TV you make me angry.
My wife is a huge Olympics nut, and I admit they are enticing and exciting viewing, filling this humble country with a minor dosage of patriotic fervor, only to be doused by underwhelming performances. We care, but really, not all that much. We don’t mind placing 6th, if at all, and we’re ecstatic over bronze… “we made the podium”, but in the context of our country and our pride, we know we’re good at hockey, and if we’re decent at anything else that’s just gravy. Even having some American gold medalist is half-Canadian because his mother was born in the Maritimes is a coup for us. We take what we can get. But I’m not angry about our placings. We’re a Winter Olympics country. In the Summer Games we’re good at rowing and, every so often, swimming and that’s about it. Doesn’t matter all that much. Americans can win all the Gold medals they want, we have universal health care (and not George Bush). Chinese can win half of everything, that’s all right, we have a free press.
What makes me angry, though, is the coverage, the hideous, atrocious coverage. Without having a digital cable or satellite package, we get three (sometimes four) channels of Olympics coverage in CBC, CBC Quebec, NBC and TSN. TSN is an affiliated partner of CBC so they’re getting second string coverage, usually long-form events like softball, basketball or soccer (football), and you’re more likely to see a NASCAR race as you’ll see Olympics coverage. I’m not sure what the deal was between CBC and TSN but it’s very limiting from a viewer perspective. NBC, meanwhile, is covering the games as a series of human interest stories and not actual sporting competition. Everything has to be drama, drama, drama. NBC, when they’re not airing commercials, are airing some 3-5 minute long puff piece about some French swimmer’s scandal, or the Dream Team of yore, or Mark Spitz’s 7-medal record (again and again and again), not to mention the constant recapping of past glories from not just previous Olympics but two days ago. They spend more time documenting a gold medal win after the fact than actually covering the win at the time.
Alternating between CBC and CBC-Quebec is the preferable way to watch the sports, but they’re equally infuriating because they air so many commercials. I’d say 40% of broadcast time is commercials. The CBC is doing this thing where they will focus on one particular discipline (swimming or gymnastics) and filling their time covering that sport. They’re making very little effort to cover the other sports going on at that time or earlier in the day. WIth 10 - 20 minutes between swim races, you’d think they could cut to some other event, but no, we get about 8 minutes of commercials and 11 minutes of analysis of what we just saw or what’s coming up and maybe a minute of updates from the studio. It’s pathetic.
CBC is pushing their on-line broadband coverage, however their connections are overloaded and therefore sketchy and watching in a tiny window on the computer delivers none of the comforts of the living room, nor the social atmosphere of collecting together to watch the games.
I’m quite fed up with how the coverage of the Games has been progressing. I imagine outside of prime time (while at work or sleeping) coverage is a lot more focussed and fulfilling but, well, I’m a 9 to 5er now and don’t have the luxury of watching til the wee hours of the morn or during the day.
Go Canada? Enh, whatever. I almost can’t be bothered.
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— I told Aden about my disheartened attitude towards the second round of the playoffs and she said “Now you can always root AGAINST Philly”, which sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately, Montreal isn’t looking very good these days and another physical team like Philly is going to put the hurt on them something fierce. Biron is a wall but the finesse players on Montreal might be able to break him down. I see another game 7 for both these teams, Philly once again coming out on top. Bleh.
— Aden loves Detroit. She also loves Ryan Smyth and is fond of Joe Sakic. She’s excited for this series, and I have to admit, it should be fun. Detroit should take it in 6 though.
I would have been much happier if Pittsburgh were playing Washington, whom they would roll over, or Philly, whose ticket they’ve already punched this year, but no, it’s New York, who is on a mean tear for the cup, and I don’t think they’ll be denied. MA Fleury has no idea what he’s in for with Sean Avery thumping in front of him, and I think the young birds are going to find their experience with Ottawa leaving them ill-prepared. Rangers in 6.
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— Now that Dallas has dunked the Ducks, I don’t really care about them anymore, nor the Sharks. But someone’s got to win. I think Dallas is making a real run for the cup and will give the Sharks everything they’ve got. It’ll be the Stars in seven, but possibly six.
: Aden’s favourite team (Detroit) has been on an utter tear this year, losing all of 21 decisions. As long as they don’t repeat their 9-game no-win streak from earlier this year, they should have a pretty easy ride. I don’t expect Nashville to give ‘em much trouble. Wings in 5 games, 6 tops.
: my how the tables have turned. The Pens faced the Sens last year in the first round and the young pups had their tail feathers plucked and handed back to them by the steamrolling team from our nation’s capital. Given how awful the Sens have been this year, and how fantastic Pittsburgh has played, I’m expecting an easy 4-game sweep. And I get to say “The Gonch” everytime a commentator says Gonchar’s name. Cause that never gets tired!
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- yawn. Rangers in seven. I hope. Depends on how strong the Devils trap holds up. Thankfully, Lundqvist has been having a pretty good season, so he can almost match Brodeur this year. 
: I’d probably like to see Colorado win more because of Sakic and Smyth, but Minnesota is the new New Jersey, having effectively mastered the trap. Yawn. Minnesota in 6.
: good grief… please, Dallas, please kick those annoying freak Ducks out in the first round. Please? Still, I bet the Ducks take it, seven games. Ana-holes.