NBC Olympics Coverage Details? Announcers, HD coverage, etc?

[Eeyora]

I am also in favor of ABC but with the contract NBC is etched in stone. It would be wonderful if cable coulde show the first few flights of skaters. I could actually picture Bravo doing this. I could also picture compulsory Ice Dance moved to Bravo. But I do pray for NBC to show the final two flights of skaters.

As for commentators I hate the NBC team. I can't stand Tom Hammond. Worse was Dick Enberg. Give that spot to JIm McKay. Will ABC give him to NBC again? I used to love Scott but after the last couple of Olympics I don't.Remember in 98 he said Michelle could make one maybe two mistakes and still win. That made her loss even more depressing for me. Lets not forget his SLC pairs commentary. "One more jump and the gold is theirs" Remember he said Yagudin was in danger of losing to Plushenko and Goebel and then he called Michelle smart for doulbing her second triple toe in her triple toe triple toe. I wish Dick would Commentate for the Olympics but he is a permanant fixture to ABC. My personal favorite is Brian Boitano he makes a great commentator so maybe NBC will hire him. Last we heard Sandra Bezic cut her ties to the sport but i do recall her choreographing a number for Kurt last year. I find an annoying know at all as well and hopefully she won't be back. Although I think her choreography was genius. Unfortunately this leaves us with Roz who is even more far annoying than Bezic.

 

[brad640]

* Also, as in Athens, will NBC be offering high-definition coverage of certain marquee events? In the case of Athens, lucky viewers with HD could see the ENTIRE gymnastics event (mens & ladies artistic, as well as rhythmic). Maybe we skating fans may be offered the chance to see the ENTIRE skating competition, in some form, at a premium cost?

HD coverage in Athens was not that great. They did not show all the gymnastics competition, but they did show more than the regular broadcast. The bad part was that it did not air until the morning after the primetime coverage. Also, there was a lot of wasted time that they filled with stock footage of the Parthenon. It was very strange - they would show some gymnastics and then show 10 minutes of stock footage of the venues set to Olympic theme music.

 

[Kelly22]

I admire Scott Hamilton as a person and skating champion, and I very much hope he has a full recovery because he doesn't deserve the cards he's been dealt. Having said that, I concur, his commentating at 2002 Olys was so disappointing. If I recall correctly, he said something to the effect that Alexei was holding back and that he'd obviously conceded his LP to Plush. That comment was so far out of line, actually depressing to hear - a real downer. And his comments during the pairs competion - yikes. I'd never thought of it, but I agree, Bezic was a bit smug.

Kelly

 

[Ptichka]

I hated Scott's commentary. Though they weren't as bad as the other guy they had commenting on the Olympics. I don't remember his name, he wasn't a skater or anything, and he was the one who was talking when Fontana was skating about her father's suicide. My favorite comentator is Tracy Wilson.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I wouldn't mind Nancy Kerrigan.{Please do not confuse your bias towards Nancy's skating. This is commentating} She knows exactly what is going on out there on the ice. She now has the mature voice of a lady. and she did a nice job with the juniors and even the fluff pieces. She is not obtrusive.

I wonder if she is contracted to the ABC family?

I find Boitano's voice somewhat effeminate like. Scott, of course and so many other skaters have the squeaky voice or the little boy voice. Actually Gannon's voice is perfect but he does lack the knowledge of skating elements.

How about Kurt Browning and Nancy Kerrigan?

Joe

 

[dr.frog]

Ughhh. I'm pretty sure that when Kerrigan did her commentary for World Juniors, it was all scripted and dubbed in after the fact. Her "live" commentary for the recent Liberty Open was dreadful, by comparison. Nonstop jabbering during the performance about stuff that often had no relevance to what the skater was doing on the ice, a lot of stumbling over words and having problems speaking in coherent sentences, and in some cases just being totally off-base in her comments.

OTOH, I personally do not find Sandra Bezic objectionable. She doesn't talk too much during the performance, her comments seem well thought-out (even if somewhat opinionated), and she expresses herself well without getting tongue-tied or yelling when she gets excited. Tracy Wilson is also quite good.

 

[Frau Muller]

One thing that a lesser-known skater can do to be shown by NBC is to tell Scott Hamilton that s/he is skating on a broken foot. Scott will 'take pity' and squeeze him or her into the telecast. It happened last time!

Remember that unknown Uzbek couple that somehow 'miraculously' shown on both the SP and LP telecasts of the Pairs? Their big 'selling point' was the girl's injury. Bottom line: If your'e not a medal contender or a North American, YA GOTTA HAVE A GIMMICK! Either ya have an intersting injury or are the first Israeli skater or won the Lotto Sweepstakes or were born on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean...or...or...or....

I would prefer: Show young, unknown skaters who have special style & talent. No gimmicks. I suppose that that is too boring for the marketing dept at NBC.

 

[soogar]

Well to be fair regarding the UZbek couple, they showed all the skaters competing. I actually think this was on CBS rather than NBC (b/c CBS has the '92 and '94 games) b/c CBS showed a majority of the skaters and Scotty worked for CBS with Verne Lundquist for many years.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Ughhh. I'm pretty sure that when Kerrigan did her commentary for World Juniors, it was all scripted and dubbed in after the fact. Her "live" commentary for the recent Liberty Open was dreadful, by comparison. Nonstop jabbering during the performance about stuff that often had no relevance to what the skater was doing on the ice, a lot of stumbling over words and having problems speaking in coherent sentences, and in some cases just being totally
off-base in her comments.

Why do I get the feeling you hate her skating?

