Is FB ruining the Olympics?

[Deleted]

or is NBC by not showing everything live?

People on FB are complaining about spoilers, etc. The latest one in my feed is Title 9 (the women's clothing/athletic co) congratulating the american women gymnasts.

[heyjude]

I'm on the NBC is ruining it train.

[winston]

I think this thread is probably a spoiler.

I also think that FB isn't ruining the Olympics, but people who are waiting to watch an event that hasn't been aired for them yet would probably be better off avoiding their newsfeed on some days.

And I think this would be less of an issue if NBC would just air these things live.

[basilosaurus]

FB is the least of the problems. It's nbc sucking (ahem, spoiling missy franklin minutes before they aired her race) and news outlets putting stuff on their front page. Oh, and nbc putting results in the title of the video clip. How hard is it to be vague?!

[heyjude]

And yet somehow the world was able to enjoy the world cup live...

[heyjude]

NBC turned Olympics coverage over to their entertainment dept which is why it often feels more like a scripted realty tv show rather than an exciting sporting event. They are absolutely to blame.

[basilosaurus]

I don't mind that it's not aired live, especially in my time zone. I think it's ridiculous, though, they don't delay air the sports during the daytime. They can replay the important parts during primetime, but at least let us catch the sports we care about in as close to their entirety rather than highly edited nighttime.

I do mind the inane commentary and the lack of coverage of other teams or sports. I don't giveashit what's in Ryan Lochte's closet. We don't need to have a trumped up rivalry to care about what's going on. This isn't big brother. Show more events!

I do think if they're going to make the decision not to air live they need to not spoil the results in their own damn commercials. And if they're going to promote watching online, they really shouldn't spoil results on the very page where you go to watch online.

[heyjude]

I know world cup is not exactly the same but there is a model there for international live sporting events. Even if they can't emmulate the world cup exactly, there is plenty of room for improvement on NBC's part.

[msmerymac]

Jul 31, 2012 17:32:35 GMT -5 winston said:

I think this thread is probably a spoiler.

Uh, yeah. I've been actively trying not to spoil that for myself today, and I've been successful until now, so... thanks for that, Septimus.

[Deleted]

Jul 31, 2012 17:34:56 GMT -5 @mx said:

I don't really blame anyone. When stuff is happening in different time zones you can't expect no one to talk about it for 8-10 hours (including people who aren't IN your time zone) because you want to watch it during a 4 hour block. I haven't had time to watch much of the prime time coverage yet, so I appreciate knowing the results as they occur.

I see why it could be annoying, but what can you do, other than insist that the Olympics are always held in the US. Even if NBC aired everything live most of us wouldn't be able to watch because we'd be at work.

So much this. Every other year I have to deal with the arm flailing OMG SPOILERS whiners.

Just STFU already, mmkay? Even if I wanted to know everything in real time, I can't watch every event in real time because some events are simultaneous.

Deal, people. DEAL!

[basilosaurus]

Jul 31, 2012 18:20:51 GMT -5 @mx said:

It's stupid for NBC to spoil their own prime time coverage, but I don't blame any other news outlet for not respecting the NBC coverage blackout.

I totally agree with this.

Although, I'll criticize the text alerts other orgs sent today. They're making it so that you have to not just stay off the internet (kinda impossible for a lot of jobs), you have to not use your phone.

[heyjude]

I think the solution is air in real time as much as they can. Continue with their prime time pre taped fluff pieces in prime time.

Or!

Do some sort pay event type thing (which I believe they did for tour de France).

Or!

Improve streaming.

Or a combo of all of the above.

And at minimum, their own news division (not even talking other news orgs) need to stop handing out spoilers like candy.

[Deleted]

FIRST WORLD/WHITE PEOPLE PROBLEMS, FTW!

[heyjude]

Jul 31, 2012 18:33:17 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

FIRST WORLD/WHITE PEOPLE PROBLEMS, FTW!

Oh shove it habs. Some people care about this shit.

[Deleted]

Jul 31, 2012 18:42:31 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Jul 31, 2012 18:33:17 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

FIRST WORLD/WHITE PEOPLE PROBLEMS, FTW!

Oh shove it habs. Some people care about this shit.

Really? You care? I couldn't tell.

Also, I'm trying to figure out where I indicated that you didn't give a shit? Or that anyone didn't give a shit? Or that no one should give a shit?

Only that it's asinine and self involved to expect a series of events involving this many people that far away to cater to an American audience when we're so far removed from week old newspapers, fireside chats, and Walter Cronkite.

[wawa]

Jul 31, 2012 19:10:12 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

Jul 31, 2012 18:42:31 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Oh shove it habs. Some people care about this shit.

Really? You care? I couldn't tell.

Also, I'm trying to figure out where I indicated that you didn't give a shit? Or that anyone didn't give a shit? Or that no one should give a shit?

Only that it's asinine and self involved to expect a series of events involving this many people that far away to cater to an American audience when we're so far removed from week old newspapers, fireside chats, and Walter Cronkite.

