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    That's Not That Much CheeseAimée Lutkin
    6/29/16 4:02pm

    Gymnastics is the only Summer Olympic sport I care about enough to devote time to watching it. Glad to hear there are options for coverage out there other than NBC.

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      McScuseMeBitchThat's Not That Much Cheese
      6/29/16 4:15pm

      Same. And at the Winter Olympics I’m only interested in ice skating. I should probably try to broaden my horizons a bit.

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      That's Not That Much CheeseMcScuseMeBitch
      6/29/16 4:17pm

      Oh yes, Ice Skating is the best part of the winter games for sure. I did enjoy watching diving and synchronized diving at the last summer Olympics, but I don’t have any investment in it like I do gymnastics (former gymnast here).

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    OurDaisyAimée Lutkin
    6/29/16 4:07pm

    Good. I’m totally a casual gymnastics viewer but I’ve always hated the horrible coverage provided by networks. It really is all about the big sob stories with maybe 5-10 minutes of actual coverage sandwiched in between. And of course they only focus on a few of the athletes - either the ones with the biggest sob story or the clear front runners. Everybody else is relegated to a name and a score.

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      pop tartOurDaisy
      6/29/16 4:11pm

      if you can watch the live streams, its a much different story. They show as many routines as they can and usually get knowledgable commentators, in 2012 they had Shannon Miller and for Nationals/worlds they’ll usually have Amanda Borden. I get that NBC is selling a product so they need to write a dramatic story for non gym fans, but it’s much MUCH better when you can watch the live stream!

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      PetenrepeatOurDaisy
      6/29/16 4:17pm

      Casual gymnastics sounds awesome. ::::flops on couch...slowly rolls to floor without spilling my beer::::

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    thisismy31stburnerAimée Lutkin
    6/29/16 4:21pm

    The NBC coverage across all sports sucks. It’s filled with casual sexism, lack of knowledge about the sport, and just pure idiocy. And my number one pet peeve is all of schmaltzy storylines. I don’t care about the backstory, I don’t want an inspiring anecdote. Just show me the sports! Like, you’ll watch for an hour and only 15 minutes of it is actual sport.

    I could watch gymnastics, track, swimming, diving, soccer, and volleyball for hours if they’d actually show some of it!

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      RandomHookupthisismy31stburner
      6/29/16 4:42pm

      Unfortunately, the “behind the scenes” stories sell. They draw in casual fans who feel for the athletes, even though they know nothing about the sport. Otherwise, the Winter Olympics would have almost no viewers.

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      stephkat716thisismy31stburner
      6/29/16 4:55pm

      My pet peeve is when they say “threepeat.” THAT IS NOT A WORD.

      Also. I agree with you. Show me the sports!

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    mollymlf05Aimée Lutkin
    6/29/16 5:27pm

    Al Trautwig is THE WORST.

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      goldenkwanmollymlf05
      6/29/16 6:01pm

      Couldn’t agree more. He’s literally paid to be clueless. My favorite thing is when he talks about the “new” scoring system that’s “so confusing”. It’s been around for a decade. And it’s not confusing.

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      mollymlf05goldenkwan
      6/29/16 6:09pm

      It’s not confusing at all. There’s a base value for the elements in the program. Then deductions are taken for mistakes made. The bigger the difference between the base value and the score, the worse the score.

      Now figure skating, on the other hand, is confusing as hell. I’m a pretty hardcore skating fan and have no idea what the scores mean half the time.

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    rusholmeruffianAimée Lutkin
    6/29/16 4:13pm

    On the grossness of NBC’s coverage: I will never, ever forget John Tesh coming back in from a commercial break during the ‘96 Olympics with the immortal line, “Little girls, dancing for the camera.”

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      pop tartrusholmeruffian
      6/29/16 4:40pm

      You should watch the 2000 olympic team final, the “story” is that all the Romanian’s dads died cleaning up Chernobyl and how can they possibly exist because they are such tiny fragile babies and Belu is their surrogate dad. Lol ok. Then they go to Elise ray and theyre like “but she comes from a not broken home with two parents, both alive.”

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      shooting magical symbolsrusholmeruffian
      6/30/16 10:30am

      I was 14 and I remember that VIVIDLY.

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    EmilylorAimée Lutkin
    6/29/16 4:20pm

    Ugh when I was watching the other day two of the commentators started going on about how beautiful Simone Biles was. Like while she was doing her routine.

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      PussycatIsUpOnCurrentEventsEmilylor
      6/29/16 4:40pm

      Don’t mind that actually. Black female athletes in artistry sports (gymnastics, ice skating, and to some degree, ballet) are often pigeonholed as “strong” and “powerful”, and are criticized for a perceived lack of grace, lightness, beauty, and artistry. It’s actually a big issue, because in those sports while you need ALL of those qualities to succeed, beauty is considered most important and it's not something ascribed to black athletes.

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      Little Miss ScatterbrainedEmilylor
      6/29/16 5:01pm

      Beautiful in what context? Because saying “Simone looks beautiful here” seems like a completely valid critique when you are talking about someone doing an artistic performance.

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    ohballsAimée Lutkin
    6/29/16 4:07pm

    My absolute favorite thing to do is drink at a bar where the Olympic gymnastics are playing. I get drunk and wish with all my heart that I could be a professional consoler on the side lines to comfort the girls who fall and bring them lasagna.

    It’s really just an exercise in second-hand heartbreak, but let me assure you, it is harrowing.

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      mollymlf05ohballs
      6/29/16 6:24pm

      The opportunity to watch gymnastics at the bar is the best part of the Olympics.

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    Vegas En FuegoAimée Lutkin
    6/29/16 4:01pm

    If you have about an hour: here’s the entire McKayla Maroney interview:

    The BTS stuff about the psychological stresses was really eye-opening to me.

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      mollymlf05Vegas En Fuego
      6/29/16 5:30pm

      It’s really, really good stuff. I loved how candid she was.

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    wafflesfriendsworkAimée Lutkin
    6/29/16 4:18pm

    I don’t really have anything to add, but I love the top image of Simone. It looks like she’s flying! Strength and grace incarnate.

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      un vélo solitaireAimée Lutkin
      6/29/16 4:04pm

      That terrible, sexist wedding dress comment doesn’t even work as an analogy, so, double-fail.

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        Crispin Waughun vélo solitaire
        6/29/16 4:16pm

        Right? Wouldn’t have “just like pulling a hamstring before the superbowl” or something have worked a little better?

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        un vélo solitaireCrispin Waugh
        6/29/16 4:19pm

        Totally. Waiting to see if any commentator compares that situation to tearing a tux right before going up to the altar.

        Also, half these athletes aren’t even old enough to drive!

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