By now you've heard that Mark McGwire has copped to using steroids during his career, but more specifically when he broke Roger Maris' HR record in 1998. Shocking, I know. McGwire issued this admission to the Associated Press, but it will be MLB Network and Bob Costas that gets the first interview this evening....

MLB Network’s Bob Costas will have an exclusive in-depth television interview with Mark McGwire tonight on MLB Network live at 7:00 p.m. ET about McGwire’s admission of using performance enhancing drugs during his career. This is the first television interview granted by McGwire since he admitted using PEDs in a statement earlier today.

Following the exclusive interview, MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian, Mitch Williams, Joe Magrane, Tom Verducci and Ken Rosenthal will discuss their reactions to the conversation. Costas will provide reaction from location in California and MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds and Peter Gammons will also provide commentary.

I'm one of the many people that followed McGwire's every at-bat during that season, and while I don't necessarily blame him for using steroids, this is something that should have come out years ago. Hiding that fact just makes me think he's a scumbag. I'm hoping that Bob Costas conducts a better interview than Peter Gammons' sitdown with A-Rod last year, but I doubt much of what McGwire says is going to make me change my views on him.

Peyton Manning probably has the mantra that most older brothers have....only I can make fun of my little brother. Which is why his interview with Bob Costas Sunday night was so funny. Costas asked Peyton if he can watch Eli play at all, and this was his response. Via Watchdog....

"I get so into it. I get so worked up. I remember last year they were playing Philly, or maybe it was two years ago. They beat them and he drove them down there late and I remember standing on top of the bed, yelling at Toomer or one of his receivers because they ran a wrong route, and Joe Buck is just ripping Eli, just because that's what he seems to enjoy doing.

So I'm yelling at Joe Buck, 'Just call the play-by-play, Joe! Let Aikman do the commentary.' I said to myself, 'Peyton, what are you doing? Why are you on top of the bed yelling at the TV?' I've got a game here in four hours against New England or something . . . But you know what, I love watching him play. That's the first thing I do after a game when I get to the locker room. I'm asking for the Giants score."

Wait, so you're telling me Joe Buck doesn't know anything about Football? I am shocked! You can check out the clip below, right at the 10 minute mark....

Peyton Manning prefers Troy Aikman's analysis to Joe Buck's (Watchdog)

In a press conference today, NBC said that they will be sending Bob Costas to the game site each Sunday, and he will do the pregame show with Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels. Following the trio discussing the bigger stories of the day, along with Tiki Barber on the sidelines and locker rooms, they will then throw it to Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann (along with Dungy, Harrison and Peter King). Via NBC PR....

Costas, the most honored studio host of all time with 19 Emmy Awards, will host the show from a set at the "Sunday Night Football" game site. He will be joined by the new SNF broadcast team of Al Michaels, a six-time Emmy Award-winner whom the Associated Press has called "TV's best play-by-play announcer," and Cris Collinsworth, the most honored studio analyst in sports television history, winning the award in nine of the 12 years of its existence and winning two additional Emmys for game analyst. Collinsworth moves from the studio to the broadcast booth alongside Michaels to replace the recently-retired John Madden.

"At our best we aspire to give the viewer the best seat in the house -- not the hype around the event, but the story of the event itself," said Ebersol. "Bob has proven time and again that he is unmatched in his ability to appropriately set the scene and tell the story of an event. Having the two premier broadcasters of their generation in Bob and Al on site and appearing together alongside Cris, the best analyst in the business, adds an immediacy that makes 'Sunday Night Football' an even bigger event."

Costas said: "Hosting from the site of the game, being in the stadium surrounded by the fans and the energy and atmosphere of the event, creates an urgency and a sense of place that can't be duplicated in the studio. And of course, this allows me to keep working with Cris, while at the same time building on the special chemistry I developed with Al Michaels in BASEketball."

