Some Monday Morning Sports Media Thoughts

Let’s do some sports media thoughts for you on this back to work Monday. As usual, they’re in bullet form.

• Last week’s news that TBS would pick up the new single elimination MLB Wild Card Playoff games for this year and next was not a surprise. TBS has pleased MLB with its postseason coverage since 2007, gaining all of the League Division Series and one League Championship Series, sharing that round with Fox. Not only would TBS pay an extra $10 million for the new playoff games on top of its current fee, but it would also give two LDS games to MLB Network. Now that was a surprise.

  It gives MLB Network its first foothold into postseason games after increasing the amount of regular season game telecasts steadily over the network’s first four years of existence. As Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reported on Friday, MLB Network will have Bob Costas and Matt Vasgersian call the LDS games with yet to be named analysts (expect to see Jim Kaat and Mitch Wiiliams or even John Smoltz). It’s a big move for MLB Network. Just as with TBS’ postseason package, the games will be exclusive with no local simulcasts. However, it does give MLB Network some leverage with cable and satellite providers to spread its reach beyond the current 69 million households.

• Also last week, NBC Sports Group announced coverage plans for NBC Sports Network, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC and Telemundo. With each NBCUniversal channel assigned to certain carry certain sports, it will be a virtual feast for viewers to see the athletes compete. Add this to the live streaming that will be provided on NBCOlympics.com, fans should not miss anything from London this summer.

  Now the hosting assignments give us some interesting food for thought. Fred Roggin hosting boxing on CNBC shows consistency from 2008. I was quite surprised about the return of Pat O’Brien to the Olympics. While he really hasn’t been on the national radar since losing his job at Entertainment Tonight and The Insider due to his personal problems, it hasn’t stopped him from working at Fox Sports Radio and making regular appearances on Fox News Channel. I’ll be happy to see Pat make his puns and illiteration attempts from the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon during Olympic tennis.

  And I’ll be interested to see how Kelly Tilghman does on MSNBC as she’ll be hosting events there. Kelly has been host and done play-by-play for Golf Channel. I hadn’t seen her as an Olympic host and while she’s been polarizing to golf fans during her stint on GC, I think she’s been pretty decent as a studio host and interviewer, although she sometimes has her strange moments.

  We’ll be waiting to see who else will be hosting on NBC Sports Network and on NBC in London.

• And who would have thunk that Al Jazeera, the network known for ruffling feathers in the Middle East could be a player for soccer rights? It’s been steadily obtaining rights to soccer in the Middle East and is about to start networks in France and in the United States. Al Jazeera has the US rights to Spain’s La Liga, France’s La Ligue, and Italy’s Serie A. These had been previously on Gol TV as well as Fox Soccer. Some games were sublicensed to ESPN throughout the years. Now with Al Jazeera obtaining the games, it will create two networks called beIN Sport as Multichannel News’ Mike Reynolds reports. The whole issue is if beIN Sport’s channels, one in English, the other in Spanish can gain wide distribution. If Al Jazeera gets the English Premier League US rights over Fox Soccer and ESPN, then expect plenty of cable and satellite carriage pickups before the summer is out.

That’s going to do it.

NBC Unveils Olympic Coverage For 3 Cable Networks

This from NBC. We have some more info on NBCUniversal’s Olympics coverage on cable.

CNBC as it was in 2004 and 2008 will be the home of Olympic boxing. Fred Roggin will host.

Bravo will air Olympic tennis from the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon. Pat O’Brien is the host for Olympic tennis.

And MSNBC will have a bunch of Olympic events. Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman gets her first Olympics hosting assignment.

We have the press release.

MSNBC, CNBC & BRAVO TO CARRY 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS COVERAGE

MSNBC to Offer Wide Variety of Olympic Programming
Bravo to Televise Olympic Tennis; CNBC to be Home of Boxing

NEW YORK – May 16 – Fully-distributed NBCUniversal cable channels MSNBC, CNBC and Bravo will again serve as Olympic platforms when they combine to televise 284.5 hours of coverage of the 2012 London Olympic Games this summer.

MSNBC will host 155.5 hours of a wide variety of Olympic sports, CNBC will carry 73 hours of Olympic boxing coverage — including the debut of women’s Olympic boxing — and Bravo will serve as the home of Olympic tennis with 56 hours of coverage. All three channels have previously televised Olympic programming.

MSNBC’s, CNBC’s and Bravo’s Olympic coverage will complement the programming airing on NBC and the NBC Sports Network, the details of which will be released shortly. It has already been announced that Telemundo will provide the most extensive Spanish-language Olympics coverage in NBCUniversal history by offering more than 173 hours of programming, and that NBCOlympics.com will live stream every event and sport for the first time ever, more than 3,500 hours. The vast majority of live streaming on NBCOlympics.com will only be available to authenticated cable, satellite or telco customers.

MSNBC

MSNBC, NBCUniversal’s 24/7 cable news channel that is fully distributed in roughly 100 million homes, will carry 155.5 hours of a wide variety of long-form Olympic programming over 19 days. The channel will air up to 18 medal rounds and 20 Olympic sports, from badminton to basketball to soccer to wrestling.

NBCUniversal’s 2012 London Olympic coverage begins on MSNBC on Wednesday, July 25 – two days before the Opening Ceremony — when Great Britain faces New Zealand in women’s soccer, the first official competition of the Games, live from Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Coverage begins at 10:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. PT.

The channel will also carry soccer qualifying on Thursday, July 26, but there will be no coverage on July 27 as there are no events scheduled on the same day as the Opening Ceremony. Coverage will conclude on MSNBC on August 12, the final day of competition.

On most weekdays, coverage will air from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET. There will be longer programming windows on Saturdays and Sundays.

Longtime Golf Channel commentator Kelly Tilghman will serve as MSNBC’s Olympic host, with London being her first-ever Olympic assignment. MSNBC has aired Olympic coverage for every Summer Games since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

CNBC

CNBC — NBCUniversal’s fully distributed cable business channel — will serve as the home of Olympic boxing this summer, including the debut of women’s boxing. The channel will televise 73 hours of boxing coverage over 16 days — every day from July 28-August 12 — from elimination bouts to the men’s and women’s finals. Same-day coverage will air from 5-8 p.m. ET during the week, with six hours of live coverage airing each day on the weekends. This marks the fourth consecutive Summer Games that CNBC has featured Olympic boxing.

Fred Roggin, the longtime lead sports anchor at NBC’s owned-and-operated station in Los Angeles, KNBC, will reprise his Beijing role as Olympic boxing host. This will be his seventh Olympics working for NBC and fourth working on Olympic boxing in some capacity.

BRAVO

Bravo, NBCUniversal’s fully distributed lifestyle cable channel, will act as the home of Olympic tennis this summer. The channel will televise 56 hours of long-form tennis coverage over seven days, from July 28-August 3. Live coverage will air from early morning until mid-afternoon (ET) on most days.

Pat O’Brien, a veteran of five Olympic Games as a commentator, will serve as host. London will be O’Brien’s fourth Olympics for NBC and sixth overall. He last worked for NBCUniversal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, the same year Bravo last carried Olympic competition

That’s it.

Let’s Get Some Linkage Out

I’ve accumulated a lot of links. They’re slowing down my browser so let’s clear them so I can let my computer get back some memory. Lots of stuff going on.

Let’s start with ESPN stuff as it dominated the news today with its network upfront presentation to advertisers and also confirmed personnel moves.

First, Sports Media Watch talks about Scott Van Pelt reupping with ESPN.

The ESPN Front Row blog has a Q&A podcast with Van Pelt in which he explains why he decided to remain with the Bristolians.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today recaps today’s ESPN upfront presentation in New York.

Mike McCarthy of USA Today notes that with Michelle Beadle leaving ESPN, the network is now focusing on keeping Erin Andrews in the fold.

The Hollywood Reporter goes over some ESPN upfront news including its plans to bring back the 30 for 30 documentary series.

Stuart Levin from Variety also has a story on the new set of 30 for 30 docs.

Jeannie Poggi of Advertising Age also reviews ESPN’s upfronts.

Alex Weprin from TVNewser says ESPN and ABC News will co-produce an interview series to be fronted by Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.

Mike Shields from Adweek says ESPN.com will now partner to sell ads.

ESPN’s Vice President of College Sports Programming, Burke Magnus responds to a Dan Wetzel/Yahoo Sports article on the new ACC TV contract.

Chad Scott at ChuckOliver.net explains how third tier media rights work in college sports.

Andy Fixmer and Alex Sherman at Bloomberg report on how ESPN may expand its WatchESPN app to Apple TV platforms.

Andy Fixmer of Bloomberg says CBS is ready to take the coveted 18-49 ratings title from perennial winner Fox with the airing of Super Bowl XLVII next season.

The great SportsbyBrooks tweets that Erik Kuselias’ move to NBC Sports Network from Golf Channel’s Morning Drive is being considered a demotion by network higher-ups. I had a feeling this was the case. Do you consider this tweet inane, Mike Francesa?

Ed Sherman from The Sherman Report enjoyed watching Survival Sunday on the Fox Sports platforms, but wondered why the most important English Premier League game was on another network.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing has four different calls of the same moment when Manchester City won the EPL title on Sunday.

John Ourand from Sports Business Journal writes about a now-defunct Twitter account that got under the skin of several sports network executives.

Earlier today, WFAN’s Mike Francesa ranted on how much he hates Twitter.

If you want to see Mike’s veins popping out during this rant, you can see it here on the YES Network website.

And while Francesa seemingly hates Twitter, Media Rantz points out that Francesa has an app where he does something similar to Twitter.

Bruce Jenkins from Sports Illustrated says Tennis Channel failed to serve the WTA Tour’s Madrid Open like it did with the ATP’s side of the same tournament.

Phil Allaway at Front Stretch looks at ESPN’s coverage of this past weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Race.

BBC Sport has announced it will have 24 live HD streams dedicated to the Olympics this summer.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says NBCUniversal has set the Olympics programming lineup for Bravo, CNBC and MSNBC.

John Eggerton at Multichannel News notes that a Federal Appeals Court has upheld an FCC ruling that Time Warner Cable did not discriminate against MASN when it refused to put the regional sports network on its North Carolina systems.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says the college conference realignment game won’t be settled for at least another decade.

Matt Boutwell of Maine Sports Media looks at a case I wrote about three years ago, about the mysterious tweeter, BrianAdExec.

NESN goes behind the scenes with Jenny Dell and the network’s production team on what goes on during a typical Red Sox gameday.

Rich Elliot of the Connecticut Post has SNY’s president talking about the regional sports network’s plans to air UConn Women’s basketball next season.

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with NBC Sports’ Mike Emrick about calling his old team, the New Jersey Devils in the NHL Eastern Conference Final.

In the New York Times, Jay Schreiber talks about the last time the Devils and the New York Rangers met in the Eastern Conference Final and how he had to monitor the series without smartphones back then.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reports on ESPN’s plans to bring back 30 for 30.

Jerry Barmash from Fishbowl NY writes that MSG Network will provide of wraparound coverage of the NHL Eastern Conference Final.

Ken Schott at the Schenectady Gazette says YES Network will air a Yankeeography on David Wells this week.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record notes that MSG Network will begin airing the WNBA’s New York Liberty starting this weekend.

Bob Fernandez of the Philadelphia Inquirer says two local global conglomerates including Comcast expect to make some big money from the London Olympics.

Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com Sports goes behind-the-scenes with ESPN’s MLS production.

Jeff Barker from the Baltimore Sun says the Orioles and the Washington Nationals are waiting word from MLB on a decision on how much MASN should pay the Nats.

Over to Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog who writes that Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is making a change in its DC NFL team beat reporter.

Dan talks about former Post columnist Howard Bryant ranting against Washington Nationals ownership.

Mike Finger at the Houston Chronicle says the Longhorn Network may offer more Texas football games in another attempt to get carriage from state cable providers.

Mel Bracht in The Oklahoman writes that the Oklahoma City Thunder on TNT set another local ratings record.

In Chicago Sports Media Watch, Paul M. Banks goes over some hate mail.

Scott D. Pierce at the Salt Lake Tribune writes that Utahans should be able to see the Running Utes thanks to wider distribution of the Pac-12 Networks than the soon-to-be defunct the mtn.

Tuesday night, KNBC-TV did a story on the busy postseason in Los Angeles, but aired the wrong graphic for the Kings and showed the Sacramento Kings instead of the LA Kings. C’mon, man!

Martin Miller of the Los Angeles Times says ESPN upfront presentation showed the network was ready for some football.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media is telling everyone that a New York Rangers-Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Final might not mean boffo ratings as some NHL observers are saying.

Jay Koot of Busted Coverage is disgusted by Erik Kuselias’ engagement to Morning Drive news reader Holly Sonders.

And that’s where we’ll end the links tonight.

Some Saturday Links

Let’s do some linkage for you. I haven’t done any since Wednesday, I believe. Still working on bringing archives here, but I’m not as stressed as I was last night. Thanks to my friends over at Radio Insight for giving me some great ideas on how to bring the archives over. I’d say about 90% of my archives are here. I’ll be working to bring them all over and when all is said and done, the Blogger site will be taken down for good. Let me know what you think of this particular site and how it can be improved. My e-mail address remains at kzf1@fangsbites.com.

Now to the links.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated looks at the new CBS/Turner lineup for the NCAA Tournament.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News writes about how the combined CBS/Turner team came together to decide on the announcing and sales teams for the NCAA Tournament.

Mike says he can’t wait to watch the NFL Conference Championship games tomorrow.

Last night, the big buzz on Twitter and Facebook was the sudden departure of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC. There’s speculation on where he might end next, whether it be at a sports network, radio, on Live with Kelly Ripa. Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid says you can rest assured that he won’t be heading back to ESPN.

Tim Goodman of Hollywood Reporter has 10 tongue-in-cheek suggestions.

Bill Carter of the New York Times says Olbermann’s departure was in the works for weeks.

Milton Kent of Fanhouse wonders where Olbermann will go considering he has a reputation for burning bridges.

Now to the sports media.

Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser notes that ESPN Ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer will write his last column after being mostly non-existent.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times notes that the line for sports media coverage is being redefined more and more by Deadspin.

Back to Milton Kent of Fanhouse, he says CBS’ Jim Nantz and Phil Simms do not like being called biased towards one team or another.

Also from Fanhouse, David Whitley writes about how rival NFL bloggers came together as friends before one passed away earlier this week.

Speaking of Jim, Richard Sandomir of the New York Times looks at how Nantz has become an advocate for Alzheimer’s Disease research.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union says the local Jets radio affiliate won’t be able to carry the AFC Championship Game tomorrow.

Greg Connors of the Buffalo News talks with the new Executive Producer of the NHL Network US.

Dave Hughes of DCRTV.com writes in Press Box how the Comcast/NBC merger will affect Comcast’s regional sports networks in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner writes that the NFL’s ratings have made people sit up and take notice.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle writes how Alzheimer’s Disease affected CBS’ Jim Nantz up close.

David also looks back at this week’s anniversary of one of the biggest games that made college basketball a viable TV sport.

David shares a reader’s e-mail of how he managed to listen to the game from all the way in Vietnam.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman notes how the New York Jets have helped to boost CBS’ NFL postseason ratings.

Mel talks about how TNT’s Charles Barkley will be part of the NCAA Tournament coverage this season.

Mel says ESPN’s Outside the Lines will look at the ten year anniversary of the Oklahoma State basketball air plane crash.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says the Reds are virtually ignored in the early Sunday Night Baseball schedule.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel looks at Joe Buck calling plenty of Green Bay’s game in the last month.

Bob says a local channel will air two specials on the Packers this weekend.

Dan Caesar at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at the shuffling of the Cardinals Fox Sports Midwest team this season.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News profiles local sports anchor Jaime Maggio and lists the best and worst in local sports anchors/reporters.

Tom also has his media notes.

Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail says TSN has made a hire for its sports radio network.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog notes that Rogers Sportsnet has lured a noted hockey reporter away from TSN.

Sports Media Watch has some ratings news and notes.

SMW has more ratings news and notes.

SportsbyBrooks explores the deal that led to Sporting News buying the assets of Fanhouse from AOL.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media has his final comparison of NHL Overtime and NHL on the Fly.

Joe Favorito says by bringing the World Series Trophy to New York, the San Francisco Giants are doing all they can to expand their brand beyond the Bay Area.

The Big Lead wonders who will be in charge of ESPN The Magazine when it finalizes its move from New York to the Alleged Worldwide Leader’s headquarters.

Dave Kohl at Major League Programs is not a fan of the new Longhorn Network.

And I think that will do it. Sorry to get these up late.

NBC’s Olympic Quotage For Day 16

We’ve reached the final day of the Winter Olympics. This means the last Olympic press releases are rolling into the Fang’s Bites inbox.

We have Saturday’ daytime quotage which included an interview with Team USA men’s hockey General Manger Brian Burke.

DAY 16 DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS OF NBC WINTER OLYMPICS COVERAGE

“It’s an inspiration to a whole generation of young athletes.” –Premier of British Columbia Gordon Campbell on Vancouver as an Olympic host city

“It’s like getting even with your big brother.” – NBC’s Mike Milbury on Team USA facing Canada

VANCOUVER - February 27, 2010 - Daytime coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games continued today on NBC with live coverage of the women’s speed skating pursuit gold medal final, women’s cross-country 30km mass start gold medal final and men’s snowboard parallel competition. Live on USA Network, the men’s curling bronze medal match between Switzerland and Sweden.

Daytime host Al Michaels sat down with the Premier of British Columbia Gordon Campbell to recap the Olympics in Vancouver and USA Hockey GM Brian Burke.

NBC News’ Tom Brokaw presented a 30-minute piece on the town of Gander, Newfoundland where on September 11, 2001 38 jumbo jets carrying 7,000 passengers were diverted. In September 2009, Brokaw traveled to Gander with several of the grateful Americans, including parents of a New York City firefighter who was an emergency responder at the World Trade Center; a retired Ohio State administrator who was so inspired by the hospitality she experienced in Newfoundland she helped organize a scholarship fund for local students; and a Texas lady and a British gentleman who found true love during that fateful week in September 2001.

NBC’s Jimmy Roberts and Cris Collinsworth stopped by the studio to report on Canada and its fans. NBC’s Mike Milbury previewed the men’s ice hockey gold medal final between USA and Canada.

NBCCAMPBELL ON THE IMPACT THE OLYMPICS HAS ON VANCOUVER: “It’s just been phenomenal. That electricity and energy that’s come into the city.”

“It couldn’t have been better, from my perspective, in terms of how people have felt about the Games.”

CAMPBELL ON VANCOUVER’S OLYMPIC LEGACY: “It’s an inspiration to a whole generation of young athletes. It’s how the athletes perform. It’s the dedication. It’s the athletes that finish when they fall. It’s the athletes that act with grace and confidence and a commitment to themselves to being the best they can. That’s the real long term legacy.”

BURKE ON THE USA-CANADA MEN’S HOCKEY GAME SUNDAY: From our perspective, this is our chief rival. Whatever cliché you want to use. This is David and Goliath. In Canada, people think it’s their game. It would be huge for us to be able to do this and that’s what we intend to do.”

“Nothing is going to change on our team. We’re the youngest team in the tournament. We rely on that youthful enthusiasm and foot speed and we rely on our goaltender. We’re not going to change our game. Playing with Canada, they’ve got the best defense in the tournament and quality goaltending, but I think they concentrate on getting the puck out of the ring quickly. It’s going to be a dynamite game. I’m not going to enjoy it, because I don’t enjoy when my teams play, but everyone watching on TV is.”

BURKE ON TEAM USA: “In the preliminary round, even though we went 3-0, I thought we played with ten guys carrying the team and Ryan Miller.  I blasted the team after the first three games and said that we need all hands on deck and we’ve gotten that in the two games since then. All the players have chipped in and we played our best hockey the last game and I think you’ll see our best tomorrow.”BURKE ON CHOOSING RYAN MILLER TO START IN GOAL: “That’s the only decision that we didn’t have fist-fight over. Putting the team together was a natural. We have a young team. He’s calm, and he’s mechanical and methodical and economical. That translates to our young players well, so that was an easy one.” 

BURKE ON HIS SONS DEATH IN A CAR ACCIDENT DAYS BEFORE THE OPENING CEREMONY: “It’s been difficult. It’s really been helpful to have this tournament so there’s a reason to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving on. You try to cry a little bit less everyday. My wife’s been great, my kids have been great, my siblings have been great and that’s helped. I think really, just keep putting one foot in front of the other and try to cry a little bit less everyday.” 

MILBURY ON THE CANADA-USA RIVALRY: “It’s like getting even with your big brother. There’s a feeling of entitlement when it comes to the Canadians and hockey. They are a little bit nervous about the Americans, because the little guy came to play.” MILBURY ON USA’S GOALTENDER RYAN MILLER: “Miller’s been completely composed. He had 42 saves against the Canadians the last time out. If he’s not standing on top of his head then they don’t win that hockey game.”

ROBERTS ON HOCKEY IN CANADA: “You know the old axiom. There are two things that matter in Texas, right? There’s football and there’s spring football. That’s the kind of the way it is in Canada with hockey. Tomorrow they’ll get a shot at what they feel is the single most important prize of these Games.”

COLLINSWORTH ON CANADA’S HOSPITALITY: “It’s like they’re hosting you in their house.”

“We’re all very lucky to have the Canadians around. They’ve been a great host.”

WOMEN’S SPEED SKATING PURSUIT GOLD MEDAL FINALDan Hicks (Play-By-Play), Dan Jansen (Analyst), Andrea Kremer (Reporter)Gold: GermanySilver: JapanBronze: Poland

HICKS ON THE SPEED SKATING PURSUIT: “It just takes one skater to lag behind and it all comes tumbling down.”

JANSEN ON GERMANY ADVANCING TO THE GOLD MEDAL FINAL: “They are able to survive as Friesinger slides across!”HICKS ON GERMANY’S ANNA FRIESINGER: “Friesinger falling, actually swimming across the ice!

“Just when you think you have seen it all, we see something else.”

“What a way to go out for Anni Friesinger’s storied Olympic career.”

JANSEN ON POLAND WINNING BRONZE: “Very surprising bronze medal for the Polish team, but well earned.”WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY 30KM MASS START GOLD MEDAL FINALAl Trautwig (Play-By-Play), Chad Salmela (Analyst)Gold: Justyna Kowalczyk, PolandSilver: Marit Bjoergen, NorwayBronze: Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Finland

TRAUTWIG ON NORWAY’S MARIT BJOERGEN: “We may have already had a coronation. Marit Bjoergen has three goals and a bronze. Today she goes to make it four.”

“Bjoergen is on her way to setting a mark that Norwegians and all female cross-country skiers will chase for quite some time.”

TRAUTWIG ON POLAND’S JUSTYNA KOWLCZYK: “She’s reminding everyone why she’s wearing number one.”

“Kowalczyk is going to blaze a trail for Polish gold. That’s as good as it gets.”

“Kowalczyk is going to leave here with the perfect set of souvenirs. A bronze, a silver, and a gold.”TRAUTWIG ON BJOERGEN VS. KOWLCZYK: “We’ve got the best female cross-country skier on the planet during this Olympics, versus the best female cross-country skier on the planet coming into the Winter Olympics.”MEN’S SNOWBOARD PARALLEL GIANT SLALOM COMPETITION:Pat Parnell (Play-By-Play), Todd Richards (Analyst), Tina Dixon (Reporter)

RICHARDS ON THE COMPETITION: “These guys are simply carving to the max here.”

“Smooth and confident is going to be the name of the game today.”

PARNELL ON THE CROWD: “A huge American fan base. Family and friends in the crowd, definitely keeping spirits high.”

RICHARDS ON THE TRACK CONDITIONS: “Picture these racers, they’re like cars. It’s like an Indy Car race. They want to have a smooth surface, not a dirt road.”

PARNELL ON USA’S CHRIS KLUG FANS IN THE RAIN:“Soggy foam fingers, they approve!”

USA NETWORK

MEN’S CURLING BRONZE MEDAL GAME: SWITZERLAND VS. SWEDENFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Don Duguid (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)Switzerland: 5 Sweden: 4

JONES: “What I am marveled at though was the composure of Switzerland. When Sweden was throwing all of those incredible shots at them, they never got flustered, they stayed within themselves and just kept making shot after shot.”CATALON ON TEAM SWEDEN: “The Swedish played their hearts out, the team of 24-year-olds. You can expect to see them again.”   DUGUID ON TEAM SWEDEN: “For a young team to be that high up in the percentages is remarkable. Absolutely remarkable.”

And to the primetime quotage which included the men’s hockey bronze medal game which turned out to be an exciting affair and the very last curling match of the Olympics. I never thought I would say this, but I’ll miss curling. I really picked up a lot of the nuances this year.

USA RIDES NIGHT TRAIN TO FIRST BOBSLED GOLD IN 62 YEARS; CANADA WINS MEN’S CURLING GOLD; US MEN EARN SILVER IN TEAM PURSUIT

“They were superior the whole way.” – NBC’s John Morgan on USA-1

“Nothing was going to keep Chad Hedrick out of this gold medal final.” – NBC’s Dan Jansen

VANCOUVER - Feb. 27, 2010 - For the first time in 62 years, the United States won a gold medal in bobsled, when Steve Holcomb piloted USA-1 - a.k.a. ‘Night Train’ - to victory in four-man on the penultimate night of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. The last bobsled gold medal for the US was piloted by Francis Tyler in 1948 in St. Moritz.

The US earned silver in men’s speed skating team pursuit, narrowly losing gold to Canada. For US speed skater Chad Hendrick, it was his fifth career Olympic medal. The women’s team finished fourth. It was a strong day all around for the host nation. In men’s curling on CNBC, Canada, described by curling host Fred Roggin as ‘curling crazed,’ defeated Norway, 6-3. The host nation also captured gold in men’s parallel giant slalom when Canada’s Jasey Jay Anderson won the event.

Heading into the final day of competition, Canada leads the gold medal count with 13, Germany is second with 10 and the US is third with nine. The US leads the total medal count with 36 and is guaranteed one more medal with the men’s hockey team playing Canada in the gold medal game on Sunday. With at least 37 medals, the US will break the record for most medals at a Winter Olympics set by Germany with 36 in 2002 in Salt Lake.

Figure skating presented its exhibition gala, which included gold medalists Kim Yu-Na and Evan Lysacek. On MSNBC, Finland defeated Slovakia, 5-3, with a four-goal third period to win the bronze medal in men’s hockey.Lindsey Vonn joined primetime host Bob Costas in studio to discuss her Olympic experience. 

Vonn: “It’s been definitely an interesting and wild ride for me. Despite everything that’s happened, I’m so thrilled with everything I’ve been able to accomplish in these games. It’s been a lot to take in. But I can finally breathe and I feel a lot more relaxed now.”

Vonn on her injury: “When I first got on snow, it was really painful. Because of all the weather delays, that helped enormously. I got four or five extra days that I wouldn’t normally have to heal. That, I think, was the time I needed to be able to compete at the level that I wanted to. It was definitely a struggle day-to-day but it got better progressively throughout the Games.”

Vonn on her gold medal race: “I was so nervous but so determined at the same time. I knew exactly what I had to do. Some of the other girls had really good runs and I wanted to go down and give it my all. I don’t think anyone felt or looked perfect but this course was technically challenging.”

Vonn on her celebration after her gold medal race: “I just collapsed, I was so happy. I knew that if I came to the finish and I was in the lead, that position would stay. Like you said, I had a big exhale and I collapsed. I was just so happy.”

Vonn on her bronze medal race: “I gave it everything I had. I know I was prepared for that race and I was really happy with my bronze medal.”

Vonn on whether or not she plans to compete in Sochi: “Oh yeah. I definitely still love what I do. I’m so happy and I don’t want to be anywhere else.”Costas then surprised Vonn with the news that she had been cast as a jury foreman on her favorite show Law and Order. The two ran her lines together for practice. 

Costas to Vonn: Ok, last thing. I hear you’re obsessed with Law and Order. Even to the point where you said you’d do anything to be in the show. You’d be a corpse, a stiff?”Vonn: “I would, totally. I would totally do it.”

Costas: “Before you came in here, we spoke to Dick Wolf, the executive producer. He has cast you.”Vonn: “No way.”

Costas: “Yes, I’ve got your lines and we’re going to run your lines right now. Can you play a jury foreman?”

Vonn: “Oh, I could.”

Costas: “I’m going to ask if you’ve reached a verdict and your line is ‘We have, your honor.’ And then, ‘we find the defendant guilty.’ Has the jury reached a verdict?”

Vonn: “We have, your honor. We find the defendant guilty.”

