Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Blog - Day 4/3

Before we dive into yesterday's proceedings, let's revisit the Opening Ceremony, but not because I liked it so much…

Day 2/1: The Opening Ceremony:: Reloaded

--So I understand that NBC removed content from the OC. Some of it important. Again. I was wondering what happened to the Olympic Oath…

--Given the mantra and spirit of the Olympics, I thought that it was rather insulting of the network to not provide coverage of that. Perhaps even more insulting, however, was their omission of IOC head Thomas Bach's anti-discrimination statement. It's not the first time they've done something like this (there was a more egregious removal of a terrorism memorial during the London 2012 OC) and if time was of the essence, you would think they would shorten or remove some of those (many) long commercial breaks. Or not have that superfluous Obama interview (why broadcasters feel fit to include interviews with a president and talk about politics before major sporting events is baffling. Sports, fine, politics, got enough of that everywhere else…). Or the other interviews, too. Just show the OC in its entirety.

--Between this and the seemingly-perennial cavalcade of bad decision-makings, NBC can never seem to get out of their own way…

--As most anime fans (or a good number of many people) can attest to, editing something out is an instant no-no…


Day 4/3

--Never been a big fan of the US ice dancing pair of Meryl Davis and Charlie White, but it's hard to deny their excellence, especially after that well-earned record score.

--However, my favorite was the Russian pair of Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov, who were skating their lights out and always seemed on the verge of falling apart with the energy and big moves they were making. That they covered up many of their near-falls and flowed into the next move like nothing was about to happen made it all the more enjoyable. The -1.00 deduction was only expected somewhere in the, but their exuberance and the crowd support made a memorable run.

--Gracie Gold looks and skates like her name. A very nice Olympic debut (though it would be nice to see little more lift to her jumps).

--Very bold choice of theme by Yulia Lipnitskaya to skate to John Williams' "Schindler's List" title piece and wearing a red coat, though it was performed very well and respectfully, for the most part (see below). Apparently, it wasn't her first time doing so and it was choreographed by someone who is Jewish. Though on the negative side (as much as I don't want to denigrate such a skate), there were a little too many jumps for my taste (and maybe a little too much for such a serious theme)…

--I was unsure about what the next generation of skaters might hold, but after the team event, it's looking pretty bright…

--Why is NBC saving its luge night coverage for the late-night slot? Is there some kind of luge discrimination going on that I am not aware of?

--At least we've been introduced to Chris Mazdzer (USA), who is affable and a total natural on camera. A future correspondent in the making? You get the feeling NBC is already grooming him…

--Whenever I watch luge, I always imagine Danny Elfman's Batman theme playing as they fly down the track…

--Safe to call Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Italy's Armin Zoeggeler OGs, right?

--Really great men's single luge competition and show of spirit, overall. Gotta love the show of passion by gold medalist Felix Loch after his winning run…

--Very thankful that Sarka Panchocova (Czech Republic) was able to ride away after her horrific fall, which cracked her helmet when the back of her head slammed into the ground.

--On the other side of dangerous, there is alpine skiing, which is always a great watch year-round. Until Universal Sports changed distribution methods and was no longer available through Comcast (hopefully that changes soon), I liked to turn it on and watch the skiers fly down the hill through scenic locations. Each course has its own charms, but I can see why the Sochi one has gotten so much talk for its difficulty. The turns are sharp and plentiful, the course speedy, and the jumps lean more on the blind side. Still, it's a very good-looking course, and at the Olympic level, I often expect courses in all of the sports to be challenging and for victory to not come easy.

--Men's skiathlon--15 km one type of skis (classic technique), switch, then another 15 km on a different type skis (free technique), which lasts around an hour…UGH!! Only those with master-level cardio and nerves-of-steel need apply…

--Yes, we know about the "Miracle on Ice", NBC (and Al Michaels, to a lesser extent). Yes, we are aware the Winter Olympics are being held in Russia…

--Given how much they are rubbing it in, of course complaints would be made if it were the other way around. C'est le sport… [<--probably font="" wrong="">


--Not getting as much play is that this is the very first time the US is participating in an Olympic Games in Russia. Considering the events surrounding the 1980 Moscow Summer Games and the long, contentious history between the two nations, including now (which itself is being beaten to death), you would think that fascinating tidbit would get more coverage…