I've always been critical of NBC's decisions when it comes to "Football Night in America", but this year they seem to be close to getting it right. In fact, you could argue that they only really need Costas, Collinsworth and Michaels, manning the highlights.

(Also to note: As I mentioned before, Andrea Kremer is no longer on the sidelines)

I didn't think anything that Bob Costas did would ever make Page six, but apparently I was wrong. The NY Post spotted Costas and his wife at dinner recently, with some interesting guests....

ALEX Rodriguez and Kate Hudson are going strong. The couple joined Bob Costas and wife Jill Sutton after Sunday's Yankees win over the Blue Jays for dinner at Scalinatella on East 61st Street. "A-Rod and Kate were holding hands and whispering in each other's ears the whole time," says our spy. "They definitely looked every bit together." Two nights before, the lovebirds were in a party of 11 at Serendipity 3.

Well that's an interesting pairing now, isn't it? It definitely seems strange, especially when you consider Costas was one of the first people to interview and defend Selena Roberts, but you've gotta do what you gotta do to get that in, I guess.

A-ROD, KATE HUDSON GOING STRONG (NY Post)

Saw this Saturday afternoon during the U.S. Open coverage on NBC, and couldn't help but laugh. Not only did Bob Costas look like he was a dummy sitting on Al Roker's lap, but he even decided to throw in a "BGTD" for comedic relief....

Such a goofy looking setup there. Not sure why Costas decided to throw in the "Dynamite" comment, but I don't think that will ever get old.

It's been a good while since HBO announced Joe Buck would be replacing Bob Costas on his vacant talk show, and we now have a first air date, and a name for said show. According to Broadcasting & Cable, the quarterly program will be called "Joe Buck Live" and will be airing on June 15th. Oh and get this, the first episode will include a segment on bloggers!

New quarterly sports series Joe Buck Live is set to kick off June 15 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO. The show, produced by HBO Sports' Peabody and Emmy-winning production department, will include a live studio audience, interviews, panel discussions, and pre-recorded features.

The first episode explores sports and celebrity, delving into the 24-hour news cycle, bloggers, gossip columnists, sports talk radio, commercial endorsements, and today's multimillionaire superstar athletes.

"I am just going to be myself," Buck said of his new show. "We will cover serious topics, but we will also have a lot of fun. With the combination of live television, sports and entertainment, I am excited to see what happens. It's a new avenue for me and I am going to give it all I've got. I hope I am as funny as my mom says I am."

Great....just great. Not only do we have to deal with Buck himself, we have to deal with his first show being about a medium he knows nothing about. At least give the guy something he's knowlegable for his first airing. You know....fake moonings and Desperate Housewives.

‘Joe Buck Live' To Debut On HBO In Mid-June (Broadcasting & Cable)
Joe Buck's Talk Show Is Set To Air June 15th (With Leather)

I've been watching the Yankees' first game at their new stadium on the MLB Network for most of the afternoon, to see how good of a transition Bob Costas is making back into the booth. For the better part of the game, he (along with Reynolds and Kaat) has been doing a great job, but he had a pretty big gaff during the fifth inning.

If you're going to get the opportunity to call the first homerun at Yankee Stadium, and people will hear the call forever, you might want to get the player's name right as he rounds the bases....

Whoops! Again, he's been great for most of the afternoon, but that was a pretty big slip up right there. I'm thinking the Yankees will file away the YES Network's call, instead of Costas'.

So the details surrounding Joe Buck's new show on HBO are slowly starting to take shape, and Sports Business Daily has a few of the more interesting angles and ideas. According to SBD, the show will be 90 minutes in length, air quarterly and take on the town hall format that people responded to so well. Not only that, but Buck is even suggesting that they keep the name "Costas Now"....

