MSNBC's "Olympic Update" Continues To Disrespect The Beijing Games

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Everyone saw the goofy clip of Tiki Barber getting lifted off the set by Rulon Gardner right (if not, click here)? Well, Barber has been getting hammered by multiple outlets for his "juvenile and nasty" segments with co-host Jenna Wolfe on MSNBC's "Olympic Update" and the two don't really seem to be making any progress. In fact, Michael Zuidema of The Grand Rapids Press even said the two, "seem to have worse chemistry than Barber and Eli Manning." It really hasn't been a good showing for Tiki and Co. at the Olympics.

Well since those articles were published, and that cheesy wrestling piece linked above aired (end of last week), I've found two more clips to throw on the fire. Watch first as Jenna decides to take a dig at Tiki Barber for not winning a Super Bowl (not sure what that has to do with the Olympics) and then listen for Tiki's freudian slip when trying to say "medal count" (at the :28 mark, and sorry for the sketchy footage, it came from Youtube)....




Yes, he really did just say "medal c*nt" on live television. I'm not sure why MSNBC has stayed with this abortion of an evening show (other than to ridicule the Olympics and diminish the athletic achievements of the participants), but they really should check out their own message boards from time to time....
anewvoicein08- Not only is the leather distracting, Jenna is sophmoric and Tiki is no orator.

Necey20- The report I just saw on the tensions and politics being brought into the Olympic games through out the years was APPALLING. It wasn't just the announcers though, there saw background noise, the film work was shoddy and the video clips used to illustrate their points were absolutely irrelevant. Jenna had no idea what she was talking about when discussing paying players to compete for nations they are not really citizens of, and it made the whole report confusing. Not to mention that there was no understanding of the European practice of kissing each other on the cheek and I got a sense of homophobia out of it because of course the "men would not have been hugging and kissing"

Lainy625- Frankly I am appalled at the broadcast on the Olympic update that I just saw with Tiki Barber and Jenna Wolfe. This was the worst broadcast I have ever seen. I have worked in television truck for several years and have a good idea of what it takes to do a decent broadcast. From a television production point of view the whole broadcast was horrible, the graphics need to be updated, the talent needs to be better informed, the background noise needs to be taken out, and the information needs to be RELEVANT!

Softstep- i have to agree that the olympic update i just watched my have been the worst broadcast i have ever seen. tiki and jenna are so unprofessional! they seem to be constantly cracking jokes and taking shots at olympians shown on the screen. this is the olympics folks, i believe the athletes deserve a little respect.
There's about forty more of those as well if you want to check them out, but spelling errors aside....I think you get the idea. The whole show is pretty much an embarrassment and an insult to the hardworking Olympians. I really hope NBC is taking note, but I doubt they are.

MSNBC Olympic Update - Tamryn, Tiki, and Jenna (MSNBC Message Boards)

20 Comments:

Fire TIKI now. Please.

The Rabbi said...
Aug 19, 2008, 2:16:00 PM  

Not sure what he fumbles worse: the english language or the ball.

Justin Williams said...
Aug 19, 2008, 2:24:00 PM  

That show is trash. Just embarrassing. Have you ever heard of the country "Hungaria" or basketball coach "Mike Rizynski"? 'Cause Tiki has!

Kyle said...
Aug 19, 2008, 3:06:00 PM  

Tiki is worse than Emmitt Smiff. There. I said it.

GMoney said...
Aug 19, 2008, 4:08:00 PM  

I do enjoy the latest version of Wendi "How you doin" Williams in the studio.

The Rabbi said...
Aug 19, 2008, 4:12:00 PM  

Best comment from Tiki was if he could still lift 400 lbs he would still be playing football. Yeah Tiki what ever happened to "Tom Coughlin took away the joy of playing football" for you? I hope he never shows his mug at a Giants game, function, etc. ever again. I can barely tolerate him before a Giants game.

Anonymous said...
Aug 19, 2008, 7:15:00 PM  

That's the new popular insult: "you total metal cunt!"

Jay said...
Aug 19, 2008, 8:36:00 PM  

I can't stand the Tiki segments during the olympics. Or at any other time.

Anonymous said...
Aug 19, 2008, 9:18:00 PM  

On the foreign language side, the Telemundo updates aren't any better. I watched the first Sunday of the games and the "studio" announcers were lampooning President Bush's visit to the games to the sarcastic effect of "well, I guess there aren't any problems at HOME!"

Anonymous said...
Aug 19, 2008, 10:15:00 PM  

Jenna's insipid and inane "reporting" makes me want to reach into my tv in an attempt to smack her.

Anonymous said...
Aug 20, 2008, 12:12:00 AM  

What, no

/Bob Ryan

Anonymous 12:12?

Anonymous said...
Aug 20, 2008, 12:34:00 AM  

The reviews aside, the ratings for Olympic Update have been stellar. The NYTimes' Bill Carter, writes the show "increased its audience on Monday night 252% compared with the previous Monday. The network's prime-time lineup, which followed, was up 30%." And through Wednesday, MSNBC has won the 5pm hour in Total Viewers and the 5-7pm time period in the A25-54 demo among the cable news networks.

Anonymous said...
Aug 20, 2008, 10:03:00 AM  

Wouldn't it be great if there was some kind of college or university program where people could be trained how to work in broadcasting, and then those people could be hired by networks to put those skills to use?

Just a thought, in case this whole "hire athletes the second they retire" strategy doesn't work out.

Unknown said...
Aug 20, 2008, 1:36:00 PM  

Please get them off the TV! I can't stand listening to two sophomoric hosts. It is 6:15pm, adults are watching MSNBC coverage, get some professionals to cover the Olympics!

Anonymous said...
Aug 20, 2008, 6:19:00 PM  

I didn't really like Tiki before, but as he looks at her before saying "total medal cunt"... total dick move ("total medal dick move?").


No question in my mind he knew exactly what he was doing, and it just goes to show his audacity and classless nature. NBC should do the right thing and get Tiki off their sets and ours, forever.

Anonymous said...
Aug 21, 2008, 11:53:00 AM  

Not sure if anyone else caught this, but yesterday these two were doing a story about a female long distance swimmer from S. Africa I believe. She was in an accident and had her right leg amputated above the knee. She swam without her prosthesis. They were talking to a guy in the studio who was some top level distance swimmer. Tiki finishes his sentence about this girl and I swear to God the next thing out of his mouth was; "so this is the first time for distance swimming in the Olympics - does this sport have any legs"? I couldn't believe it, what a douche bag thing to say. I whish i could make the kind of $$$ NBC is paying him for being a tool.

P.S. I think that Jenna chick is kinda hot

Anonymous said...
Aug 21, 2008, 3:34:00 PM  

I could actually tolerate Tiki... at least he has a personality... but Gena is horrific. She's childish and not eloquent at all. She seems to want to have all the attention and interrupts constantly. Annoying!

Anonymous said...
Aug 21, 2008, 6:46:00 PM  

I think they both need to step back to professionalism. The way she said sho wore his ring all week,sounded to me like she wanted to wear more than his ring around her finger,more like his shirt after a good sweaty workout...

Anonymous said...
Aug 22, 2008, 10:08:00 AM  

I think they both need to step back to professionalism. The way she said she wore his ring all week long, sounded to me like she wanted to wear more than his ring around her finger, more like his shirt after a good sweaty workout...

Anonymous said...
Aug 22, 2008, 10:11:00 AM  

Why is a former football player broadcasting at the Olympics anyway.
I thought Jenna was Kristy McNichols in a career comback.

Anonymous said...
Aug 23, 2008, 1:13:00 PM  

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