live action
In all this Olympic coverage, one thing is clear: live sports are better than dead sports--I mean, better than ones taped and rebroadcast. I've been taking the most joy from the hockey and the curling, not only because they're both good games in their own right, but because they've resisted compression by the programming folks at NBC. All the other sports have been smushed to some extant one way or another, and I have to say, it just isn't the same.
Even when they give you an event in almost its entirety (cue the figure skating), the mere fact that it would be possible to look online and find out who won takes away much of the joy. And too often that's not the only problem: in addition to that, you have the exclusion of non-American athletes, the addition of inane human-interest puff-pieces, and the overbearing NBC plot lines. And on top of that, no replays! I was trying to watch the skeletoning, and the way they were presenting it you worried for the poor guy just finishing his run, cause they started the next sledder mere moments after the last was over the line. Some people might enjoy that compressed performance, but for me the waiting and all is an integral portion of the sporting experience. It's not only the action that's important, it's the anticipation and building tension and eveything.
I think the problem is that the weekend and evening coverage is designed for people who don't like sports. Good thing I'm a lazy loafer who can watch the early-morning live sports designed for the lazy loafers!