The Rio Olympics happened to open on the same day that I watched a deeply troubling documentary on HBO Real Sports that chronicled the terrible scandals that have undermined the reputation and standing of the IOC, the International Olympic Committee. The charges are varied, but perhaps the most serious objections raised about the IOC and the way they have conducted their business is the shameful way in which many of their members have accepted lavish gifts and other bribes in exchange for favorable rulings. As Bryant Gumbel signed off, I felt for the moment like I would never enjoy the Olympics again – or at least not like I once had. But then these Rio games began serving up all kinds of exciting and moving stories like only the Olympics can, and I found myself smitten all over again. Who could resist the touching story the Refugee Athletes who marched into the Rio stadium to one of the most fervent ovations of the entire Opening Cermonies? What about the sweet story of America’s top two female gymnasts who finished 1-2 in the all-around competition in bedazzling fashion yet were such devoted, supportive and affectionate teammates to one another.
In some ways, what was even more touching than these two American teammates was the very evident affection and respect between the top two male gymnasts in the all-around competition. The winner was from Japan and his narrowly-vanquished foe from Ukraine, but to see them together afterwards one might have guessed that they were lifelong friends. And as one looked at their smiles, it was all but impossible to detect which one of them was the victor.
Or how about the sight of the trampoline gold medalist (from Canada) inviting her coach up to the mat to share in the thunderous ovation that the crowd gave her?
Or how about the astounding success of 35-year-old Anthony Ervin, the gold medalist in the 50-meters race 16 years ago, who won gold again- and whose personal story includes confronting and surmounting the harsh reality of Tourette’s Syndrome? It’s hard not to be thrilled and moved by such a story- which, of course, was just one of many amazing successes served up by the American swimmers, and by valiant swimmers from other nations as well.
So it’s been a thrilling and moving Olympics thus far- but as usual, Greg Berg has a complaint or two to offer up. But let’s not call them ‘complaints.’ I think ‘constructive suggestions for betterment” sounds much better. And I only have four of them:
A. BAG THE MEDAL BOARD- Or at least cut back drastically on how often it is cited during your telecasts. I’m talking about the board which lists the top nations in the medal count – a tally which means next-to-nothing on the first day of competition, yet which NBC tirelessly touts right from the start. This bothers me on several levels, but my main complaint is how this seems to pander to our most shallow instincts. Is the winning of medals really that important? And even if medal-winning is indeed that important, why is it so very important that we keep track of how many medals each nation wins – especially all along the way? And such a list also has a way of marginalizing all kinds of smaller nations that cannot possibly earn a spot in such a top ten list; it essentially minimizes their contribution to the games. You I think it especially bugs me when host Bob Costas is forced to parade this Medal Count before us, day after day after day. His contribution to these telecasts often features very wise reflections on what these Olympics mean beyond the medals, so I can’t believe that he feels comfortable with this part of what he does. If I had my way, the Medal Count should be calculated once every four days of the Olympics, at the most. Otherwise, let it go. PLEASE! (And if you still want McDonald’s money, NBC, figure out something else for them to sponsor.)
B. BAN ‘TOUCHY-FEELY’ POST-RACE QUESTIONS. As someone who asks questions nearly every day of his life, I tend to be hyper-critical of those who are entrusted with high-profile opportunities and proceed to waste those opportunities with vacuous, largely meaningless questions such as “how do you feel” or “describe what’s going through your mind right now” or “what does this mean to you”? These are the kind of questions that require not one iota of preparation or reflection- and they’re also questions that tend to evoke largely predictable, well-worn replies. And I think that with very few exceptions, athletes do not enjoy having to answer such questions… especially when they are in the throes of having just finished a taxing race. So keep it specific and technical, with queries such as “was your shoulder hurting you today?” or “why was this race so much better for you than your swim in the semi-finals” or “how confident were you that you could beat the French in this race?” Leave lazy “how do you feel” questions out of it. PLEASE!
C. SHOW US COMPLETE MEDAL CEREMONIES. I am truly dismayed that NBC so often chooses to show us only the gold medalists receiving their medals – while the silver and bronze medalists are scarcely glimpsed in the margins of the screen. This conveys the unmistakable message that Gold is the only color that really matters- and that finishing second or third is comparable to finishing last. (Think about it; we’re talking about someone finishing second or third in a competition featuring athletes from throughout the world.) Of course, the exception is if an American athlete wins silver or bronze; in those cases, we are usually allowed to see those medals bestowed. Otherwise, far too often these marvelous athletes who have achieved so much are not given the respect and veneration that they deserve.
I think this bothered me the most when NBC chose to show the full medal ceremony for the 4X100 relay in which the amazing Michael Phelps earned his final gold medal. The cameras were rolling for most of the ceremony, but instead of showing the silver and bronze teams receiving their hard-fought medals, the cameras remained fixed on the Americans waiting for their moment in the spotlight. It was hard to interpret this as anything but completely disrespectful/dismissive of the second and third-place teams. What made it even harder to stomach is that the American swimmers seemed completely oblivious to those teams and what should have been a special moment of honor for them. They pretty much spent the entire time talking amongst themselves and even laughing- but certainly paying little if any attention to their competitors. I was really saddened by this, especially because the American swimmers in general had shown such sterling sportsmanship, at least for the most part, during these Games. But this moment underscored for me that perhaps too many of our athletes don’t seem to appreciate what these medal ceremonies are all about. And maybe some of the blame for that belongs with NBC and the way that they have handled medal ceremonies in the last several Olympics.
This is especially true on NBC itself- the main channel- where they’re trying to fit too much stuff into a single evening. On its other channels, full medal ceremonies are more apt to be telecast- and every time I see one (like today’s ceremony for women’s doubles) it just ratchets up my unhappiness at how this matter is handled on NBC itself. The athletes who have earned silver and bronze should be seen receiving those medals. PLEASE!
D. ALL FLAGS MATTER. I know that NBC is an American corporation- and it makes sense for them to celebrate the greatness of American athletes. But on several occasions, I have seen the NBC cameras show us all three flags, with the American flag in the high middle position – – –
– – – only to then zoom in and have the American flag completely dominate the screen, with the other two flags barely visible.
Please, NBC- Do a better job of embracing the Feast of Internationalism that these Olympic games are all about ….. in the words that your hosts and commentators say ….. and in the images that you put up on the screen. What you do matters. A lot. We count on you to make the best possible choices on our behalf.
Thank you for doing so many things so very well.
Now do them even better. PLEASE.