Costas: “First take - Emmy nominated. Thanks, Lindsey.” BOBSLED:Play-by-Play: Bob PapaAnalyst: John MorganReporter: Lewis Johnson

Holcomb after their third run: “We just have to put one more together. Another great push, another decent drive and we’ll be on top.” Morgan on Germany’s Andre Lange: “I don’t think he has confidence in his sled or his equipment.”

Morgan after Lange’s final run: “The last run of a legend.”

Papa before Holcomb’s last run: “Steve Holcomb is about 51 seconds away from erasing 62 years of frustration for USA bobsledding.”

Papa as Holcomb crossed the finish line on his final run: “Steve Holcomb has raced for gold.”

Papa: “And let the record show, after 62 years, it’s Holcomb, Olsen, Mesler and Tomasevicz that are golden for USA bobsled.” 

Morgan: “They were superior the whole way.”

Holcomb after the race: “It’s just huge. We’ve been working so hard for this. It’s been four years, a tough four years, but we came together today as a team and worked hard. It’s huge and it’s really going to take our country and our program to the next level. It just means so much to all of us. We’ve all been working hard so it’s awesome.

“Back then I definitely didn’t expect this. I pretty much was retired and had come to terms with that. But this just shows you that you never give up and keep going and keep fighting.”Costas on the team doing the “Holcy” dance after their win: “Lewis Johnson doing his best to disguise his abject horror as he gets a look at the ‘Holcy’ firsthand.”SPEED SKATING:Play-by-Play: Dan HicksAnalyst: Dan JansenReporter: Andrea Kremer

Jansen on Hendrick, who skated injured Saturday: “Nothing was going to keep Chad Hedrick out of this gold medal final.”

Hicks on the team pursuit being unpredictable: “Things can fall apart quickly in the team pursuit.”

Jansen on the closeness of the race: “On paper, this doesn’t get much closer.”

Hicks on Canada’s close win: “Just by two tenths. That close.”SNOWBOARDING:Play-by-Play: Pat ParnellAnalyst: Todd RichardsReporter: Tina Dixon

Pat Parnell on Russia’s Stanislov Detkov jumping the gate prematurely to be knocked out of bronze medal contention: “That is disastrous.”

Parnell on France’s Mathieu Bozzetto, who goes on to win silver: “The culmination of perseverance.”

Parnell on Canada’s Jasey Jay Anderson, who won gold: “Jasey Jay Anderson, at 34, he’s at his finest.”

“For the fourth time on Cypress Mountain, Canada grabs gold.”

“You could not pick a better day to retire.”ALPINE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Tim RyanAnalysts: Todd BrookerReporter: Steve Porino

Brooker on silver medalist Ivica Kostelic from Croatia: “Kostelic is skiing out of his head but not out of control.”

Brooker on Italy’s Giuliano Razzoli: “They call him a rocket for good reason.”

Brooker on Kostelic: “His experience is second to none.”

Brooker on Razzoli: “I can’t believe he’s only 25. He’s skiing with so much maturity.”

Brooker on Alberto Tomba’s reaction to Rozzoli winning gold: “That brings a tear to my eye, seeing a guy like Tomba cry over this.” Rozzoli on winning gold: “This is unbelievable. It was my dream and now it comes true -a gold medal.”

Rozzoli on his idol, Tomba: “Alberto is my friend. It is impossible to be like Alberto Tomba.”

Brooker on Bode Miller skiing off the course: “Less than seven seconds into the course and Bode Miller is already standing there wondering what might have been.”

Miller on if he’s happy with his Olympics: “Yeah, 100%. I couldn’t be happier. Like I said, it looks all good when you’re three for three. It looks like, this dude’s really good. He’s got it all in hand.’ But the risk I was taking to get those three medals, the risk I was taking to ski that way, it’s maximum risk. If you want to ski that way, and you know you’re going to do it, you’re going to have to accept these results. The GS and the slalom, it does happen. You can do everything right and still be out.”

Miller on being able to enjoy skiing: “That was the real exciting conclusion to the season for me. You do all the grind work coming up to it, and then you really don’t know if any of that stuff is going to come together. Like I said, results are results but to really have that kind of intensity and be able to push it when you get here is a whole other story. I was super psyched to be able to do that and to get the results was even better. It was a real perfect ending for me.”FIGURE SKATING:Play-by-Play: Tom HammondAnalysts: Scott Hamilton, Sandra Bezic and Tracy Wilson Reporter: Andrea Joyce

Hamilton on Joannie Rochette: “Only the truly great skaters have something to say in the exhibition and she just spoke to all of us.”

Hammond on Evgeni Plushenko’s song choice, “Je suis malade”, which translates to ‘I am sick.’: “Do you think he’s trying to send a message?”

Hammond on Kim Yu-Na:  “Two of the best performances anybody had ever seen - short program and free skate, here in Vancouver.”

Hamilton on Kim Yu-Na’s exhibition performance: “This should make it number three.”

Hamilton on Lysacek’s gold medal: “He earned it the best way possible. He worked harder than anybody else.”

Bezic on Virtue and Moir’s 13-year skating career together: “Theirs seems like a fairytale story doesn’t it?”CNBC, Men’s Curling Gold Medal Game:Canada 6 vs. Norway 3Fred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-By-Play), Don Duguid (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)

Roggin: “Imagine waiting eight years for one moment. The chance for a do-over. Another shot at the one that got away. Kevin Martin had that chance today and made the most of it. Haunted by memories of a miss in Salt Lake, Martin and his team brought curling crazy Canada to their feet. A day of redemption for Kevin Martin and a gold medal for Canada.”

Catalon: “Let the party begin. Canada wins gold.”

“Standing ovation inside of the Vancouver Olympic Centre.”

“The Canadians prevail in front of their home fans.”

Jones on Canada: “You can only imagine for the four athletes on the ice what that moment feels like to have worked so hard the last four years of preparing for the Olympic trials and then to get here in Vancouver. It’s icing on the cake. It was such an incredible moment to witness.”

“The joy you could see on all of their faces, especially for Kevin Martin, was just inspiring.”

“They were on fire.”

Jones: “The crowd. The energy. To complete it, it’s amazing.”

Duguid: “This place is electric.”

Canada’s Kevin Martin on winning the gold medal: “Winning at home in curling is awesome.”

“It will be pretty nice tonight when it all sinks in.”

Jones on Canada’s Martin: “Under this pressure and in this arena and on home ice to win; that’s a thrill for him!”Roggin on Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud: “This by far is the biggest stage he has been on in curling.”

Duguid on Norway: “This team has consistently gotten better with every game.”

Jones: “There’s nothing like the pressure of an Olympics. I’ll tell you, it does funny things.”

Catalon: “Nergaard is the only member of this Norwegian team who has Olympic experience prior to these Games in Vancouver, and he won a gold in 2002 as Norway’s alternate so if he wins today he would be the first men’s curler in Olympic history to win two gold medals.”

Jones: “It’s amazing how quickly a curling game can swing.”

Jones on Norway: “The inability to make those big shots is huge.”

Catalon on Norway’s Christoffer Svae and his team’s uniforms: “He said everyone where’s black, so he wanted to spice things up.”

“They’ve become an instant hit.”

Catalon: “The Norwegians have drawn a lot of attention because of their pants, but their play has also stood out.”MSNBC, Men’s Ice Hockey Bronze Medal Game:Finland 5 vs. Slovakia 3Bill Patrick (Host), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Kenny Albert (Play-By-Play), Joe Micheletti (Analyst)

Patrick on Finland’s comeback in the game: “The first two-goal deficit overcome in these Olympics.”

Roenick on the end of the game: “It really woke me up.”

Albert: “A four-goal, third period for the Finns.”

Micheletti on Finland: “It was a tremendous comeback.”

Albert on Finland’s Teemu Selanne: “He will go home with a third medal.”

“The all-time leading scorer in Olympic ice hockey with 37 points.”

Micheletti on Finland’s Teemu Selanne: “One of the great ambassadors of hockey throughout the world in his career. He has been one of the faces of not only hockey, but Finnish athletics.”

“We are going to miss him at the Olympics.”

Micheletti on Slovakia: “They wanted that medal so badly.”

“This is a team that showed a lot of guts and a lot of determination.”

Albert: “Slovakia, although they are hanging their heads right now, it was their best-ever finish at the Olympics in men’s ice hockey.” Micheletti on Finland and Slovakia: “Hockey is No. 1 in both countries.”

Our last Olympics quotage post should be up late Sunday night/early Monday morning.

NBC’s Olympic Quotage For Day 15

I don’t know how it’s been for you, but for me, it seems like the Winter Olympics have gone on longer than the 2008 Summer Games in Communist China. Perhaps it was the Winter and the longer hours of night or just the fact I’ve been totally focusing on these games, I don’t know, but it has felt like the 2010 Olympics have lasted for over a month. But of course, that’s not the case.

Here’s your quotage from Universal Sports yesterday.

UNIVERSAL SPORTS AT THE VANCOUVER GAMES:

NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

Friday, February 26, 2010 — On the fifteenth day of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games continues its five-hour programming block, starting at 10 a.m. ET and continuing daily until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 28. 

Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz:

News Alerts:

·       The United States currently has 32 medals.

·       For the first time since 1964, no American woman was on the podium in Ladies’ Figure Skating.

·       Norway’s Marit Boergen becomes a triple gold medal winner in Vancouver with a gold Friday in the women’s Cross Country Skiing relay.

Paul Wylie, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist (on Kim Yu-Na’s gold medal performance in the Ladies’ Figure Skating event): “Jumps that she executed on were all clean. She had a sense of mastery on the ice.”

Wylie: “The U.S. needs big ticket items in our performances: triple lutzes, triple toe loops, triple Axels (jumps) and speed. They’ve done a great job of perfected their spins, now we just need the jumps.”

Tom Steitz, former U.S. Nordic Combined Team Coach (on the success of the U.S. Nordic Combined Team): “It’s a fairy tale. It took 86 years to get one medal and we got four in a week. I don’t know what to say.”

Steitz (on future success for the U.S. Nordic Combined Team): “The payoff will be seen for generations to come. This was a breakthrough moment. No one – not even me in my most insane moments – would have thought we’d get four medals. The real payoff will be in Sochi (2014 Winter Games) and future Games.”

Picabo Street, 1998 Olympic Alpine Skiing Gold Medalist (on the women’s slalom race continuing despite the foggy conditions in Whistler): “You have to be able to see past the end of your nose The slalom is the easiest race since visibility isn’t as much as an issue, but it’s still a tough event.”

Julia Mancuso (on her interrupted Super G run and ending up 8th): “To know that you didn’t have as fair of a chance as everyone else is definitely heartbreaking. You’re disappointed because you didn’t get a fair shot.”

Mancuso (on her relationship with Lindsey Vonn): “We’ve gotten to the point where we are doing completely different things…but, as an American, of course I’m happy when she does well.  We all want to see the American flag raised.”

Features: 

Call of the Day: Guest Picabo Street correctly guessed the Norwegian TV network’s call of the Men’s Nordic Combined race yesterday on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010. Host Terry Gannon: “I guessed ‘German’ when it was Norwegian, and I guessed ‘Norwegian’ when it was Korean. I’m not even in the ballpark.”

2010 Olympic Women’s Bobsled Gold Medalists Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse, of Canada, stop by to chat with Summer Sanders, Universal Sports’ Whistler sideline reporter, and to show off their medals.  Later, Summer immerses herself into the world of crazy fans around Vancouver, trying to be the ultimate cheerleader for various countries.

NBC Today Show Weekend Anchor Lester Holt goes behind the science of ski jumping, learning how two different body positions create the ultimate take-off and jump. 

Kenan Harkin seeks out the longest line in Vancouver, meeting people who are dedicated enough to wait for more than seven hours.

MEET THE OLYMPIC PRESS:

Phil Hersh, Chicago Tribune reporter: “No one from this solar system would have beaten Kim Yu-Nu. She was out of this world. “

Hersh (on the interest from editors on Nordic combined stories): “Everyone is riveted. Might only last a few days, but it’s a big story here.”

Vicki Michaelis, USA Today reporter: There’s a good junior (Nordic) program in the U.S. This (success) is not going to end after these Games.

Jimmy Roberts, host of “Meet the Olympic Press” (on U.S. aerialist Jeret Peterson’s signature move “The Hurricane”): “It’s one of the most impressive things here (at the Games). You have no idea how high in the air it is unless you see it in person.”

Does last night’s lack of a medal for Team USA represent a failure for Ladies’ Figure Skating for the United States?

Guest Tara Lipinski, 1998 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist: “It’s a rebuilding period. Girls who are 13 and 14 need to say ‘I need to go and do that and bring home a medal.’ Plus, the scoring system is difficult.”

 

Alan Abrahamson, NBC Olympics and Universal Sports: “How did (Michelle) Kwan not inspire an entire generation of girls? It’s a mystery to me.”

Michaelis: “It’s just a down cycle combined with an incredible dominance of Asian figure skating.”

Hersh: “I think there’s a gap behind the Asian skaters.  There’s a cycle at work here, and it was the wrong cycle for the Americans.”

Lipinski (on winning gold at age 15): “A lot was put on my age, but at 15 you know everything that’s going on.”

Hersh: “We’re seeing older skaters winning as of late…Mirai (Nagasu) will be there again.”

Lipinski: “Age doesn’t matter. You need all these different components to come together, and it depends on the body type. Skaters peak at a certain time; you have to let it flow.”

Hersh: “I think if Sasha (Cohen) came back (from retirement) a year earlier, I think she would have won a medal here.”

Thumbs up/Thumbs down segment:

Michaelis: “Thumbs up to Canadian Goaltender Shannon Szabados for her incredible achievement in the Olympics.”

Hersh: “Thumbs up to Brian Orser (coach of Kim Yu-Na). It’s proof that nice guys do finish first.”

Roberts: “Thumbs up to the Canadian Olympic Team and their eight gold medals, the most ever for Canada at a Winter Games.”

…and the gold medal for the day goes to Phil Hersh.

VANCOUVER REVIEW/PREVIEW:

AJ Mleczko, 1998 Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medalist and 2002 Olympic Silver Medalist (on Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin) “She’s the future for Canada. She scored both goals. She made a name for herself in that (gold-medal) game.”

Cammi Granato, 1998 Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medalist (on the importance of the Olympic gold medal game): “They train so hard, so long for that one moment and then it’s over like that. You don’t get too many opportunities for women in this sport.”

Mleczko (on IOC President Jacques Rogge inferring that women’s ice hockey as an Olympic sport could be threatened by a lack of parity and the domination of Team Canada and USA): “I think it’s very unfair (as to) the timing of those comments on the day of the gold medal game.”

Jeremy Bloom, NBC Olympic Freestyle Skiing Analyst and two-time Freestyle Skiing Olympian (on the Freestyle Aerials final): “History was made (by Jeret ‘Speedy’ Peterson landing the Hurricane) and I think the sport has progressed. Five full twists, three flips — the hardest jump ever thrown in the Olympics. (Russia’s) Alexei Grishin (the gold medalist) also stepped up with a full-full-double full. No one else is doing that trick. He did that because he knew Speedy was going to throw the Hurricane.

Bloom (on Peterson risking it all): “I’m glad he threw (the Hurricane) because he landed it. To have that confidence and do that trick when he hasn’t really been landing it, he deserves a ton of credit. That’s what the Olympics is all about is putting everything on the line.”

Bloom: “There’s a reason no one’s doing it (The Hurricane). Over the next four years, you’ll see aerialists push the envelope. Maybe you’ll see four flips in Sochi (2014 Winter Games).”

John Morgan, NBC Olympic Bobsledding Analyst (on the unity of USA I): “Its a tough, tough four years as they prepare for these Games. If they do as well as they should do, it’s because they are a great (cohesive) team.” 

Morgan (on The Night Train): He explained that the USA I sled was delivered in October 2008 in Park City for testing. It was an immediate hit with Holcomb & Co. because it was much faster than previous sleds. The manufacturer asked to ship it back to Connecticut for a full paint job as it was only coated in primer for testing. “They said, ‘No, we want it now!’ It’s so fast.”

Morgan (on USA I’s outlook for a medal): “If they don’t get on the podium it will be a huge disappointment.” 

Morgan also rates Germany and Russia as medal favorites.

Figure Skating Review/Preview:

In Ladies’ Figure Skating, South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na won the gold medal; Japan’s Mao Asada won the silver; Canada’s Joannie Rochette won bronze; and American Mirai Nagasu finished in fourth place.

On the Ladies’ Free Skate Final:

Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist: “From No. 1 to 8, to see that many clean programs, very few mistakes, shows the depth of women’s figure skating right now.”

Peter Carruthers, 1984 Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Silver Medalist: “It was amazing from a human drama standpoint. It was spectacular to see.”

Sandra Bezic, NBC Figure Skating Analyst (on Rachael Flatt’s performance and scoring): “The judges were really hard on her. She was downgraded on two triple flips. If you can land a double toe after landing a triple flip you should not be downgraded.”

Bezic (on Nagasu’s growing stature in the sport): “The best spinner in the world, absolutely. She has an incredible future because she is good at everything.”

Yamaguchi (on Mao Asada of Japan, silver medalist and the first woman in Olympic history to land two triple Axel jumps in the same performance): “There is a quality about her skating that I love. The lightness, lyrical-ness. I felt like it (still) needs to be tapped.” 

On Olympic gold medalist Kim Yu-Na of South Korea:

Carruthers: “People don’t understand how hard it is to skate that fast and do jumps in a fearless way.”

Bezic: “Details. Subtleties. And flirtation. All (three) on top of the technique.”

Bezic: “She’s unique. She has brought something fresh to skating with her own interpretation, her shyness and, yet, fire. She’s still has just scrapped the surface as wonderful as she is. It would be wonderful if she can continue this and became the face of skating for the next 10 years.”

Guest Johnny Weir, former U.S. champion, 6th overall in Vancouver (on his time in Vancouver): “It’s been a beautiful experience.”

Weir (on his attitude toward the competition): “Coming in I knew politically I did not have as much support as the other two (U.S. men). I am very realistic. I knew coming in (a top finish) was something that was not expected of me.”

Weir (on the future): “I do want to continue skating. I am going to the World Championships (in March in Torino), and then I want to go on a vacation. I want to go to Mongolia and ride a yak!”

Nick Verreos, fashion designer and a former contestant on Bravo’s Project Runway (on the costume choice of Joannie Rochette): “I loved, loved, loved this costume. The beading was gorgeous. I wonder if she knew she would be matching the (rink) boards. And I am sort of old school. I loved the white skates.”

Dick Button, 1948 & 1952 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist (on the peril of comparing skaters among different generations): “No great skater is ever like any other great skater.”

On The Button (questions posed to Dick Button from the audience):

Q: Does the lack of judging controversy in figure skating at the Vancouver Games suggest the system is a success?

A: “Of course there were no controversies here. It’s not only that the judges are anonymous. You don’t know bubkas about what’s going on here (with scoring decisions). That’s the problem with it… That’s why there are no controversies, because nobody knows who is doing what to whom.”

FUN FACTS AND QUOTES OF THE DAY:

**1984 U.S. Olympians Scott Hamilton and Peter Carruthers took their skating and choreography skills to a coin laundry, where they “performed” a pairs routine committed to style, grace and clean clothing. But, in the end, one of the three judges was not impressed and awarded them a 3.2 (out of 6). 

Hamilton: “It’s always the Russian judge!”**

Peter Carruthers and Kristi Yamaguchi also entertained everyone on the show by sporting some of their favorite costumes from their days as competitors.

SCHEDULE FOR UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK – SATURDAY, FEB. 27, 2010:

11:30 AM – 12 PM                   Behind the Games

12 – 12:30 PM                          Meet The Olympic Press

1: 30 – 2 PM                               Vancouver Review/Preview

2 – 3 PM                                    Figure Skating Review/Preview

Now your quotage from yesterday’s USA-Finland men’s hockey semifinal game and coverage of other sports.

DAY 15 DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS OF NBC WINTER OLYMPICS COVERAGE

“This is the equivalent of a football team leading another team 42-0 midway through the second quarter.”- NBC’s Al Michaels on the first period Team USA lead over Finland

VANCOUVER - February 26, 2010 - Daytime coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games continued today on NBC with live coverage of the men’s hockey semifinal game between Team USA and Finland. Team USA defeated Finland, 6-1, and will face the winner of Canada vs. Slovakia in the gold medal game. Also airing on USA Network, live coverage of the women’s curling bronze medal match between China and Switzerland and live on MSNBC speed skating pursuit men’s semifinals and women’s quarterfinals. 

Al Michaels hosted the daytime show live from Canada Hockey Place. Joining Michaels for analysis were Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick. Mike “Doc” Emrick provided play-by-play, Eddie Olczyk provided game analysis and Pierre McGuire reported from “Inside the Glass.” Below are highlights from the game.

Michaels also sat down with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman during the second intermission to talk about the NHL and its participation in the Olympics.

NBCHIGHLIGHTS OF MICHAELS AND BETTMAN INTERVIEWBETTMAN ON NHL PLAYERS IN THE OLYMPICS: “We worry about the disruption in our season by being here for two weeks and shutting down, but what you’re seeing is really NHL hockey.  This is a playoff atmosphere, this is an NHL arena, NHL ice, NHL rules, NHL officials, and NHL players so I’m very pleased with what we’re seeing out there.” BETTMAN ON NHL PLAYERS IN SOCHI 2016: “It’s an open question. I know the media is making a big deal over the fact that we haven’t made a decision yet. It’s great to be here and these Olympic Games have been fabulous. The hockey has been great. That doesn’t take into account that there are count-availing issues that we’re going to have to deal with in deciding what makes sense going forward. You talk about Nagano in 1998, Czech played Russia for the gold medal game, and we didn’t get much of an impact being halfway around the world. What’s interesting to me is, we haven’t said no.” “We have to sit with our Player’s Association. It’s a joint decision. We’ll meet with the IIHF and the IOC, to make sure that on things that we’ve learned about participating in these Games over the last four Olympics, three and this one, whether or not we can do things better. Then  it’ll be a balancing act, and it’s something ultimately that the clubs will decide, not me.”

FIRST PERIODEMRICK: “It’s now the semifinal. Excitement across the country gets higher. The competition from the opponent gets stiffer.”

OLCZYK ON USA’S PATRICK KANE: “He has the ability to be a difference maker. I think the pace of this game hits Patrick Kane right between the eyes.”

OLCZYK ON USA’S ERIK JOHNSON: “Erik Johnson has really been a pillar of strength for Ron Wilson and Team USA.”

MCGUIRE ON SWEDEN’S GOALTENDER MIKKA KIPRUSOFF: “This is a monumental meltdown by Mikka Kiprusoff.”

OLCZYK AFTER USA’S SIXTH GOAL: “Six goals and we’re not even fifteen minutes into the first period.”

MICHAELS ON TEAM USA’S PERFORMANCE: “This is the equivalent of a football team leading another team 42-0 midway through the second quarter.”

SECOND PERIODMCGUIRE: “Fearless shot blocking by all American players in this tournament.”

OLCZYK ON TEAM USA’S GOALTENDER RYAN MILLER: “He’s probably the most consistent American player in this Olympics.”

MCGUIRE ON TEAM USA AFTER SIX GOALS: “The team’s still paying attention to little details."

EMRICK ON TEAM USA: “It is still two perfect periods for Ryan Miller and Team USA defensively."

THIRD PERIOD EMRICK ON SLOVAKIA TAKING ON CANADA: “Never underestimate a Cinderella team that doesn’t know any better than to just keep going like Slovakia has been.”

EMRICK ON FINLAND’S ONLY GOAL: “Antti Miettinen has scored a scorcher.”

EMRICK ON TEAM USA’S WIN: “There was no anesthetic, this was surgical this afternoon.”

ROENICK ON THE U.S.-CANADA RIVALRY: “There’s no bigger rival for the United States in international hockey than Canada.”

ROENICK ON THE GOLD MEDAL GAME: “Everybody should show up to watch this game on Sunday.”

USA NETWORKWOMEN’S CURLING BRONZE MEDAL GAME: CHINA VS. SWITZERLANDFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-Play), Don Duguid (Analyst), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)China: 12 Switzerland: 6 JONES ON CURLING: “Curling is a fickle game.  A lot like how you see different winners on a PGA golf tour. Curling is the same thing.  Some weeks are absolute magic and some days drive you crazy.”

“In curling, the bronze medal game is the hardest one to get psyched up for.”

JONES ON TEAM CHINA “The rise of this team has been nothing short of phenomenal.” “It’s an incredible success story how far they’ve come.” “When they’re on, they’re on.”

JONES ON SWITZERLAND’S MIRJAM OTT: “I’m sure she didn’t sleep much last night and she’s tortured today over the coulda’s, shoulda’s, woulda’s of yesterday’s game. This is a tough game for her to play.”

MSNBCSPEED SKATINGDan Hicks (Play-By-Play), Dan Jansen (Analyst), Andrea Kremer (Reporter)MEN’S TEAM PURSUIT SEMIFINALSCANADA VS. NORWAYAdvances to Gold Medal Round: CanadaHICKS: “Canada with another Olympic record!”USA VS. NETHERLANDSAdvances to Gold Medal Round: USA

JANSEN: “Really smart skate by the Americans.”

HICKS ON TEAM USA: “For the second straight time, they have knocked off the clear favorites!”

JANSEN ON TEAM USA ADVANCING: “Is it going to be gold? Is it going to be silver?”

HICKS: “What a day for the Americans for the team pursuit. Both the men and women take out the gold medal favorites.”

HICKS: “Unbelievable skate by the Americans.”

HICKS ON TEAM PURSUIT: “For the second straight Olympics, these team pursuit events have proved to be very entertaining. You turn some skaters who haven’t had great success during the regular course of the individuals events of the Games, but put them in the team atmosphere and it’s been fun to watch.”

USA’S CHAD HEDRICK: “Man, it really came through and we had chance to defeat the monster with Sven Kramer today and we did it. And we are just ecstatic!”WOMEN’S SPEED SKATING QUARTERFINALS

JAPAN VS. KOREAAdvances to semifinal: JapanRUSSIA VS. POLANDAdvances to semifinal: Poland

HICKS: “You have to stay together in the team pursuit and that was just proven by Russia, who fails to advance.”GERMANY VS. NETHERLANDSAdvances to semifinal: Germany

JANSEN ON GERMANY AND THE NETHERLANDS:  “Possibly the top two teams in the world here paired against one another in the quarterfinals.”

USA VS. CANADAAdvances to semifinal: USAHICKS: “The United States by four one hundredths of a second, upsets Canada.”

JANSEN ON TEAM USA: “They skated a perfect race.”HICKS: “The gold medal favorites from Canada shocked by the American women.”

Now to your primetime quotage.

APOLO OHNO ANCHORS SHORT TRACK RELAY TEAM TO BRONZE; KATHERINE REUTTER OF US WINS SILVER; CANADA TO MEET USA IN MEN’S HOCKEY GOLD MEDAL GAME

“Apolo Ohno living up to his billing as the best closer in the relay.” – NBC’s Ted Robinson

“It’s going to be emotional. It’s going to be intense.” – Canada’s Sidney Crosby on the gold medal hockey game against the US on Sunday

VANCOUVER - Feb. 26, 2010 - Apolo Ohno, already the most decorated US Winter Olympian ever, added to his medal haul by anchoring the US team that took bronze in the men’s 5000 meter short track relay on the 15th day of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. Canada and South Korea won gold and silver, respectively. 

Ohno also made the final of the men’s 500 meters but was disqualified and did not medal. He won three total medals in Vancouver (silver and two bronze), giving him a career tally of eight, which is the most ever for a US Winter Olympian.

Primetime host Bob Costas hosted Jimmy Fallon in studio. Fallon, the host of NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, wrote thank you notes to the Olympics while Costas ‘played’ background music on a keyboard.Costas: “The lame shall walk and the blind shall see in the presence of Jimmy Fallon.” Fallon to Costas, as he “played” the keyboard: “Did you take lessons?”Costas: “No, I was a child prodigy.” Fallon: “Thank you, speed skaters, for simulating what it would look like if a handcuffed guy tried getting away on roller blades.” “Thank you, Bob Costas and Cris Collinsworth, for having an endless supply of dapper tweeds and pocket squares. If sharp dressing were an Olympic event, you'd wipe the floor with Dick Button.”

Also in short track, Katherine Reutter of the US won silver in the women’s 1000 meters behind gold medalist Meng Wang of China.

With tonight’s medals, the US has won 34 in Vancouver, tying the US record set at the 2002 Salt Lake Games for most medals won at a Winter Olympics. The US is assured of setting a new record by virtue of the men’s hockey team participating in the gold medal game on Sunday and the men’s speed skating team competing in the team pursuit gold medal final tomorrow. The record for most medals won by a nation in a single Olympic Winter Games is 36, set by Germany at Salt Lake in 2002.

