Mandatory Olympic viewing.

I'm sure that a lot of people enjoy the olympics.  When I was around 5, so did I.  I'm also in favor of national pride and all that.

Right now however, I'm wondering when the Olympics became compulsory viewing?  I have a few daytime shows that the Tivo picks up so I can watch them later in the evening.  The problem is, at least five(?!?!?!) different channels, including NBC, Bravo, Spike, USA, and one other I can't recall at the moment are *ALL* showing the fscking Olympics, all day, every day...  

The siege of these channels by sporto-jocks and stupid media petards who think it's a "good idea for everyone to see the Olympics from every possible channel" pretty much completely wipes out almost ALL of the shows I watch on a daily basis.  One channel I could accept and write off...  This however is worse than a fscking Bush Address of the Nation, or even having 5 "shop at home" channels for the lazy people....

Who had the bright fscking idea that every single channel should show the same goddamned boring displays of "I'm better and faster than you and can wave a flag to get on yet another TV channel and interrupt your day"?

[Blomberg]

I know exactly how you feel.

I only have 4 channels (don't really watch TV much - certainly not sports) and this summer has been almost nothing but sports. Don't remember the exact chronology but there was the Euro Football (soccer) Championsh*t, Wimbledon Tennis, Tour De France and now the sodding Olympics, all of them hogging at least a week of airtime each ... and why they have to show the same thing on several channels at once really beats the hell out of me..

The only thing I use my TV for these days is the TV-out

[PMC]

Well over here our two state funded and three commercial stations won't blink at either showing the latest minority sports at peak times for endless hours on end or show the same football match from the same cameras but on different channels.

Here's a brief rundown:

Football.  There's the assumption that if you don't like football then you're an aged spinster, so rival channels all show Gone With the Wind instead.
Rugby.  Only marginally more entertaining than football.
Darts.  Indoor Javelin, played by only the very finest examples of athleticism that a nation with our licensing laws can hope to produce.
Snooker.  Take a stick and prod a ball with it.  
Golf.  Similar to above, but takes place outdoors.
Cricket.  Usually cancelled due to the weather.  indecipherable rules.
Formula One.  Never bet against a red car winning.  
Tennis.  Could someone please explain the point?
Boxing.  Two grown men hitting each other.  If they were doing it in a pub car park they'd be arrested.

These mindless sports are played out in their entirety, often for hours on end when supposed "action" is replayed from every conceivable angle.  Over and over.  Once the actual sport is finished, three of the most uncharismatic blokes sit there and dissect it for more endless hours.

Meanwhile, on BBC2 we'll have a programme all about common uses for snow that goes on for an hour.  On ITV we'll have either a hospital or crime drama (doesn't matter which, the script will be exactly the same).  Channel 4 will be showing Big Brother with the sound muted so you'll see five people sitting in a circle doing nothing.  Channel Five will be showing some dodgy soft porn with all the eroticism of a builder picking his nose.

[the_leander]

@PMC

And it gets WORSE!!! With Freeview (Free to air digital TV - 10 extra TV channels and 5 shopping channels + all digital radio stations).

Yes now you get the above sport, with *special* camera views and commontary on at least 4 extra channels, with 24hour news doing the same for at least half of their one hour cycles.

Oh and whilst I'm on the subject of freeview, I would add that although you don't pay a subscription per se, your box will degrade to the point of uselessness soon after it hits 18 months old (if you're lucky, some companies build their equipment with the expectation of it dying after a few days...)

My second box will be arriving here on friday.

[Doobrey]

The only part of the Olympics I`ve watched so far has been the table tennis, even then I had to video it then watch it later on slo-mo, play it normally and all you see is 2 oriental guys waving their arms around.
 
 It`s absolute crud TV here in the UK, it`s almost as if the other channels have given up and are just showing repeats until the games are over.
 Then again, the TV has been going downhill for years now, nothing original everyone just pushes out the same old crud.
 When something new does come on and is successful, it just gets copied to death by the other channels... ITV do Plop Idol, BBC quickly bodge together Fame Academy.. BBC cast Shane Ritchie into EastEnders everyone loves him,  ITV suddenly cast Bradley Walsh into Corrie..
 

