sports bras underneath, and the racerback tops have skinny straps that can’t be comfortable. I wonder if the athletes will eventually bring about a change.
It reminds me of how much basketball has changed in my lifetime. Current players had some sort of exhibition where they wore '70’s style uniforms and the men absolutely hated the short shorts and couldn’t imagine regularly playing in them.
In 1992 NBC had the Triple Cast which one could pay $125 to watch all of the Olympics commercial and “heart warming story” free. I got it and I must say it was the best Olympics that I have ever watched.
We saw every gymnast do every routine. (I had a friend who was a gymnastics judge and she subscribed just to learn how the judges got their scores. Now we only see the top gymnasts and USA.) We saw every dive of every diver.
Anyway, it was a dismal failure for NBC, but I am sure that anyone who subscribed to the Triple Cast would do it again in a heartbeat. It was the drivel free Olympics.
Agreed about the beach volleyball bikinis. The USA tops are at least a little more coverage - like a sports bra. With the dives and awkward positions they get in - wouldn’t boy shorts suit bottoms be more comfortable for the player and the viewer!
I have watched NBC for all of 15 minutes because I was trying to watch men’s gymnastics and Ryan Seacrest is already on my last ***** nerve.
Well, the bottoms of the beach volleyball bikinis are quite comfy - unlike baggy shorts, they don’t restrict movement (see what female track athletes wear). The tops worn by some teams… not so much. Watching a Swiss team playing, and it is very painful! One of the players is quite big on the top, and the bounce effect is quite noticeable. Sigh. The Chinese team’s tops are even more pitiful!
If I was one of those female beach volleyball players, I’d feel the constant urge to do a Rafael Nadal and pick out my wedgie.
A fun day to watch. So very many different events! Loved the bike race, the swimming, the gymnastics (minus the horrible visual of that guy’s broken leg), and the women’s soccer was wonderful. Christine Sinclair scored her 164th international career goal! I had to chuckle at a comment made by the man doing the play by play. He was talking about all of the new young players on the team and mentioning how the stars, Sinclair, Matheson, Tancredi, Wilkinson, are all “on the wrong side of 30”. Two excellent wins put them through to the quarter-finals with six points in their group and some breathing space and rest possibilities for their match against Germany.
I am still cringing at the french gymnast’s broken leg. I am very glad I did not see that on tv. Then the EMT’s dropped him on his way to the ambulance?? OMG.
Flipping channels and watching different events, its amazing how some venues are so empty of spectators.
Just watched women’s rugby which I had never seen. Looks rather brutal but not difficult to pick up on the rules. I think I will be setting an alert to watch upcoming matches.
@doschicos, I had the same impression. But keep in mind, many of these events aren’t terribly important – more like elimination rounds – and many in Brazil don’t have a lot of disposable income. Affording tickets even for those less-popular events is still a splurge for many Rio locals.
Plus tickets to any Olympics event are very expensive. When the winter Olympics were in Vancouver, I figured that was my last best chance to attend in person, and I checked into prices for my special favorite, curling – not exactly a sport which attracts the masses so I hoped it would be affordable. The first round tickets were IIRC $99, and it went up from there. My family watching the whole tournament would have cost many thousands of dollars, and what’s the point of just attending one match and then going home? I’m sure the marquee events like figure skating or downhill were a lot more.
So much good stuff today!
We went to several early rounds of stuff when olympics were here. Yes- lots of empty seats.
That women’s synchro diving team from China is amazing!
My folks were guests of the opening ceremony in SKorea. They said it was packed and very long. They said it was interesting but too long. I’ve never attended an Olympic event or even been in the same city when one was being held.
Well, that is poor management then. Not just for this Olympics but for others. I can see pricing some events highly, but for others just price things to move tickets and sell seats.At least get some revenue and I;m sure the athletes would prefer to have the glory of having spectators. Give a certain number away or price cheaply to locals. They deserve to see some events to put up with the chaos in their area. Seems like a real waste.
My cousins were in Russia to watch their kids compete. After a day, they moved to a local hotel that still had many rooms, at a reduced rate. Far more convenient. I wish they set prices at a reasonable rate.
Some heartbreaking cycling today - again! I’m glad I watched though. The evening program is on now with Bob Costas…sigh.
Its amazing that I don’t know anyone who likes Costas (I don’t either). Not sure why he is still one. Someone must like the guy.
Lesson for both bike road races seems to be you aren’t going to win out in front by yourself if there is a good group of racers within striking difference. Seems like you would want to let them catch up to you and draft off them. Though maybe in the end, the American wouldn’t have been able to keep with with the 3 riders who chased her down even if she had let them catch up and tried to save some energy.