On CNBC, Canada held off a late rally to beat Slovakia, 3-2, in men’s hockey and earn the right to face the US in the gold medal game on Sunday on home soil. In addition, Sweden defeated host nation Canada, 7-6, to win gold in women’s curling.In studio, Costas interviewed Canadian ladies figure skater Joannie Rochette, who won bronze despite the passing of her mother just days before the competition: Costas: “How did you decide that you would go ahead [and skate].” Rochette: “When I first heard the news at 6 am, I told my federation right away that I would skate. I had to skate. The only thing I knew I could do at that moment to feel alive was to get on the ice. There were lots of ups and downs. There were some moments when I just wanted to go home and see my family and be with my friends. I didn’t feel like skating but I knew I wanted to do this so 10 years from now I’d have no regrets. And that’s what my mom would’ve wanted me to do.” Costas: “Everyone speculated, it’s only natural, what must she be feeling? But I heard you say afterwards that you had to put those feelings aside and ‘I had to become cold,’ using your words, and ‘become Joannie, the athlete, and not the person.’” Rochette: “That’s right. It was very tough for me in the short program to do that. I was very emotional right when I stepped on the ice. The crowd was so warm, they were so nice cheering me on. I got so many messages from around the world, not only in Canada. Those messages really touched me and really gave me the strength to carry on and compete anyways. But it was hard to stay in my bubble and listen to my music because my head was in a million places but not on the ice. I don’t know how I managed to skate a good short program like I did. But after the short program, I just told myself, if you’re going to keep competing, I want to do it fully. That’s what my mom always taught me. Whenever you do something in life, whatever it is, you do it until the end and give it your best shot.”

Costas: “Once you had performed so well and you won the bronze medal, you were standing there on the podium. And I read afterwards that you said, ‘I imagined myself as a five-year-old girl because I had imagined this moment, holding an Olympic medal, since I was five years old.’” Rochette: “Yes, I imagined this moment for so long. I didn’t imagine those kind of tears of course. I was very sad that there was one person in the stands that wasn’t there to applaud me. But my family was there and my father was there. And for them, I wanted to be there and it was very tough. And I wanted to be strong for my father and just make him stronger at the same time.” Costas: “Congratulations on your performance and, again, our condolences on your loss.”SHORT TRACK:Play-by-Play: Ted RobinsonAnalyst: Andy GabelReporters: Andrea Joyce, Cris Collinsworth

Ohno on the 500 meters: “When you have five guys behind you, essentially trying to eat you and spit you out, it can be real intimidating.” Collinsworth on the 500: “It’s well established that short track is a crazy sport. And the craziest event within this crazy sport is the 500 meters. So, for Apolo Ohno to repeat his gold medal winning ways, he’s going to have to be good. He’s going to have to be lucky. And he just might have to be perfect.” Gabel on Ohno: “Every time he steps on the ice, he knows exactly what he’s doing.”  Gabel on Ohno hurdling skaters: “I didn’t know Apolo Ohno was also a gymnast but he showed he might be right there.”  Gabel on Ohno being disqualified in the final: “A tough call for Apolo Anton Ohno.” Robinson on Canada’s Charles Hamelin: “Hamelin, a magnificent effort to stay on his feet and win a much-desired gold medal for Canada.” Ohno to Collinsworth on his 500m race: “That was three of the fastest guys off the line I’ve ever skated against. In the 500, you have to be up towards the front if you’re going to make any moves. The race was fast enough to where there was no space to move up. So I was just kind of waiting, waiting, waiting. There was just no space. Going on the last corner, I was coming up on the Canadian guy, and he slipped and then the Korean slipped. I don’t know why they called me for the disqualification. I was in fourth the whole race. Either way, I’m happy with the way I skated. I came here with no regrets in my mind and I’m leaving with no regrets. We still have the relay and I really want to go out there and make sure our guys get a medal.” Ohno on if he felt the disqualification was unfair: “I do. My hand is up to basically protect myself from running up the back of him. So it’s more of a cushion, I’m not trying to push anyone down or anything. But that was the head Canadian ref out there and we’re on Canadian soil. But the boys skated very, very well and it was a good race.” Ohno on if the Canadian ref favored the Canadians with his call: “I think so, absolutely. But in short track, everything is so subjective so I just have to be faster.”

Costas: “That is the nature of short track -- part race, part demolition derby.”

Gabel on Ohno: “One of the best, if not the best, closers in history in the relay.” Robinson on the final lap: “This is what the relay is about - a sprint to the finish.” Gabel: “What an exciting race from start to finish.” Gabel on Ohno anchoring the relay: “Apolo Anton Ohno was doing exactly what he normally does at the end of a race - skating incredibly.” Robinson on Ohno: “Apolo Ohno living up to his billing as the best closer in the relay.” Costas, to Ted Robinson, on short track: “That sport, that you call so well, is simply insane.”

Robinson on USA’s Katherine Reutter making a pass in the quarterfinal: “That got everybody’s attention.” Robinson on Reutter winning silver: “Katherine Reutter will be the building block, a fulcrum of what will be an overhaul of the women’s program.”BOBSLED:Play-by-Play: Bob PapaAnalyst: John MorganReporter: Lewis JohnsonPapa on Germany’s Andre Lange: “What a legacy this man has had.” Morgan on Lange: “Greatest of all time in the history of this sport.” Holcomb on their first run: “Everything here starts at the top at the start. The start was huge. We had a great push. We may not have the fastest time right now but we had the fastest push down the hill and we accelerated faster than anybody. That’s what the key is right there so it was huge for that push. The 50-50 [turn], I had a little bit of a mistake but I made up for it and I kept the sled flying like it does.” Holcomb after his second run: “We’re here to play. If you want to play around, let’s bring it. It’s just the first day. We won today and we have to come out tomorrow and do just what we did today and race. We have two more heats and we’re right where we want to be.”ALPINE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Tim RyanAnalysts: Christin CooperReporter: Steve PorinoCooper on Germany’s Maria Riesch: “She’s like a slinky just keeping the skis absolutely glued to the snow on top.” Cooper on Austria’s Marlies Schild: “She is back and big time.” Cooper on Lindsey Vonn: “Lindsey Vonn has overcome so much adversity, two medals nonetheless in these Games, but here’s a woman who thrives on routine. She likes things orderly and predictable. But this season has been largely about managing chaos.” Ryan on Vonn: “Who knows which of her many hurts has taken their toll on her today.” Vonn on her skiing in the Olympics: “I’m definitely really happy with everything I’ve done here. I got the gold medal that I came here for. I got a bronze medal in the Super G. I know I could’ve done better in some of the disciplines. The super combined, I was poised to win another medal, but I wanted the gold and I maybe risked a little too much. In the GS, I was definitely an underdog but I went after it. And I was actually winning at the very last intermediate time. I’m happy with my performance despite that. That’s just my personality, I never want to give up. 

“I was contemplating stopping after my crash in the GS, after I broke my finger. That’s just not who I am. The Olympics are something special. They only come once every four years. And I just wanted to go out and try. I knew that I probably wasn’t going to win a medal but at least I gave it everything I have and see what happens.

“Unfortunately, it just didn’t go my way in the GS or the Slalom or the Combined. Like I said, I have that gold medal. Despite everyone else’s expectations, my goals were simply to win one medal and that’s what I did.” Cooper on the course: “It is rock n’ roll like a bucking bronco from top to bottom.” Cooper on the visibility: “It’s like skiing blind.” Cooper on the technique of Schild, who won silver: “It’s like her legs are at a rock concert and her upper body is at the opera.” Cooper on gold medal winner Riesch: “She was powering to that gold medal the whole way.” Riesch on her win: “It was really tough conditions but I just had a really good line.”CNBC, Women’s Curling Gold Medal Game: Sweden 7 vs. Canada 6  Fred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-By-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Don Duguid (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter) Catalon: “Sweden won in 2006. They thought about retiring. They wanted to come back for one more chance to win another Olympic gold medal. The patience, the decision, it paid off.” “Back to back gold medals for Sweden!” Catalon: “Cheryl Bernard had one shot for the win. It came, oh, so close!” Roggin: “It is indeed a sport of inches.” Catalon: “Cheryl Bernard has compared the atmosphere in here to a Stanley Cup final, and the fans have been treating this like a hockey game.” Catalon: “This Swedish team does not look intimidated one bit by the pressure of a gold medal game.” “The composure they are playing with right now is very impressive.” Jones on Sweden: “They can read each other’s thoughts. They have been together so long. They bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience.” Roggin on Sweden’s Anette Norberg: “She has felt the pressure and lived it. She makes very few mistakes.” Jones on Norberg: “Anette’s focus is just so sharp. She is always bang on. Nothing much gets in her way.” Catalon on a close game: “Disbelief inside of this Vancouver Olympic Centre.”

Roggin on Canada’s Bernard: “She carries the hopes of a nation against defending gold medalist Anette Norberg and Sweden.” Roggin on the growing popularity of curling: “For whatever reason, curling has made an impression and no one has made a bigger impression than Cheryl Bernard of Canada.” Jones on Team Sweden: “Nobody expected much of them because they had a very average season. A lot of people thought they were past their due date and expired, like a carton of milk. But yet, they’ve come here and proved that all wrong.” Jones on Canada and Sweden: “Here they are today playing with the Canadian Prime Minister and the King of Sweden, but tomorrow they just all go back to being regular people.”CNBC, Men’s Ice Hockey Semifinal:Canada 3 vs. Slovakia 2Bill Patrick (Host), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Kenny Albert (Play-By-Play), Eddie Olczyk (Analyst), Joe Micheletti (Reporter)  Sidney Crosby on the gold medal game:  “It’s going to be emotional. It’s going to be intense.” “We are in the finals now, and we know that our biggest test is yet to come here.” Milbury on USA and Canada’s physicality: “That’s a real trademark of both of these teams going in to the finals.” Roenick on the gold medal game: “Everybody at home, watch this game Sunday!” Albert: “A collective exhale from 34 million residents of Canada.” “Canada has been waiting for the opportunity to play for the gold on their home soil, and they will have that chance on Sunday against the U.S.” “Fans continue to chant, we want USA!” Albert on the final seconds of the game: “Furious pressure by Slovakia.” Albert: “Slovakia falls just short and Canada will advance to play Team USA for the gold.” Olczyk on the gold medal: “You just start thinking about a lot of things. You think about where you came from, all the people that helped you along the way, all the coaches, all the hard drives for mom and dad, all the sacrifices.” Milbury: “I started off this tournament with some doubts about Scott Niedermayer. He hadn’t had a great season at Anaheim, but boy has he come a long way in this tournament.”

That’s all for your quotage.

NBC’s Olympic Quotage For Day 14

Just three more days for Olympic quotage. We have the stuff from NBC’s networks for the last Thursday of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

As usual, we begin with Universal Sports.

UNIVERSAL SPORTS AT THE VANCOUVER GAMES:

NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010

Thursday, February 25, 2010 — On the fifteenth day of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games continues its five-hour programming block, starting at 10 a.m. ET and continuing daily until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 28. 

Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz:

News Alerts:

·       The United States currently has 30 medals.

Erben Wennemars, 2006 Olympic Speed Skating Bronze Medalist and former teammate of Sven Kramer (the Dutch speed skater who yielded a gold medal after being disqualified for an improper lane change): “There’s only one topic in The Netherlands right now, and that’s Sven Kramer. He makes such a mistake. The guy who had to win hadn’t lost in 25 races until now.  This will not be forgotten anytime soon.”

Picabo Street, 1998 Olympic Alpine Skiing Gold Medalist (on the controversy surrounding the women’s giant slalom event) “The first run is under scrutiny. The American team wanted the entire run thrown out, but you can’t take it (the Run 1 results) away from the people that pulled it together.”

Street (on the comments between U.S. Ski Team members Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso): “We’re seeing the negative consequences of preparing as a team and winning as an individual.”

John Coyle, 1994 Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Silver Medalist (on the South Korean team being disqualified during the women’s 3,000m short track speed skating event): “I don’t know if I would have made that call (a South Korean skater clicked skates with the Chinese skater in front of her), but I’m not a referee. The Americans definitely benefited (winning bronze as a result).

Features: 

Call of the Day: A Czech Republic TV network’s call of the Women’s 5,000m speed skating race yesterday on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010, marked the third time in a row that hosts Terry Gannon, Lindsey Soto, and analyst Kenan Harkin were unable to guess the correct answer. Even guest John Coyle, an Olympic Speed Skater, didn’t identify the call.

Summer Sanders, Universal Sports’ Whistler sideline reporter, speaks with Nancy Green, a Canadian Alpine skier who was named “Canadian Female Athlete of the Year.” Green mentioned that she dreamed for “many, many years” that Whistler and Blackcomb ski resorts would one day host the Winter Olympic Games.

NBC’s Peter Alexander learns that in order to speak ‘Canadian’ English, he needs to learn to ‘correctly’ pronounce the following words: ‘house,’ ‘sorry,’ ‘out and about,’ and ‘eh?’

The Arctic Games 2 premiered with much fanfare. Kenan Harkin and Jeremy Bloom faced off once again, wearing traditional men’s figure skating costumes, and received tips from Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi. Harkin was the winner of the competition, although the credibility of the judging is under scrutiny.

MEET THE OLYMPIC PRESS:

It was the single best day at any Winter Games for Canada: four medals were earned yesterday.  

Randy Starkman, Toronto Star sports reporter: “This (men’s ice hockey) gold medal is the most important medal for Canadians. People will go to their offices a lot happier  – if they go to their offices. One guy told me he called his boss and said ‘I’m not coming in until Monday.’”

Starkman (on Clara Hughes, Canadian Olympian with medals in both cycling and speed skating)  “She won (women’s 5,000m speed skating), even though it was a bronze. She donated $25,000 to Right to Play. She’s an incredible sportswoman and this was an incredible way for her to go out.”

Amy Shipley, Washington Post reporter: “Canada ended the ‘Own the Podium’ program and it took the pressure off (these athletes). And now it’s going to feel like a grand achievement when they do win medals.”

John Powers, Boston Globe reporter: “Canada kept saying ‘wait until week 2, that’s when you’ll see the most medals.’ They could possibly finish third in the total medal count.”

Shipley (on Julie Mancuso’s re-run in the women’s giant slalom): “Everyone’s heart went out to Julia and she had to go down much, much later, and it was extremely frustrating…but this is sports. We see this all the time. She got another run, she wasn’t disqualified. Her response of ‘woe is me!’ was not a good response.”

Jimmy Roberts, host of “Meet the Olympic Press” (on Julia Mancuso’s negative comments in Sports Illustrated about teammate Lindsey Vonn): “There’s a vast difference between thinking something and saying something.”

John Powers, Boston Globe reporter: “Lindsey is the queen, but who has the whole ‘Kiss my tiara thing?’ Julia does.”

Are Olympic venues (courses and technology) pushing athletes too far?

John Morgan, NBC Olympic Sliding Sports Analyst: “They didn’t let athletes on these new courses enough.  I wish they had this ‘training’ environment one month in advance.”

Starkman: “I don’t think it’s too far. It’s the Olympics. You need to have challenging courses. You need something Olympic-worthy.”

Powers: ” ’Faster’ is the first word in the Olympic motto (‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’). We want to separate by the hundredths of a second who the best are.  But if (the sliding track) is that fast, we need more access.”

Starkman (on injecting ski courses with water): “These athletes are used to it on the World Cup. Talk about equipment and what’s it’s done to push athletes too far. Again, it’s the Olympics, it’s going to be tough—if you can’t take it, then pack your skis up and leave the start gate.”

Thumbs up/Thumbs down segment:

Amy Shipley: Thumbs up to (U.S. Short Track Speed Skater) Jordan Malone (who fell a few meters before the finish line in his event). He said  ‘I’ve been a positive person until now; I’m not going to start complaining. That’s the sport of short track’.”

…and the gold medal—despite Amy trying to bribe host Jimmy Roberts with $20—went to John Powers.  According to Roberts, “Anyone who quotes ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’ (Latin for Faster, Higher, Stronger) gets the gold medal.”

VANCOUVER REVIEW/PREVIEW:

Peter Carruthers, 1984 Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Silver Medalist (on the mission facing the top figure skaters tonight): “Forget about the podium. What they are here to do is to get through these programs and not have mistakes. The most important thing is to think, ‘Clean program.’ That is, in the end, what gets you up in the standings, not thinking about the medal.”

Carruthers: (on the popularity of ladies’ figure skating): “I think it’s because of (three-time Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist) Sonja Henie. She had a huge career as a movie star and it started a big interest in ladies’ figure skating.”

Picabo Street, 1998 Olympic Alpine Skiing Gold Medalist (on Julia Mancuso’s curtailed Giant Slalom run and second start Wednesday after the Vonn crash): “In her head, she should be thinking ‘I’ve run over the majority of the course today.’ She should be going over mistakes in her head and thinking about how to improve her line. Instead, she got emotionally involved and she was depleted when she got halfway down the run. After waiting four years to do to defend her title, which was also a little shady back in 2006 due to the weather, she was her own worst enemy in this one. “

Street: “There’s going to be a dark cloud that surrounds the Giant Slalom at the Vancouver.  The jury did the best they could do, made the decisions they could make for the safety of the racers, and this is what we ended up with.”

Street (on the effects of poor conditions and visibility): “(Adverse conditions impact) skis, wax, visibility, depth perception. That’s why they have the blue lines on the snow.”

Alan Abrahamson, NBC Olympics and Universal Sports reporter (on how the U.S. performance will change winter sports and attention in the United States): “Winter sports are never going to be football which has sucked all the air out of the room. Will their performance inspire the next generation? Yes.”

Abrahamson (on Team Canada’s Own the Podium program): “(Own the Podium) was a classic blunder.  Peter Ueberroth used to say that you under-promise, and over-deliver.  The Canadians, in a bid to build national pride, have over promised and under delivered.”

Figure Skating Review/Preview:

Heading into the Ladies’ Long Program, South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na is in first, Japan’s Mao Asada is second, Canada’s Joannie Rochette is third, with Americans Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu in fifth and sixth, respectively.

Peggy Fleming, 1968 Olympic Ladies’ Gold Medalist (on South Korean Kim Yu-Na’s ability to perform with Olympic Gold at stake): “I think she really knows how to keep her head and Brian Orser, her coach, has been in that position before, (skating) against Brian Boitano in Calgary (at the 1988 Winter Games).”

Fleming (On the challenge posed to Kim by Japan’s Mao Asada): “She’s wonderful but she’s got to give a little more energy, more extension, (and) she doesn’t have the speed Kim Yu-Na has.”

Michael Weiss, two-time Olympian, two-time World Championships bronze medalist and professional figure skater (on Kim Yu-Na’s short program effort): “Kim Yu-Na technically had more difficult jumps, she performed the program beautifully, and those points added up. She did what she did well and she gained points.”

Weiss (on Kim’s degree of difficulty): “Ask any guy, they’d much rather do a triple-triple combination (than a triple Axel-double toe). … A woman did a triple Axel-double toe (jump combination) in the short program in an Olympic Games! That should be valued higher. But where Yu-Na got (Asada) was she did everything. She had good skating skills, good choreography. The points added up.”

Fleming: “Rachael Flatt is a very solid competitor. She can put on a great performance. She’s well-trained, she knows how to focus and has fun out there.”

Fleming: “Mirai Nagasu is a joyful skater. She’s very free, there’s lots of flow. When she’s skating, she’s not thinking about her technique, she’s just doing it.”

Weiss (on debate about revising scoring value for the difficult triple Axel-double toe): “I think they will take a look at this. The triple Axel and quad toe (performed on the men’s side) are the most difficult jumps to do and should be rewarded.”

Weiss (on tonight’s Free Skate) “If history repeats itself somebody in the top three is not going to perform up to their ability, which leaves the door open. Rachael Flatt (now in fifth), as we know, is like a robot.”

Dick Button, 1948 & 1952 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist (on the future of skating): “The whole sport of figure skating should really sit down at this point and re-think itself. I have been involved with four or five re-thinkings of this sport. Three or four at any rate. One, right after the second World War when it became much more athletic than it was before that. And then in the ’60s, with the whole subject of television and the reportage of it, and the expansion of it. In the ’70s, with the professional world of it turning it into a professional sport, a professional competitive sport just as (other sports). Then, finally, I think it needs a new re-thinking but, you know something, I’m not going to be part of that. I don’t have the patience. You know why a camel looks like a camel—it was designed by a committee. (Skating) has got to be re-thought again, to retain what is wonderful about skating.”

On The Button (questions posed to Dick Button from the audience):

Q: Are the US skaters being counted out for medals tonight?

A: “I would like to know who it is that has counted them out. I would absolutely dismiss them from any conversation further. No one is counting them out.” 

Q: What’s the best performance you’ve seen in Vancouver?

A: “I’ve seen two amazing performances: Virtue/Moir and Davis/White in the ice dancing final.  Two iconic performances that rank with any I have seen over the last half century. Two different ways to approach the love story and they we absolutely gorgeous.”

Dorothy Hamill, 1976 Olympic Ladies’ Gold Medalist (on Yu-Na’s and Asada’s celebrity): “That’s insane. It’s hard to imagine how they would stay focused. But they are out there in the middle of the ice so they can stay away from it. … They hear the cameras going click-click-click-click everytime you go by. That’s got to be nerve wracking.”

Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist (on the discussion of pressure in skating): Yamaguchi revealed that in 1991, leading to the 1992 Winter Games — in which she would win the gold medal — she was disillusioned. Canadian figure skater Kurt Browning, a top skater of the era, took her aside and asked, ‘Why are you skating?’ “That simple question —’Why are you skating?’ — made me look inside.” 

Carruthers (on tonight’s ladies’ Free Skate final): “I think we are going to see the top two (Yu-Na and Asada) pressure each other into two excellent programs.”

**Without warm up, Fleming sinks one of two shots in a Nerf basketball challenge with Terry Gannon and Co.**

SCHEDULE FOR UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK – FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2010:

10 –11:30 AM                           Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz

11:30 AM – 12 PM                   Behind the Games

12 – 12:30 PM                          Meet The Olympic Press

1: 30 – 2 PM                              Vancouver Review/Preview

2 – 3 PM                                    Figure Skating Review/Preview

FUN FACTS AND QUOTES OF THE DAY:

·       Before competing, Rachael Flatt makes a habit of eating a couple of M&Ms that match the colors of her dress.

·       Randy Starkman: “Sorry, I’m going to disagree.”

Jimmy Roberts, host of “Meet the Olympic Press”: “No one agrees with anyone on this program.”

Starkman: “Sorry, I’m Canadian.”

And there’s the Daytime quotage.

DAY 14 DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS OF NBC WINTER OLYMPICS COVERAGE

“She alone is carrying the pressure of her entire nation on her shoulders.” – NBC’s Sandra Bezic on South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na

“Both of them are going to come out swinging.” – NBC’s Scott Hamilton on USA’s Rachael Flatt & Mirai Nagasu

VANCOUVER - February 25, 2010 - Daytime coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games continued today on NBC with coverage of the women’s 4x5km relay gold medal final and a figure skating preview of tonight’s ladies’ gold medal final with NBC’s Scott Hamilton, Sandra Bezic and Dick Button.

MSNBC included live coverage of the women’s ice hockey bronze medal game between Finland and Sweden. USA Network featured live coverage of the women’s curling semifinal round between Canada and Switzerland.

NBC

HAMILTON, BEZIC AND BUTTON PREVIEW TONIGHT’S LADIES’ FIGURE SKATING GOLD MEDAL FINALDAYTIME HOST AL MICHAELS: “The walking encyclopedia of figure skating, Dick Button.”BEZIC ON SOUTH KOREA’S KIM YU-NA WINNING GOLD: “She has the lead and if she skates cleanly, it will most likely be hers. For me what is most fascinating is the kind of pressure she’s under, because she alone is carrying the pressure of her entire nation on her shoulders. She lives with that everyday and trains with that everyday. I can’t imagine waking up and being her this morning, knowing what she has to do. Anything less than gold will be a failure.”

BUTTON ON KIM YU-NA: “Most of all is the fact that not only is she wonderfully athletic, but is also elegant and easy to watch. If she skates brilliantly, she’ll have the easiest route to a gold medal.”HAMILTON ON JAPAN’S MAO ASADA SKATING AFTER KIM YU-NA: “There’s a little pay back here because Kim Yu-Na had to skate after Mao Asada in the short program and Mao just threw it down. Kim gets to put the pressure on her and Mao’s going to have to hit both of her triple axels to have any chance to get enough points to compete with her technically. Artistically is where Kim Yu-Na separates herself from the field. Mao is going to have to be absolutely flawless tonight technically to have any chance to overtake her.”BUTTON: “Mao Asada is marvelous all-around skater. Her jumps are simply breathtakingly beautiful, but easy. She doesn’t quite have all of the sustaining parts through the rest of the program. Whether she does both triple axels or not is a question. If she does, the point system will be quite generous to her.”

BEZIC ON CANADA’S JOANNIE ROCHETTE AND HER MOTHER’S DEATH A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE SHORT PROGRAM: “It’s so compelling and so heart wrenching, because we all refer it to ourselves in some way and make it personal. We wonder where we would find that kind of strength within ourselves, or whether we even have that. For her to show that to us was an extraordinary gift.”HAMILTON ON ROCHETTE: “Seeing Joannie and seeing her relationship with her mother and how tight that was. There’s a huge void right there for her and I think she’s filling it with her skating. I was blown away the other night by that short program.”BEZIC ON USA’S RACHAEL FLATT AND MIRAI NAGASU: “What I love about these two American ladies is that they have simply no doubt. They obviously watched Tara Lipinski and Sara Hughes when they were growing up and they just figure, ‘why not me too?’ Why not be in the final flight and why not be in contention for a medal? That’s how they’ve been skating here and it’s just wonderful.”HAMILTON ON FLATT AND NAGASU: “They’re so different. Rachael, she’s the rock. She’s so dependable. She punches her time clock every day and she always delivers the performance. With Mirai, you just never know what’s going to come out of her mouth. Just so charming and so endearing and she has her own perspective on everything. Underneath both of them is a fighter. Both of them are going to come out swinging. It’s going to be really fun to watch them skate.”BUTTON ON FLATT AND NAGASU: “They’re wonderful. I really love them both. Rachel Flatt is just as solid as they come in every way. She’s a competitor through and through. It oozes out of her bones the way she can come through under pressure. Mirai Nagasu is just lovely. Mirai Nagasu is certainly someone who will challenge right to the top.”WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY 4x5KM RELAY GOLD MEDAL FINALAl Trautwig (Play-By-Play), Chad Salmela (Analyst)Gold: NorwaySilver: GermanyBronze: FinlandTRAUTWIG ON THE EVENT: “It’s a complete test of team depth.”SALMELA ON THE EVENT: “They have to go from the gun. These athletes are going to charge this course right from the beginning.”

“The athletes are going to try to leave everything they can on the course.”

SALMELA ON NORWAY’S MARIT BJOERGEN ON WINNING ANOTHER GOLD THIS OLYMPICS: “This would put her down in the record books as one of the greatest skiers of all time from Norway.”

“This is becoming the Games of Marit Bjoergen in cross-country skiing.”MICHAELS ON NORWAY WINNING GOLD: “I’m not sure they can have a ticker-tape parade in Trondheim, Norway this time of year, but I’ll bet you we’re going to find out next week.”MSNBCWOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY BRONZE MEDAL GAME: SWEDEN VS. FINLANDBill Patrick (Host), Cammi Granato (Studio Analyst), Kenny Albert (Play-By-Play), AJ Mleczko (Analyst), Joe Micheletti (Reporter)Finland: 3 Sweden: 2  GRANATO ON FINLAND WINNING BRONZE: “First Olympic medal for Team Finland in 12 years!”