HBO Sports Thursday announced the hiring of Fox' Joe Buck in the wake of Bob Costas' departure to MLB Network. Buck will host a sports talk show starting this May that will air on a quarterly basis and likely will utilize a town-hall format. HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg: "We will build a show around Joe that will showcase his personality and his talent and … there will be some comedic elements as well.” Buck added the show "will be different," but admitted some of the details were still undetermined. Buck: "We don't even have a name for it. I suggested to Ross that we keep 'Costas Now.'" Buck also said he "would like to bring in other elements" outside of just sports. Buck: "I don't think that keeping it straight sports all the time is something that really suits me best. ... This is going to be a unique look"

The biggest question, I have about the show, is if they are going to go straight Sports or make it more of a late night talk show format. Both could actually work, and while I think Joe Buck isn't the greatest PbPer, people might respond to him in as a talk show host. Obviously you have to find a balance between non-Sports and Sports, but I'm not totally discounting HBO and Buck actually pulling it off. I'll be sure to keep you updated as things progress.

HBO Sports Hires Buck To Host Show In Wake Of Costas Exit (Sports Business Daily - $)

Huzzah! That was fast wasn't it? You would have thought that HBO would have taken a little bit of time considering Bob Costas left just two days ago, but when there's a marquee guy like Buck out there I guess you don't wait. The network made it official just a few minutes ago and here's their press release....

NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2009 – HBO Sports, widely recognized for its pioneering, award-winning and distinctive storytelling productions, will add another accomplished broadcast talent to its programming roster when Joe Buck hosts a sports talk show launching this May, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports, and Rick Bernstein, executive producer, HBO Sports. The new series will be presented on a quarterly basis and likely utilize a live town hall format.

“I am flattered and beyond excited that HBO has given me this opportunity,” said Buck, who will continue as FOX Sports’ lead play-by-play commentator on its NFL and MLB packages. “With HBO’s track record, production quality and rate of success, there is no more desirable home in sports. I hope to create something fresh and unique for the network that truly showcases all I can do. And I hope to get Larry David’s cell phone number someday.”

“At HBO we strive to produce programs viewers cannot watch anywhere else on the dial,” said Greenburg. “Whether it’s ‘Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel’ or ‘Hard Knocks’ or our ‘Sports of the 20th Century’ documentary franchise, we try to capture our audience’s attention with something unique and innovative. With someone as talented and engaging as Joe Buck, this new show should become another signature program for HBO Sports.”

“We will craft the series to showcase Joe’s character and personality,” said Bernstein. “Joe is a tremendous broadcaster and we are thrilled to develop this new platform with him.”

So yeah, I said everything I wanted to say in regards to this yesterday, so umm....good luck or something. Oh and Larry David's cell phone number? You never cease to amaze me with your wit and humor, Buckster.

With Costas Gone, The HBO Door Opens For Joe Buck (Awful Announcing)

Rumors abound! With Costas on his way to the MLB Network full-time, there is a vacancy at HBO Sports, and there's someone who's been looking for a coosh hosting job out there. That person is Joe Buck, who has failed in recent attempts to get a talk show, and the NY Daily News is saying he might be the heir apparent to the HBO gig....

After losing Bob Costas to the MLB Network, no one at HBO Sports looked to pass the buck. Instead HBO may be looking to acquire one - Joe Buck, that is.

The history of HBO Sports provides evidence its boss, Ross Greenburg, likes to hire high profile network talent. Seven years ago he brought in Costas ("Costas Now") and before that Bryant Gumbel ("Real Sports").

Buck, Fox's marquee play-by-play man (MLB, NFL) looms large as the next guy Greenburg may try to snare to fill the void left by Costas. Also, it's no secret Buck shot a pilot for his own Fox variety show. That project was put on hold. That leaves Buck out there looking for something else to do.

It seems like HBO is a good fit. HBO Sports will move quickly on finding a show to replace "Costas Now." The network may make an announcement as soon as Thursday.

My first reaction, as with any Buck news, is to cringe. But this actually could be a blessing in disguise. The more and more shows that Costas starting hosting, the less and less play-by-play he actually did. I also rarely watched Costas Now, so the prospect of having Buck as far away from games as possible, is certainly appealing.

