I love the Olympics. For more reasons than I can articulate, really. I like the international competition that takes me back to the old days as a child rooting for the "good" United States and against the "evil" USSR. Elementary indoctrination will do that to a kid. Anyway, I still love the Games even though the USSR isn't around anymore and it has become apparent that everyone used steroids in the past. However, NBC really did a shitty job in one department - the broadcast team. And when I say broadcast team, I overwhelmingly mean Bob Costas.
Now, I'm not sure if this is some sort of cultural divide between the eastern United States and the rest, but a majority of my midwest friends can't seem to stand Costas. While the east coasters actually like the diminutive fellow. I can't stand him.
Is it his know it all attitude? Possibly. But I really don't mind Alex Trebek. And he even answers the questions like everyone should know the answers. What a dick.
Is it his voice? Not really. I mean he has a great voice for broadcast television. It is soothing on the ears and he speaks pretty well.
Then what the hell is wrong with Costas, you ask? He fucking loves to hear himself talk. And he loves to use rhetorical questions to con the viewing public into believing that he has some sort of magical insight.
I can name a few situations where my hatred for Costas stems from.
During the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Games, there was a "Moment of Silence" as the flag for the World Trade Center site was marched into the stadium. Now, I am self admittedly not the most patriotic person in the world, but this was an emotional moment for the United States and should have garnered the respect of all. However, Costas, who apparently is above respecting the fallen, talked incessantly through the moment of silence. He couldn't go 60 seconds without hearing himself talk on national television? Did he really think we all forgot what happened on September 11, 2001 a year on?
That right there really epitomized Costas to me. He can't let the moment sink in as an announcer. He has to speak every time he gets the chance in order to tell all the drones in TV land how to think and react. How about leaving the moment as is so that we can take it in? That's probably a more effective method of broadcasting than continuously talking over the images on the screen.
During the Opening Ceremonies of this years Summer Games, you couldn't hear shit from the proceedings because Costas wouldn't shut up. The Ceremonies were beautifully produced but the only thing that came through the NBC feed was Costas and his cohorts talking throughout the entire presentation. How about letting the art speak for itself? No, it can't. Obviously the American public is too dumb to know what to think or how to feel and need Bob Costas as an interpreter for our collective conscious.
He offers nothing but facts that anyone can get by doing some online research. And the sad part about it is that some bright kid from an Ivy League school has to waste his summer and mind doing Costas' bullshit work for him. He doesn't offer anything in the way of useful insight because 1.) he talks for the sake of talking and 2.) he doesn't elicit anything from his fellow commentators. Jon Miller knows how to work Joe Morgan (who I also despise) to get some useful insight into baseball history and in game strategy. Marv Albert can use Hubie Brown (who loves to talk because he loves the game) or whoever else to make the game more accessible to the viewer.
Costas does nothing. He's a drone that repeatedly uses the same sports cliches and recites things as they happen on screen as if the viewer were blind. On top of that, he makes terrible jokes that are borderline condescending during his awful "Football Night in America." If Collinsworth weren't on that show, it would be the worst football program ever.
So thanks NBC, for putting a glamorized human interest story reporter at the forefront of the world's greatest sporting event. Hopefully we'll get to hear some more of his personal sagas such as his love for Mickey Mantle, or his hatred for the wild card in baseball. Because what Bob Costas thinks is important and should matter to the rest of the world. He's does us such a favor by allowing us to watch sports without thinking or articulating a single thought on our own.
Now, I'm not sure if this is some sort of cultural divide between the eastern United States and the rest, but a majority of my midwest friends can't seem to stand Costas. While the east coasters actually like the diminutive fellow. I can't stand him.
Is it his know it all attitude? Possibly. But I really don't mind Alex Trebek. And he even answers the questions like everyone should know the answers. What a dick.
Is it his voice? Not really. I mean he has a great voice for broadcast television. It is soothing on the ears and he speaks pretty well.
Then what the hell is wrong with Costas, you ask? He fucking loves to hear himself talk. And he loves to use rhetorical questions to con the viewing public into believing that he has some sort of magical insight.
I can name a few situations where my hatred for Costas stems from.
During the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Games, there was a "Moment of Silence" as the flag for the World Trade Center site was marched into the stadium. Now, I am self admittedly not the most patriotic person in the world, but this was an emotional moment for the United States and should have garnered the respect of all. However, Costas, who apparently is above respecting the fallen, talked incessantly through the moment of silence. He couldn't go 60 seconds without hearing himself talk on national television? Did he really think we all forgot what happened on September 11, 2001 a year on?
That right there really epitomized Costas to me. He can't let the moment sink in as an announcer. He has to speak every time he gets the chance in order to tell all the drones in TV land how to think and react. How about leaving the moment as is so that we can take it in? That's probably a more effective method of broadcasting than continuously talking over the images on the screen.
During the Opening Ceremonies of this years Summer Games, you couldn't hear shit from the proceedings because Costas wouldn't shut up. The Ceremonies were beautifully produced but the only thing that came through the NBC feed was Costas and his cohorts talking throughout the entire presentation. How about letting the art speak for itself? No, it can't. Obviously the American public is too dumb to know what to think or how to feel and need Bob Costas as an interpreter for our collective conscious.
He offers nothing but facts that anyone can get by doing some online research. And the sad part about it is that some bright kid from an Ivy League school has to waste his summer and mind doing Costas' bullshit work for him. He doesn't offer anything in the way of useful insight because 1.) he talks for the sake of talking and 2.) he doesn't elicit anything from his fellow commentators. Jon Miller knows how to work Joe Morgan (who I also despise) to get some useful insight into baseball history and in game strategy. Marv Albert can use Hubie Brown (who loves to talk because he loves the game) or whoever else to make the game more accessible to the viewer.
Costas does nothing. He's a drone that repeatedly uses the same sports cliches and recites things as they happen on screen as if the viewer were blind. On top of that, he makes terrible jokes that are borderline condescending during his awful "Football Night in America." If Collinsworth weren't on that show, it would be the worst football program ever.
So thanks NBC, for putting a glamorized human interest story reporter at the forefront of the world's greatest sporting event. Hopefully we'll get to hear some more of his personal sagas such as his love for Mickey Mantle, or his hatred for the wild card in baseball. Because what Bob Costas thinks is important and should matter to the rest of the world. He's does us such a favor by allowing us to watch sports without thinking or articulating a single thought on our own.
3 comments:
I love you Bob Costas.
Just do like I do and watch the CBC broadcast. Not only do you miss Bob Costas, but also the endless hours of USA women's volleyball...
I second the tag about "NBA on NBC" for basketball games.
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