“These two teams are used to playing against each other.  A lot of times it’s been Sweden on top. This time its Finland’s turn.”GRANATO ON THE GAME: “For those of us that are fans of women’s hockey, this is what we wanted to see.  We wanted to see a hard fought battle.  We wanted to see an emotional battle.  We saw some physical play. That’s what you want, a 3-2 overtime final for an Olympic medal.  That’s amazing hockey.”ALBERT ON THE GAME: “It’s no surprise that these teams are playing for the bronze.  If you asked any follower of women’s hockey prior to the Olympics, you would have expected U.S. and Canada in the gold medal game, despite the upset by Sweden in 2006, and Sweden and Finland playing for the bronze.”MLECZKO ON SWEDEN, FINLAND RIVALRY: “People talk about the rivalry between the USA and Canada, but this one is forgotten. Finland and Sweden play each other a lot through the years. With their geography, they are very close to each other. They are often battling for a bronze medal and you can see the physical nature and the intensity.”GRANATO ON FINLAND’S MICHELLE KARVINEN: “Karvinen is showing why she’s one of the most exciting prospects for Finland these days.  She’s young, she’s 19 years old. But she’s showing tonight why she’s been so good for them.”USA NETWORKWOMEN’S CURLING SEMIFINAL: CANADA VS. SWITZERLANDFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Don Duguid (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)Canada: 6 Switzerland: 5 JONES ON CURLING IN CANADA: “In Canada, curling is next to hockey like a religion. Now team Canada will play for the gold on home ice tomorrow.” ROGGIN ON THE GOLD MEDAL MATCH: “The Canadians will take on defending gold medal champion Anette Norberg and Sweden for the gold medal.” CATALON ON TEAM CANADA: “Team Canada has embraced the energy in this building.  They have not run from this pressure.”JONES ON CANADA’S CHERYL BERNARD: “She is a tough cookie.”

DUGUID ON BERNARD: “Give her the last rock and she’s dynamite with the draw.”

And we have the primetime quotage.

KIM YU-NA CORONATED WITH GOLD; US WINS GOLD & SILVER IN NORDIC COMBINE; SPEEDY RIDES A HURRICANE TO SILVER

“The coronation is complete. Long live the Queen.” – NBC’s Tom Hammond on Kim Yu-Na winning gold

“We’re green light for flight but there’s a hurricane in the forecast.” – NBC’s Todd Harris on Speedy Peterson

VANCOUVER - Feb. 25, 2010 - Kim Yu-Na of South Korea, the reigning world champion, won the ladies’ figure skating gold on the 14TH day of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, handily defeating Mao Asada of Japan and Joannie Rochette of Canada. Mirai Nagasu and Rachael Flatt of the US finished fourth and seventh, respectively. The program ended with the medal ceremony and the national anthem of South Korea.

The US increased its historic medal haul in Nordic combined to four. In the individual large hill/10km cross country event, Billy Demong won the first gold in the sport in US history and Johnny Spillane earned his third silver of the Games. Until Vancouver, the US had never medaled in Nordic combined. The medal ceremony and US national anthem were aired during the program.

In men’s freestyle aerials, Jeret ‘Speedy’ Peterson won silver by landing the hurricane - a risky five-twist, three-somersault maneuver. Alexei Grishin of Belarus won gold and Zhongging Liu of China earned bronze. Peterson attempted the hurricane in Torino in 2006 but did not land it cleanly, costing him a medal. Ryan St. Onge from the US finished fourth.

On MSNBC, the host nation Canada defeated the US - the reigning world champions -  in the highly anticipated women’s hockey gold medal game by a score of 2-0. It was Canada’s third consecutive Olympic gold. The medal ceremony and Canadian national anthem aired in primetime on NBC. On CNBC, Canada defeated Sweden, 6-3, in the semifinals of men’s curling. The host nation will face Norway in the gold medal final on Saturday.FIGURE SKATING:Play-by-Play: Tom HammondAnalysts: Scott Hamilton, Sandra BezicReporter: Andrea JoyceBezic on Flatt during her skate: “She is really doing it.” Bezic: “She’s had a long season with many great performances but she has saved her best one for the Olympic Games.” Hamilton: “She is a rock. She is so consistent.” Hammond: “It’s called rising to the moment and Rachel Flatt has just done it.” Bezic on Ando: “This is the strongest we’ve seen Miki perform in a long time as well.”  Hamilton as Kim Yu-Na took the ice: “My heart just started beating a little faster.” Bezic during Yu-Na’s performance: “Oh my goodness, this is glorious. This is one of the greatest Olympic performances I have ever seen.” Hammond: “And the crowd mesmerized during her skate, leaping to their feet. The coronation is complete. Long live the Queen.” Hamilton on the pressure: “No one can walk a mile in those shoes.” Hammond on Kim Yu-Na’s record-setting score of 228.56: “That blasts the old record. That destroyed the old record.”Hamilton on Asada: “The first woman to do three triple axels in a competition ever.” Bezic on Asada: “What she has done in the wake of Yu-Na’s ovation is extraordinary.” Bezic on Joannie Rochette’s performance: “A kiss for her father. A performance for her mom.” Hamilton on Rochette’s performance: “I’ve never seen such a superhuman amount of courage and determination. What an inspiration.” Hammond on Rochette’s performance: “It is the stuff of Olympic legend.” Hammond on Nagasu: “Not intimidated at all by the stage of the Olympics.” Bezic on Nagasu: “She just made herself her own Olympic moment.” Hamilton on the final results: “Everybody’s happy.”NORDIC COMBINED:CROSS COUNTRYPlay-by-Play: Al TrautwigAnalyst: Chad SalmelaTrautwig on Demong: “And now Billy Demong is having his own little miracle.” Trautwig on Demong and Spillane: “For the first time in Nordic combined, the United States wins a gold and they’re going to add a silver as well.” Trautwig on Spillane’s three silver medals: “Let future generations chase that.” Salmela: “The United States has been waiting for that moment for so long.” Spillane on strategy: “Bill and I just kept trading off and kept taking turns pushing the pace and relaxing. We knew that eventually he’d break and Bill had a very strong finish on that last hill. I also felt really good and we were able to get clear. To finish 1-2 is awesome.” Demong on the future: “I know we’re both planning on skiing next year in the world championships. And I don’t think anyone’s thought that far ahead. Right now our commitment is to enjoy these weeks here and do our best. And we’re also going to start laying the groundwork for the next generation.”FREESTYLE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Todd HarrisAnalyst: Jonny MoseleyReporter: Tina Dixon Moseley on Canada’s Warren Shouldice: “He looks like a two-by-four getting flung through the air and the judges love that.” Harris on Japan’s skiers: “They’re so young, but with so much poise.” Harris on the hurricane: “We’re green light for flight but there’s a hurricane in the forecast.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a category five hurricane, but that was pretty nice.” Moseley: “You don’t get extra points for originality but he does it anyway.”

“One of the best I’ve seen him do.” Harris on Peterson: “And the hurricane is good for silver.”ALPINE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Tim RyanAnalysts: Christin CooperReporter: Steve Porino Cooper on gold medalist Victoria Rebensburg of Germany: “That was a hard fight from top to bottom. She never gave up.” Ryan: “And now she’s showing the world she’s a gold medalist in the giant slalom.”Cooper on the technique of silver medalist Tina Maze of Slovakia: “It’s just a thing of beauty.”Cooper on the Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso relationship: “These are two characters with polar opposite personalities. They approach their personal lives and their ski careers differently. They have different goals. That’s just the realities of life on the national team. Rivals are not always your best friends. The point is to put that aside and make it work.” Cooper on Mancuso: “What a fighter she’s been.”Mancuso on her race: “I’m psyched I was able to lay down a pretty good second run today. It wasn’t enough but I really went out and did my best so I’m really proud of that.” On her alleged feud with Lindsey Vonn: “It’s been taken out of proportion. It’s really about both of us going out and skiing. I respect her. I said earlier in some interviews that of course she deserved the attention. She really is the greatest female American skier that we’ve had -- two overall titles, numerous Globe. That’s really a huge accomplishment. We’re both very different. We both have gotten here to these Games and gotten our medals in completely opposite ways. I’m sure that fuels the fire even more. But of course it’s always good to see your fellow American on the podium.” On the death of her friend: “I found out yesterday after my race that my friend C.R. Johnson passed away skiing in Squaw [Valley]. It just really reminds me that skiing is so much fun and I love it. It’s all about the skiing and nothing else.”MSNBC, Women’s Ice Hockey Gold Medal Game:Canada 2 vs. United States 0Bill Patrick (Host), Cammi Granato (Studio Analyst), Mike Emrick (Play-By-Play), AJ Mleczko (Analyst), Pierre McGuire (Analyst), Joe Micheletti (Reporter)Patrick: “What we saw today was really unique. Before today, no women’s hockey team had ever won Olympic gold on home ice.”

“The party has just begun here at Canada hockey place.”Patrick on Canada: “Their 15th straight Olympic victory. Their third straight gold medal.”Granato on Canada: “They have the crowd here supporting them. It can’t be more special.”

“They had a flawless game.”Mleczko: “It was a battle as expected.”Emrick on Canada: “What a wonderful feeling it is for them, to not only win, but to win at home.”McGuire on Canada’s Szabados: “She is the most consistent goaltender Canada has right now.”Patrick: “The Canadian team has this building behind it and that’s a big factor.”Canada’s Gillian Apps on playing well under pressure: “It is something that we have worked on all year just making sure that we have a strong, solid penalty kill. Our defense and our goalie are playing great, so it’s a huge help.”Mleczko on USA and Canada: “These two teams are ‘it’ in terms of rivalries.”Granato: “This is four years of work coming down to one game.”McGuire on USA and Canada: “A lot of tension on both benches.”Granato on USA: “They’re the most together I have seen a team since the 1998 team.”Granato On USA Head Coach Mark Johnson: “They absolutely love playing for him. This guy is so well decorated. He was the leading scorer of the 1980 Olympic team that won the gold medal. His father was a legendary coach. He just has loads of experience. He has won three NCAA championships with Wisconsin. He knows how to win. He knows how to coach and they follow him.”

Granato: “For the U.S., you can sense the disappointment. You can see the disappointment. Lots of tears. I have been there. I know what that feels like. In time, they will come to appreciate the silver medal. It is hard for them right now, but they will.”USA’s Natalie Darwitz on the game: “We played hard, but we just didn’t execute.”

“We have a young team and at times I feel we played that way.”CNBC, Men’s Curling Semifinal: Canada 6 vs. Sweden 3Fred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-By-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Don Duguid (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter) Jones: “What a moment for this Canadian team to now be able to play for the gold medal in front of this crowd.”

“This place is going to be absolutely electric.” Canada’s John Morris: “I think it’s a good energy in the building. We have had that pressure on us for the last couple of years. The Olympics is a whole new ball game.”

“Curling and hockey to Canada is kind of like baseball and basketball to the States. Where the pressure is on to win the gold. We knew that pressure coming in, and we definitely expected it for ourselves. So we are definitely going for that gold.”   On playing Norway in the gold medal final: “We know we will have our hands full, so we expect a good battle on Saturday that’s for sure.”  Duguid: “There’s nobody that knows the angles more than Kevin Martin.”

Jones on Sweden: “Coming in, they thought if they finished middle of the pack that would be good. They have been awesome.”

And we have a bonus press release. This one says NBCOlympics.com is attracting visitors, but I keep hearing Yahoo! and ESPN.com are giving it a run for its money.

“NBCOLYMPICS.COM ON MSN” LEADS ALL COMPETITION

More Than 706 Million Page Views is 600 Million More Than That of the Nearest Competitor

Engagement Time on NBCOlympics.com is 63% Higher Than Nearest Competitor

VANCOUVER -February 25, 2010 - “NBCOlympics.com on MSN” has generated more than 706 million page views, 600 million more and 587 percent more than the nearest competitor Yahoo’s Olympic site (103 million page views) from Feb. 15-21 according to comScore data released today. And, visitors to NBCOlympics.com spend more time on the site and view more pages than visitors to Yahoo’s Olympics site.

On average, visitors to NBCOlympics.com spend 11.4 minutes per visit, 63 percent more than the seven minutes on average for Yahoo users, and visitors to NBC’s Olympics website average 72.2 pages per visitor, more than 12 times Yahoo’s 5.7 average pages per visitor.

Additional digital highlights include:

• Through 13 days, NBCOlympics.com has seen 28.9 million video streams serving more than 2.5 million hours of video, 20 million more than the total number of video streams from the 2006 Winter Games (8.4 million), according to Omniture Data.
• The USA-Switzerland men’s quarterfinal hockey game on Wednesday, Feb 24, delivered nearly 500,000 live streams on NBCOlympics.com, the most live streams of any event to date. The USA-Finland men’s semifinal hockey game will be streamed live Friday starting at 3 p.m. ET.
• NBCOlympics.com has delivered more than 1,100 highlights through 13 days of the Vancouver Games.
• There have been 9.8 million unique visitors to NBCOlympics.com from Feb. 15 – 21, 2010, according to data released today by comScore.

*NOTE: NBCOlympics.com is an Olympics specific website.

That’s it.

NBC’s Olympic Quotage For Day 13

Let’s provide the notes and quotes from NBC’s networks from the last Wednesday of the Winter Olympics. Just glad to see this coming to an end. Here is Universal Sports’ quotage from yesterday.

UNIVERSAL SPORTS AT THE VANCOUVER GAMES:

NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 — On the fourteenth day of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games continues its five-hour programming block, starting at 10 a.m. ET and continuing daily until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 28. 

Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz:

News Alerts:

·       The United States has 26 medals, a record for total medals won by Team USA on foreign soil. Team USA collected 25 medals at the 2006 Torino (Italy) Games.

Tom Steitz, former U.S. Nordic Combined Team Coach (on the U.S. Ski Team’s silver medal in Nordic combined): “This is absolutely a breakthrough Olympics for the ski jumpers and Nordic combined teams.  We’re watching history unfold in front of us.”

Steitz: “There are a lot of kids jumping off their couches saying ‘Mom, I want to be a ski jumper—watch me fly.’”

Paul Wylie, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist: (on the Ladies’ Short Program): “I thought (Mirai) Nagasu was under-marked, her program components were excellent.”

Wylie: “Kim Yu-Na looks unbeatable for the long program…It’s going to be really tough to beat her. She has the triple-triples (in her program). She just looks masterful.”

Wylie (on Rachael Flatt): “She looked like she was having a lot of fun, which is hard to do at your first Olympics.”

Features: 

Call of the Day: A Korean TV network’s call of the Men’s 10,000m speed skating race yesterday on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, marked the second time in a row that hosts Terry Gannon, Lindsey Soto, and guest Jeremy Bloom were unable to guess the correct answer.

Summer Sanders, Universal Sports’ Whistler sideline reporter, speaks with Dow Travers, the lone athlete representing the Cayman Islands and a competitor in Alpine skiing events.  Travers hopes to be back for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Vancouver sideline reporter Stacey Dales investigates the extremely popular Olympic-time hobby of pin trading and etiquette behind proper pin-trading behavior.

NBC’s Alex Flannigan looks at the medals awarded at the 21^st Winter Games, which draw on a design based on nature and traditions of the native tribes, with nearly $200 million spent creating the medals.

MEET THE OLYMPIC PRESS:

Phil Hersh, Chicago Tribune reporter (on Sven Kramer’s lane mistake costing him the gold medal): “They told us you can’t be in an Olympic lane without a permit or you’ll get fined, and he did.”

John Powers, Boston Globe reporter (on Flatt and Nagasu):  ”I think for these two, 5^th and 6^th place wouldn’t be bad.”

Powers: “Hearing the Austrians say ‘watch out for the Americans in the Nordic combined’ is really something.”

Powers (on ‘novelty’ athletes like Eddie the Eagle (1988 Calgary Ski Jumper from Great Britain) being allowed in the Olympics:

“As fun as these novelty athletes are, these sports can kill you if you don’t know what you’re doing.  Winter

Olympic sports are more dangerous than Summer Olympic sports.”

Steitz (on the U.S. Ski Team’s two Nordic combined medals): “One of the longest and hardest-fought battles in the Olympics that I’ve ever witnessed.”

Thumbs up/Thumbs down segment:

Hersh: “Thumbs up to Joannie Rochette, the Canadian figure skater who’s mother died Sunday.  Not only to do it (perform), but to do it so brilliantly in honor of her mother was just inspiring.”

… and, the gold medal for the day goes to John Powers, so that Alan Abrahamson won’t be the only journalist with a medal from Universal Sports.

Powers (on being awarded the daily MTOP gold medal): “I’m going to give it to (Dutch long distance skater) Sven Kramer (who was disqualified from his gold medal for an illegal lane change).

VANCOUVER REVIEW/PREVIEW:

Lindsey Soto talks with U.S. Ski Team Aerials Coach Brian Currutt.

Currutt (on the prowess of the Chinese aerial team): “Unlike a lot of others countries, they have a transfer pool where they take kids from gymnastics schools and teach them to be comfortable in the air (jumping). They have a large number of acrobat schools, and they get the (kids) comfortable skiing and they advance quickly.”

Figure Skating Review/Preview:

After the Ladies’ Short Program, South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na is in first, Japan’s Mao Asada is second, Canada’s Joannie Rochette is third, with Americans Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu in fifth and sixth, respectively.

On the dramatic conclusion of the Ice Dancing Event:

Tracy Wilson, 1988 Olympic Ice Dancing Bronze Medalist for Canada, with the late Rob McCall (on U.S. silver medal ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White): “Their power pushes you back in your seat, and then they connect so emotionally with the music it takes everyone onto the ice with them.”

Wlison: “Nobody wanted to breathe. Nobody wanted to interrupt. I fully expected, having watched a number of Olympics over the years, the skaters to pull in, play it safe and skate not to lose. But none of the skaters out there did that.”

Peter Carruthers, 1984 Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Silver Medalist (on Canadian gold medal ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir): “Their performance took me to another place.”

On Tuesday’s Ladies’ short program competition:

Wilson (on the technical evolution of ladies skating with more trying triple jumps in combination): “There were two tried in the last Olympics, and here there will be 10 tried.”

Carruthers (on South Korea’s dominant Kim Yu-Na): “She’s just the fastest lady on the ice, and that helps with her scores.”

Guests Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, U.S. ice dancers, who placed fourth in Vancouver after earning silver medals in Torino in 2006:

Belbin (on the progress in Olympic and international competition by U.S. ice dancers): “If we can take credit for at least keeping the ball rolling, that’s a great compliment in itself.”

Agosto (on their Vancouver experience): “We were able to skate all three events the way we always hoped we would. That feeling is so rare. In Torino (despite a higher finish), there were things we weren’t personally satisfied with about how we skated.” 

Belbin (on the emergence of the U.S. as an ice dancing power): “It’s insane. And, the fact that we’ve gone through how many version of this scoring system? To see where this has come, and the value placed on the intricacies and athleticism. There is no way anyone would have the guts in this day to say its not a sport.”

Belbin (on their future as a dance couple): “We’re not going anywhere. (But) we’re definitely closing the book on the Olympic competitive experience.”

Belbin (On her description of the experience of rooming with flamboyant U.S. men’s skater Johnny Weir): “That is the ultimate question, isn’t it? You know what, it was fantastic and believe it or not we mostly kept to ourselves, which was the whole point of taking the (two-bedroom) suite. I haven’t’ seen very much of him, to be honest.”

Guests Meryl Davis and Charlie White, 2010 Olympic ice dancing silver medalists:

Davis (on their long partnership): “I have tremendous trust in (Charlie). We’ve been together 13 years. And he’s never let me down yet. He is a very reliable partner in so many ways.”

White (on how they deliver passion on ice by becoming the Phantom of the Opera characters): “When we are choreographing, we are thinking, ‘What would the Phantom and Christine do were they to twizzle’?”

White (On their training partners and fellow Vancouver medalists Virtue and Moir): “We have such a great relationship. We’ve grown up together and have been training with the same coaches for five years now. We’ve had each other’s backs. We’ve been able to talk through tough times and good times.”

Tenley Albright, 1956 U.S Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist in Ladies Skating:

(On her memories after winning the gold medal): “The American flag went up and they played ‘My Country ‘Tis of Thee’, not the ‘Star Spangled Banner.’”

(On skating on an outdoor rink in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in 1956): “I remember taking off for a double Axel in sunlight and landing in a shadow. The things we were doing were just as hard for us (in 1956) as the things the girls are doing today.”

SCHEDULE FOR UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK – THURSDAY, FEB. 25, 2010:

10 –11:30 AM                          Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz

11:30 AM – 12 PM                   Behind the Games

12 – 12:30 PM                          Meet The Olympic Press

1: 30 – 2 PM                              Vancouver Review/Preview

2 – 3 PM                                    Figure Skating Review/Preview

FUN FACTS OF THE DAY:

·       There are only three qualified ski jumping hills for training in the United States: Lake Placid, N.Y.; Park City, Utah; and Steamboat Springs, Colo.

·       Whistler Mountain is named for the shrill sound made by marmots (native to the area).

Now to NBC Universal’s daytime quotage.

DAY 13 DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS OF NBC WINTER OLYMPICS COVERAGE

“That was one of the best games of the Olympics so far. Sacrifice. Willing to pay the price. What a hockey game.” – NBC’s Jeremy Roenick on USA vs. Switzerland

Team USA Takes Down Switzerland 2-0 to Advance to the Seminfinals in Men’s Hockey

VANCOUVER - February 24, 2010 - Daytime coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games continued today on NBC with live coverage of the men’s hockey quarterfinal game between Team USA and Switzerland. USA won 2-0 and will advance to the semifinal round, facing the winner of Finland vs. Czech Republic. 

Al Michaels hosted the daytime show live from Canada Hockey Place. Joining Michaels for analysis were Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick. Mike “Doc” Emrick provided play-by-play, Eddie Olczyk provided game analysis and Pierre McGuire reported from “Inside the Glass.” Below are highlights from the game.NBC

FIRST PERIOD

OLCZYK ON WHY TEAM USA HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL: “It’s been the extra effort. The plays without the puck.”

EMRICK ON USA’S CHRIS DRURY AND RYAN CALLAHAN: “Drury and Callahan together have been magic.”

OLCZYK ON SWITERLAND’S THOMAS DERUNS: “Every time Thomas Deruns is on the ice, he’s a heat-seeking missile.”

MILBURY ON USA’S RYAN MILLER: “He makes it look easy.”ROENICK ON SWITZERLAND’S JONAS HILLER: “The saves that he makes are sometimes acrobatic, sometimes desperation. He finds ways to save the puck.”

OLCZYK ON THIS OLYMPIC TOURNAMENT: "We've seen momentum in these Olympic Games. When you have it, you feel it, and you throw everything at the net."

SECOND PERIOD

OLCZYK ON SWITZERLAND IN THE SECOND PERIOD: “The Swiss are comfortable right now. They know Hiller is on top of his game. They’ve taken the crowd out of it and they’ve taken a little bit of the pace out of it. They’re comfortable in this kind of environment.”

“Penalty killing is about heart and structure. The Swiss have a lot of heart and tremendous structure.”

“You have some guys in white that just play with a whole lot of nasty. They just get in your face and they smack you. They are not intimidated at all.”

MICHAELS ON TEAM USA: “The United States have outshot the Swiss 32-8.”

THIRD PERIOD

OLCZYK ON USA’S ZACH PARISE: “One word to describe Zach Parise. Persistence.”  MCGUIRE ON PARISE: “This guy’s the heart and soul of U.S.A hockey.”EMRICK ON USA’S RYAN MILLER: “The last shut out by a U.S. goalie was by Mike Richter in ’02.”OLCZYK ON TEAM SWITERLAND: “It was a gutsy performance by the Swiss.”

ROENICK ON THE GAME: “That was one of the best games of the Olympics so far. Sacrifice. Willing to pay the price. What a hockey game.”

And finally the primetime quotes, but they do not include Mike Milbury’s infamous “Eurotrash” comments on CNBC after the Canada-Russia game.

HOST NATION CANADA WINS GOLD & SILVER IN WOMEN’S BOBSLED, US WOMEN EARN BRONZE; CANADA DEFEATS RUSSIA IN MEN’S HOCKEY FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1960

“This is a decision that could lead to an incredible amount of emotion.” – NBC’s Ted Robinson on short track relay

“Canada defeats Russia in the Olympics for the first time since 1960.” – NBC’s Bill Patrick

VANCOUVER - Feb. 24, 2010 - Host nation Canada won gold and silver in the women’s bobsled on the 13TH day of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. US women Erin Pac and Elana Meyers earned bronze. 

In short track ladies’ 3,000-meter relay, Allison Baver, Alyson Dudek, Lana Gehring and Katherine Reutter of the USA earned bronze when South Korea, who originally finished first, was disqualified, providing China the gold and Canada the silver.

Apolo Ohno, already the most-decorated US Winter Olympian ever with seven career medals, including two at these Games, advanced in men’s short track 500 meters. The competition resumes on Friday night. 

Lydia Lassila of Australia won gold in women’s freestyle aerials, defeating China’s Li Nina and Guo Xinxin, who earned silver and bronze, respectively. The United States continues to lead the medal count with 28, including seven gold. Germany is second with 24, also with seven gold.

On CNBC, Canada’s men’s hockey team defeated Russia, 7-3, for the first time in the Olympics since 1960 and advanced to the semifinal of the tournament. The host nation will play the winner of Sweden-Slovakia. On MSNBC, Sweden defeated Great Britain, 7-6, in 11 ends in men’s curling.SHORT TRACK:Play-by-Play: Ted RobinsonAnalyst: Andy GabelReporter: Andrea JoyceRobinson on China and South Korea jockeying for first place during the relay: “Two longtime rivals. They’re going to race for gold here.” Robinson before the judge’s decision to disqualify South Korea: “This is a decision that could lead to an incredible amount of emotion.” Robinson after the decision: “I believe by the reaction, the Chinese team is going to win.”

Costas on the outcome of the race: “Celebration, yes, for the Chinese. I guarantee you outrage in South Korea.”Robinson on the 500m: “It is the most electric race in short track.”

Andy Gabel on 17 year old US skater Simon Cho: “I think he’s too young to know to be nervous.”

Apolo Ohno on the 500m: “Everybody can skate the 500 fast because obviously it’s half the distance of the 1000. The speeds are all out, max effort. It’s 40 seconds of pure torque and horsepower.”

Apolo Ohno on his yawning before his races: “I’m not tired-I get plenty of sleep. It’s more of a mental, psychological routine that I do, It relaxes me. If you watch the Discovery Channel or the nature channel, lions do it and I like that. And I want to be a lion.”

Gabel on Ohno’s race: “A veteran race by Apolo Anton Ohno. So patient. So relaxed.”

Ohno on his race tonight: “It went well, really well. The ice is actually really fast. So I feel good. I’m just enjoying racing, so it’s good.”

On if being in such good shape helps at this distance: “I think it helps in all the distances. This 500 is such a crazy race. So many skaters are able to skate four and a half laps so it’s going to be a struggle making every single round. But that’s what it’s all about.”BOBSLED:Play-by-Play: Bob PapaAnalyst: John MorganReporter: Lewis Johnson

Morgan on Canada’s No. 1 sled: “Three times down. Three times a track record.”

Morgan: “Germany is the most powerful sliding sports nation on the planet.”

“There’s no Mason-Dixon line in Germany. They have four tracks, they love their sliding sports and the results have proven it.”

Morgan on Germany’s Cathleen Martini after her crash in the final round:  “I’ve never seen Martini crash. I’ve never seen her close to crashing.”

“I had said the track has been tamed. I think I spoke too soon.”  Papa on Canada’s No. 1 sled: “Humphries for gold.” US driver Erin Pac after the race: “I’m just so happy we made it down on all four runs. Elana did an awesome job, she picked up the slack for me today and I’m just so happy.”

US’s Elana Meyers after the race: “We just tried to relax and have some fun. Erin’s a great pilot and we just had to stay calm and do what we know how to do. And we did it.”ALPINE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Tim RyanAnalysts: Christin CooperReporter: Steve Porino

Cooper on the weather conditions: “It’s going to be quite a challenge today.”

Cooper on Austria’s Elisabeth Gorgl, first after her first run: “She’s just skiing with so much confidence and so much mastery on this hill.”

Ryan on Lindsey Vonn crashing: “Looked like she caught an edge and she rockets into the fencing.”

Ryan on Julia Mancuso starting her race as Vonn was still on the course after her crash: “Meanwhile, here comes Julia Mancuso. -- She’s on the course and doesn’t know about Vonn below her. -- What a bizarre situation.”

Cooper on Mancuso being stopped in the middle of her race: “What rotten luck in an Olympic Games.”

Cooper on Mancuso’s re-start: “There’s just no way you can be as ready as were when you stood in that start gate the first time.”

Ryan: “Julia Mancuso, a victim of just some bizarre circumstances here today.”

Lindsey Vonn after her crash: “My body’s ok, I’m just frustrated. I was fighting. I really was attacking. I’m just disappointed in myself.” Mancuso on her stopped run: “It’s always confusing because you don’t normally get yellow flagged in a GS race. I was trying to figure out if that was real or not because I didn’t want to stop and have them say, ‘Why’d you stop?’ So I finally figured out as I went by that something happened and I needed to stop. I went down and saw that Lindsey crashed and I was still just confused and overwhelmed by everything. I asked her if she was ok and then I found out the information that the snowmobile would take me back up to the top. - It was a lot of emotional and stress put into that run.”