Again, this is just a rumor, but a boy can dream, right?

With Bob Costas gone to MLB Network, HBO may eye Joe Buck (NY Daily News)

A move that seemed about a year in the making, will finally go down this afternoon. The MLB Network will announce the hiring of Bob Costas, which will finally fill out their roster. Not only will Costas be a host for the channel, and preside over original programming, he will be going back to his roots by also calling games. Via Darren Rovell at CNBC....

Bob Costas, a 19-time Emmy Award winner and NBC broadcaster, has signed a multi-year contract to join the upstart MLB Network, CNBC has learned, though he will remain at NBC Sports.

The MLB network, which debuted on Jan. 1 as the largest launch in cable history at 50 million homes, will announce the news later today.

Costas will host original programming on the channel and will serve as play-by-play commentator for a select group of regular season games broadcast by the network, which is owned by the league.

"Bob's love for baseball is well documented and very sincere," said his agent Sandy Montag of IMG. "When this opportunity came up, it made a lot of sense. The network's distribution out of the box is strong, the management is strong and the place looks great."

Montag also said the network's geographical location was also a plus. The MLB Network is based in Secaucus, N.J., close to New York, where Costas now lives.

Good lord, that was a painstaking process to finally bring him on board, but still the best thing the network could have done. Costas will bring a level of notoriety that a new channel needs, and having him call games is just icing on the cake. His first day on the job is February 5th, as the network will show his recent interview with Joe Torre.

Oh and one more thing. Costas will be leaving HBO, and his show Costas Now, immediately, but will stay with NBC for Football and the Olympics. Here is the quotage from the MLB Network press release....

“In addition to being one of the preeminent sports broadcasters of his generation, Bob also cares very deeply about the game of baseball,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “We’re glad to reunite him with the game he loves most and look forward to the exciting television he and MLB Network will create together in the years to come.”

“I’m especially enthused about the type of programming we’ll be able to create at MLB Network, a mix of historical pieces, documentary-style programming, interviews and play-by-play -- all the things I most enjoy, and it’s all baseball,” said Costas.

“Bob showed us all on January 1 how his presence can truly elevate a broadcast, and we plan to tap into his unique abilities and perspective to build more high-caliber programming in the future,” said Tony Petitti, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLB Network. “In addition to the studio show, we’re also looking forward to Bob’s return to the broadcast booth, where he’s been part of so many memorable moments in baseball over the years.”

Bob Costas to Join MLB Network But Stay With NBC (CNBC: Sports Biz)

It seemed pretty cut and dry that Falcons' Coach, Mike Smith would win the 2008 Coach of the Year award, but that wasn't the case for one Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas. See Costas' vote went to someone who's team didn't even make the Playoffs. In fact, it went to someone who's team did five games worse than they did last season. Yep, Costas voted for Bill Belichick, and here's his reasoning. Via The Boston Globe....

“I didn’t think he would win, but I thought he deserved a nod for what might have been the best, or certainly one of the best coaching jobs of his career,” Costas said. “He loses [Tom] Brady, and it’s not just losing Brady, but also that [Matt] Cassel basically never played. It’s not the same thing as losing Johnny Unitas and you have Earl Morrall. He brought the kid along."

“The winner is usually the guy whose team is the most surprising, and I wouldn’t argue against Smith, Sparano or [John] Harbaugh. You could make a good case for them, as well as others, like Jeff Fisher, Tony Dungy, John Fox and Tom Coughlin. I just thought Belichick did a phenomenal job, considering the emotional hangover that had to be there from coming so close to perfection [in 2007] and losing in such agonizing fashion, and then you lose Brady virtually from the opening kickoff of the first game. There is not just a strategic adjustment that has to be made, but you have to convince these guys not to say ‘to heck with it.’ There must be an incredible level of respect there for him to command that type of effort.”

