Olympic Basketball Rantings
Maybe it's me, but from the first day I haven't been able to easily figure out the Olympic TV viewing schedule on NBC. Which events are recorded, which are live, which NBC 'channel.' I've just spent 30 minutes trying to figure out when and where to watch the Men's basketball gold match live. This is what nbcolympics.com tells me, after digging through a bunch of crap to the results and schedules page:
08/24 14:30PM
Men's Gold-Medal Game - Game 76
Spain vs United States
Alert me
Preview
Scheduled
Yeah, no kidding it's scheduled. But that is China time, how about a little help for back here in the good old US of A? So counting backwards I get 11:30 PM the night before (tonight 08/23) Los Angeles time. And what is it about 14:30 PM? Is there such a thing as 14:30 AM? In case the rocket scientists at NBC missed it you can either say 14:30, or 2:30 PM.
Now, considering this is the NBC web site how about a little info on which channel, eh? So jumping through the hoops punching in my zip code and satellite provider, then to which sport, and then to which event, I get this:
Men's Basketball
Gold-medal game: USA vs. Spain.
9:00p - 9:00a (8/24)
OK, so sometime between 9PM on the 23rd and 9AM on the twenty fourth there will be a game in there. But this is listed on the 'Basketball Channel', not the local NBC affiliate. For that station I find this:
9AM to 3PM
Daytime
Women's basketball gold-medal game: USA vs. Australia (LIVE ET/CT). Also, gold-medal finals in individual rhythmic gymnastics, team synchronized swimming, boxing and flatwater canoe/kayak.
For CNBC I get this:
9PM- 11PM
Men's Basketball
Bronze-medal game: Argentina vs. Lithuania (LIVE ET/CT).
Why all the complications Pete? Why don't you just go to the TV Guide on the web where you usually go? OK, but I tried that back at the beginning of the Olympic coverage and found it so frustrating that I just gave up until today when I really want to watch the basketball thing like every other person in the world.
11:30PM
Olympics: Men's basketball, boxing, mountain biking, table tennis.
Get that? And that schedule runs to 4AM. Now, if you click on the listing:
Kobe Bryant faces Los Angeles Lakers teammate Pau Gasol as the U.S. "Redeem Team" meets Spain in the men's basketball final. Also: medals are awarded in boxing; track and field (men's javelin); men's table tennis; and men's mountain biking.
One might forgive my naiveté in assuming that at 11:30PM (remember my earlier math) I would turn on the TV to find the US men's basketball team, but nowhere does it tell me in the listing that the game is 'live.' This might be an important bit of information, especially considering that the other listings note (LIVE ET/CT).
So, is NBC going to screw us again like they did during the opening ceremonies? That is where my money is going. It would be a delight if they prove me wrong.
Update: 11:44PM- All is forgiven. Great game so far.