Mancuso on her re-start run: “I had to do what I can. I went into the second run trying to stay positive. I got really, really tired halfway down. The snow definitely changed and it was not really an advantage to be starting later. But I made the most of it.”FREESTYLE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Todd HarrisAnalyst: Jonny MoseleyReporter: Tina Dixon

Moseley on 16-year old US skier Ashley Caldwell: “I’ve been so impressed with her poise. She has skiing ability, great technique in twisting and flipping. I think we’ll see a big future out of her.”

Moseley on the Chinese skiers: “They’re just really, really good in this sport right now. There’s no other way to put it.”

Harris on China’s Li Nina after her jump put her into first place: “And that’s why she’s wearing the number one bib.”

Harris on the quality of the competition: “I don’t know what they had for lunch today but this is unbelievable.”

Harris on Australia’s Lydia Lassila: “She’s one of the few non-Chinese jumpers capable to do a triple jump.” 

Harris on Lassila winning gold: “It’s Lydia Lassila of Australia, the flying kangaroo, who takes gold at Cypress Mountain.”  CROSS COUNTRY:Play-by-Play: Al TrautwigAnalyst: Chad Salmela

Salmela on Norway’s Petter Northug making up a large distance: “The fact that we’re even talking about Petter Northug right now is unbelievable. He had 37 seconds to challenge for a medal and he’s in the picture. This is an amazing young skier.”

Trautwig on Northug: “This is absolutely classic hunter and hunted stuff.”

Salmela: “And nobody hunts like Petter Northug on a pair of cross country skis.”

Trautwig on Northug’s silver: “That is one of the greatest silver medals you could ever see in just six miles of cross country skiing.”CNBC, Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal:Canada 7 vs. Russia 3Bill Patrick (Host), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Mike Emrick (Play-By-Play), Eddie Olczyk (Analyst), Joe Micheletti(Reporter)

Roenick on USA after win by Canada: “This is probably the worst scenario that the Americans could have expected. Canada coming out and just steamrolling Russia. Now Canada is rolling along, and they are feeling really good about themselves. They lost to the U.S on Sunday. This is a revenge game. If I was the U.S., I would be getting a little nervous right now.”

Patrick: “Canada defeats Russia in the Olympics for the first time since 1960.”

Olczyk:  “A good old-fashioned schooling.”

Olczyk on the arena: “This place is absolutely going bonkers.”

Emrick on Canada and Russia: “Let’s just say they battle pretty hard.”

Olczyk on Canada’s Rick Nash’s speed: “Look at Rick Nash. It’s like he was shot out of cannon right through the neutral zone. Nobody had a chance on a reaction.”

Roenick: “Canada has only won one gold in the last 50 years and being on their home turf, I think they expect No. 2 to come this year.”

Patrick: “We have sat here and watched 37 hockey games over the last week and a half. None has had the feel that Canada and Russia has.”

Milbury on Russia’s Alexander Ovechkin: “This was a superstar that wasn’t ready for this situation.”Milbury on Canada’s Roberto Luongo: “He’s a terrific goaltender. Really gobbles up pucks around the front of the net.”

Roenick on Ovechkin as a celebrity in the sports world: “He’s like the Brad Pitt of sports.”

Patrick on NHL teammates Crosby and Malkin: “Arguably the two best players on the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins are playing in this game. And while they are teammates most of the year, for a few weeks they are friendly rivals: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.”MSNBC, MEN’S CURLING TIEBREAKER: Sweden 7 vs. Great Britain 6, 11 endsFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-By-Play), Don Duguid (Analyst), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)

Catalon: “And Sweden is going to the semis. Sweden beats Great Britain, 7-6. They are moving on to face Team Canada.” 

Catalon: “Everything else we have seen over the last week and a half has come down to the last end. It’s been a week-and-a-half filled with drama on the curling ice.”

Catalon on Sweden: “Last spring, the Swedish Olympic Committee debated on not sending a team to Vancouver. They didn’t think they had anyone good enough to compete. Up stepped a team of 24-year olds. They have risen to the occasion.”

Jones on comparing Great Britain and Sweden: “It’s such a contrast between these two teams. One with so much experience in Great Britain and then the Swedish team is so young and so new to this whole arena of international play, and here they are on the biggest stage showing no signs of nerves, making all the right shots.”

Roggin on the match: “Britain’s David Murdoch finds himself in an unexpected position this afternoon. Eight days ago he opened the Olympic tournament as the man who stood between Canada and a gold medal in men’s curling. Now, he needs a victory in the tie breaker round against Sweden to survive and advance to the semi-finals.”

That’s it.

Doing the Mid-Week Link Thing

Ok, doing some linkage today. Lots of stuff to get to.

Starting with USA Today’s Michael Hiestand who says one has to take NBC’s Olympic primetime ratings with a grain of salt.

Michael also writes about Tony Kornheiser’s two week suspension for his comments about Hannah Storm’s attire.

From Slate, Jack Shafer says Mr. Tony isn’t the nicest guy, but his suspension wasn’t warranted.

John Feinstein, Kornheiser’s colleague at the Washington Post and notorious ESPN-hater, calls out the Mothership for hypocrisy. 

The Sports Business Daily/Sports Business Journal Winter Olympics site says the NBC’s coverage is drawing younger viewers.

Tripp Mickle of SBD/SBJ writes that Panasonic is using the Olympics to showcase 3-D TV.

And Tripp says Yahoo! has increased its commitment to covering the Olympics and has made it profitable.

John Ourand in Sports Business Journal says Turner Sports will meet with the NBA on tweaking the Slam Dunk competition for next year and beyond.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says the Japadog has been a big seller in Vancouver. What is a Japadog? Darren explains. 

Dan Levy of On The DL writes in the Sporting News’ Sporting Blog that NBC has made the Olympics a test lab and we the viewer are the lab rats.

Etan Vlessing of the Hollywood Reporter writes that Canadians are flocking to CTV’s Olympics website to watch the games online.

Multichannel News has Versus’ NHL spot that has been running during the Olympics.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel says NBC’s Monday Olympics primetime ratings actually fell below the Turin games for the first time.

Steve McClellan of Adweek notes that Americans have been flocking to NBC’s multiple platforms to watch the Olympics and to catch up on certain moments.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine reports that after losing to NBC’s Olympic coverage last week for the first time, Fox’s American Idol was back on top last night.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch has your Olympic viewing guide for today.

Long time Red Sox beat writer for the Providence Journal, Country Joe McDonald has left the paper and joined ESPN Boston as of today.

Christopher Clarey of the New York Times writes that a moguls skier who was paralyzed in an accident three years ago is now an Olympic analyst for French TV. 

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says today’s USA-Switzerland game will be live on NBC for the Eastern half of the country.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette has the Yankees spring training TV schedule.

Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News notices that a local TV news anchor has forgotten or doesn’t seem to know that the Olympics are on.

Tim Lemke lists his favorite Winter Olympics sports from top to bottom.

Jim Williams in the Washington Examiner says tonight’s Olympic lineup on NBC could be filled with gold medal winners in alpine skiing and short track. 

Jim says there will be plenty of thrilling Olympic hockey to watch today.

Sarah Talalay from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says the Miami Heat are freezing season ticket prices for current holders and holding the line on concessions.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News is not in any mood to hear complaints about USA-Canada not being on NBC.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman also delves into the USA-Canada on MSNBC issue.

Crain’s Chicago Business’ Ed Sherman wants to know why the Windy City’s baseball announcers aren’t ranked higher on MLB Network’s greatest announcers list.

Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune says people complain about NBC’s tape delayed Olympics coverage, but they’re still watching.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says there’s no excuse for Tony Kornheiser’s comments on Hannah Storm’s attire.

Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune would prefer to watch hockey over ice dancing.

Helene Elliot of the Los Angeles Times says NBC is showing the USA-Switzerland game on delay, but it will be live online.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says Monday’s coverage on CTV’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium was a mixed bag.

Chris also talks about the Olympics experience online.

The Sports Media Watch says ESPN2 saw a ratings decline for Danica Patrick’s second NASCAR race.

SportsbyBrooks explores why Tony Kornheiser was suspended from Pardon The Interruption and not his local radio show where he made his now-infamous comments about Hannah Storm.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media received an assurance that NBC will air today’s USA-Switzerland game in its entirety despite its 2 hour timeslot listed in newspapers and websites.

And we end with Len Berman’s Top 5 stories of the day.

Later today, I’ll post the Sports Media Weekly podcast and this week the guest is Dave Sims from Westwood One Radio and FSN Northwest.

Keep your RSS and Twitter feeds updated.

NBC’s Olympic Quotage For Day 12

We have quotage from NBC’s networks for Day 12 of the Winter Olympics. As usual, we begin with the quotes and notes from Universal Sports.

UNIVERSAL SPORTS AT THE VANCOUVER GAMES:

NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2010

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 — On the twelfth day of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games continues its five-hour programming block, starting at 10 a.m. ET and continuing daily until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 28. 

Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz:

News Alerts:

·       The United States has 26 medals, a record for total medals won by Team USA on foreign soil. Team USA collected 25 medals at the 2006 Torino (Italy) Games.

·       The U.S. will face Canada in the women’s Ice Hockey final, to be contested Thursday, Feb. 25. Canada has outscored its opponents 46-2 in Vancouver; the Americans have a 40-2 margin.

Tom Steitz, former U.S. Nordic Combined Team Coach (on the speed of the competitors in the Men’s Ski Jumping Team Event): “They are going faster than the standard stock Chevy muscle Corvette.”

Steitz: (on proposed rule changes in ski jumping) “Austria is leading this charge.  They develop big, strong powerful ski jumpers, while Switzerland has smaller, more nimble, gymnastic-type athletes. Austrian ski jumpers are like a big offensive line (in football), and they want to change the rules to favor their type of athlete.”

Don Duguid, NBC Curling analyst: “The excitement at the curling venue has been unbelievable…Canada has the ‘last rock’ (throughout the playoffs, and that’s a huge advantage.”

Features: 

Call of the Day: An Austrian TV network’s call of the Men’s Ski Jumping Team event on Monday, Feb. 22, 2010, stumped everyone on the set today.

Terry Gannon (on his prediction): “I thought it sounded like (Arnold) Schwarzenegger…I was just off.”

Summer Sanders, Universal Sports’ Whistler sideline reporter, gets a ‘taste of Vancouver,’ going on a progressive dinner through five of Vancouver’s top restaurants with her husband, former U.S. Ski Team member and Olympian, Erik Schlopy. Vancouver sideline reporter Stacey Dales, visits the Olympic Flame and talks with visitors on the street about the infamous “fence,” and even helps snap a few photos for fans. Peter Alexander checks out Avalanche Rescue Dogs, volunteering to get buried in the snow and experience firsthand what it feels like to await a rescue.

Today Show weekend anchor Lester Holt spends some time with Dr. Paul Doherty and learns more about the physics behind aerial jumping, where movements in with the arms and legs lead to incredible twists and flips in the air.

Universal Sports reporter Kenan Harkin goes behind the scenes to the hottest club in town—Club Budweiser, where he runs into Vernon Davis (tight end for the San Francisco 49ers), Team USA’s Heather McPhie (women’s aerialist) and Olympic Snowboard Cross Gold Medalist Seth Wescott, and challenges fellow Universal Sports Freestyle Analyst Jeremy Bloom to a ‘dance-off.’

Nordic athlete Johnny Spillane shared home video from the team’s return to the U.S. Ski Team’s Center for Excellence in Park City, Utah, for extra practice this week. Spillane’s footage included in-flight scenes aboard the private plane they were loaned to make the trip, and featured teammates including Billy Demong, gym training, and an elementary school visit.

MEET THE OLYMPIC PRESS:

Alan Abrahamson, NBC Olympics and Universal Sports reporter (on great competition versus outrageous costumes): “Ice dancing is at the same time the best and silliest sport at the Olympics” 

Vicki Michaelis, USA Today reporter (on a higher U.S. medal count): “The U.S. has centralized more of their training on a lot of sports, and its obviously helping.  There are no medals in sliding and only three in long track (speed skating), but I give props to the skiers and snowboarders.”

On whether Lindsey Vonn’s photo shoot for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition will help or hurt her career, or negatively impact the sport of Alpine skiing:

Abrahamson: “It helps her because she needs to go from Alpine skiing, a niche sport, to Madison Avenue pitch woman.”

Michaelis: But it’s bad for sports…The more we have to promote women in swimsuits, the less we appreciate what they do on the slopes.  Would men benefit from the same thing? Absolutely.  But we, as a society, think women still have to do this (pose in magazines in bathing suits).”

Thumbs up/Thumbs down segment:

Michaelis: “Thumbs up to Joannie Rochette (skating tonight while mourning her mother’s death Saturday).  To see her out there tonight is going to be a touching moment for everyone.”

Brian Cazeneuve, Sports Illustrated reporter: “Thumbs up to the Canadian and American women’s hockey teams. This is the best rivalry in the Olympics.”

Jimmy Roberts, NBC Olympics reporter and host of “Meet the Olympic Press”: “Thumbs up to (Canadian Ice Dancing Gold Medalists) Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and their enthusiasm during “O Canada.” When people stand on the top of the podium and lose it to the national anthem, it’s a great moment.”

… and, the gold medal for the day goes to Alan Abrahamson, to cease his complaining.

VANCOUVER REVIEW/PREVIEW:

Lindsey Soto talks with former U.S. Nordic Combined Coach Tom Steitz.

Steitz (on Nordic ski jumpers’ fearlessness) “Something isn’t wired right.”

Steitz (on the outlook for the U.S. Nordic combined team in the team event phase of Olympic competition): “There is a lot of anticipation… The Nordic combined (community) spans the globe, and there are a lot of fans for Team USA. Everyone is as nervous as they can be. (But optimism for success is based on) the experience of the team: Todd Lodwick, Johnny Spillane, Bill Demong. Between those three, we have 12 Olympics (appearances, including five by Lodwick).”

Johnny Spillane, 2010 Olympic Nordic Combined Individual Silver Medalist (with Universal Sports Whistler reporter Summer Sanders): “The nice thing is we don’t feel we have to perform some kind of miracle to (win a medal in the team phase).”

Steitz (on the team’s return to Park City for training mid-Games): “Really a great call by the coaches and the athletes. The Olympics are about competing not about training. They were smart to find a donor and get on a private plane. I really think this is a stroke of genius (training in Park City at a much higher altitude).”

Spillane (narrating with a video cam at the Salt Lake City airport): “We parked our plane next to Michael Jordan’s plane. Ours’ (a Dassault Falcon 900) is a little nicer.”

Steitz (on Team USA’s goal to win the overall medal count in Vancouver): “You can’t really do that without making a serious run at the Nordic family (of events). If we are going to be considered a leader in the overall medal count we need to take Nordic combined, and the rest of the Nordic sports, seriously.”

 

Figure Skating Review/Preview:

After the Ice Dancing free dance, Canadian couple Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are the champions, marking the first time a team from North American has won the gold medal.  American couple Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the silver medal, defending world champions Oksana Domnina and Maksim Shabalin became the bronze medalists and Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto finished in fourth place.

Host Terry Gannon (on today’s studio guests): “You’ve got to be a legend and a gold medalist to get on this show today (Peggy Fleming, Dick Button and Katarina Witt).”

On the conclusion of the Ice Dancing Event:

Peter Carruthers, 1984 Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Silver Medalist (on Canadian ice dancing Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir in the free dance): “It reminded me of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall—the love between a man and a woman. That’s what it should be; that’s what it should feel like. It was a new level of ice dancing we’ve never seen before.”

Guest Peggy Fleming, 1968 Olympic Ladies’ Gold Medalist (on Moir and Virtue): “It was just magical, a perfect blend (of skating and artistry).  They really put ice dancing back on the map…Olympic pressure is different from any other championship.”

Dick Button, 1948 & 1952 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist: “I consider myself blessed when I see an iconic performance. I didn’t see one. I saw two (by both Virtue/Moir and Davis/White). All I love in skating is when it reaches my heart and, boy, did it reach my heart.”

Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist (on American ice dancers Merle Davis and Charlie White winning the silver medal): “It was still a spirited performance. Again, for their age and to be here at their first Olympics and win a silver medal, it’s unbelievable. These two could not have skated any better and certainly should be proud of what this experience has meant to them.”

Carruthers (on the performance by American ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, fourth overall after winning silver at the 2006 Torino Games): “It is not as though they went backward (since Torino). It’s that the others (Virtue/Moir and Davis/White) pulled ahead so much faster.”

Yamaguchi: “I thought the speed (Belbin and Agosto) had (in the free dance) was much faster than at U.S. Nationals a month ago.”

Yamaguchi (on Virtue and Moir): “Absolutely in that class (of British Ice Dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean and their 1984 Olympic Gold Medal performance). (But) different styles. And I think they’re going to blaze their own trail.”

Carruthers  (on U.S. Olympic ice dancers Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates, who were 11^th overall): “The most important thing for these two is what they have to shoot for now. That will light a fire under these guys as they push themselves to move forward to the next Olympics.”

On the upcoming Ladies Short Program tonight:

Paul Wylie, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist: (on U.S. ladies skaters Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu‘s chances in ladies’ figure skating competition): “She’s (Flatt) capable of gathering points along the way like Evan Lysacek…Nagasu may lose points again for under-rotated jumps, like she did at the U.S. Championships.”

Wylie (on Yu-Na Kim): “There’s something special about her personality and the way that she commands the audience. There’s quite a rivalry between the Japanese and the Korean figure skaters.”

Fleming (on Flatt and Nagasu): “I think they could do quite well. Rachael knows how to focus. And she is very consistent. You can count on her to give a good performance. She’s a very solid competitor. Good technique. I don’t think (Olympic intensity) is going to faze her.”

Studio guest Katarina Witt, 1984 and 1988 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist for East Germany (on Flatt, after watching her practice in Vancouver): “She reminded me a little bit of a young Elaine Zayak (a former U.S. rival of Witt’s and 1982 World Champion)…It made me smile when she went out and did her program. She had a good time.”

Carruthers (on Flatt’s medal chances): “I think she’s got the head to do this. It’s kind of set up for the occasion.”

Picks to win the ladies short program tonight:

Carruthers: Yu-Na Kim, South Korea

Yamaguchi: Miki Ando, Japan

Gannon: Yu-Na Kim, South Korea

Miscellaneous:

Fleming (on what happened after she was involved in an auto accident while traveling in the motorcade of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden): “The Vice President travels with a doctor. They came into the car before we were allowed to get out. Then they took us to the hospital for a couple of hours. (The accident) was a very big surprise.”

Fleming (on the difference in the Olympics now versus 1968 when she won the gold medal): “The media and sponsorships and crowds have gotten a lot bigger.”

Button (on figure skating costumes): “Some of them are just awful.  I don’t get it, what are people thinking in this sport?  I’m against absurdity in costumes.”

Witt (on winning Olympic gold at age 18 in 1984): “I feel like I was such a girl. They are so much more polished today.” (On winning gold again in 1988) “Going into Calgary, I really had lots of pressure. I really wanted that second medal. I wanted to be in the history books.”

Terry Gannon reveals Peggy Fleming’s nickname among Austrians during her Olympic debut in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1964: “Snowflake.”

SCHEDULE FOR UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK – WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2010:

10 –11:30 AM                           Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz

11:30 AM – 12 PM                   Behind the Games

12 – 12:30 PM                          Meet The Olympic Press

1: 30 – 2 PM                              Vancouver Review/Preview

2 – 3 PM                                    Figure Skating Review/Preview

FUN QUOTES OF THE DAY:

Tom Steitz (on the Norwegian skier Petter Northug Jr. skiing the last lap in the men’s team sprint) “He passes the German (Axel Teichmann) like the guy is stuck in the toll lane…”

Dick Button (on today’s skaters trying to duplicate the famous spins and leg positions performed by former Swiss skater Denise Biellmann (skater lifting leg to the side or above their head): “I think its one of the most atrocious moves, makes me think of a turkey leg at Thanksgiving.”

Witt (on Universal Sports figure skating analyst Kristi Yamaguchi): “I loved always being with Kristi. We had such a good time on tour (with Stars On Ice). She always helped me with my hair.”

Yamaguchi: “I was Katarina’s ‘hair stylist’.”

To the quotage from the daytime coverage on NBC and various other networks.

DAY 12 DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS OF NBC WINTER OLYMPICS COVERAGE

“Can’t wait to see those headlines in Amsterdam tomorrow.”- NBC’s Al Michaels on the Netherland’s Sven Kramer being disqualified from the 10,000m

“He’s going to have to pull a Ryan Miller.”- NBC’s Eddie Olczyk on Switzerland’s Goalie Jonas Hiller going up against Team USA

VANCOUVER - February 23, 2010 - Daytime coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games continued today on NBC and USA Network. On NBC, live coverage included the men’s speed skating 10,000m. Also in daytime, women’s ski cross competition and Nordic combined team K125 competition. USA Network featured live coverage of the first men’s hockey elimination round game between Switzerland and Belarus. Switzerland won the game 3-2 after a shootout and will face Team USA in the quarterfinal tomorrow. 

NBC daytime host Al Michaels sat down with figure skating legends Dorothy Hamill and Peggy Fleming to discuss tonight’s ladies figure skating short program, live in primetime.

Coverage highlights include:NBC

DOROTHY HAMILL AND PEGGY FLEMING PREVIEWED TONIGHT’S LADIES’ SHORT PROGRAMFLEMING ON SOUTH KOREA’S KIM YU-NA: “She’s beautiful. She has the combination of the technical elements and the grace and musicality, and that’s what you want in skating. What Evan Lysacek did in his long program was absolute perfection of that blend.”

“She skates with speed, and that’s what makes it even more exciting. She gets up in the air, she has beautiful body lines. She’s got everything.”HAMILL ON KIM YU-NA: “She’s fantastic. It’s really her competition to lose. She’s reigning world champion. She’s so powerful and her jumps are so high.” 

FLEMING ON CANADA’S JOANNIE ROCHETTE AND THE DEATH OF HER MOTHER ON SATURDAY: “It just takes the wind out of you for sure. I don’t know how she’s really going to get out there and skate with that heavy heart that she has and that loss. Sometimes it’s better to just plow through and keep going and she can collapse later.”HAMILL ON USA’S RACHEL FLATT: “She’s sweet. If she skates well she has a chance at maybe a medal. She’s seventeen. This is her first year really on the big scene. She’s a terrific hard worker and a great athlete and maybe not as much flair as some of the other women. She’s the future, definitely.”FLEMING ON USA’S MIRAI NAGASU:  “Sometimes the innocence gives you an advantage because you can just go out, be free, be yourself. She’s a beautiful skater. She’s got that combination of the technical side and the artistic. She’s very musical, very much like Kim Yu-Na. Very nice style. I thin she’s going to do very well here. This is setting the stage for our sport and their careers.”

MEN’S SPEED SKATING 10,000M GOLD MEDAL FINALDan Hicks (Play-By-Play), Dan Jansen (Analyst), Andrea Kremer (Reporter)Gold: Lee Seung-Hoon, KoreaSilver: Ivan Skobrev, RussiaBronze: Bob De Jong, NetherlandsJANSEN ON KRAMER BEING DISQUALIFIED: “The crowd is completely silent here.”

“I’ve seen it once or twice in my career but never with a top skater and certainly never in the Olympic games.”

“Forgot to change lanes. Unbelievable.”HICKS ON KRAMER: “This will be talked about in the Netherlands forever. How Sven Kramer did not finish in the proper lane and lets the gold medal get away. Wow.”MICHAELS ON KRAMER’S DISQUALIFICATION:  “Can’t wait to see those headlines in Amsterdam tomorrow.”WOMEN’S FREESTYLE SKIING SKI CROSS COMPETITIONPat Parnell (Play-By-Play), Todd Harris (Analyst), Tina Dixon (Reporter)HARRIS ON SKI CROSS: “It’s winter’s wicked ride here.”MOSELEY ON THE COURSE: “The designer said ‘I wanted to keep the skiers busy every five to six seconds.’”USA NETWORK

MEN’S HOCKEY ELIMINATION ROUND GAME: SWITZERLAND VS. BELARUSBill Patrick (Host), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Mike Emrick (Play-by-Play), Eddie Olczyk (Analyst), Pierre McGuire (Reporter)Switzerland: 3  Belarus: 2 MILBURY ON TEAM SWITZERLAND: “The Swiss have been a very good team in this tournament, gave the U.S. all they could handle.” MCGUIRE ON TEAM SWITZERLAND: “There’s no lack of composure on the Swiss bench. They’re a team that’s got a lot of veteran experience.” OLCZYK ON SWITZERLAND GOALTENDING AGAINST TEAM USA: “Jonas Hiller, he’s going to have to be great. He’s going to have to pull a Ryan Miller.If Jonas Hiller is not great, then the Americans will torch Switzerland. OLCZYK ON THE TOURNAMENT: “The road for Canada is not easy. They have to win four games in six nights if they want to win gold. For the Americans, it’s a little easier, especially in light of the match ups they could potentially have.” TEAM USA’S RYAN CALLAHAN ON PLAYING SWITZERLAND IN THE QUARTERFINAL: “Anytime you see a team the second time, you know their tendencies. You know they’re going to be a team that goes straight ahead at you and pressures us a lot. They have a lot of speed. We have to limit our turnovers. I think that was the biggest thing in the first game, we had a lot of turnovers against them and they countered on us pretty well. It’s going to be a tough game.”

WOMEN’S CURLING: USA VS. CHINAFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)China: 6  USA: 5  SCHLEGEL ON CHINA’S COACH DAN RAFAEL: “He has not spoken to his girls since yesterday. In fact, he even canceled the team meeting. He tells me they don’t have the passion. He’s looking to this team to pioneer the sport in China, but he’s exhausted trying to make them comprehend it all.” JONES ON TEAM CHINA: “I am so impressed with where they’ve come in such a short period of time. I almost can’t fault anything they do because I just find them inspiring.”

And the primetime coverage.

KIM YU-NA LEADS LADIES FIGURE SKATING AFTER SHORT PROGRAM; TEAM USA CAPTURES FIRST-EVER MEDAL IN NORDIC COMBINED

“That’s why they call her ‘Queen’ Yu-Na.” – NBC’s Tom Hammond on Kim Yu-Na’s short program

VANCOUVER - Feb. 23, 2010 - Kim Yu-Na of Korea set a world record with her score in the ladies figure skating short program and leads the competition ahead of Japan’s Asada Mao. Team USA’s Rachel Flatt and Mirai Nagasu, who are in fifth and sixth place, respectively, will skate in the final group for Thursday night’s ladies free skate.

For the first time ever, Team USA won a medal in Nordic Combined when the men’s team, featuring the quartet of Brett Camerota, Todd Lodwick, Billy Demong, and Johnny Spillane, claimed silver.

The primetime program ended with the Canadian national anthem and medal ceremony for Ashleigh McIvor, who won gold for women’s freestyle ski cross. On CNBC, Canada rebounded from its loss to the US on Sunday by defeating Germany, 8-2, in men’s hockey. The host nation also defeated China, 10-3, in men’s curling.FIGURE SKATING:Play-by-Play: Tom HammondAnalysts: Scott Hamilton, Sandra BezicReporter: Andrea Joyce, Tracy Wilson

Speed skating analyst Dan Jansen spoke to primetime host Bob Costas in studio about dealing with his sister’s death prior to competing in the 1988 Olympics in light of Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette losing her mother earlier in this week: On his experience: “For me, it was just an obviously unbelievable timing for the whole situation. But everybody grieves in different ways. I’m assuming that her decision to go ahead and skate was similar to mine in that when this happened to me, I spoke with my family. But we knew that Jane would’ve felt terrible had I decided not to skate, and not go out and try. From the day before, I was certain in my mind and my body that I was going to win gold. Twelve hours later when I got the phone call that she had passed away, and I got on the ice for warm up that night. It was no longer in my body, no longer in my skates. I could not even stay steady on the ice. It was very, very difficult.” On Rochette dealing with it: “Hopefully even with a couple days of recovery, not that it’s going to go away, but maybe it’s given her body a little time to prepare for tonight.” More on his experience: “Part of me certainly wanted to go out there and give it a shot. But the other part of me wanted to respect what had just happened and I didn’t know if it was right in my mind -- If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change anything.” On what he emailed Rochette: “I told her I don’t know if you can prepare for the emotions you’re going to feel out there. But if you can get through it, there are millions of people supporting you. And most of all, skate with your mother in your heart. And if she does that, she’ll be fine.”Tracy Wilson broke down how skaters get graded when they land their spins. Scott Hamilton later telestrated how a landing is judged.Bezic on US’s Mirai Nagasu: “Everything about Mirai’s skating has been pristine here. Her spins are perhaps the best in the competition.” Bezic on Nagasu’s bloody nose: “She was spinning so fast, she caused a nose bleed.”