I also think Belichick is an amazing coach (when he's not cheating...I kid), but to vote someone in for what he did with just one player makes absolutely zero sense. Especially when you consider the performances by the other candidates.

Oh and yes, in case you were wondering, Costas' was the only vote cast for the Patriots' Coach.

Vote for Belichick was cast by Bob Costas (Boston Globe)

The MLB Network took to the air last night after a stirring introduction from Baseball Commish Bud Selig, and while I got the channel clean and clear here at AAHQ, a good bit of America didn't get the broadcast so smoothly. Fang's Bites is saying that customers in Denver, Portland and Phoenix all had issues at the start, and Ken Schott also had problems up in upstate New York.

Cable things aside, I watched a good bit of the first night on the network, and have to say I was rather impressed. Victor Rojas led the roundtable for the night, and had help from Harold Reynolds, Al Leiter, and Barry Larkin at the desk. Hazel Mae and Trenni Kusnierek, as well as "Insiders" Tom Verducci and Jon Heyman, were also on hand with various reports. Each analyst started out by introducing themselves, and the first program "Hot Stove" completed a recap of 2008 and MLB's offseason. After that, the network slowly started bringing guests on to the set for various discussions and deoms.

Jimmy Rollins was on hand for a stolen base discussion surrounding Jackie Robinson's theft of home in 1955. Bob Costas then went onto host a discussion with Yogi Berra and Don Larsen, while airing the pitcher's perfect game from the 1956 World Series. While I still can't the use of "mini fields" on-set, both the Robinson and Larsen features were entertaining and light-hearted.

The only real issue I had with the network was the amount of "jumping around" that MLB Network did, and the amount of people used, but it was the first night and they definitely needed to highlight everyone and everything around the studio. Hopefully in the future they won't feel the need to cater to the ADD crowd.

Here is a little video collection I put together in case you missed the launch....

The First Four Hours of The MLB Network Did Not Necessarily Go Smoothly (Fang's Bites)
Late update on Time Warner/MLB Network problem (Schenectady Gazette)

That title is coming across a little harsher than I wanted it to, but it's up there so we're going with it. NBC released their commercial promoting the Winter Classic (you know the outdoor Hockey game on New Years Day), and not only is there a cheap Harry Caray knock off, but a voice-over cameo from Bob Costas! Here's the commercial from Fanhouse via Scarlett Ice....

Again, the title was a little bit much because I did actually enjoy it, and the game itself is awesome. Hopefully it will be snowing again this year, because last year's action in the flakes was just too much fun.

Update: Okay so forget everything I said about that person imitating Harry Caray. Apparently Caray doesn't do that good of an impression of himself. Oh and....my bad....

TV spot features legendary broadcaster Harry Caray's iconic version of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' (NHL.com)

Winter Classic Commercial = Made of Win (Scarlett Ice)
NBC's Winter Classic TV Spot (Fanhouse)

NBC is going "green" yet again this year and shows like "Lipstick Jungle", "Kath & Kim", "My Own Worst Enemy", "Knight Rider" and "Law & Order" will all feature "green" plot lines during the week of November 16th. The whole event kicks off with the Sunday Night Football broadcast and I wanted to share some of what NBC plans for the pregame and halftime shows, as well as the game itself (DAL-WAS). Via NBC PR....

Green week officially launches on NBC's "Football Night in America during the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins game. Commentators, including Bob Costas, Chris Collinsworth, Dan Patrick, Jerome Bettis, and Tiki Barber, will discuss how they each personally green their own routines.

On November 22, NBC will air a carbon neutral Notre Dame and Syracuse game, but the competition won't just be on the field. For the entire month of November, both campuses will participate in the NBC Universal Green Your Routine challenge, hosted on Carbonrally.com. Students, alumni, faculty, and fans will have the opportunity to take eco-challenges and help reduce carbon emissions and save energy. NBC Universal will donate $10,000 to the winning school, which will be designated to their campus sustainability efforts.

