dreamfactory313 said:

NO they are NOT !!

Coverage is crap here, just one terrestrial channel showing it and nothing on ESPN, Star Sports or the Thai cable sports channels.

I'm wondering if there's any chance I'll be able to watch the USA vs China basketball match. I'm totally confused by the times being given for the games and not sure when it's the time in China or the time in the country of the website I'm on.

Fauxie said:

That sux

NBC withholding live Olympic events from west coast viewers

NBC went to a lot of trouble in order to get major Olympic events like swimming and gymnastics on the air live in primetime in the United States. Now, after getting their wish, the Peacock Network is inexplicably showing those events on tape delay on the west coast.

Because the time difference from Beijing to the United States wouldn't allow NBC to air live coverage of events from China, swimming and gymnastics finals were moved to the morning in Beijing. The network paid $894 million to broadcast these Olympics and didn't want a redo of 2000, when every major event in Sydney was shown on tape delay (it's no coincidence that the ratings for those Games were the lowest in history).

But after enduring months of tough negotiations with the IOC to get the events moved, NBC is doing exactly what they tried to avoid: showing events on tape. Tonight's swimming finals with Michael Phelps, Dara Torres and Katie Hoff were not shown live in the Mountain or Pacific time zones, nor will they be shown for the entirety of the competition. NBC will instead run the east coast feed three hours later; at 8:00 p.m. PT. So, at the moment (midnight on the east coast), viewers on the other side of the country still haven't seen Phelps shatter his own world record in the 400-meter individual medley.

This is a baffling decision by NBC. It's hard to recall any other occasion when a sporting event has been shown live in one half of the country, but not the other. It's unheard of. Sure, some sporting events start at weird times on the west coast, but that's the norm and people adapt. Like earthquakes, wildfires and actors-turned-governors, it's just how things are. That's why bars have breakfast buffets and bloody mary specials during football season for 10:00 a.m. kickoffs. If live mid-day weekend telecasts are good enough for the NFL and college football, why not the Olympics?

If the network plans on continuing the delay of the west coast feed, they're subjecting themselves to viewer backlash, poor ratings and upset advertisers. Essentially, NBC strong-armed the IOC into changing around a bulk of the Olympic schedule in order to broadcast live events in two time zones. Great business decision, guys. Why not just push Jay Leno out the door too while you're at it. (Oh, wait.)

Posted: Sunday August 10, 2008 12:04PM; Updated: Sunday August 10, 2008 12:43PM
Team USA routs China in opener


* BOX SCORE: United States 101, China 70


BEIJING (AP) -- The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team dazzled President Bush and perhaps a billion more fans in one of the most anticipated events of the Summer Games.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and company put on a dunk contest Sunday night against China, playing up to the basketball-crazed Chinese fans that packed the arena. While the Americans struggled shooting jump shots, the Americans soared for array of reverse slams and tomahawk jams drawing oohs and ahhs from the fans as they cruised to a 101-70 victory.

Wade scored 19 points and James had 18 for the Americans. Kobe Bryant finished with 13 points.

But the score and the game didn't seem to matter, this was an event.

China's Yao Ming, All-Star center for the Houston Rockets, finished with 13 points. He started the showcase by drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key for the first score of the game.

Bush and his family were wrapping up another long day of sports, more than 12 hours after they watched swimmer Michael Phelps win his first gold medal of these games.

The guys Bush caught here expect to bring home gold, too.

The Americans made 21 of their first 25 shots inside the 3-point arc, though they had another inept night behind it. Still, with James, Wade and Bryant repeatedly getting out on the break, the poor 3-point shooting wasn't a problem on this night.

NBA players are wildly popular in China, where the league estimates 300 million people play basketball. The Americans, still known as the Dream Team here, enjoyed a huge backing during exhibition games in Macau and Shanghai, support that will surely help them here on their gold-medal quest.

Bush came out first, walking to his seat above center court about a half hour before the 10:15 start. He was still shaking hands and slapping five with fans around him minutes later when Yao, back from season-ending foot surgery in March, led China's players onto the floor to a thunderous ovation.