Hammond on Japan’s Asada Mao and Korea’s Kim Yu-Na skating one after another: “There should be some fireworks tonight.” Bezic on Asada: “She says she’s not a short program skater but I think she can change her mind on that one. She has been on fire.”Hamilton on Asada: “That is as free, and as easy, and as happy I’ve seen her skate in over a year.” Hammond on Kim Yu-Na’s coach telling her to take in the whole Olympic experience: “That’s easy to say, not so easy to do when you carry the weight of an entire country on your shoulders.” Hammond on Kim Yu-Na after her performance: “That’s why they call her ‘Queen Yu-Na.” Bezic on Yu-Na: “To be able to perform like that, after knowing how her main competitor performed, is phenomenal. What a woman.” Hamilton on Yu-Na: “What a performance. Wow.” Hammond on Kim Yu-Na’s score of 78.50: “That is the new world record for a short program score in the current scoring system.” Bezic on Canada’s Joannie Rochette, whose mother died earlier this week: “It’s like she’s found solace on the ice.” Hamilton after Rochette’s performance: “There’s no bigger stage than the Olympic Games, but the skate and the moment means much more than the competition.” Hammond after Rochette’s performance: “Such a touching moment.” Bezic after Rochette’s performance: “What a gift she’s given us.” Bezic on USA’s Rachel Flatt: “Well she put everything she had into that performance.”Flatt to Andrea Joyce after her performance: “It was great. I was so excited. I really performed my program and I just had a great time. It was fun.” Bezic on Japan’s Miki Ando: “She’s another woman with her sights on the podium.” Hamilton on Miki Ando: “She sent a message that she’s here for a medal as well and she’s not to be ignored.” Hamilton on the two, young Americans being in the top six after the short program: “That’s gigantic. That’s huge.”NORDIC COMBINED:CROSS COUNTRY (Primetime)Play-by-Play: Al TrautwigAnalyst: Chad SalmelaSKI JUMPING (Daytime)Play-By-Play: Matt VasgersianAnalyst: Jeff Hastings Olympic correspondent Cris Collinsworth on Team USA: “This day has a chance to be historic for the Americans in the Nordic combined. Not only do they have a chance to win a medal. They have the chance to win the whole thing. That’s something no one would have even thought possible as recently as just four years ago.” Vasgerian on Team USA: “They are favorites in Nordic Combined for the first time in the history of the event.” “A terrific effort for Team USA off the jump portion of the Nordic Combined.” Hastings on USA’s Todd Lodwick: “He knows with that jump, he’s just put the Americans right in the driver’s seat.” Team USA’s Johnny Spillane: “I like where we’re at, but we need to race fast.”Trautwig: “The United States has never been in the position they find themselves today - to knock an Olympic sized behemoth off their back. A monster that has been growing since 1924, when Nordic Combined began its Olympic run.” Trautwig on Team USA’s Demong: “Bill Demong has had dreams like this.” “Bill Demong becomes the first American man to bring to the line a team silver medal.” Demong to Cris Collinsworth on his skis after the race: “I’m really happy just to be able to hang on, that last kilometer was getting pretty scary.” Salmela on the US team: “The Americans will be remembered forever as the men to breakthrough.”ALPINE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Tim RyanAnalysts: Todd BrookerReporter: Steve PorinoBrooker on Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindel: “This man is probably as fit as anybody else in the race, and he’s not going to give up.” Ryan on Bode Miller: “He’s off the course and out of the race.” Ryan on Carlo Janka of Switzerland: “Janka of Switzerland, the 23 year-old who’s had a brilliant season. He’s a rookie in the Olympic Games, and he has a gold medal.”BOBSLED:Play-by-Play: Bob PapaAnalyst: John MorganReporter: Lewis JohnsonMorgan on Germany 1: “Sometimes the rough rides are the fastest rides.” Morgan on Canada’s Kaillie Humphries: “She has been lighting it up here in the practice rounds.” Morgan on Germany 2 driver, Cathleen Martini: “This is a very magical driver.”FREESTYLE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Todd HarrisAnalyst: Jonny MoseleyReporter: Tina DixonHarris on McIvor: “The hopes of Canada rest on the shoulders of Ashleigh McIvor, the last woman left in ski cross now.” Moseley on McIvor’s starts: “She just hits the rhythm perfectly and accelerates.” Harris during the final race: “Will today be a day where the Canadians take gold?” Harris on McIvor winning gold: “McIvor now has to manage “The Beast” and the gold is hers. She’s done it. Ashleigh McIvor has won gold.” Moseley on McIvor: “This race was won at the start. She’s been so good all day.”Costas on Women’s ski cross: “It was a day of predictable unpredictability at women’s ski cross.”SPEED SKATING:Play-by-Play: Dan HicksAnalyst: Dan JansenReporter: Andrea Kremer

On Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer’s surprising disqualification from the 10,000-meter event:  Hicks: “We have come to expect anything in the Olympics but Sven Kramer’s disqualification in the men’s 10,000 meters has everyone shaking their heads.” Jansen: “It’s unbelievable this happened at the Olympic Games.” “I’ve seen this happen at the World Championships or in certain races. I’ve seen skaters forget to change lanes. I’ve never seen a coach actually tell him to get over and change.” Costas: “If they have a federal witness protection program in the Netherlands, that coach that screwed up, Gerard Kemkers, may soon be applying.” CNBC, Men’s Ice Hockey Elimination Round Game:Canada 8 vs. Germany 2Bill Patrick (Host), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Mike Emrick (Play-By-Play), Eddie Olczyk (Analyst), Joe Micheletti (Reporter) Roenick on an experienced Team Canada: “You can tell that the leadership and as many captains as they have, they continue to work well together and is probably the key to why this team played so well tonight.” Roenick on pairing Crosby with Iginla: “It’s really, really important that Sidney Crosby plays with a super sniper like Iginla. Both of them have been very, very good. They’ve both prospered.” Canada’s Roberto Luongo on the tournament: “It’s really exciting to play here in front of the fans. Obviously it was a big game for us, and I’m sure tomorrow will be a little louder.” “Definitely is a huge one tomorrow.” Olczyk on a goal shot straight through the net by Canada’s Shea Weber: “An absolute laser.” Canada’s Shea Weber on the tournament: “We are still in it. We are very much alive.” Roenick on Germany: “Driving me insane. I am bored to death. I can’t believe there is a reason why the German team continues to lose hockey games. Their defensive zone coverage is so passive.” “You are playing with fire if you do not play a physical brand of defense.” CNBC, Men's Curling:Canada 10 vs. China 3 (China concedes after 7 ends)Fred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-By-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter) Jones on Canadian curling fans: “Great energy in the building.”Jones on Canada: “They make it all look so easy.” Catalon on Canada’s Martin: “Kevin Martin is considered one of the best, if not the best in the world.”Jones on China shifting their lineup around: “The reality is that the team from China is still so new. You can understand why they would still be flip flopping on positions.”

And that’s it.

Some Tuesday Linkage

Let’s do the Tuesday linkage. Had to finish some paperwork and I’ll do linkage now.

From Sports Business Journal/Sports Business Daily, Olympics ratings are still up from 2006, but there’s another showdown with American Idol coming tonight.

SBJ/SBD notes that NBC’s daytime ratings for the Olympics are decent as well.

John Ourand from the Sports Business Daily write that Comcast is seeking to have an FCC complaint filed by the Tennis Channel dismissed.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch speaks with NBC Sports officials about the network’s strategy to protect its primetime Olympics programming at all costs.

From USA Today, Michael Hiestand wishes NBC would have thrown out the playbook and aired the USA-Canada men’s hockey game on the main network.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell discovers that 30 years later, Miracle On Ice memorabilia is still a hot seller. 

The Hollywood Reporter picks up an Associated Press story in which a Federal Appeals Court is taking up the Janet Jackson nip slip case against CBS once again.

Also from the Hollywood Reporter, James Hibberd writes that the Olympics have lifted NBC out of 4th place in the overall primetime ratings for the season. For now.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News says NBC’s cable networks are attracting younger viewers to the Olympics.

Anthony Crupi of Mediaweek says while USA-Canada Olympic men’s hockey paid dividends for MSNBC, USA Network remained on top of the cable primetime ratings.

Toni Fitzgerald from Media Life Magazine says hockey is the hot sport of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times says he’s enjoying NBC’s coverage of the Olympics, tape delayed or not. 

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News is none too happy that USA-Canada got the short stick from NBC.

Richard Sandomir from the New York Times says NBC gave USA-Canada only a mere few seconds during its Sunday Olympics primetime coverage.

Richard notes USA-Canada set a viewing record up in the Great White North.

Richard also talks with NBC’s hockey voice Mike Emrick who is sometimes calling doubleheaders during the Olympics.

Jerry Barmash of the New York Examiner writes that a former WABC-TV sports anchor has been arrested for raping a 14 year old prostitute.

Alan Sepinwall of the Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger says despite the complaints about NBC’s tape delays, people are still watching the Winter Olympics in droves.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says the world stopped to watch Tiger Woods’ apology on Friday.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner looks at how the bidding for the NCAA Tournament could impact the rights for the 2014/2016 Olympics.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News remembers one of the most infamous days in Bob Knight’s career.

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle has the national ratings for Tiger Woods’ apology.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a look at what prognosticators are saying about the Brewers and Marquette University.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks about Aaron Boone leaving baseball to become an analyst for ESPN.

Tom also delves into the ESPN suspension of Tony Kornheiser for his comments regarding the always lovely Hannah Storm.

Tom has readers comments responding to NBC’s Bob Costas’ criticisms of people who criticize the network’s Olympics coverage.

Tom quotes a Sports Business Daily story in which USA women’s hockey star Angela Ruggiero wants to participate in The Amazing Race with gold medal-winning gymnast Shawn Johnson. I wouldn’t mind that pairing at all!

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star writes about the monster ratings for USA-Canada.

William Houston in Truth & Rumours wonders about the cozy relationship between a Toronto Star writer and Team Canada goalie Martin Brodeur.

Lowell Ulrich of the Vancouver Province gets on NBC for pushing USA-Canada to MSNBC.

The Winnepeg Free Press picks up a Canadian Press story in which NBC’s Brian Williams finally met CTV’s Brian Williams.

Sports Illustrated’s Joe Posnanski conveys a story about Al Michaels that actually does not relate to the Miracle On Ice.

The great SportsbyBrooks blog quotes sources as saying that NBC Sports has a huge leg up on ESPN on the bidding for the ’14/’16 Olympics.

Sports Media Watch says while NBC won the ratings on Monday due to the Olympics, they were the lowest since the Games began.

The Big Lead looks at the battle between the International Olympic Committee and a blogger over the footage of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili.

And Len Berman has his Top 5 stories.

That will do it for today.

NBC’s Olympic Quotage For Day 11

Here’s what was said on the NBC Universal networks on Monday.

First, Universal Sports.

UNIVERSAL SPORTS AT THE VANCOUVER GAMES:

NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2010

Monday, February 22, 2010 — On the eleventh day of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games continues its five-hour programming block, starting at 10 a.m. ET and continuing daily until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 28. 

Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz:

News Alerts:

·       The United States has 24 medals.  The American delegation at the 2006 Winter Olympics Games won 25 medals overall, and 34 medals in the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City as the host nation.

·       The head of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Chris Rudge, acknowledged that a $117 million “Own the Podium” program – started five years ago – will not meet its stated goal, as there is no chance Canada can win the total medal count. But Rudge said it remains beneficial to have Canada’s Olympians sharing a “quantifiable goal” heading into this and future Games.

Mike Eruzione, 1980 Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medalist (on the USA vs. Canada hockey game, won by Team USA): “Any kind of sports fan, not just hockey fans, would have been excited watching that game last night.”

Eruzione: “This is Canada’s game…if they don’t win the gold medal, it will be devastating. With the win last night, the U.S. took a big step toward proving that they can play with the best teams in the world.”

Jeremy Bloom, 2002 and 2006 Olympian, two-time Freestyle World Cup champion and Freestyle analyst: (on whether the sport of ski cross is too dangerous):  “It’s what the Winter Games are all about: dangerous sports, like downhill skiing, the halfpipe and now ski cross.”

Steve Porino, Alpine Skiing Analyst: “I’m in disbelief (over the Americans’ performance in Vancouver). With eight medals, (the 2010 U.S. ski team) is the best team ever. “

Features: 

“Call of the Day” is a new feature that challenges Terry Gannon and Lindsey Soto to correctly identify a call in a foreign language during the Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games show Morning Buzz. Today’s call was from Russian TV during the Russia versus Czech Republic ice hockey game on Sunday, Feb. 21. Russia won the game, 4-2.

Jessica Flint, a reporter from Vanity Fair, stopped by to comment on the star power in Vancouver, including Cindy Crawford, who hosted a party at the Fairmont Hotel, Valdis Zatlers (President of Latvia) taking in some hockey games, and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his family enjoying the events. In terms of who is having the best time, she said the New Zealanders and Americans are enjoying themselves the most.

Summer Sanders, Universal Sports’ Whistler sideline reporter, learns more about the blue lines on the ski courses from Jeff Hume and the ‘dye crew.’  Using a vegetable dye mixed with antifreeze, the crew sets the lines to give the racers a guide to the terrain coming up on the racecourse.

Today Show weekend anchor Lester Holt checks out the skiing on Blackcomb – the ski area next to Whistler, with the longest ski gondola in the world.

Universal Sports reporter Kenan Harkin takes a trip on the (now famous) sea plane, often seen by viewers taking off and landing as the part of the backdrop of the Vancouver studio set. Harkin took an aerial tour of Vancouver and the Olympic venues, as well as the Whistler/Blackcomb ski areas, home to the Alpine events. He even attempted to fly the plane for a few minutes.

MEET THE OLYMPIC PRESS:

Jimmy Roberts, host of “Meet the Olympic Press”: “I am so annoyed at the costumes in figure skating and ice dancing.  They’re ridiculous. Is there anybody in the figure skating establishment that can look at it and say, ‘Is this a good idea?’ “

Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times reporter and honoree of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame: “Ice dancing is more athletic, more interesting to watch. The sport has come a long way in the last 10 years. Except for these silly costumes.”

Alan Abrahamson, NBC Olympics and Universal Sports reporter (on Canada losing to the U.S. in hockey last night): “Today is National Group Therapy Day in Canada.”

On who will win the Men’s Ice Hockey Gold Medal:

Guest Pierre McGuire, NBC Hockey Reporter: “The defending champions from Sweden will win (hockey gold).  They will win the gold medal if they stay healthy, no question about it.”

John Powers, Boston Globe reporter: “The Americans are going to win this thing…reminds me of 1980…who knows these guys? They are young, hungry and ready to go.”

McGuire: “Less than gold is not acceptable for Canada (in hockey). This team was built to win…you don’t go to win silver or bronze.  But the Americans deserve a ton of credit. “

Elliott: “The Russians will win.”

McGuire: “Is there a better player, or better person, in the NHL than (New Jersey Devils winger) Zach Parise?”  

Thumbs up/Thumbs down segment:

McGuire: “Thumbs up to this hockey tournament and the caliber of play. Real star power at the Games.”

John Powers: “Thumbs down to the Canadian hockey team. How do you give a goal up in the first minute? There was a complete lack of respect for the American hockey team.”

Roberts: “Thumbs up to the final minute of the USA and Canada Hockey game. My heart has never beat faster (watching a sporting event).

… and, the gold medal for the day goes to Pierre McGuire, a citizen of both Canada and the United States.  

VANCOUVER REVIEW/PREVIEW:

Jeff Z. Klein, New York Times sports reporter (on the USA vs. Canada game): “The crowd was predominately Canadian…which made the Americans’ achievement so much greater.”

Eddie Olczyk, NBC Hockey Analyst (on Matt Kessler’s empty net goal to take the U.S. up 5-3): “It was risky for Kessler, but an unbelievable reward.  The standing ovation in the building was as loud as I’ve heard it and the (NHL Vancouver) Canuck fans had to cheer the effort. This win—no matter what happens for Team USA in the rest of the tournament—will have a huge impact.”

Klein: “That was probably the greatest empty net goal I’ve ever seen.”

Olczyk: “The Russians came out with a statement and rose up to beat a very good Czech team.”

Klein: “The (Russians) are brilliant on the ice.”

Olczyk (on Sweden’s goaltender Henrik Lundqvist): “He’s so cool and so calm, he doesn’t get upset if things get bad. He’s had a shut-out for the entire Olympics.”

Olczyk (on which goaltender Team Canada should use in the game against Germany): “They should stick with  (Martin) Brodeur. Was he average yesterday? Absolutely.  It’s an opportunity to regain confidence.”

Klein: “I would go with (back-up goaltender) Roberto Luongo. He’s a great goalie, despite not winning a Stanley Cup, nor being on a team getting out of the second round (in the NHL playoffs). Brodeur has had some problems in recent weeks.“

Figure Skating Review/Preview (Saturday and Sunday):

After the compulsory dance and the original dance, the Canadian pair Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are in first place, American pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White are in second place, Defending world champions Oksana Domnina and Maksim Shabalin are in third place and American pair Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto are in fourth place heading into the free dance.

On the Ice Dancing Original Dance performances on Sunday, Feb. 21

Peter Carruthers, 1984 Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Silver Medalist (on the Canadian pair Virtue and Moir): “The hockey game was good, but this was greatest figure skating performance I’ve ever seen. I felt like I had a $200 theatre ticket watching them last night. I get chills thinking about it.  They brought the house down, and they did it with the expression and character of the music. I would absolutely put this dance up against (Canadian Ice Dancing Pair Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean’s 1984 Olympic Gold Medal performance).” 

Carruthers (on the Russian pair Oksana Domnina and Maksim Shabalin): “The dance itself wasn’t top notch. You have to look at the whole performance and that skill level wasn’t that high for the reigning world champions.

Paul Wylie, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist: “The Americans are getting in there and attacking, and moving up on the Russians (who fell from first to third place after the original dance). “

Nick Verreos, fashion designer and a former contestant on Bravo’s Project Runway (on the American pair Davis and White): “I love watching the original dance.  Their costumes enhanced to the performance, they didn’t distract and everything flowed beautiful. They got some great advice.”

Verreos (on the Russian pair Domnina and Shabalin performing an Aboriginal-themed routine): “Oh, dear. … They took the paint off their faces, which was a good thing (after wearing face paint in previous competitions)…I still didn’t think they were cute, and I do think they were culturally insensitive. This is an example when the costumes took away from the performance.”

Verreos (on Virtue and Moir): “This (flamenco program) is going to become an iconic performance with stunning costumes. I felt like I was in Madrid, everything about (the costume design) was flawless, just like their performance.”

Verreos (on the American pair Belbin and Agosto): “Their outfits could use some editing, they went too literal. It was a lot (of costume). A lot of trim. A lot of details. The costume (worn by Belbin) distracted from how gorgeous she is. The (billowed) sleeves broke the line (of her body relative to the ice), and we all know how important the line is in ice dancing.”

Verreos (on where to draw the line in design): “The first thing is to consult with the client.  There’s a fine line between theatrics / performance and reality.  You have to think ‘what will work with the dance and the music?’ and then edit.”

Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist: “You would never see (these costumes) in singles or pairs dancing. The level of detail was almost…theatrical.”

Susie Wynne, two-time U.S. National Dance Champion, commentator and choreographer (by phone from Chicago, on Canadian ice dancing sensation Tessa Virtue): “She can do things some of the other dancers can’t. She is so proficient. I have new respect for her.”

Wynne (on Belbin and Agosto not moving up from fourth to third place after the Original Dance, overtaking the Russian couple): “I was a little cranky about Belbin and Agosto’s fourth place in the OD. I thought they should’ve definitely been in third. My concern is that we don’t have any politics on the ground. Because Plushenko did not win the gold and the (Russian) pairs team fell short. You are just hoping there is not this little political push to get (Domnina and Shabalin) a medal. I’m just saying this because I can. We’ve changed the judging system to…protect ourselves from politics, so I hope there is no playing around that way if they all skate great. We’ll just see what happens.”

Carruthers: “This international judging system has in my mind improved the discipline of ice dancing more than any other discipline. You are seeing this incredible display of art and athletic skating that is user friendly and really terrific for the audience, and for the judges as well.”

On the upcoming Pairs’ Free Dance Event on Monday, February 22:

Carruthers: (on Virtue and Moir) “Watch what they put down as far the way they move their lower bodies and what they do with their arms throughout the entire performance. … And their tricky footwork. I look for great things from them.”

Carruthers:  “Virtue and Moir are the gold medalists. Their scores in the original dance were only .25 points off of the all-time highest scored original dance.  Davis and White can win, because they will have the energy of the audience…if they don’t overskate it.”

Terry Gannon, host of Figure Skating Review/Preview: “It’s very interesting, and you can’t often say that (about) ice dancing.”

Yamaguchi (on Joannie Rochette’s decision to compete for Canada in the aftermath of her mother’s death on Saturday): “She has the heart of a champion. I can’t imagine that loss and going on with it, but I am sure she is thinking this is what her mother would want.”

Coming up this week on the Figure Skating Review/Preview, Carruthers promises he had a few of his old costumes sent to Vancouver to show host Terry Gannon, but they are ‘stuck in customs.’

SCHEDULE FOR UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK – TUESDAY, FEB. 23, 2010:

10 –11:30 AM                           Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz

11:30 AM – 12 PM                   Behind the Games

12 – 12:30 PM                          Meet The Olympic Press

1: 30 – 2 PM                              Vancouver Review/Preview

2 – 3 PM                                    Figure Skating Review/Preview

FUN QUOTES OF THE DAY:

Kristi Yamaguchi (on playing hockey as well as being a figure skater): “I’m horrible. I need the toe pick to save me from falling on my face.”

Peter Carruthers (on costumes worn by Russia’s Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski in the Original Dance): “Peter Pan, or possibly curtains that have been re-used.”

Jimmy Roberts: “The original dance is an ethnic theme, but there’s something wrong when the Germans are doing the hula.“ [WAS THIS ROBERTS OR JOHN POWERS? I seem to recall Powers making a similar statement]

NBC Averages 22 Million for Ice Dancing and Skiing While MSNBC Averages 8.2 Million for USA-Canada

NBC is really happy over the viewership for the combined viewership for its packaged primetime fare and MSNBC’s showing of the USA-Canada men’s hockey game. Overall, the average was over 30 million viewers combined. Sunday’s NBC audience was the lowest since the Games began. USA-Canada had a lot to do with that.

Here’s the breakdown from NBC Sports.

87 MILLION WATCH OLYMPICS SUNDAY ON THE NETWORKS OF NBC UNIVERSAL

87 Million is Biggest Single-Day Audience To Date For Vancouver Games, 16 Million More than Comparable Day for 2006 Winter Games

69 Million Total Viewers Watched the Olympics in Primetime on NBC and MSNBC

8.2 Million Average Viewers Watched Canada-USA Hockey on MSNBC

VANCOUVER - February 22, 2010 - NBCU’s Sunday Olympic broadcasts were seen by 87 million total viewers, the most viewers for any day so far for the Vancouver Games, 16 million more and 22 percent higher than the comparable Sunday from the 2006 Games (72 million), according to data available today from The Nielsen Company.

The primetime coverage on NBC and MSNBC that included figure skating’s original dance and alpine skiing’s men’s super combined on NBC and the USA-Canada hockey game on MSNBC had 69 million total viewers, the best viewership for the comparable Sunday night since the Lillehammer Games (79 million).

8.2 MILLION AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP FOR WATCH USA-CANADA HOCKEY GAME ON MSNBC: An average audience of 8.22 million watched the USA hockey team defeat Canada, 5-3, nearly matching the best average viewership for a program on MSNBC. (Election Night Coverage, 8.23 million on Nov. 4, 2008).

• The hockey game on MSNBC received a national household rating of 4.3, the third highest-rated program in MSNBC’s history behind the Democratic Presidential debate (2/26/08, 4.9 rating) and the analysis following the debate (4.4 rating).

To date, more than half of all Americans (167 million) have watched the Vancouver Olympics on the networks of NBC Universal through the first 10 days of the Games; three million more than watched the first 10 days of the 2006 Winter Games (164 million).

10-DAY AVERAGE IS NEARLY 6 MILLION MORE THAN 2006; BEST SINCE LILLEHAMMER GAMES: The 26.0 million average viewers for the first 10 nights of the Vancouver Games is the most for a non-U.S. Winter Olympics since the Lillehammer Games (39.4 million). The 26.0 million is nearly six million more and 27 percent higher than the average viewership of the first 10 nights from Turin in 2006 (20.4 million).

OLYMPICS DOMINATE PRIMETIME AGAIN: The average viewership of 23.3 million last night for NBC’s primetime is four million more than and 21 percent above the comparable night of the 2006 Winter Games (19.2 million).  

• The Olympics won Sunday night in another dominating performance that faced a full slate of original competition including 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and Cold Case on CBS; Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters on ABC; The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show and American Dad on Fox.
• Head-to-head (9-10 p.m.) the Olympics had nearly 14 million more viewers than an original episode of Desperate Housewives on ABC (24.7 million vs. 10.9 million, up 127 percent). On this comparable day at the 2006 Winter Games, Desperate Housewives out-drew the Olympics head-to-head by seven percent (23.4 million vs. 21.9 million).
• Head-to-head (10-11 p.m.) the Olympics nearly tripled the viewership of an original episode of Brothers and Sisters on ABC (21.1 million vs. 7.9 million, up 167 percent). On this comparable day at the 2006 Winter Games, an original episode of Grey’s Anatomy on ABC out-drew the Olympics head-to-head by 31 percent (24.4 million vs. 18.6 million).

MOST DOMINANT WINTER OLYMPICS TO DATE VS. COMPETITION: Through 10 nights, NBC’s Olympics coverage is more dominant over the competition than any Winter Olympics on record (dating back to Calgary in 1988).

• The 10-night primetime average of 26.0 million is 25 percent higher than the combined delivery of Fox, CBS and ABC (20.8 million).
• The most dominant prior Winter Olympics was Salt Lake City, which through 10 nights led the three-network competition by 23 percent (Olympics – 29.6 million, Combined three networks – 24.1 million)

The national household rating of 13.2/21 for Sunday night is an increase of 14 percent over the comparable Saturday night in Turin in 2006 (11.6/18). The 14.5/24 average household rating to-date is more than two ratings points and 20 percent higher than 2006 (12.1/19).

NBC OLYMPICS MOBILE SURGES: NBC’s Olympics Mobile platforms (WAP site and iTunes App), through just 10 days have amassed more than 54.3 million page views already surpassing the total number of page views for the entire 17-day Beijing Games (34.7 million) by 56 percent.

• There have been 1.3 million mobile video streams in just 10 days, more than four times the total number for the entire 17-day Beijing Games (301k).
• By the time the Opening Ceremony broadcast started at 7:30 p.m. on Feb 12, NBC’s Olympics Mobile had already generated more page views than the entire 2006 Winter Games (1.07 million).

NBCOLYMPICS.COM HAS MORE USERS THAN ENTIRE 2006 WINTER GAMES: In just eight days, NBCOlympics.com has delivered 29.5 million total unique users, according to Omniture, more than 16 million more unique users and 122 percent higher than the entire 17 days of the 2006 Winter Games (13.3 million).

• NBCOlympics.com has delivered 26.2 million video streams to date – nearly 22 million more and 471% higher than Turin’s first 10 days (4.6 million).

METERED MARKET RATINGS BY TIME ZONE (Nine-Day Average):Mountain Time Zone 19.7/32Pacific Time Zone  16.2/29Central Time Zone  16.1/25Eastern Time Zone  15.6/25

TOP 25 METERED MARKETS (10-Day Average):1. Milwaukee, 22.8/352. Denver, 22.7/373. Salt Lake City, 22.4/384. Seattle, 21.0/385. Minneapolis, 20.5/35T6. St. Louis, 19.4/30T6. Columbus, 19.4/308. San Diego, 19.1/329. Portland, 18.8/3410. West Palm Beach, 18.7/2711. Cleveland, 18.1/2812. Kansas City, 18.0/2713. Nashville, 17.7/2614. Boston, 17.6/31T15. Phoenix, 17.3/28T15. Providence, 17.3/2917. Oklahoma City, 17.2/26T18. Austin, 17.1/28T18. Tulsa, 17.1/25T18. Ft. Myers, 17.1/27T21. Sacramento, 17.0/30T21. Cincinnati, 17.0/2623. Washington D.C., 16.8/2724. Richmond, 16.7/2525. Indianapolis, 16.6/27

TOP 25 METERED MARKETS FOR SUNDAY, FEB. 21:1. Salt Lake City, 21.3/352. Milwaukee, 20.0/293. Denver, 19.5/30T4. Kansas City, 18.0/25T4. Oklahoma City, 18.0/256. Seattle, 17.6/307. San Diego, 17.0/27T8. Columbus, 16.5/23T8. Albuquerque, 16.5/23T10. Minneapolis, 16.1/26T10. Portland, 16.1/28T10. West Palm Beach, 16.1/23T10. Ft. Myers, 16.1/2514. San Francisco, 16.0/2815. Cincinnati, 15.9/23T16. Hartford, 15.7/23T16. Providence, 15.7/24T18. Sacramento, 15.6/25T18. Austin, 15.6/2420. Cleveland, 15.5/2321. St. Louis, 15.4/22T22. Indianapolis, 15.3/23T22. Tulsa, 15.3/21T24. Detroit, 15.1/22T24. Phoenix, 15.1/23T24. Orlando, 15.1/22

That’s it.