In addition, NBC Sports will host an online video contest, in which students from Notre Dame and Syracuse will produce short commercials promoting sustainable practices. The best submissions will be displayed on the NBC Sports website, www.NBCSports.com.

I poked fun at NBC last year when they went "green" because all they essential did was turn off the lights but leave the graphics and screens running.I'm not an expert on energy, but I think about five HD screens and random scrolling signs might actually use MORE electricity than studio lights.....but I could be wrong. While it might just be a publicity stunt, it ultimately doesn't hurt anything, and it's pretty fun to watch Keith Olbermann try to do highlights in the dark.

So Did You Turn Off Any Lights Last Night When Bob Costas Told You To? (Awful Announcing)

The MLB Network has been surfing the local talent pool and they've added yet another individual to its growing roster. It was announced yesterday that longtime Padres broadcaster Matt Vasgersian was leaving the team and today he's signed on with the MLB-N. Via John Ourand at SBD....

MLB Network is about to make its first official on-air hire, signing Matt Vasgersian as its main studio host for the nightly "MLB Tonight" show, according to sources with knowledge of the deal. Vasgersian had been the lead play-by-play announcer for Padres' TV games and has done work with Fox, as well. As the main host of MLB Network's nightly show, Vasgersian will be the net's most visible on-air personality. An official announcement could come as soon as tomorrow.

MLB Network is launching January 1 to about 50 million homes. It has been
talking with Harold Reynolds and Hazel Mae about on-air positions and has
had conversations with Bob Costas about an on-air role.

It's not Costas but it's still a good pickup for the new network that launches January 1st. They seem to be making all of the right moves before opening up shop, and this is just another move that illustrates that. I've long been a fan of Vasgersian, and the studio work he put in for the Olympics will definitely help him in this role.

MLB Network to Tap Matt Vasgersian (Broadcasting & Cable)

It's been awhile since Bob Costas was involved in Baseball, but according to Sports Business Journal's, John Ourand, he and the MLB Network are very close to striking a deal....

MLB Network has been talking with Bob Costas about taking an on-air role with the network. The two sides still are not particularly close on a contract, sources said, but the network has discussed using Costas -- a noted baseball fan -- on some of its game coverage, which will consist of at least one game per week, or its studio coverage, which will be on air for several hours per night during the season, starting at 7:00pm ET. Costas already shuffles between two networks, NBC and HBO. MLB Network is launching into about 50 million homes January 1. Though it has not made any talent announcements yet, the channel is expected to hire on-air talent Harold Reynolds and Hazel Mae.

I used to love Bob Costas when he covered Baseball on NBC back in the 80s. The Sport is obviously his wheelhouse, so if the MLB-N could pull this off it would be a huge get. The network starts coverage on January 1st, 2009 and I'll be sure to keep you updated on any new hires.

Costas Discussing Role At MLB Network (Sports Business Daily - $)

Other Media Tidbits That I Don't Quite Have Time To Post On:

- Michele Tafoya stepped down from her NBA sideline role on ESPN. She'll continue the MNF gig and her ESPN Radio work.
- Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren retires after 33 years with the team.

I'm not really sure what Bob Costas is doing at a John Cougar Mellencamp concert, but after just posting Al Michaels on Hawaii Five-O, nothing will surprise anymore. Via Scott's Shots comes this video of Costas intro'ing the rocker at Farm Aid this past Saturday....

Ten seconds my ass, Bob. That was more like forty or so, and a very unimpressive forty seconds at that. I guess there really isn't a "cool way" for Costas to intro Mellencamp, but he should have at least tried to get a "fetus-faced windbag" line in the somewhere.