The Chinese team gathered in the center circle and waved to their flag-waving fans, then began their pregame warm-ups. Fans remained standing and let out another roar when Yao made his first hoop -- possibly the first standing ovation ever for a layup line.

The Americans sprinted out a few minutes later to an ovation that was just as loud. They were wearing their home white uniforms -- and it felt like a game with two home teams. A listener going just by the noise from the crowd would have never known which team just scored.

Fans throughout the arena chanted "Jia You! Jia You!" (Let's go!) and cheered plays on both ends. There was nothing resembling a boo until the referees called Yao for a blocking foul, instead of the charge he hoped for, on a basket by James almost 5 minutes into the game.

Yao's 3-pointer to start the game sent the crowd back into a frenzy and China stayed in the game for a while by hitting from behind the arc. The Chinese hit eight of their first 12 attempts, with Sun Yue's 3 tying it at 29 with 6:09 remaining in the second quarter.

The Americans then started forcing turnovers by China's smaller guards -- long the team's Achilles' heel -- and broke open the game with a series of layups and dunks. That helped the U.S. score 10 straight, highlighted by James' spectacular one-handed slam of Wade's alley-oop pass, to build a 45-32 lead with under 2 minutes left in the half.

The lead reached 20 when Wade hit two free throws with 2:39 remaining in the third quarter, and the U.S. team kept building on it from there. Michael Redd's 3-pointer with 6:54 to play made it 84-50 and sent Bush and his family to the exits.

Yao checked out about 2 minutes later, raising a fist to the appreciative fans who were still cheering even in the blowout.

The Americans face Angola on Tuesday. Things don't get any easier for the Chinese, who face world champion Spain.

Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

SCNDLS said:

Yeah, this is along the lines of what I heard. It really sucks.... My daughter pulled up some things online this morning and was sharing them with me... Im all ut ut ut...NOOOOO!!! Im watching it live.....


NBC.

I think that all Olympians should have to wear Speedos.....regardless of the sport.

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

Enjoying the water polo I take it?

SUPRMAN said:

Ok water-polo looses me. I can't keep my eyes on the ball... between the rough water and all the skull caps, I loose the ball in play. Is it me? Or is the camera shot weak?

Mens beach vollyball getting screwed by the rain. Its a downpour and they cant control the ball... who is to say who had the better game considering? I scream foul!!

Mens beach vollyball getting screwed by the rain. Its a downpour and they cant control the ball... who is to say who had the better game considering? I scream foul!!

American womens synchronized swimming just missed the bronze medal.

SUPRMAN said:

Heehe!! I've tried but the entire game looks blurry to me. I don't know if that's just the camera or what.

I watch Diving, Gymnastics and, Track and Field. Male and Female.

The women's gymnastics team is SERIOUSLY fuckin' up.

SCNDLS said:

yes, but I'm enjoying watching it.

that must take some serious skill.

superman said:

But everytime I hear "Alicia Sacramone" I think, "Johnny Sac's granddaughter's in the Olympics?????"

SCNDLS said:

;lol:

superman said:

Your avvie is scaring the shit outta me.

dreamfactory313 said:

Why? that's the bride of frankenstein.

Bella is intenser than bitch. I can totally see him crackin' that

superman said:

Yikes.

Let's go Natalie!!!

I missed the first half of the opening ceremony, and I was STILL blown away!

London sure has its work cut out for it, don't you think?

I haven't been watching many of the events, but I did see Michael Phelps win the Gold. He must have dolphin DNA in him.

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

I watch it all . . . . and enjoy it. Never know when a hot body, male or female will turn up. And watching it in HD is simply lovely.

SUPRMAN said:

The beautiful bodies are a big plus!

Japan's Kitajima just set a world record in the 200m breaststroke. America's Hansen shut out of a medal. Damn.

That Russian swimmer Arkady Vyatchanin is one SCARY looking dude.

PurpleJedi said: