Topic: 2016 Olympic Games Thread

@Tasuki, they actually do show everything, it's just that NBC spreads it out across all their networks, many of which normally have nothing to do with sports. For example, Tennis is exclusive to Bravo, Golf is on Golf Channel (this one makes sense), Soccer & Basketball get their own temporary exclusive channels (that you'd never know existed unless you looked for them), while NBC (during the daytime), NBC Sports Network, MSNBC (normally a cable news network), CNBC (economic news), & USA get random events throughout the day (Martial Arts, Boxing, Archery, Rugby, Equestrian, Handball, Indoor Volleyball, etc.)

They just take what I assume are the biggest ratings grabbers here (Swimming, Gymnastics, Track & Field, and Women's Beach Volleyball), and bundle them together during primetime.

That said, I agree with your approach. I usually watch it on my tablet (with the NBC Sports app), that way I can watch what I want, when I want (instead of blindly rummaging through a dozen channels hoping they just happen to have something you want to see on at just the right moment).

@RR529: Yeah I should have posted what I was thinking clearer. But yeah they do have other sports it's just that most people can only catch the prime time stuff due to work like myself and school and it seems that every Olympics the prime time stuff contains swimming, gymnastics, track and field etc. but it's probably as you said those are the ones most Americans are interested in and get the network the highest ratings.

And unless you can find those other sports due to the channels and times and other factors you don't get to see them much. Like me for example I work usually 5 days a week 730 to 400 PM so I can only watch the Prime time stuff.

Anyhow, a quite busy day 5:

Women's Beach Volleyball - Saw USA's Walsh-Jennings & Ross play a Swiss pair. Absolutely brutal game. It went all three sets, and was a point for point slugfest, until the end of the third set when one of the Swiss girls was slowed down by injury. USA won 2 sets to 1. Also watched China VS Australia, with China coming out on top 2 sets to 0. From this particular pool, USA (WJ & R) & China move on to the tournament round, while Switzerland & Australia have been knocked out.

Women's Synchronized 10m Diving - This was actually from yesterday, but I watched it today. Watched the first two rounds, and I quite liked it, and could see myself getting more into it. The Chinese pair was absolutely stunning.

Women's Fencing - finally got around to some fencing (just so much interesting stuff to try out, lol). Two matches I watched were USA VS France & USA VS China. We lost both matches, and now all the Americans have been knocked out of this particular contest.

Men's Rugby Sevens - Watched Australia VS South Africa (Aussies won) & Britain VS New Zealand (Brits won). Interesting, but I think it was an Australian player who had his head busted open (ouch!).

Women's Individual Archery - Just one match today, but it was a real nail biter. It was Mexico VS Turkey, and it came down to a sudden death one shot round with the Mexican barely coming out on top. What a match.

Fiji running away with the gold medal in the rugby sevens.

Just reading your posts about the US coverage of the Olympics. It sounds like we're lucky here: you can get everything on the BBC all day. It's free, too! (Well, annual license fee aside.)

@get2sammyb: yeah. the u.s. sucks. (nbc, not our team). I only get to see some of the events, and they're loaded with commercials. They literally almost tripled the amount of time it took to get through the Rio Olympic opening!! My whole family went to bed before the parade of nations even ended because it took so long.

It's a lot of fun seeing all of the events, but some of them make me feel really lazy and out of shape. Like the swimming events or women's volleyball... (T_T )
haven't seen any of the track and field events yet.

@get2sammyb: Yeah the coverage here is bad mainly cause NBC has a multi year deal with the Olympics in the US (Kinda like Madden with the NFL licensing) so we are at their mercy. Even streaming it we have to use NBC sports and as @Utena-mobile said they pile on the commercials.

Anyway I have to say I am really enjoying Rugby alot. I watched the quarter finals yesterday and tonight I am hoping to watch the finals evend though I already saw your post Sammy.

Sorry for the spoilers! @Utena-mobile: I don't think track and field starts until next week, does it?

@get2sammyb: oh, you're right. (o_O ) what about fencing? has that passed already?

@Utena-mobile: Yes fencing has been going on since the beginning.

@Tasuki: nyooooooooooo!!!

@Utena-mobile, I don't think @Tasuki meant that the Fencing is over (though certain Fencing events are), just that it started day 1. There's still more to come, at least tomorrow (haven't looked at the schedule beyond that).

Anyhow, may Day 6

Women's Beach Volleyball - Watched USA's Fendrick & Sweat face off against a Russian pair. It was a point for point game going all 3 sets, but the Ruskies won it 2 sets to 1. After today the preliminary round is over, and I find it astounding how one USA pair won all three of their prelim matches, while the other pair lost all three.

Men's Table Tennis - Watched a match between China & Japan, and the Chinese player won. I like Table Tennis, but man can the matches be long. This one went 6 sets, and lasted over an hour! The game is first to 4 sets wins, so at it's longest can go up to 7 sets.

Other: caught some of the Swimming & Women's Gymnastics during NBC's primetime thing. Phelps won his 22nd career Olympic Gold medal!

Team USA stomped it tonight in Women's Gymnastics as did Phelps in Swimming..

Fiji winning the first medal and its gold. Great that even smaller nations can outshine the larger countries.

Phelps is absolutely insane.

@Utena-mobile: You can catch the replay of any event on NBCOLYMPICS.COM.

Day 7

Women's Beach Volleyball - Watched USA's Walsh-Jennings & Ross VS an Italian pair. The Italians played a good game, but the USA won it 2 sets to 0. Also watched China's Wang & Yuan VS a Brazilian pair, with the Brazilians winning 2 sets to 0 (so now I only have one team left to watch...).

Women's Skeet Shooting - The medal matches. Watched USA VS China for the Bronze (which the USA won), and then two Italians faced off for the Gold. More interesting than the Air Rifle thing I watched on Day 1.

Mens Individual Archery - the medal matches. Watched USA VS Japan (USA won), France VS Netherlands (France won), USA VS South Korea (SK won), USA VS Netherlands for Bronze (USA won), and finally France VS South Korea for the Gold (SK won).

Swimming - Managed to catch quite a few of the Swimming events, including Katie Ladecky's astounding performance in the Women's 800m Freestyle, and another USA swimmer who won the 50m Freestyle (what's astounding about this is that he won it before... 16 years ago at the Sydney Olympics!). Too bad Phelps couldn't nab his 5th Gold of the games (he had to settle for Silver).

Other - Also caught the end of the Men's 20km Walk Race (China won Gold & Silver), and watched some of the Track & Field qualifiers.

Wow are the tempers flying during the Brazil/Colombia men's soccer match.

Day 8

Swimming - Caught some of today's Swimming events, including Team USA's Gold wins in the Women's Team 400m Medley & Men's Team 400m Medley (the latter was Michael Phelps 23rd career Olympic Gold, and his last, as he's retiring. He was so emotional on the podium).

Track & Field - Watched some of the qualifying races, including Usain Bolt's.

I stayed up super late last night watching the track and field. Was disappointing Jess Ennis-Hill couldn't retain her gold, but she did really well considering she's not long had a baby. Mo Farah was absolutely incredible.

Also watched tons of the velodrome and the tennis semi-finals.

Looking forward to Andy Murray's gold medal match today.