Does NBC Even Care About Olympic Basketball?

Posted by HoopsAvenue on August 20, 2008 under Olympic Basketball |

I’ve got no problem with NBC promoting Michael Phelps and Shawn Johnson as the best thing since sliced bread…they’ve had an amazing Olympics, but what’s with the treatment of Olympic basketball?  Not televising any of the pool play in primetime is understandable, but now they aren’t going to show the medal round live at a reasonable time?  If you want to catch tomorrow’s USA-Argentina semi-final showdown and you have a full-time job, you’re going to have to make up an excuse to get out of work.  The game starts at 10:15 AM ET.  This is single elimination against a team the USA has lost to the last two times they’ve faced each other!  Want to watch the gold medal game?  If you’re on the east coast, have fun staying up to 4:30 AM to watch the entire game.

It’s almost bizarre how little coverage the Redeem Team is getting.  You’ll have no problem seeing Lebron James and Kobe Bryant watch some beach volleyball or watch Michael Phelps in the pool, but to watch them actually play basketball?  No, how horrible!  At least, that’s what NBC seems to think.  They don’t even bother to show any of the day’s basketball highlights or give any scores in primetime.  Have you seen a basketball score during their primetime coverage?  Let me know if you have because I haven’t, nor have I seen a highlight.  Sure, a hoops game takes two hours so you don’t have to show the whole thing, but could you spare us a few minutes?  Come to think of it, you showed an entire marathon a few nights ago!

Of course, whoever made the Olympic schedule deserves a great deal of the blame as well (though, I’m sure NBC had a hand in that).  It’s not like the schedule is completely booked either.  Swimming, gymnastics, and to some extent track are compelling events and deserve their coverage, but diving, distance track events, and all the filler tear-jerker clips?  No offense to any of those athletes, but I’m just asking for a little hoops coverage!