I Feel Like I'm In an Olympic Coma

Have you been watching the Olympics this week? Of course you have because who hasn't? I think every single blog I check in on (at least the ones who update on a fairly regular basis) has blogged about the Olympics. So, I figured I might as well too because what else is going on? A whole lot of nothing that's what.

So, a lot of people are mad because NBC is showing all the marquee events on tape delay in prime time. I don't really understand why they are mad about this. Call me crazy, but I doubt there are many working people whose employers would just let them sit around and stream live Olympic coverage instead of doing work. I know my employer wouldn't like it. In fact, live streaming is blocked where I work so I have nothing to complain about because I for one am glad the marquee events are shown in prime time. Now, admittedly, it is hard to stay in a bubble throughout the day such that finding out the winners is a surprise; but, that's the age we live in. I am able to keep all things le Tour de France a secret until I watch at night because not too many people follow cycling. The Olympics however is a completely different story. I have found out numerous spoilers before seeing the event in prime time - but, I expected that would be the case and I am okay with it.

Having said that, however, I think I am a little un-enamored with the Olympics this year. Basically I just kind of stare at the screen and don't even know what's going on half the time. Let's take swimming for example - if I happen to not listen to the announcer say this is a semi-final or qualifier, I have no idea what kind of race it is and have thought a time or two that I was watching a medal race only to find out it was a semi-final. How about some graphics NBC? For the cycling road race, I kept looking at the bottom of the screen to see how many kilometers were left only to discover there was no kilometer countdown like there is during other cycling races - all of which are shown on NBC Sports Network - what gives? Can't NBC put up the same graphics we are accustomed to seeing?

The gymnastics commentators drive me nuts! They have got to be the most dramatic and negative people to ever walk the face of the earth -well, them and the figure skating commentators during the winter Olympics. Seriously, it's as if the gymnasts can do no right. These are 15 and 16 year old kids and the commentators are tearing them down as often as possible. Give me a break, man! I would like to mute these morons but sadly, watching silent gymnastics is just weird and when I do mute them and turn on some music, I have no idea what is going on so I'm forced to listen to their oohs and ahs and gasps of horror when one of the gymnasts takes a misstep. They act as though it is the end of the world. I assure you, it is not. These children will live to see another day... unless maybe they live in North Korea.

Michael Phelps - I'm over it. He was so 2008. His ego wouldn't fit through the front door of my house and he acts like he's got much better things to do than swim in the Olympics - like taking a hit from a bong for example. He just seems like a person with whom I would not want to be friends. I could be wrong, but man he just seems so full of himself and that is beyond annoying.

The prime time coverage should end at 10:00 if you ask me. I'll admit that I am an early to bed, early to rise person, and I cannot stay up until 11:00 to watch Olympic coverage. So, every night about 9:30 I check to see who won and then I go to bed, missing out on the last hour of the coverage which is probably the penultimate Olympic coverage for the night. It would have made more sense to me to start the coverage at 6:00 and go to 10:00. I guess everyone else in America is staying up past their bed time (or maybe I just have an early bed time), but not me because too little sleep makes for a crazy and moody Nat!

USA is doing awesome in the medal count, but seriously, where are all those medals coming from because in the past five days I feel like I've only seen less than 10 medals won. What am I missing? And how about a run down each night in list form of which events the medals were won. I can't even find that online. Maybe I really am in an Olympic coma. For all I know, they are breaking it down in that last hour of Olympic coverage, but I'm already dreaming the night away by then so I couldn't tell you (or me) for sure.

I think this is really all I have to say about the Olympics for now; but, fear not, there is still one more week of coverage to go and I'm sure I'll find something to say about it before it all comes to a screeching halt.