..Breaking news from the mens final of the clay pigeon shooting..
 Men with guns 948, clay pigeons nil.

[graffias79]

Hmm my taste must be a bit different.  I welcome the Olympics, otherwise there's nothing on any channel during prime time except *shudder* reality shows, and *gag* trading spaces-esque type shows.

[iamaboringperson]

I haven't noticed. Seriously.


I certainly think the Olympics are over rated. People who normally don't like to watch people jump in the water and swing their arms around like they're spastic, or watch people go around, and round, and round in circles, all of a sudden get all excited at this event, and can't keep their eyes of the TV.

There's something very cultish about it, IMO.

[MAD]

Hoya!

@PMC

LOL, nice description.

Well, usually, and even if I do not like sport, I like to watch the Olympics because of the not-so-common sports you can see.

Unfortunately, in France they almost only show the events when France wins... So if you wanna see high diving, you are doomed...

As for TV becoming sh!te, I could not agree more.
The stuff I saw in England does exist in France too...

"Real-TV", yeah right!
"You know, you got a script, loads of cameras around and will be paid to pretend but it IS REAL TV!"

Turn your TV OFF and you Amiga ON!

Be funky

M A D

[asian1]

>Watching Olympics

Hello
In India, cable operators boycott the Olympic because of excessive tax. In my country, ALL TV stations refused to pay US$ 1 M to ATHOC for rights to broadcast Olympics game.
Beside the right, they must pay for Satellite Rental, sending Reporter team to Greek etc.

On the last Sydney Olympic, a local TV station lost US$ 500 thousand, because lack of sponsor.

The only cable TV service broadcast 6 Olympic channels to 100 thousand home for US$ 50 / month.
They close V Music Channel, RAI Italy, TV V (France), and Indian TV channels during olympic.

[blobrana]

Hum,
i was just watching  a bike race at the VeloDrome;
And there was one guy with a motor on his bike!. it was clearly heard above the roar of the crowds...
has anyone one else noticed  any other suspect  events/decisions...?
@asian1
Thessaloniki (2nd Greek city) seems to have boycotted the Olympics as well...(due to an imbalance of money distributions ; with most going to Athens...)

[Bodie]

@MAD

"Unfortunately, in France they almost only show the events when France wins... So if you wanna see high diving, you are doomed..."

LOL. Same situation here, with only events in which there is an Australian (and only if they have a shot at a medal) being shown. This has meant that, for the first time I can recall, I have not seen any triple jump, pole vaulting etc. Instead we have to put up with equastrian, beach volleyball, baseball,  etc. :-(.

It is a shame that the IOC has such tight controls over who can broadcast the games. I would have loved to watch the games on the Greek public station, ERT, which we can view in Australia via sat (just for some variety). Unfortunately, they, ERT, are restricted in their ability to broadcast any olympic events beyond Greek borders. :pissed:

[Ilwrath]

@Wayne-

Oh, so there's Olympics going on.  I wondered why my Tivo hadn't recorded anything in a few days.  (I was starting to wonder if my wife changed the season passes, or something!)  Good thing I tossed a 120GB drive in there last year, so I have an archive to pick and choose from.  

This disruption can't last, what, more than another week?  Maybe I should try to get a refund for this unused week from Comcast.  ;-)

God Save TiVO!!!

I would agree with you about a refund.  Thank God I have a good video collection to fall back on.  I've pretty much watched a season per day of Highlander.  Now if only JAG were available on DVD.  

:-)

Wayne

[Fade]

With relatives over for the week, I am now being made to watch womens soccer. Ger. vs Swe. The halftime score is now Germany 1, Sweden 0, and I am thinking about poking a sharp pencil in both of my eyes.

But luckily my neighbor just called and said he had finished painting his basement, so I'm going over and help him keep the flies off the walls while it dries.

[T_Bone]

My wife made me watch.

I can feel my brain trying to escape out my ear.