danajohnhill.org | Hard Times Come Again No More

So, the games of the 29th Olympiad are finished, and, were it not for my broken TV they’d have been the best I’ve ever seen.  The extent of NBC’s coverage was astonishing, and though I might quibble a bit about what they chose to promote in prime time, and what was on TV and what wasn’t, the generous online coverage almost renders that point moot.  There is almost no event I really wanted to see that I couldn’t, and this is the first Olympic games that that has been the case.

The last event I watched was rhythmic gymnastics, which I love, but which some people refuse to call a sport.  Suit yourself.  My only disappointment with the event this year was the absence of the ball (each Olympics features four of the five possible apparatus, and this year ball was out, and ball is my favorite, rope my least favorite).

The biggest story may have been Michael Phelps’ gold rush, and May and Walsh’s victory in beach volleyball was expected, but there were also surprises, like the American athlete who won the decathlon, and the American team losing softball, plus the wrestler rejecting his bronze medal, and the martial artist kicking the judge in the head.

All in all, it was a great Olympics.  I can’t wait until Winter 2010!

Filed under: Current Events, Sports, Television on August 25th, 2008