Bob Costas Appears at Farm Aid (Scott's Shots)

Journalists worldwide are giving their final opinions on the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and I thought I'd chime in as well. NBC's broadcast of the 2008 Beijing Games brought on varying emotions throughout the two weeks for everyone, both good and bad. People across the Country seemed to be both happy and mad at the network's coverage at various times throughout the two week span and my feelings probably don't differ from all of theirs all that much.

I personally enjoyed many aspects of the coverage and after bashing them, and NBC, for just about the whole Summer, I was certainly impressed at times with the end product. The majority of the announcers were very knowledgeable of the Sports they covered and every host and reporter appeared genuinely interested in the country of China and topics they covered. Cris Collinsworth said last night that these Games provided a great place for the World to forget about its problems for two weeks, and I couldn't agree more.

With that said, there were mulitple frustrating elements of NBC's programming that infuriated viewers in the U.S. and across the globe. In the States, everywhere but the East Coast suffered by not being able to see live events and even those in the East were "blacked out" of monumental and record breaking performances. Let's delve into this a bit more with the good, the bad and the ugly of the broadcast and then I'll give you some announcing winners and losers.
_________________________

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly:

The Good- Sheer Numbers and The FOBs

Given that these Games were across the World from us in Beijing, I think that NBC did an admirable job of getting at least some of the contests to us live (well at least for us East Coasters). I don't even remember watching the past two Summer Olympics (Athens and Australia) because barely any of the event were aired as they took place and the change this year was certainly welcomed. It obviously wasn't perfect, but for Gymnastics and Swimming at least they seemed to get it right. I personally thought that 3600 hours of coverage was an insane undertaking but for the most part, they pulled it off in the end.

Bob Costas and his FOB's were also a "good" for the Peacock during these Olympics. I truly enjoyed the excitement of Bela Karolyi and the heartfelt love for his Sport. Collinsworth and Carillo didn't really give us anything groundbreaking but both filled a lot of the downtime with at least somewhat interesting stories. Costas himself pulled no punches in delivering controversial pieces himself and his interview with George W. Bush was surprisingly eye-opening. I don't think anyone else has gotten more out of the Leader of the Free World in eight years.

Obviously numbers don't lie and through sixteen days of coverage over 211 million people tuned in. That makes the 2008 Summer Olympics on NBC, the most viewed event in U.S. television history. Even though there are no other programs considered "events" other than the Olympics within the ratings system (not even the Super Bowl), that's a heck of a lot of people.

The Bad- Online and Post Phelps Coverage

It's hard to find fault in a network that aired events live online for free and gave of us one of the most awesome performances we've ever seen, but I'm going to try. There are reports that NBC's online content only made a quarter of the ad revenue that March Madness did and that's pretty mind blowing given the number of people that signed in online. The network actually decided against airing certain events on the platform (I.E.- Usain Bolt) and in turn hurt the final product that it put out there for customers and even advertisers.

(Now my personal relationship with NBC Universal's Piracy Department aside) It was more than frustrating that they billed NBCOlympics.com as the go to site for every live event, when that certainly wasn't even close to being true. They also didn't even make their videos available for embedding and promotion on other sites (not just blogs). They seemingly ruined their chances at a big payday and record numbers online with that move alone.

As far as post-Phelps coverage, the absence of one individual illustrated exactly how he alone gave NBC the boost they needed in the ratings. After Phelps left the pool, NBC only surpassed the ratings of the Sydney Olympics on one night out of seven. The Games in total were 7% higher than those in 2000 and that percentage is all Phelps.

The Ugly: "Live Events"

I think we've beat this one into the ground but the live/delayed coverage across the country was reprehensible. I still don't understand how if Swimming and Gymnastics started at 10/11pm on the East Coast that they couldn't be aired live in West Coast primetime, but I'm not a TV exec. It's completely unrealistic to think that someone could go through an entire day/night and not hear or see a result. When you're also not airing the most important events live online just to save them for TV....you're going to piss a good number of people off.

