I’ve figured out the rules for NBC’s Olympic broadcasts. Simple, really. Basically, it’s:
- Show someone if at least one of the following is true:
- They are American;
- They are going to take the lead in the event;
- They are going to wipe out spectacularly.
- It is also permissible to show an athlete from another country not wiping out or taking the lead IF they have a human-interest story that would be suitable for a Hallmark Channel movie: triumph over impossible odds, tragic death of a family member during competition, that sort of thing.
- Fireside interviews of Americans who came in 18th are more important than showing events Americans are not expected to win medals in.
- Don’t interrupt the commercials with too much action. No more than four minutes between commercials.
That pretty much covers it.
The thing that has been annoying me is the media’s focus on the “medal count.” They have graphics and charts to display just how awesomely well the Americans are doing in the collection of medals.
This ain’t Pokemon, folks: you don’t gotta get ‘em all.