Mike Check: Columnists Laud Bob Costas, Criticize Gymnastics Pair
THE DAILY offers a round-up of columnists' thoughts concerning the on-air personalities covering the Beijing Games.
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| Costas Drawing Praise For Olympics Hosting Duties |
HOSTS WITH THE MOST: In DC, Paul Farhi wrote of "some things I still can't get enough of" from NBC's coverage, which includes studio host Bob Costas' "smooth, smart stylings as emcee of NBC's primetime broadcasts." Costas "never oversells (take a lesson, gymnastics crew), and always has something useful and informative to say." Costas is "every bit as good as ABC's sainted Olympic host Jim McKay was, with a better sense of humor to boot." Among his "some things I've had enough of," Farhi listed preemptions and Cris Collinsworth "doing anything at the Olympics." NBC Friday night cut away from a beach volleyball elimination match featuring Americans Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser "at a critical juncture," to show live swimming finals. The net "did the same with some of the long swimming and bike races," and likely will "do it with the distance-running events." Farhi wrote of Collinsworth, "Admit it, NBC: He's human product placement for Sunday Night Football. Send him home" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/16). SI.com's Dick Friedman gave Costas a Gold Medal for his live primetime interview with President Bush on August 10. Costas "did a deft and diplomatic job and covered an enormous amount of territory in a nine-minute, 25-second session" (FANNATION.com, 8/16). In San Antonio, Jerry Garcia wrote Costas' "seventh stint as prime-time coverage host shows why he's the best studio host of major events like no other." Costas in his interview of Bush "asked solid questions." Meanwhile, Garcia wrote "big compliments" go to Jimmy Roberts' segment "about good will trumping hostility among athletes even with their respective countries at odds with each other" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 8/16). In Portland, Kerry Eggers writes NBC "got it right with its moderators -- Bob Costas at night and Jim Lampley during the day." Both are "A-plus studio hosts." Costas' interview with U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps and former swimmer Mark Spitz Friday was "well worth the wait to the midnight hour" (PORTLAND TRIBUNE, 8/18). But in Dallas, Barry Horn wrote, "Wasn't it silly for Jim Lampley to speculate live in the studio Saturday morning about who might win the men's 100-meter final? Hadn't the race already been run, with Usain Bolt setting a world record?" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/17).
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NBC's Gymnastics Announcers Drawing
Criticism For Being Too Pro-American |
TUMBLING ROUTINE: In Oregon, James Day wrote he was "fuming" during NBC's coverage of the women's gymnastics all-around final Thursday as he listened to the announcers "whine and screech their way through the evening in a performance that was so blatantly pro-American." Analysts Tim Daggett and Elfi Schlegel "whined about judging they perceived to be unfair" to U.S. gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson, but "never about judging that was unfair to anyone else." And studio analyst Bela Karolyi was "shown openly, demonstrably cheering while watching" Liukin's floor exercise. Day: "Appalling. Throughout the competition [Karolyi] was one of the worst whiners about the judging. How can we possibly believe he is offering unbiased, expert commentary on the event after we see him pounding his fists on the table and hugging Costas?" NBC's "pictures were great. They blew it on the words" (Salem STATESMAN JOURNAL, 8/16). In Oklahoma City, Jenni Carlson wrote, "Lots of times when Daggett is talking, you don't just want to mute the TV. You want to break the speakers." Carlson: "I'm all for color commentators offering their opinions and watching with a critical eye. That's their job. ... Trouble is, it seems everything Daggett says is negative. That makes it impossible to know when things really and truly are bad" (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 8/16).
AROUND THE HORN: SI.com's Friedman awarded swimming announcers Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines a Silver Medal, as they "have enthusiastically and adroitly skimmed the fine lane line between analysis and amazement" in covering Phelps. Diving analyst Cynthia Potter and men's basketball analyst Doug Collins each received Bronze Medals -- Potter "has been clear and concise" in explaining scoring, of her sport and Collins is "in playoff form." Friedman awarded the tin medal to NBC's primetime coverage "for soft-pedaling the Chinese-gymnasts age controversy and for focusing on babe-a-licious beach volleyballers and such" (FANNATION.com, 8/16). USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand notes NBC "largely managed to avoid going gaga" over Phelps' record eighth Gold Medal Saturday. But Hicks "missed an opportunity to make a really memorable call, noting at the finish it was 'history in Beijing for Michael Phelps'" (USA TODAY, 8/18). In Denver, Dusty Saunders writes, "You really couldn't find fault with the sometimes over-the-top yelling by Rowdy Gaines." It would be "difficult to remain blase while watching Phelps." But is women's soccer analyst Brandi Chastain "paid by the word?" Meanwhile, NBC has "made good on its promise to shorten biographical features on athletes" (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 8/18). The AP's David Bauder noted "NBC Nightly News" host Brian Williams has been pronouncing Beijing "Bay-jing" as opposed to "Bay-zhing." Chinese language experts indicated that Williams is right. Williams has "even recorded something about the pronunciation puzzle for NBC's Web site, although it doesn't seem to be required viewing for everyone at the network." Univ. of Maryland Center for East Asian Studies Dir S. Robert Ramsey: "It's been annoying me for quite awhile, honestly." But Bauder noted it "isn't just NBC at fault" (AP, 8/16).
PRAISE FOR CBC: The GLOBE & MAIL's William Houston wrote the CBC's live coverage of the men's 100m final Saturday morning "might have been the best thing the network has done" at the Games. The participation of former Canada Gold Medal-winning sprinter Donovan Bailey, who is a friend of Bolt, "lifted the telecast." And analyst Michael Smith "correctly predicted a time in the 9.6's" (GLOBEANDMAIL.com, 8/16). In a separate piece, Houston wrote the CBC's track & field analysts Mark Lee and Dave Moorcroft "had a good start" Friday night, but "at least twice, technical problems had Lee talking off camera while pictures on the screen went unexplained" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/16). In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich wrote the CBC's Elliotte Friedman is the "poor guy who has to approach Canada's swimmers after every race and ask them why they finished seventh, or failed to make the final." Zelkovich: "It's not an easy job and Friedman does it as well as anyone. If he has to ask tough questions, he does." Friedman Wednesday told viewers that he was "too soft on [Canada] swimmer Brent Hayden, a medal candidate who failed to reach the final" (TORONTO STAR, 8/16).
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