Celebrate the Games, Not Just the Names

I think it's safe to say that the Winter Olympics aren't generally being covered as well as the Summer Olympics from Beijing had been. There are many reasons for it I suppose. Perhaps since the United States isn't expected to dominate all of the sports or the fact that it has been a particularly harsh winter for most people so there's less enthusiasm for seeing more snow (even if it's on television) but still, I can't help but feel that these Olympians deserve just as much coverage and recognition. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like NBC and their affiliates are doing a heck of a lot to cover it properly.

One problem I've almost always had with the coverage of the Olympics is that there's generally more coverage of the big names (understandably) and very little of the lesser known sports or athelets competing in those particular sports. For example, while everyone was waiting with baited breath for Apolo Ohno's race last Friday (to see if he could tie Bonnie Blair's record 6 medals in an Olympic career) there was comparatively less coverage given to JR Celski who also had a good race that had him skate away with a bronze medal for the 1500-meter short track speedskating race. But why didn't we hear more about him before the fact? Why was he not shown until he won a medal? Is that the only benchmark to being famous?

I can't (and won't argue) with the notion that a medal-winning Olympian will always garner more attention than those who don't but the fact that an athlete is chosen to represent their country in a true test against the world's best is reason enough to cover them. Sure we'll see lots of coverage of Bode Miller (even though it took him until a night ago to win a medal) all over the coverage because he's a popular and talented skier but what about the others on his team. Maybe they didn't finish in the top ranks but at least they were there. That's more than can be said about the rest of us who would struggle to stand, let alone stumble down a hill at the speeds that they do.

And if there is to be coverage, it is for something that isn't as happy. Case in point is the coverage given to Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, who died tragically on the luge course last week before the games even began. Suddenly there was tremendous focus on the Republic of Georgia and how dangerous the luge is and how much the young man wanted to compete in the games. Shortly after the tragedy, NBC couldn't show enough of the accident and the aftermath it seemed and I think until there was tremendous backlash against the fact that while warning viewers that the footage was graphic in nature (and it was) they continued to show it almost adnauseum.

I can't help but wonder if there would have been any coverage whatsoever of Kumaritashvili had he not died. I doubt it. I say that because most events rarely have coverage of anyone outside of the top favorites. Again, I can understand it but I don't agree with it. To me the games should celebrate the talent and skill from all over the world. People made fun of the Jamaican bobsled team that competed in Calgary so many years ago but it was not just a novelty, it was a true testament to the desire to be a part of the games. So what if they didn't win, they made it to the top to compete with the rest of the world, that itself is an achievement. So I think we should start celebrating the games for the way in which it helps bring the world together rather than just the famous names and faces who sell magazines and cereal boxes.