Joe

 

[dr.frog]

Why do I get the feeling you hate her skating?

I dunno. Maybe because your feelings are completely out of touch with reality?

 

[Tonichelle]

I wouldn't mind ABC doing it. They have the staff for figure skating and their cameramen are as good as any if not better.

I agree Doug Wilson is the best TV Figure Skating director, hands down... one of my TV heroes....



I loved the commentary team from CBS.... but I dunno.... every team has it's winners and "losers"

I love Terry Gannon from ABC, Verne Lundquist and Scotty from CBS, and I liked Scott on NBC....

Kurt Browning needs to commentate again... as does Brian Orser (granted it'd be for Canadian TV but they always crack me up)

 

[Tonichelle]

I hated Scott's commentary. Though they weren't as bad as the other guy they had commenting on the Olympics. I don't remember his name, he wasn't a skater or anything, and he was the one who was talking when Fontana was skating about her father's suicide. My favorite comentator is Tracy Wilson.

Al Trautwig, IIRC... has been the color commentator for figure skating on NBC for years and still knows zilch about the sport....

 

[R.D.]

Quick question if I will. What is a "color" commentator? I've heard this term but never quite understood it. Thanks in advance.

 

[chipso1]

Boitano would be an excellent commentator! He and Susie Wynn would be great together!

If I had my way, there would be NO Scotty, Sandra, or Tom. Verne is okay, but he can seem a little "blah" sometimes . . . . . Terry Gannon would do a much better job! :agree:

 

[Mathman]

Quick question if I will. What is a "color" commentator? I've heard this term but never quite understood it. Thanks in advance.

Wikipedia, the on-line do-it-yourself encyclopedia (i.e., if you don't like thier definition, you can edit it yourself) says: "A color (or colour) commentator is a member of the broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the play-by-play announcer by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color commentator provides analysis and background information, such as statistics, on the teams and athletes."

I guess the idea is that the play by play guy does the "black and white" of the braodcast, and the color guy does the little bits that add flavor to the show (to mix metaphors).

I think Terry Gannon is supposed to be the play by play guy and Dick and Peggy supply the color, though maybe this distinction doesn't apply so directly to figure skating as it does to baseball, etc. Usually the play by play guy is a wimpy professional broadcaster (Bob Costas) and the color guy is an ex-jock (John Madden).

Something like that.

 

[Mathman]

I like Sandra Bezik because she gives information, especially about music and choreography, that I didn't know before. Same with Suzie Wynn, about ice dance.

 

[emma]

I like Sandra Bezik because she gives information, especially about music and choreography, that I didn't know before. Same with Suzie Wynn, about ice dance.

I feel the same way...especially about ice dance since i know soooo little about it.

I don't mind Terry Gannon a bit, and a just have this feeling that in a different format he could really be great. For example, I wish figure skating had commentators more like other sports...the play by play (call the element...double axle, triple lutz, sit spin, etc)...with a few added 'colorful' remarks during set up or kiss and cry moments...I could imagine Gannon filling in stats on that skater or that element etc.

I actually can't imagine Nancy Kerigan commentating...and not because I don't like her skating but because when I listen to her in interviews I think: yuck. But, I haven't heard her speak since a quick interview in the last olympics...so, maybe (especially with training) she could be good. I do think it important to have someone who knows the sport, knows the elements, understands what's happening etc. to be commentating.

I like Scott's enthusiasm (somehow reminds me of a younger and sweeter version of Dick Button) and don't mind the effeminate voice...same with Boitano: his voice doesn't bother me a bit and I wouldn't mind him either, nor would I mind Browning...i would kind of like browning and boitano together (like old rivals)....but again, i would prefer a blow by blow on the elements...stats/fluff in between skaters.

 

[R.D.]

Wikipedia, the on-line do-it-yourself encyclopedia (i.e., if you don't like thier definition, you can edit it yourself) says: "A color (or colour) commentator is a member of the broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the play-by-play announcer by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color commentator provides analysis and background information, such as statistics, on the teams and athletes."

I guess the idea is that the play by play guy does the "black and white" of the braodcast, and the color guy does the little bits that add flavor to the show (to mix metaphors).

I think Terry Gannon is supposed to be the play by play guy and Dick and Peggy supply the color, though maybe this distinction doesn't apply so directly to figure skating as it does to baseball, etc. Usually the play by play guy is a wimpy professional broadcaster (Bob Costas) and the color guy is an ex-jock (John Madden).

Something like that.

Ah, now I get it. It's the analyst guy.

I always thought of that as the "commentator" (the play-by-play announcer) and the "analyst" (the person who "fills in" and ties all the loose ends). Thanks, MM.

 

[SusanBeth]

Ughhh. I'm pretty sure that when Kerrigan did her commentary for World Juniors, it was all scripted and dubbed in after the fact. Her "live" commentary for the recent Liberty Open was dreadful, by comparison. Nonstop jabbering during the performance about stuff that often had no relevance to what the skater was doing on the ice, a lot of stumbling over words and having problems speaking in coherent sentences, and in some cases just being totally off-base in her comments.
.

I guess that I am not alone. She was absolutely, nightmarishly terrible. It was painful to hear. If she did the commentary at the Olympics, it would be one more reason for me to be thankful I can get Canadian coverage. I don't want to suffer that much even for figure skating.

BTW, I liked her skating.

 

[JockProf]

I really Boitano when he did 96 nationals and worlds. Of course nothing beats Uncle Dick with his pen and flip chart at the 1980 Olympics with diagrams of the compulsory dances. Who needs technology? LOL