NBC just sticks with the same tired formula - Costas, the same focus on the stories, the delayed broadcast, the heavy editing instead of showing more action - Olympic games after Olympic games. You see very little new formatting/updating. It needs some updating for sure.
How long does NBC have the rights to the Olympics for?
According to this until 2032:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/08/sports/olympics/nbc-extends-olympic-tv-deal-through-2032.html?_r=0
OMG.
In women’s gymnastics America managed to be 10 points ahead of China in the qualifications. That is crazy. Raisman will probably get her first AA medal as well. The field is so weak that she could easily get a medal with a major error. Douglas did not qualify due to the two per country rule.
Seeing the 41 year old gymnast competing in her 7th Olympics was pretty cool.
I’m flipping back and forth between NBC and CBET (Canadian channel). Much prefer the CBET but I want to watch the American athletes.
As always, I am so in awe of these floor exercises. There’s not a doubt in my mind that gymnasts are the most all-around athletic people in the world.
@saillakeerie As a dedicated Tour de France viewer, my heart sank when I saw the American out front, even before she was riding alone. Breakaways start out as several riders, who do work together and draft off each other, then narrow down to one rider through attrition. That rider almost invariably gets pulled back to the peloton, often heartbreakingly close to the finish, and after all those miles of solo effort doesn’t have enough gas in the tank for the final push. A breakaway rider will very occasionally win the stage, which is why there’s always an attempt. But you’re right that they must be very far ahead, 10-15 minutes or more for the middle part of the race.
If you have a Roku device, the NBC Sports streaming app allows you to watch just the events you want, live, and without cutting to another sport in the middle of the event. We’ve been watching the cycling and whitewater kayaking streams live.
Horrific crash in the women’s race. The US woman would have had a much better chance at getting a medal if the Dutch rider hadn’t crashed and they’d been able to work together. Great try though and another exciting race. I read the Dutch rider had a deep concussion and 3 fractured vertebrae, but she’ll be OK.
@youcee Thanks. I knew the online coverage was live for pretty much everything. Was wondering how we could watch the online stuff on our TV. I want to watch on our couch on a big screen not a computer screen. Forgot my son brought the Roku device he used last year for TV at college home this summer. Will definitely try that out.
I noticed some of the male swimmers have these circular marks on their shoulders and back. (Michael Phelps)
Does anyone know what that means? I have seen it on some other participants too in swimming.
One of the announcers said it was a Chinese process meant to increase blood flow. I believe its called cupping.
It’s from cupping. A massage technique that uses heated glass globes that cause suction to promote healing.
Do the cupping marks eventually go away?
It looks bad. I wonder if it is painful or uncomfortable.
Cupping?
In regards to the attendance issue, a fairly large proportion of tickets are reserved for olympic sponsors. That’s why there are so many empty seats even for sold out events.
@romanigypsyeyes I sometimes forget how difficult the basic skills in gymnastics are since the gymnasts have fully mastered them. Giant swings on high bar and uneven bars look really easy, but they put a lot of work into keeping their bodies straight and arms unbent.
It’s like a huge hickey. It’s caused by increased blood flow to the area. It will take several days to go away.
I saw at least one of the male gymnastics guys with the cupping marks as well. I’ve seen it in movies depicting medieval time periods. Didn’t know it was a thing with athletes these days. What’s next, leeches?
It has its roots in eastern medicine .
My friend had it done to her for awhile. It involves getting glass bowls (or other items) very hot and then putting them on the affected area. It looks pretty uncomfortable to me but my friend said it helped her with some nerve problems she was having without surgery and swore by it and massage as Eastern remedies that worked for her.