Monday’s Linkage

I’ll do some linkage for you. Been busy all day, but I have a nice window here and I’ll get to links after I discuss last night’s hockey action.

I’m still coming down from the USA win over Canada last night in men’s hockey. Now, there are many things that could be said about NBC not airing the game, and I’ve said plenty on Twitter last night. I even got into a debate over it. I’m a bit torn. I’m grateful that MSNBC aired the game in its entirety. During the week, CNBC would join a game that started at 7:30 p.m. Eastern in progress at 8 p.m. or sometimes later depending if a curling match was going late. As much as I have come to enjoy watching curling during these Olympics, I would appreciate someone saying that curling was running late and if one wanted to watch the game from the beginning, go to NBCOlympics.com. But there was none of that in the early portion of the games. So the fact that the game was shown in its entirety on MSNBC was appreciated. In addition, by putting the game on MSNBC, it meant the entire country could watch without a dreaded delay for the Rocky Mountain region and the West Coast. So in a sense, it was a win-win for NBC. Fans who wanted to watch the game all over the country could do so without commercial interruption (another plus).

However, many fans could not see the game in 21st Century, sparkling crystal-clear high definition. This was due to NBC Universal not making the proper arrangements with cable and satellite providers (DirecTV for me) ahead of time. NBC Universal did try to entice providers with USA-Canada to get them to pick up MSNBC HD, but no dice. But that was a small problem for me. Once the game got going, it was a minor nuisance, not a major one.

Part of me wishes the game was aired on NBC. But if that occurred, we would have run into West Coast ire from those who wanted to see the game live. I raise the argument that if ABC had taken the same tact with the USA men’s hockey team in 1980, it never would have been able to build the Miracle on Ice story as well as it did. For those born after 1980, you don’t know that ABC actually showed a majority of USA men’s hockey games live on its network. The only ones shown on tape delay were the USA-Sweden game which was the first game for the Americans in that Olympics and the USA-USSR semifinal game which ran at 5 p.m. on Friday, February 22 in Lake Placid. Again, 1980 was a different TV landscape than today and NBC certainly has more options to air hockey. But if you want to build a story, what better way than to show USA-Canada.

I get the fact that NBC is using the Olympics to appeal to a mass audience, not sports fans, and not everyone likes hockey, but one way to build a story is to show the rivalry between USA-Canada and then if there’s a rematch in the gold medal game, you have last night’s game to reference.

Yes, NBC is gearing the Olympics more towards casual fans so it packages skiing, makes figure skating like American Idol and shows more silly Mary Carillo features to make you hurl, but there is a way it can cater to hardcore sports fans. Sports fans like myself get infuriated at NBC for delaying events, but the network knows we’ll watch. It’s trying to build an audience so yes, NBC will delay skiing and other glamor events so it can add features, replays and cut a 2 hour event to 45 minutes so the casual viewer can get hooked. Based on this thinking, hockey is going to get pushed to CNBC or MSNBC, however, from what I could tell from Twitter, people were watching USA-Canada over tape delayed skiing.

But the ratings will tell us how the hockey game fared and we’re expecting that later today. Once I receive notice, you’ll see it here on the blog.

Ok, I’m done with discussing USA-Canada, let’s get to some links.

Jason Fry, writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center talks about the reporting of Olympic results and how some journalists can provide them without spoiling some of their audience.

Linda Holmes from National Public Radio writes that NBC’s Olympic coverage manages to annoy just about everyone.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says the delayed coverage on NBC is frustrating many fans.

Over to Sports Business Journal where Tripp Mickle and John Ourand report that the US TV networks aren’t showing much of a response for the rights to the 2014/2016 Olympics.

SBJ’s Olympic site says NBC’s ratings for the Olympics are up 21% from Turin.

Tripp Mickle writes that the NHL was highly visible in Vancouver for “Super Sunday”.

Back to the SBJ, Bill King has a feature asking the question, how do sports leagues handle wireless rights and how much do they commit?

Jon Show in Sports Business Daily says Tiger Woods’ negative numbers are now very high. 

Eric Fisher in Sports Business Daily writes that Sporting News Today will be going to a pay model in April, but that does not affect Sportingnews.com.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch has your Olympic viewing guide.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says perhaps Canada’s Own The Podium program could be to blame for the country’s poor performance to date at the Winter Olympics. 

Darren talks with Al Michaels about his Miracle on Ice call 30 years later.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times discusses Al Michaels’ first foray into the Olympic studio.

Marc Berman of the New York Post says that former Knicks announcer Marv Albert was not invited to tonight’s 40th anniversary celebration of the team’s first NBA Championship. Albert called it on radio and was considered part of the team by fans.

Jerry Barmash of the New York Examiner tells us that two WCBS-AM sports reporters were honored recently.

Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News says MSNBC with the USA-Canada hockey game actually beat NBC in the ratings in Western New York. Thanks to good friend, Steve Lepore of Puck The Media for the link.

Tim Lemke looks at which Olympic athletes will cash in on their success or failure.

Jim Williams talks with NBC Olympics late night host Mary Carillo.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times liked the NBC and ESPN features on the 30th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business writes a long diatribe on how Tiger Woods does not an apology to anyone.

Ed explains why the White Sox decided to participate in an MLB Network reality show.

Ed says NBC made the right call to jettison the USA-Canada hockey game to MSNBC.

Chicago Blackhawks historian Bob Verdi looks back at the Miracle on Ice. 

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post says the Nuggets are making national news for the wrong reasons.

The Los Angeles Times’ Diane Pucin looks at how social networking is helping West Coast Olympic fans cope with the NBC tape delays.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has the sports calendar for Southern California.

Tom says MLB Network’s Prime 9 show will list the best baseball broadcasters of all time.

Tom wasn’t pleased with how NBC shuttled USA-Canada to MSNBC.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star feels some of CTV’s announcers have become unabashed cheerleaders for Canada.

William Houston in Truth & Rumours writes about the USA-Canada game and various CTV issues.

Ben Grossman of Broadcasting & Cable writes that Fang’s Bites fave Charissa Thompson will co-host a new reality show on Speed.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says CBS College Sports has picked up a carriage deal with AT&T U-Verse.

Katy Bachman of Mediaweek says a large group of NBC affiliates are happy with the Olympics primetime performance.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine says the Olympics have lifted NBC to third place in the 18-49 demographic.

Louisa Ada Seltzer of Media Life writes that Tiger Woods’ statement is not being well received by the media

The Sports Media Watch notes that the Tiger Woods apology did well for Golf Channel and ESPN.

SMW says NBC won Sunday night’s ratings thanks to the Olympics, but it was the lowest rated night since the Games began.

SMW tells us that NBC’s daytime and late night Olympic coverage is also outperforming Turin’s ratings.

And SMW has some various Olympics ratings news.

My Twitter Trophy Wife, Amanda Rykoff writes that NBC did the right thing in sending USA-Canada hockey to MSNBC last night.

Phil Swann in TV Predictions explains why NBC chose not to air USA-Canada.

Chris Byrne at Eye on Sports Media says Olympic curling is performing well for CNBC.

And Len Berman is back after a week off with his Top 5 stories of the day.

Those are your links. Tonight, I’ll be at a screening of the upcoming HBO Sports documentary, Magic & Bird. I’ll give you a scenesetter report on Tuesday and a review as we get closer to the airdate.

NBC Says Olympics Spreading Benefits Throughout Its Networks and Ancillary Shows

I’m trying to get ratings numbers for USA-Canada on MSNBC. Here’s a press release from NBC recapping the numbers for the first 9 days of the Olympics not only for the main network, but for its other networks and various programming. Take a look.

OLYMPIC HALO EFFECT: NBC’s VANCOUVER SUCCESS BOOSTS VIEWERSHIP ACROSS NBC UNIVERSAL PLATFORMS

Olympic Coverage Boosts NBCU Cable Viewership by 48%; NBC “Nightly News” & “Today” Increase Leads over Competition

NBC Olympics Mobile Already Surpasses Totals From Beijing

VANCOUVER - Feb. 22, 2010 - More than half of all Americans (162 million) have watched the Vancouver Olympics on the networks of NBC Universal through the first nine days of the Games; five million more than watched the first nine days of the 2006 Winter Games (157 million).

NOTE: National viewership and ratings through Sunday will be available later today.

NBC Universal is presenting more than 835 hours of Vancouver Olympic Winter Games coverage - representing the most total hours ever for a Winter Olympics, more than the last two Winter Olympics combined, and the most live hours ever for a Winter Games. The Vancouver Games is the first Winter Olympics to be presented entirely in high definition.

• The unprecedented coverage has driven viewership increases to NBCU’s cable networks.
• NBC News sees impressive gains in viewership and competitive advantage for “NBC Nightly News, NBC News’ “Today,” and “Meet the Press.
• NBCOlympics.com has had a record number of page views and video streams, surpassing its total number from the entirety of the 2006 Winter Games through only 10 days.
• NBC Olympics mobile has already out-produced the total number of page views and more than tripled the number of video streams from the Beijing Games.
• NBC Affiliates are No. 1 in 53 of 56 Metered Markets.

The announcements were made today by Jeff Zucker, President and CEO, NBC Universal.

“This once again proves the power of big events on network television,” said Zucker.  “The Olympics casts a halo across our entire company. Our big-event strategy, best exemplified here in Vancouver, utilizes all of our platforms to aggregate the largest possible audience.  In a media landscape that is continually fragmenting, the Olympics, now more than ever, reassembles the audience.  We are reaching our audience everywhere they consume media, on the network in all dayparts, on cable, online and on mobile.  We’re in the viewership business - that’s what we sell - and we are succeeding in increasing our viewership across all platforms.”

Here is a rundown of how Vancouver Olympic Winter Games “halo effect” benefited the various divisions and dayparts of NBC Universal:

MORE THAN HALF OF ALL AMERICANS HAVE WATCHED: More than half of all Americans (162 million) have watched the Vancouver Olympics on the networks of NBC Universal through the first nine days of the Games; five million more than watched the first nine days of the 2006 Winter Games (157 million).VANCOUVER 9-DAY AVERAGE IS 6 MILLION MORE THAN 2006; BEST SINCE LILLEHAMMER GAMES: The 26.3 million average viewers for the first nine nights of the Vancouver Games is the most for a non-U.S. Winter Olympics since the *Lillehammer Games (38.7 million). The 26.3 million is nearly 6 million more and 28 percent higher than the average viewership of the first nine nights from Turin in 2006 (20.6 million).

OLYMPICS BREAK AMERICAN IDOL WINNING STREAK: On Wednesday, Feb 17, the Olympics on NBC broke American Idol’s six-year unbeaten streak (222-0 vs. all competition since 2004). Head-to-head against Idol (9-10 p.m.), the Olympics drew nearly 12 million more viewers (30.1 million vs. 18.6 million) for an advantage of 62 percent. Head-to-head (9-10 p.m.), the Olympics out-rated Idol by 60 percent (17.0 vs. 10.6) among households and 29 percent among Adults 18-49 (9.0 vs. 7.0).

VIEWERSIP FOR AFTERNOON OLYMPIC BROADCASTS SHOW LARGE GAINS:  

• Through nine days, the Monday-Friday afternoon coverage on NBC (five broadcasts), hosted by legendary broadcaster Al Michaels, has averaged 5.8 million viewers, an increase of 31 percent over the comparable days from Turin (4.5 million). NOTE: Today marks the 30th anniversary of the “Miracle on Ice” and Michaels’ legendary “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” call at the Lake Placid Olympics that stands as the most famous call in sports television history.
• The three weekend daytime broadcasts on NBC are averaging 12.0 million viewers, up 26 percent from the 2006 Winter Games (9.6 million).
• The eight late night broadcasts hosted by Mary Carillo are averaging 5.4 million viewers up three percent from the 2006 Winter Games (5.3 million).

OLYMPICS VS. PRIMETIME: VANCOUVER EQUALS SALT LAKE CITY: Each Olympics shows substantial rating gains from the primetime television season. (Combined four network average: NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox).  

The Vancouver Games are experiencing a 163 percent increase over the average primetime rating for the television season with an Olympic average household rating of 14.7 compared to a 5.6 for primetime. TV season began 9-21-2009.

T1. VANCOUVER  163% Olympics 14.7, Primetime season 5.6T1. SALT LAKE CITY 163% Olympics 19.2, Primetime season 7.3 3. LILLEHAMMER  148% Olympics 27.8, Primetime season 11.24. NAGANO   83%         Olympics 16.3, Primetime season 8.95. TURIN           79%         Olympics 12.2, Primetime season 6.86. ALBERTVILLE  58%         Olympics 18.7, Primetime season 11.87. CALGARY   45%         Olympics 19.3, Primetime season 13.3

*For Calgary through Turin, the Olympic rating is for the full Olympics and the television season is calculated from September through May (excluding Olympic programming). For Vancouver the Olympic rating is through eight days and the television season is from September through the start of the Olympics.

CABLENBC CABLE - MORE VIEWERS, YOUNGER VIEWERS: Through Saturday, February 20, Olympics coverage on the cable networks of NBC Universal has reached nearly 50 million total viewers, up 48 percent from the comparable period in February 2009 (33.7 million). 

Through Thursday, Feb.18, the Vancouver Games on the cable networks of NBCU are performing 46 percent above the February 2009 average and 71 percent above the prior four-week time period average among viewers; up 36 percent over the Feb. 2009 average and 57 percent above the prior four-week time period average in household rating, and 82 percent above the February 2009 average and 113 percent above the prior four-week time period average in the Adults 18-49 demo.

USA Network: Through Thursday, Feb. 18, the Olympics on USA Network are averaging 1.7 million viewers, up seven percent from the same time periods in Feb. 2009, and up 20 percent from the prior four-week viewer delivery before the Games. USA Networks viewers are, on average, more than four years younger than the same time periods in Feb. 2009.

MSNBC: MSNBC’s non-overnight programming is averaging 608,000 viewers an increase of 16 percent from the prior four-week period leading up to the Games and up two percent from the same period in Feb. 2009. The Olympics on MSNBC (through Thursday, Feb. 18) are attracting an audience with a median age of 47.1 years, 10.7 years younger than the February 2009 average, 14 years younger than the prior four week time period average.

CNBC: CNBC is averaging 788,000 viewers, pacing way ahead of the February 2009 comparable time periods (up 241 percent) and up 364 percent from the prior four-week viewer delivery before the Games. The Olympics on CNBC (through Thursday, Feb. 18) are attracting an audience with a median age of 44.2 years, 11.6 years younger than the February 2009 average, 10.6 years younger than the prior four week time period average.

NBC NEWS“TODAY” SHOW: OLMPICS BOOST “TODAY” RATINGS: 

• From Friday, Feb. 12 through Thursday, Feb 18, “Today” has seen ratings gains of 12 percent gain vs. the four-week period prior to the Olympics and seven percent vs. similar time period in 2009 (based on Metered Markets).
• Weekend Today on Saturday, Feb. 13 saw its best viewership ever, delivering 5.8 million total viewers, and its best advantage ever over GMA Saturday since the first weekend of the Torino Games (up 113 percent).

“NIGHTLY NEWS” WEEKEND EDITIONS DELIVER BIG VIEWERSHIP:  Powered by NBC's weekend coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, weekend editions of “Nightly News” showed significant viewership gains.

• Saturday, Feb. 13, “Nightly News” attracted 12.4 million total viewers, 158 percent more than second place ABC’s World News Tonight (4.8 million). This represents Saturday Nightly’s best total viewer delivery since Feb. 11, 2006 (Turin Games).
• Sunday, February 14, “Nightly News’” numbers were even more impressive – averaging a 13.9 million – the Sunday edition’s most watched show since Aug. 12, 2008 (Beijing Games). This represents a 178 percent lead over ABC (5.0 million).

MEET THE PRESS DOMINATES COMPETITION: 

• Sunday, Feb. 14, 4.1 million total viewers watched Meet the Press, featuring an interview with Vice President Biden from Vancouver, outperforming Face the Nation on CBS by 38 percent (3.0 million). This Week on ABC by 66 percent and FOX News Sunday by 245 percent. This was the best delivery for Meet the Press since March 22, 2009.

AFFILIATESOLYMPICS BOOSTS NBC AFFILIATES; NO. 1 IN 53 OF 56 METERED MARKETS: 

• The Olympics have helped to boost NBC’s affiliated stations. For the first 9 days of the Olympics (Feb 12-20), NBC affiliates were the No. 1 station in their market in 53 of the 56 metered markets with an increased 24-hour rating of 131 percent (6.0 vs. 2.6). During January, 12 NBC metered affiliates were No. 1 in their market.
• Late local news on the NBC affiliated stations increased 20 percent from the same period in Feb. 2009. Additionally, evening newscasts on local stations are also up 20 percent from the same period in Feb. 2009

“ACCESS HOLLYWOOD”:  UP 52% ON NBC’S AFFILIATED STATIONS: 

• NBC Universal’s syndicated 30-minute newsmagazine “Access Hollywood,” with co-host Billy Bush anchoring from Vancouver and co-host Maria Menunos from Whistler, airing preceding NBC’s primetime coverage of the Vancouver Games, shows a ratings increase of 52% on NBC affiliated stations compared to the prior four-week period.

NBC OLYMPICS DIGITAL

NBC OLYMPICS MOBILE SURGES: NBC’s Olympics Mobile platforms (WAP site and iTunes App), through just 10 days have amassed more than 54.3 million page views already surpassing the total number of page views for the entire 17-day Beijing Games (34.7 million) by 56 percent.

• There have been 1.3 million mobile video streams in just 10 days, more than four times the total number for the entire 17-day Beijing Games (301k).
• By the time the Opening Ceremony broadcast started at 7:30 p.m. on Feb 12, NBC’s Olympics Mobile had already generated more page views than the entire 2006 Winter Games (1.07 million).

NBCOLYMPICS.COM HAS MORE USERS THAN ENTIRE 2006 WINTER GAMES: In just eight days, NBCOlympics.com delivered 29.5 million total unique users, according to Omniture, more than 16 million more unique users and 122 percent higher than the entire 17 days of the 2006 Winter Games (13.3 million).

• NBCOlympics.com has delivered 26.2 million video streams to date – nearly 22 million more and 471% higher than Turin’s first 10 days (4.6 million).

TOP 25 METERED MARKETS (Nine-Day Average):1. Milwaukee, 23.1/362. Denver, 23.0/383. Salt Lake City, 22.5/384. Seattle, 21.3/395. Minneapolis, 21.0/366. St. Louis, 19.9/317. Columbus, 19.7/318. San Diego, 19.2/329. Portland, 19.0/3510. West Palm Beach, 18.9/2811. Cleveland, 18.4/2912. Nashville, 18.2/2613. Kansas City, 18.0/2714. Boston, 17.8/31T15. Phoenix, 17.5/29T15. Providence, 17.5/29T17. Austin, 17.3/28T17. Tulsa, 17.3/2619. Washington, D.C., 17.2/28T20. Sacramento, 17.1/31T20. Cincinnati, 17.1/26T20. Oklahoma City, 17.1/26T20. Ft. Myers, 17.1/2724. Richmond, 16.9/26T25. Chicago, 16.7/27T25. Indianapolis, 16.7/27

What NBC is saying that despite financial losses, it’s still doing well ratings-wise across the board.

NBC’s Olympic Quotage For Day 10

Let’s catch up on the Olympic quotage from last night.

First, Universal Sports’ studio notes and quotes. I post this even though many of you don’t have or may not know you have Universal Sports.

UNIVERSAL SPORTS AT THE VANCOUVER GAMES:

NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES FOR

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2010

Sunday, February 21, 2010 — On the tenth day of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games continues its five-hour programming block, starting at 10 a.m. ET and continuing daily until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 28. 

Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz:

News Alerts:

·       The United States has 23 medals, the most won by an American delegation at the Winter Games.

·       With seven career medals, short track speed skater Apolo Ohno is now the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian in history.

·       Russian Yevgeny Plushenko said he is determined to recapture his 2006 men’s figure skating title in Sochi, Russia, in four years time. Plushenko, a silver medalist in Vancouver, will be 31 in 2014, which would make him one of the oldest competitors in men’s figure skating history. American skater Brian Boitano competed in the 1994 Winter Games at age 30 and placed sixth, six years after earning Olympic gold.

John Coyle, 1994 Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Silver Medalist (on Apolo Ohno) “He’s No. 1 in medals, but there are two more events. He could come out of here with nine (medals). He’s skating on fire.  But the sport is totally unpredictable. It’s about getting yourself in a good position and doing the best you can.”

Doug Lewis, 1984 & 1988 Alpine Skiing Olympian (on injecting the men’s super combined course with water): “It’s like oil on cement.”

Tom Steitz, former U.S. Nordic Combined Team Coach (on lack of funding for U.S. ski jumpers): “We have young kids paying their own way and showing us they can be competitive. (This) embodies true Olympic spirit. I’d like to see this become an issue. We can do a better job about this.”  (The Americans finished 32^nd and 40^th in the men’s individual large hill event.)

Steitz (on Sweden’s success in long distance/endurance sports):  “It’s why they come to the Winter Olympics, it’s their pride and joy.”

Steitz (on the men’s Norwegian Nordic team and their lack of success in Vancouver): “The mood in Camp Norway is dismal…I absolutely GUARANTEE this: Norway will fire the entire men’s coaching staff!”

Terry Gannon, host of “Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz:” “We’ve got ‘Broadway Joe’ (Tom Steitz) making predictions and guarantees, and he’s been right on everything so far.” (Steitz correctly predicted that Switzerland’s Simon Ammann would win the men’s individual large hill ski jumping event.)

Features: 

Stacey Dales, Universal Sports’ Vancouver sideline reporter, goes to the streets to gauge the excitement of “Super Sunday” — the highly-anticipated USA vs. Canada men’s hockey game, pointing out that Canadian money goes so far as to put an image of hockey on their currency.  Host Terry Gannon pointed out that tickets for tonight’s game are going for $1,300 to $5,000, and that the going rate for a skybox to the gold medal hockey game is more than $50,000.

“Call of the Day,” a new feature of the show of the Morning Buzz, was from Swedish TV’s call of their cross-country first- and third-place finishes in the men’s 30 km pursuit event.

Summer Sanders, Universal Sports’ Whistler sideline reporter, spoke with Patrick Maloney, President of Whistler Weasel Workers, who discussed their work on the ski courses.  She also spent time with the experienced avalanche dog rescue team on Whistler, daring to get buried in the snow waiting for “Nora,” a German shepherd and border collie mix, to dig her out.  “Behind the Games” showcased the technology behind today’s ski equipment.

Host Terry Gannon challenged Brian Boitano to a basketball shoot-out on a mini-hoop. During his four-year career, (1981-1985), Gannon was a two-time Academic All-American and N.C. State basketball’s all-time leading free throw shooter. In 1983, he was the No. 1 three-point shooter in the nation.

On Saturday, analysts and Olympic skating medalists Paul Wylie and Peter Carruthers gave studio host Lindsey Soto a breakdown of the differences between the jumps in figure skating (toe loop, lutz, flip, Axel, loop and Salchow), using a pair of Yamaguchi’s figure skates to demonstrate.  They also used supporting video so viewers could recognize the jumps in competition.

MEET THE OLYMPIC PRESS:

Phil Hersh, Chicago Tribune reporter (on Ohno getting his seventh medal): “His seven medals are not close to Eric Heiden’s five golds (1980) or Bonnie Blair’s six medals and success.  He (Ohno) won two of those because other people fell down.”

Alan Abrahamson, NBC and Universal Sports reporter (on Ohno): “Yes it is (remarkable). Seven medals is an incredible achievement, and he has a chance for two more…amazing.”

Jimmy Roberts, host of “Meet the Olympic Press”: “(Eric Heiden’s 5 gold medals are) the greatest achievement in sports history…like someone winning the 100-meter dash and the marathon and everything in between at the Summer Olympic Games.  I love it when we disagree, it’s the essence of this program.”

On injecting ski courses with water…have ski courses become too dangerous?

Guest Phil Mahre, 1984 Olympic Alpine Gold Medalist: “I don’t think so. The thing that makes skiing more dangerous is the equipment.  Icing the hills affords a level of consistency; skis are essentially razor blades on ice.  If you don’t ice a course down, there will be holes (for later skiers), they’re much safer being iced down.  Too much water makes it a skating rink, but the right amount makes it safe for everybody.”

Mahre (on changes to the sport over the past 20 years): “Equipment is a bigger part of the equation.  I didn’t wear a helmet.  It used to be a finesse sport, now you just roll the ski up on it’s edge and it does (the turn) for you. Now, you can’t be competitive without the right equipment underneath your feet.”

 

Amy Shipley, Washington Post reporter:  “Ski racing isn’t skeleton.  You don’t want to be going head-first down the mountain.”

Thumbs up/thumbs down segment:

Mahre: “Thumbs down to judged events in the Olympic Games and the omission of women’s ski jumping”

Shipley: “Thumbs up to organizers for keeping ski hills in shape despite awful weather.”

Abrahamson: “Thumbs up to Vancouver cops for cutting off alcohol sales after 7 PM.”

Hersh: “The rowdiness in the streets is way too much and out of control. It’s like a fraternity party out there.”

Roberts: “Thumbs down to price gouging—the red mittens started out at $10, now they’re $30.”

…and the gold medal for the day goes to Phil Mahre for his lucid explanation of why courses are injected with water.

VANCOUVER REVIEW/PREVIEW:

U.S. speed skating had 75 medals coming into the 2010 Olympic Games. Now, the total is up to 81.

Bonnie Blair, six-time Speed Skating medalist with five Olympic Gold Medals, (on watching the men’s 1500m short track final last night where Ohno broke her record and earned his 7th career medal): “Everyone was on the edge of their seat.  He’s not racing Eric and I at these Games, he’s racing his competitors. No hard feelings, I’m happy for him.  I hope Apolo has taken it in one ear and let it go out the other and has just focused on the task at hand.”

Blair (on U.S.’s overall success in Vancouver, 23 medals so far): “Even though we’re in Canada, a lot of these athletes feel at home and very comfortable.”

Blair: “The sport of speed skating has really changed my life, on and off the ice. I hope more youngsters out there think about becoming speed skaters after these Olympic Games.”

Blair (on training): “As we say, the (Olympics aren’t) every four years, they’re every day. It’s tough, but on the flip side it’s a great lifestyle. Eat whatever you want, be in great shape.”

Blair (on training partners): “Anytime you can be with the best of the best, it pushes you and that’s how you get better. To have that day in, and day out, it fires you up.”

Figure Skating Review/Preview (Saturday and Sunday):

Evan Lysacek, 2010 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist: “I tried my best not to think about the medal and the results heading into the Games, just my performance. I dreamt about doing my personal best. The gold medal is tremendous and it hasn’t even sunk in.”

Dick Button, 1948 & 1952 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist (on watching Lysacek’s final performance): “The gold medal is a reminder of that you skated well, that you did the best you could that day, and you will remember it for the rest of your life.”

Tara Lipinski, 1998 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist (on not being the favorite in a competition): “The underdog position is great. You’re not thinking about marks and scores.  You’ve been waiting your whole life for this moment, and you’ve put in tons and tons of practice. Just let your mind shut off and it’s reflex.”

Peter Carruthers, 1984 Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Silver Medalist (on Plushenko’s technical performance in the men’s final): “It was average, almost junior-like.  Each year the system adds more features, so you have to keep up with that rulebook.  Plushenko didn’t do that.”

Brian Boitano, 1988 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist (on South Korea’s Kim You-Na, favored to win the ladies figure skating gold medal): “She’s the heavy favorite, and that can add a lot of pressure like it did to Plushenko.”