Nobody expects the EVENTS to cater to us. We expect our own damned news stations to cater to us. I don't think that's so much to ask. Do you see a single complaint about the BBC airing spoilers? No. It's all OUR guys spoiling shit for people on OUR time zones. That's ridiculous.

[Deleted]

And I also see people bitching about FB, cell phones, and the damned internet, OH NOES!!

[wawa]

Jul 31, 2012 19:26:25 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

And I also see people bitching about FB, cell phones, and the damned internet, OH NOES!!

wut? Sibil was talking about text alerts from news orgs. And most of the "internet" references were talking about things like MSN's page, or the pages to actually watch streaming events. Because it's a little frustrating to pull up the only place online you can watch an event and find the results on that page.

It's not like somebody is angry because they went to OlympicResults.com and it contained spoilers.

[emilyj]

Before today, I would have said it was all in each person's own expectation. You've got to be kidding me if you think you're going to go on Facebook or Twitter (or hell, here) and not get spoilers. You don't want to know? Stay off social media.

But every single news outlet all across the nation giving the results immediately? Not cool. A friend said they got in their car and heard on a pop station the gymnastics results. So not even a place that would normally have that news to begin with ruined it for her.

I don't think NBC is ruining it. I think all of the media is ruining it. People can avoid social media. It's harder to avoid all media all day, and unrealistic to expect them to.

[eclaires]

NBC is ruining it. They are bastards. And yes, I expect them to tailor their coverage to American viewers. But me. Mostly me.

If they really think everyone is like my MIL, who enjoys her 5 local stations she gets, and heavily edited, inane coverage, they are nutso. I think they should continue their lame primetime coverage, but also just use the rest of their channels to air everything else live. If people want to or can watch it, they do. That's all I want - THE OPTION!!!!! Or the option to fucking DVR it and still avoid Andrea whatsherbutt's horrible interviews.

I have 400+ tv stations for a REASON!!!! And that reason is I like to have viewing choices.

[teflep]

Omg, did anyone watch abc news tonight? They made these little paper figures in a handmade pool because NBC hol the rights. It was awesome! Very jon stewarty IMO. Agree, they shouldn't sit on it, though why people sign up for texts from news is beyond me. In this day and age, get a laptop, smartphone or tablet and keep up on it as desired.

[msmerymac]

Jul 31, 2012 19:57:17 GMT -5 emilyj said:

Before today, I would have said it was all in each person's own expectation. You've got to be kidding me if you think you're going to go on Facebook or Twitter (or hell, here) and not get spoilers. You don't want to know? Stay off social media.

But every single news outlet all across the nation giving the results immediately? Not cool. A friend said they got in their car and heard on a pop station the gymnastics results. So not even a place that would normally have that news to begin with ruined it for her.

I don't think NBC is ruining it. I think all of the media is ruining it. People can avoid social media. It's harder to avoid all media all day, and unrealistic to expect them to.

I turned off NPR on the way home because they were going to talk about gymnastics and interview Bela Karolyi. I was paranoid about the talk breaks on pop stations also handing out spoilers, so I thought about just listening to a CD.

[heyjude]

Jul 31, 2012 19:10:12 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

Jul 31, 2012 18:42:31 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Oh shove it habs. Some people care about this shit.

Really? You care? I couldn't tell.

Also, I'm trying to figure out where I indicated that you didn't give a shit? Or that anyone didn't give a shit? Or that no one should give a shit?

Only that it's asinine and self involved to expect a series of events involving this many people that far away to cater to an American audience when we're so far removed from week old newspapers, fireside chats, and Walter Cronkite.

Nope. I'm asking for NBC, an American TV channel, to improve their coverage of the Olympics, in America.

[teflep]

It's the Olympics. Unclench all. Unclench and drink!

[eclaires]

Also, we all need to keep bitching about this to effect change at NBC. Things have changed so much after the disaster their coverage was in 2004. I swear!

[pamela]

NBC.

[emilyj]

Jul 31, 2012 20:13:11 GMT -5 @mx said:

But why should the media be obligated to sit on a major news story for a day because some other outlet has a monopoly on Olympic coverage?

I differentiate between CNN and Sirius's Pop channel. I expect to see the news on CNN and wouldn't be upset by that. On a radio station that normally doesn't do sports news? I can see people being pissed by that if they are trying to avoid.

[emilyj]

I also don't think you can put NBC in the same conversation with other media. And I don't think you can fault NBC at all for posting results as they happen.

[cole]

Jul 31, 2012 20:36:11 GMT -5 emilyj said:

Jul 31, 2012 20:13:11 GMT -5 @mx said:

But why should the media be obligated to sit on a major news story for a day because some other outlet has a monopoly on Olympic coverage?

I differentiate between CNN and Sirius's Pop channel. I expect to see the news on CNN and wouldn't be upset by that. On a radio station that normally doesn't do sports news? I can see people being pissed by that if they are trying to avoid.

Eh, when the World Cup was on and I dvr'd one of the men's games, I went on full media black out including radio until I got home. If it's that important to someone not to find out the results, I don't think that level is unheard of now. I agree with PP that other media should still repot even with NBC's monopoly and I don't see why "non traditional" sources like music radio would be exempt from covering one of the biggest news events in the world right now.