Brent Rose at Gizmodo summarizes the anger many of my tech savvy colleagues feel about NBC for its delayed broadcast of many of the Olympics events (there is a hilarious Twitter account @NBCDelayed which has been tweeting world events years and decades after they happened to make the point).
I am in contrast, a pig in mud, with my cable account-enabled access to the NBC Olympics site. I can go look at any of the 302 medal events, live or archived.
I am being guided by 3 principles beyond the must-see USA Basketball, Phelps/Lockte/Franklin events
a) Spend a few minutes on every sport
I hope to see spend a little time on each of the 32 sports (NBC’s definition which is slightly different from that of the IOC). My family, while athletically not Olympic quality by a long shot, has played in 15 of the sports. The kids have fenced, rowed, played Taekwondo. I have played table tennis and badminton. It is fascinating to see the best athletes in each sport.
b) Expand my geography
My family has traveled to over 60 countries. I am the big contributor with 51 countries on my passports and I am embarrassed that’s only a quarter of the 204 countries at the Games. If I can vicariously enjoy a trip to Montenegro or Kazakhstan through their athletes, so much the better.
c) Explore how technology has evolved each sport
I had to do a double take when I saw a field hockey game. From what I remember the turf was natural and green, not blue astroturf. The ball was white, not yellow. The goalie did not have baseball size gloves. I am fascinated with the “fast pool” at the London aquatic center – how much design elegance and technology it incorporates and blogged about it on New Florence. I see the 5 and 2 meter light beams which have replaced the traditional cones in water polo, and I go Googling for more information on the technology.
My wife and son got to go the Aquatic Center in person for the Saturday swimming heats. I was jealous for a total of 5 minutes. Then I went back to thanking NBC for expanding my horizons in so many dimensions.
