Every Olympic Games is full of winners and, sadly, losers and 2012 London Games are no exception. Here are some of the highs and lows from the Games so far.
Opening Ceremonies – Winner
The opening ceremonies showed off the spirit of the British people in a grand, over-the-top spectacle that played like a lavish history lesson. Viewers across the world were treated to a pastoral scene that slowly morphed into a vision of England’s industrial might.
Once director Danny Boyle had showed off Britain’s backbone, he moved on to the vaunted British funny bone. The last half of the ceremonies was a sequence of comedies featuring Mr. Bean, Chariots of Fire, James Bond and the Queen herself.
Well done London, the opening ceremony was a big win.
NBC – Loser
NBC spent about eleventy jillion dollars securing rights to cover the Games and have been lambasted for their coverage at almost every turn. Today Show host Matt Lauer chattered over much of the opening ceremony, while the network failed to air a tribute to victims of terrorism at all.
As the games progress, American audiences are complaining about tape delayed events that are spoiled by social media long before they air on NBC. It’s hard to blame NBC for not wanting to give up their cash cow to the Internet, but it’s frustrating nonetheless.
Twitter – Winner/Loser
Twitter has definitely emerged as the dominant social media force in this year’s games. Here’s a rundown of Twitter related Olympics stories so far:
- At least three athletes have been sent home for sending racist Tweets.
- Current and past US women’s soccer players are engaged in a fierce Tweet war.
- NBC has had at least Twitter account shut down for criticizing their coverage of the Games.
- A UK teenager was arrested for harassing British diver Tom Daley in a series of distasteful Tweets.
Using the, no such thing as bad publicity, rule Twitter is having an amazing Olympics.
The Athletes – Winner/Losers
While it’s always great to watch Olympic superstars like Michael Phelps, it’s the forgotten athletes competing under the radar who are the real winners.
Olympic delegations like the Philippines, with just 11 athletes; and the Cook Islands, with only 18 athletes, have almost no shot at Olympic glory. Still, they show up and compete as best they can.
Those are the real Olympic winners.
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