There's absolutely no way they can do this again in London, but it wouldn't surprise me.
__________________________


Announcing Winners and Losers:

Winners-

Bob Costas (see above)
Ato Bolden (Track and Field)- Provided great insight to running events for a rookie
Bela Karyoli (FOB)- "BEAUTIFUL!!!!"
Dan Hicks (Swimming)- The call of the 4x100 Free Relay will be replayed for decades
Tim Ryan (Rowing and Canoeing)- A vet of the Games but continues to impress
Mike Breen (Basketball)- Solidifying himself as the second voice of the NBA after Marv.
Doug Collins (Basketball)- When not talking about himself, he's one of the best analysts out there (I still can't stand him though)
Bob Papa (Boxing)- Anybody who can work well with (and understand) Teddy Atlas is a winner in my book
Andrew Catalon (Handball)- I didn't know this until recently but Handball is exciting as hell. So are the announcers.
Bill Clement(Various)- He called events from Shooting to Table Tennis and was even sideline reporter for Badminton. He was solid throughout.
Kirch Kiraly (Beach Volleyball)- Exactly what an ex-athlete analyst should sound like covering his/her Sport.

Losers-

Cynthia Potter (Diving)- MSMers applauded her but I couldn't stand her. She was negativity personified and coming from me....that's saying something.
Rowdy Gaines (Swimming)- The Doug Collins of Swimming
Eric Collins (Baseball)- Just downright boring
Craig Sager (Basketball)- Outside of talking about Hooters the sideline reporter was dreadful. He ruined results from events for West Coasters and even said that if the U.S. beat Argentina they'd "play finalist China on Sunday".
Andrea Kremer (Swimming)- "How does it feel to win ______ swimming race?" was all she ever asked
Shane Hamman (Weightlifting)- Actual Quote: "What a huge amount of weight! We're talking a refrigerator, not just a regular refrigerator, but like a big one!"
Al Trautwig (Gymnastics)- Just terrible and the hyperbole was off the charts. He was even quoted as saying this at one point...."The Olympics begin with footprints in the sky." (Blech!)
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There you have it. Overall the Olympics were ultimately just what they've always been, a nice distraction. They come at the perfect time during the Sports Calendar, and some of the physical performances amaze you, but are you really starting the four year countdown right now? Didn't think so. Outside of the live event issues and not utilizing the Internet content correctly, the Games were a success for NBC because they made money.

In the end the bottom line is all that really matters. Who cares if they screw an entire half of the country, right? Right???

It's no secret that I have been fawning over Bela Karolyi these Olympics. I think he's fun, boisterous and genuinely loves the Sport he covers. He's gotten some criticism for rooting for the Americans too much and he and Costas addressed that in a phone interview with The New York Times....

“I think people are getting a kick out of him,” Costas said by telephone early Sunday. “He’s provocative and entertaining. What else do you want?”

Karolyi is the only partner Costas has ever worked with, in a studio or at a game, about whom Costas reminds viewers, jokingly, about his lack of objectivity.

“I believe I try very hard not to go overboard or to step overboard,” Karolyi said, on the phone with Costas after the Tuesday night prime-time show ended. “But I must clear the air. You can’t let injustices go unnoticed. You have to fight. You have to take a stand.”

And when Liukin was performing her floor exercise during the individual all-round, Costas introduced video of Karolyi’s reactions as he watched the routine. NBC has not shown any other video like it, but Costas said there have been more moments of subjective, off-air reaction. “I’ve got the bruises,” he said. “He’s a hugger. He gives you the fist in the elbow or in the shoulder.”

If Karolyi were not working for NBC, how would he react? “I’d elbow the television set,” Karolyi said. “That would be my best friend.”

Again, I see nothing wrong with the way that he's been covering the Games as an American for an American network. Somebody seriously needs to add Bela to other sports throughout the year. I know one guy at NBC he could replace for Sunday Night Football this very year!

Karolyi Puts the Color in Color Commentary (NY Times)