Guest Jeremy Abbott, 2010 Olympian and reigning U.S. Men’s National Figure Skating Champion: “My goals were a lot bigger than what I achieved here.  I got so wrapped up in wanting a medal instead of focusing on what I needed to do.  I’m definitely let down by how I performed here.  The World Championships are all about redemption for me.”

Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist: “Figure skating’s eyes are on the World Championships, but the world’s eyes are on the Olympics. It’s more pressure.”

The ISU World Figure Skating Championships are scheduled in Turin, Italy, March 23 – 28, and will be broadcast on Universal Sports.

SCHEDULE FOR ON UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK – SUNDAY, FEB. 21, 2010:

Guests include Jeff Z. Klein of the New York Times and Eddie Olczyk, NBC Hockey Analyst.

11:30 AM – 12 PM                  Behind the Games

12 – 12:30 PM                          Meet The Olympic Press

1: 30 – 2 PM                              Vancouver Review/Preview

2 – 3 PM                                    Figure Skating Review/Preview

FUN QUOTES AND FACTS OF THE DAY:

“When we’re done, we pat each other on the back then sometimes we have a beer or two or three or more, then we get up and do it again.” Patrick Maloney, President of Whistler Weasel Workers, on their course maintenance work on the alpine ski courses.

“Competing against less people, coming in under the radar and definitely having an early start number.”  Andrew Weibrecht, on the secret to his Olympic Super G Bronze Medal.

Next, to the daytime quotes.

DAY 10 DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS OF NBC WINTER OLYMPICS COVERAGE

“We take the top 32, seed them, and then release the hounds.”- NBC’s Todd Harris on Ski Cross

“It was a hockey team that would transcend sports. America’s young fresh-face kids against a machine-like dynasty.”- NBC’s Al Michaels on ‘The Miracle On Ice’

VANCOUVER - February 21, 2010 - Daytime coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games continued today on NBC and MSNBC. On NBC, live coverage included men’s hockey with NHL star Alexander Ovechkin and Team Russia taking on former NHL star Jaromir Jagr and the Czech Republic. Also, men’s freestyle skiing ski cross made its Olympic debut in daytime, live. Rounding off the daytime coverage was the men’s biathlon 15km mass start gold medal final. 

Tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary of the United States’ improbable victory over the Soviet Union in men’s hockey at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games. Today during NBC’s daytime show hosted by Al Michaels, NBC aired a special that looked back on that historic moment, regarded by many as the most memorable in U.S. sports history. Michaels sat down with 1980 Team USA hockey players Mike Eruzione, Mark Johnson and Jim Craig.

NBC’s Dick Button and Tracy Wilson stopped by the studio to preview tonight’s original dance competition, live in primetime.

Coverage highlights include:

NBCHIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ‘MIRACLE ON ICE’ SPECIALMICHAELS ON TEAM USA: “It was a hockey team that would transcend sports. America’s young fresh-face kids against a machine-like dynasty. A team playing for the gold medal, and as it would turn out, an entire nation that was going through a difficult time and that yearned for a reason to wave the flag again.”

TEAM USA’S MARK JOHNSON ON THE POSSIBILITY OF WINNING GOLD: “I don’t even think you dreamed it. If you had a fantasy prior to coming into Lake Placid, that wasn’t part of it.”

TEAM USA’S MIKE ERUZIONE ON COACH HERB BROOKS: “It was us against him. He would push you beyond your limits, but you always looked to your left or your right and one of your teammates was there to support you, and he wanted that to be the case.”

“I don’t believe we could have won without Herb and I don’t think he could have won without us. It was a perfect marriage of players and coaches.”

JOHNSON ON ERUZIONE’S THIRD PERIOD GOAL: “When Mike scored to make it 4-3, it’s a good thing the roof was bolted down, because it was going up.”

MICHAELS ON WHEN HE KNEW THE USA MIGHT WIN THE GAME: “I thought with about six seconds to play, because, fortunately, the puck comes out to center ice which gives me a second to think about something. Miraculous was the word that came into my mind, because it was miraculous.”

MICHAELS ON BEING A PART OF HISTORY: “Sometimes in life, you get lucky. You’re in the right place at the right time. To get the hockey assignment, and to have you guys do what you did. We all know what went on around it. It was a sliver of the Cold War played out on a sheet of ice in Lake Placid, New York.”

MICHAELS ON TEAM USA GOING TO THE GOLD MEDAL GAME: “The twist in all this was how that ending wasn’t the ending. How the climactic victory against the ultimate team wasn’t the final chapter. After reaching the highest of emotional peaks, there was still one more game.”ERUZIONE ON THE GOLD MEDAL GAME: “We had a practice the next day, and Herb just skated our butts off. He needed to bring us down, he needed to get all our energy out, get us down to ground zero and build it up the next day to get ready to play Finland. Now we had the opportunity to win the ultimate prize, and we were not going be denied that.”

JOHNSON ON WINNING THE GOLD MEDAL: “It’s like getting up on Christmas day, walking down, and you just opened up all your presents and you got everything you wanted. Its that type of feeling where it’s like, ‘Wow.’”MICHAELS ON TEAM USA WINNING THE GOLD: “In a time and place with internet, or cell phones, or cable television, as we now know it, 20 young men left the cocoon of those Olympics in an otherwise sleepy little village, and discovered just how much they meant to millions of their countrymen.”

TEAM USA’S JIM CRAIG ON MAKING HISTORY: “To have a legacy with a group of guys that you respect and love and that you’re proud of, that’s a really special thing. We were able to do things that we never thought possible.”DICK BUTTON AND TRACY WILSON PREVIEWED TONIGHT’S ORIGINAL DANCE COMPETITIONMICHAELS ON ICE DANCING: “Hemlines are the controversy, only in ice dancing.”

BUTTON ON ICE DANCING: “It is the toughest of all events. And that’s because you can’t hide behind a quadruple jump or a highflying sit spin. If you don’t have solid skating skills, you aren’t going to make it in ice dancing.”

WILSON ON TONIGHT’S COMPETITION: “All of these teams are in striking distance of the gold medal.”MEN’S ICE HOCKEY: RUSSIA vs. CZECH REPUBLICBill Patrick (Host), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Mike Emrick (Play-by-Play), Eddie Olczyk (Analyst), Pierre McGuire (Reporter)Russia: 4 Czech Republic: 2

EMRICK ON THE STARS OF TODAY’S GAME: “Gonchar, Datsyuk, Malkin, Ovechkin, my goodness.”

OLCZYK ON RUSSIA’S ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: “You have to start with Alexander Ovechkin, of course, really the leader for this Russian team. Physical play, getting to those traffic areas, creating offensive opportunities. He’s always putting himself in a ready position.”

MCGUIRE ON OVECHKIN: “He’s a wrecking machine. He’s a skilled athlete and he’s an absolute offensive marble. With Alexander Ovechkin, every single time he touches a puck, you come to the edge of your seat. He’s just that special and that good.”

OLCZYK ON CZECH REPUBLIC’S JAROMIR JAGR: “He looks cool. He looks calm. He looks relaxed.”

MCGUIRE ON RUSSIA’S EVGENI MALKIN AND OVECHKIN AS TEAMMATES: “This is going to be a science experiment for the Russian team. Malkin and Ovechkin, they’re not in love with each other. That NHL Pittsburgh, Washington rivalry is tremendous.”

EMRICK ON THE INTENSITY OF THE GAME: “Not a game for the faint of heart.” 

OLCZYK ON THE CZECH REPUBLIC: “The difference in the game is, when you look at the score sheet, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, stepped to the forefront and the top offensive guys for the Czech Republic did not get anything done, consistently.

MEN’S BIATHLON 15KM MASS START GOLD MEDAL FINALAl Trautwig (Play-By-Play), Chad Salmela (Analyst)Gold: Evgeny Ustyugov, RussiaSilver: Martin Fourcade, FranceBronze: Pavol Hurajt, Slovakia

TRAUTWIG ON THE 15KM MASS START: “It all comes down to the shooting. The late misses have been absolute destroyers of good days.”

TRAUTWIG ON THE FINAL STRETCH OF THE COMPETITION: “They’re barking in Russian. They’re barking in French. They’re barking in all the languages you can imagine right now, up on the hills above the stadium. Right now, Evgeny Ustyugov of Russia has the lead, and there’s no one else in the picture.”

SALMELA ON NORWAY’S OLE EINAR BJOERNDALEN’S 27th PLACE FINISH: “Here is the king of biathlon, not the king today. Norway silenced.”

TRAUTWIG ON PAVOL HURAJT OF SLOVAKIA WINNING A MEDAL: “And it’s Pavol Hurajt, who does what no other Slovakia man has ever done.”MEN’S FREESTYLE SKIING SKI CROSS COMPETITION Todd Harris (Play-By-Play), Jonny Moseley (Analyst), Tina Dixon (Reporter)

HARRIS ON SKI CROSS: “It’s part NASCAR, part super-cross, a little part roller derby, four guys at a time coming down the mountain, 18 features, first to the bottom is your winner.”

“We take the top 32, seed them, and then release the hounds.”

MOSELEY ON SKI CROSS: “Imagine four guys side-by-side trying to get into some of these turns where there is arguably only one fast line.”

TEAM USA’S DARON RAHLVES ON SKI CROSS: “It’s like motor-cross on skis. There’s elements of NASCAR, bicycle racing, motor-cross and bull riding, all in one.”HARRIS ON THE LAST JUMP OF THE COURSE: “That last jump we’ve affectionately named ‘The Beast.’ You hit that at full speed with a medal on the line, you’re going to float about 90 to 100 feet down the hill.”

HARRIS ON SWITZERLAND’S MICHAEL SCHMID: “No surprise, Michael Schmid of Switzerland is your fastest.” 

MSNBC WOMEN’S CURLING: USA VS. CANADAFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Don Duguid (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)Canada: 9  USA: 2 (USA concedes at End 7) JONES ON USA’S DEBBIE MCCORMICK STRUGGLING DURING MATCH: “It just gets a little depressing when your skip isn’t making shots. You get a little down.” “I’ve walked a mile in Debbie’s shoes, and I know when you are not able to draw as a skip. It is agony, not just for yourself, but for your whole team.” CATALON ON CONTROVERSY OF DEBBIE MCCORMICK’S FATHER BEING THE HEAD COACH: “We’re at the Olympics. I don’t think this is fifth grade bitty basketball when the kid’s son plays because the dad’s son is the coach. This is the Winter Olympics.”

CATALON ON CONCEDING IN CURLING: “It is considered curling etiquette to concede if you feel the game is out of reach.” BELOW ARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM LAST NIGHT’S CNBC COVERAGECNBC10 p.m.  -  1 a.m. MEN’S CURLING: CANADA VS. GREAT BRITAINFred Roggin (Host) Andrew Catalon (Play-By-Play), Don Duguid (Analyst), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)Canada: 7  Great Britain: 6

JONES ON CANADA, GREAT BRITAIN RIVALRY: “This rivalry for curling fans is like the Red Sox and Yankees, it really is. Curling fans look forward to it so much.” DUGUID: “These guys are magicians with the curling rock.” JONES ON CANADIAN FANS: “If you’re not inspired when everyone in the arena stops and sings your national anthem to rally you to victory, that’s got to light a fire.”

CATALON ON THE GAME: “We expected a heavyweight battle, and we have had one.” ROGGIN ON THE MATCH: “ It certainly lived up to its billing as the match to see.”

Lastly to the primetime quotes which includes the thrilling USA-Canada men’s hockey game which was relegated to MSNBC.

BODE MILLER WINS GOLD; DAVIS & WHITE IN SECOND AFTER TWO ROUNDS OF ICE DANCING; TEAM USA DEFEATS CANADA IN HOCKEY

“A total rewrite of his Torino Olympic nightmare” – NBC’s Tim Ryan on Bode Miller

“This is going to send tremors through all of Canada.” – NBC’s Bob Costas on Canada’s loss to Team USA in hockey

VANCOUVER - Feb. 21, 2010 - Bode Miller won his third medal of these Games, his fifth Olympic medal overall, and his first-ever gold when he won the men’s super combined today, the 10th day of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. Miller’s five career medals are the second-most all time among men for alpine skiing.

Canada’s Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir lead the ice dancing competition after completing the original dance portion with Team USA’s Meryl Davis & Charlie White right behind in second place. Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto of the US are fourth with Russia’s Oksana Doinina & Maxim Shabalin in third. Ice dancing concludes with the free dance tomorrow night.

Ski cross made its primetime Olympic debut with Switzerland’s Michael Schmid winning the first-ever gold in the sport. Germany’s Andre Lang won his fourth career gold medal in bobsled when he and his brakeman, Kevin Kuske, won the two man. In women’s 1500m speed skating, Ireen Wust of the Netherlands won gold. On CNBC, Great Britain defeated the US, 4-2, in men’s curling.

On MSNBC, the US men’s ice hockey team defeated host nation Canada, 5-3, on the strength of two goals by Brian Rafalski and 42 saves by goaltender of Ryan Miller. The win was Team USA’s third, earning them the top spot in Group A, and bye in the quarterfinals.

NBC primetime joined the game for its conclusion. Host Bob Costas, daytime host Al Michaels and Olympic correspondent Cris Collinsworth offered postgame commentary. Michaels and Collinsworth were at the arena.Costas: “This is going to send tremors through all of Canada.”

Michaels on the atmosphere in the arena: “When we walked into the building, it was just electric and it stayed that way until the very end.” Collinsworth on the importance of this game to Canada: “You could take all the emotion from all the other sports all week and put them in one pile. This is the moment that mattered to them.” Collinsworth on US goalie Ryan Miller’s 42 saves: “Jim Craig was so awesome back in 1980 but if he were better than Ryan Miller, I’d be surprised.”

Costas interviewed Apolo Ohno, now the most decorated US Winter Olympian ever, in studio.Ohno on his remaining races: “I’m here because I want to win. I’m here because I love competing. And we have two of the most crazy races left in short track. One is the 500m, which is a pure sprint. The other is the 5000m four-man relay. And there’s going to be five teams in that relay final. I’m excited. It’s going to be fun.” Ohno on if he’ll return for Sochi in 2014. “I don’t know. I’m taking it one week at a time.”ALPINE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Tim RyanAnalysts: Todd BrookerReporter: Steve Porino Brooker on Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindel: “He’s got everything going for him at these Olympics.” Ryan on Bode Miller: “Capable at any time of medaling.” Brooker on Miller: “Bode Miller seems to be in the perfect place this year -- mentally, physically, emotionally. He’s talked about being inspired by winning and inspired by those great runs. He’s inspired, more than anything, by the Olympics. That’s something we didn’t hear from him in Torino.” Ryan on Miller: “If Svindal is a comeback story of a horrible injury -- Bode Miller is a comeback story in terms of results.” “He’s loving life.” Brooker on Miller: “He’s one of the most versatile skiers in history.”

Brooker on Ted Ligety: “I don’t think there’s anybody on tour that can build a more wicked edge with his body.” Brooker on Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic, who would go on to win silver: “Nothing but composure, rhythm and balance. He is right in the sweet spot of his ski.” Brooker on Miller’s slalom run: “That was absolutely an outrageous run. His best run of the season.” Ryan on Miller’s success in Vancouver: “A total rewrite of his Torino Olympic nightmare.” Bode Miller: “I’ll tell you, I was kind of on fumes. I can’t describe to you how much that takes out of me, the first couple races. I felt awesome about it but it’s still mentally and emotionally exhausting to do that after years and years of not really doing it like that. 

“I realized this morning that I got up and I thought, ‘I have one leg that’s injured and one leg’s on my boat already.’ I knew I had to dig deep and get fired up for this race because this is probably my best chance to win. But it takes a huge amount of mental stamina to race to that. You have a full downhill that you know you have to push on. And then you have to rest, get back, recover -- which is extra hard to me because of my physical conditioning, and then come out and run. 

“You saw the way the slalom is with Kostelic and all those guys are phenomenal slalom skiers too. I had to get fired up to take maximum risk. I went out of the gate crazy again but was completely cashed at the bottom. That last pitch, my legs started to feel real wobbly, I didn’t feel like I was even looking at the gates anymore. 

“When I crossed the line, I did my normal thing where I stood for a second and thought, ‘That was unbelievable.’ I can’t ask for anything more. For my first Olympic gold, it’s absolutely perfect.”   Costas on Miller’s performance in Vancouver: “Could he have written his comeback story any better?”FIGURE SKATING:Play-by-Play: Tom HammondAnalysts: Tracy Wilson Reporter: Andrea Joyce

Hammond on Russia’s Oksana Domnina and Maksim Shabalin, who wore controversial Aboriginal costumes: “Aside from looking ridiculous, does it affect the judges?”

Wilson: “It does come into play.”

Wilson on Davis & White: “That was the performance they were looking for. They pushed it to the edge. They kept the flow throughout the dance. Sophisticated, intricate choreography. A well-delivered routine for Meryl and Charlie.” White: “Momentum is on our side, definitely, going into the free dance. That definitely gives us the confidence and now we’re very attune to the crowd out there. We’re ready to go out there and skate a great free.” Wilson on Canada’s Virtue & Moir: “I said they had to bring it and they brought their best.”  Wilson on Belbin/Agosto: “They certainly did look good and they delivered a strong performance.”

Wilson on the rivalry between Virtue/Moir, Davis/White and Belbin/Agosto: “They just keep jostling for new heights.” Scott Moir after his skate: “We really do like our chances. We think Meryl & Charlie and us two, we think that’s the new ice dancing system, that’s the way it has to be. We’re very excited, but we’re really just skating for the moment.”SPEED SKATING:Play-by-Play: Dan HicksAnalyst: Dan JansenReporter: Andrea Kremer Hicks on the Netherlands passion for speed skating: “That’s how the Dutch treat their speed skaters, like royalty.” Jansen on Dutch skater Ireen Wust: “That has a good shot for a podium, if not gold.” Jansen on Ireen Wust winning gold: “The shocks just keep coming here. Just surprise after surprise.”  “It’s going to be another big night at the Holland House.”FREESTYLE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Todd HarrisAnalyst: Jonny MoseleyReporter: Tina Dixon

Harris on the course: “The course is bust-out, rock-solid.” Collinsworth on Canada’s Chris Del Bosco overcoming his destructive past: “He enters these games as a true medal contender, but perhaps more importantly, as a survivor with a message.” Collinsworth on Del Bosco: “Chris hopes today is the second day of his life. The best day: September 6, 2006, the day he had his last drink.” Harris on Del Bosco: “Clean, sober, and oh, so fast on skis.” “Del Bosco goes too big -- Chris Del Bosco is down on the course.”

Harris on Swiss skier Michael Schmid: “And complete domination by that man, Michael Schmid, from start to finish.” “He skied with the precision of a Swiss watch.” “Michael Schmid goes into the Olympic history books as the first ever Olympic champion in ski cross.”BOBSLED:Play-by-Play: Bob PapaAnalyst: John MorganReporter: Lewis Johnson Morgan: “The Russians are powering themselves to a medal.” Morgan on Germany’s Andre Lange, who won gold: “This is a legend in the making.”

MSNBC, Men’s Ice Hockey:USA 5 vs. Canada 3Bill Patrick (Host), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Mike Emrick (Play-By-Play), Ed Olczyk (Analyst), Joe Micheletti (Reporter)

Olczyk: “What a day this has been. We are lucky because this rink, this day in my mind sees more hockey talent than any tournament than I can ever remember.”

“It’s great to be a part, to be able to bring the greatest game in the world to all of our great fans. I think the city of Vancouver has done a wonderful job hosting these games.”Olczyk on USA’s Ryan Miller: “Two things have really stuck out in this game with Ryan Miller. His aggressive goaltending when the time presents itself, coming out, cutting down the angles, trusting his defenseman and his forward to help clear out a lot of the rebounds. And second is his handling of the puck. There’s been about four or five times when he’s handled the puck, and he’s moved it right out of harms way and allowed his defenseman to make the right play. Lots of composure.”Olczyk on Miller: “Sensational goaltending.”

Milbury on Team USA: “Everyone that’s grown up in USA hockey knows that the Olympics is the be all, end all. And in this venue in Vancouver, on this go round, it is going to be their time to shine.”Roenick on Canada wanting gold: “Here on home soil in Canada that is all they think about from coast to coast. This is everything to them.”

Roenick on Canada’s energy: “They’re intense. The butterflies are going like crazy.”Olczyk:  “Boy, this has been tremendously, tremendous. This has been an outstanding hockey game between Canada and the U.S.”Emrick: “What a day for hockey this has been in Vancouver.”

Olczyk: “An unbelievable effort by Team USA.”Olczyk on Canada’s pressure to win gold: “That elephant got a little heavier on the shoulders of Canada.”USA’s Ryan Miller on beating Canada: “It is Canada and U.S. We are happy to get the win, and we’re happy to get the extra day to rest up because that was a hard game. We are really happy about our progress so far. The biggest thing is to keep building and to learn from this game and look forward to our next test.”Roenick on “Miracle on Ice” 30th anniversary: “I was 10 years old when ’80 happened and no question that win alone made me want to be an Olympic hockey player. When Al Michaels said at the end of that game, ‘Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe in miracles?’ It made me believe and it pushed me to get into the NHL and to be an Olympian.”Patrick on Canada’s Sidney Crosby: “Crosby, of course, the face of Canadian hockey these days. The 22-year-old star from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Penguins captain, he led that team to the Stanley Cup last season and now the pressure is on to deliver a gold medal for his country.”

Milbury on Crosby: “I think he is now almost immune to the kind of pressure that we are feeling here. This is a big stage, he wants to be here, and he’s dreamed about being here for this particular event. I don’t think Sidney Crosby is feeling butterflies at all. I think he is just scheming on how he is going to beat the Americans.”Roenick on Crosby: “There is no Canadian player that’s had more hype or more marketability since Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux than Sidney Crosby. This kid can do it all.”Roenick on USA’s Brian Kesler: “He’s a big, bad body with a lot of speed. This kid can fly. You add his grit and tenacity that makes one tough guy to play against, and he’s going to be a force tonight against Sidney Crosby.”Roenick on USA’s Zach Parise: “This kid’s got serious, serious skill. Serious speed.”

Canada’s Rick Nash on the game: “Tonight, against a skilled American team, we knew we had to play more physical.”

CNBC, Men’s Curling:
Great Britain 4 vs. USA 2
Fred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-By-Play), Don Duguid (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)

USA’s Jason Smith on changing their lineup: “I think if anything it’s made us all closer.”

Great Britain’s David Murdoch on moving ahead: “We are fighting back now and that’s the important thing. We’ve still got a good chance.”

Catalon on Great Britain’s David Murdoch: “Considered by many to be the most famous non-Canadian Curler in the World.”

Catalon on Team USA: “Well, whatever lineup they put out there, the U.S. is in desperate need of a win. Time is running short.”

Catalon: “Hard fought game, and the Americans come up short. They are now 2-5.”

And that’s it for this post.

Olympic Quotage From NBC Universal’s Networks For Day 9 of The Winter Games

I fell asleep last night refusing to stay up late after watching late night hockey and curling so I could be totally ready to watch tonight’s USA-Canada men’s hockey game. So let’s provide you with what normally would have been the regular late night features during the Olympics.

First, here are highlights from Universal Sports’ studio shows from the 1st week of the Winter Olympics.

Breaking News, High-profile Olympic guests and in-depth Information Highlight Universal Sports First Week in Vancouver

SATURDAY, February 20, 2010 — Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games (USVG) first week-ever of Olympic-related coverage brought viewers much closer to the Winter Games than they’ve ever been before through the five hours of news and information programming offered since Friday, February 12, and continuing through Sunday, February 28.

Key Breaking News/Information:

·       Craig Hummer, who hosts the Vancouver News Desk, has updated viewers daily on the up-to-the minute results and current happenings in Vancouver, including Lindsey Vonn’s downhill gold medal and Bode Miller’s two medal-winning efforts as well as other daily events in Vancouver.  

·       In addition, Terry Gannon and Lindsey Soto have opened each show (10AM ET daily) with up-to-the-minute news, schedule changes and medal counts and continue to do so throughout Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz.

·       UniversalSports.com has seen a three-fold increase in web traffic since the start of the Vancouver Olympic Games.

High-profile Olympic Guests:

Each show of USVG: “Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz (VONC and MB),” “Behind the Games,” “Meet The Olympic Press,” “Vancouver Review and Preview” and “Figure Skating Review and Preview,” have hosted a myriad of the biggest names in the Olympic movement from around the world.

2010 Olympic Champions on USVG:

Kelly Clark, 2002 Olympic Halfpipe Gold Medalist, 2010 Olympic Halfpipe Bronze Medalist

Hannah Teter, 2006 Olympic Halfpipe Gold Medalist, 2010 Olympic Halfpipe Silver Medalist

Evan Lysacek, 2010 Olympic Figure Skating Gold medalist

Andrew Weibrecht, 2010 Olympic Super G Bronze Medalist

Shaun White, 2006 and 2010 Olympic Halfpipe Gold Medalist

Hosts:

Terry Gannon, host of “VONC and MB” and “Figure Skating Review/Preview“

Jimmy Roberts, host of “Meet the Olympic Press”

Lindsey Soto, host of “Vancouver Review/Preview”

Craig Hummer, host of “Vancouver News Update”

Analysts:

Sandra Bezic, NBC Figure Skating Analyst

Jeremy Bloom, 2002 and 2006 Olympian, two-time Freestyle World Cup champion

Brian Boitano, 1988 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist

Peter Carruthers, 1984 Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Silver Medalist

John Coyle, 1994 Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Silver Medalist

Stacey Dales, Vancouver sideline reporter

Andy Gabel, 1994 Olympic Speed Skating Silver Medalist and Speed Skating analyst

Cammi Granato, 1998 Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medalist

Scott Hamilton, 1984 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist

Kenan Harkin, Snowboarding analyst 

Doug Lewis, 1984 & 1988 Alpine Skiing Olympian

Elizabeth Manley, 1988 Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist

AJ Mleczko, 1998 Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medalist and 2002 Olympic Silver Medalist

Summer Sanders, 1992 Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist and Whistler sideline reporter

Tom Steitz, former U.S. Nordic Combined Team Coach

Picabo Street, 1998 Olympic Alpine Skiing Gold Medalist

Tracy Wilson, 1988 Olympic Ice Dancing Bronze Medalist

Paul Wylie, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist

Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist

Olympic Press:

Alan Abrahamson, NBC and Universal Sports

Brian Cazeneuve, Sports Illustrated

Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times and honoree of the Hockey Hall of Fame

Andrea Joyce, NBC Figure Skating Reporter

Phil Hersh, Chicago Tribune

Vicki Michaelis, USA Today

Ben Mulroney, CTV sports analyst

John Powers, Boston Globe

Amy Shipley, Washington Post

Guests:

David Barba, co-producer of reality show “Be Good Johnny Weir”

Jeanne Beker, host of Fashion TV in Canada

Dick Button, 1948 & 1952 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist

Frank Carroll, coach of Evan Lysacek

Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, the first Yupik Eskimo to become an Olympian

Sasha Cohen, 2006 Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist

Robert and Sue Celski, parents of short track speed skater J.R. Celski

Marie-France Dubreuil, Canadian Ice Dancer and 2006 & 2007 World Ice Dancing Silver Medalist

Elizabeth Halverson, founder of Cowbell.com

Paul Hochman, Fast Company contributor and Gear and Technology Editor for The Today Show

Shawn Johnson, 2008 Olympic Gymnastics Gold Medalist and Dancing with the Stars Champion

Tara Lipinski, 1998 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist

David Lauren, Chief Marketing Officer for Polo Ralph Lauren

Patrice Lauzon, Canadian Ice Dancer and 2006 & 2007 World Ice Dancing Silver Medalist

Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympic Gymnastics Gold Medalist

Don & Tanya Lysacek, parents of men’s figure skater and 2010 Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek

Tamara Moskvina, coach for Russian pairs Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov

Eddie Olczyk, NBC Hockey Analyst

Robert Paul, 1960 Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Gold Medalist

James Pellerito, co-producer of reality show “Be Good Johnny Weir”

David Pelletier, 2002 Pairs Figure Skating Olympic Gold Medalist

Jeremy Roenick, NBC Hockey Analyst

Carrie Sheinberg, 1998 Olympian and sports reporter

Jamie Salé, 2002 Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Gold Medalist

Vasily Soloviev, NTV Sports Commentator

Barbara Wagner, 1960 Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Gold Medalist

Vera Wang, American fashion designer and former competitive figure skater

Andrea Webber, mother of women’s Alpine downhill Silver Medalist Julia Mancuso

Michael Weiss, Two-time Olympian and professional figure skater

 

Key Quotes FROM THE WEEK:

Jimmy Roberts, NBC Sports reporter and host of “Meet the Olympic Press” (on Eric Heiden’s five speed skating gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid): “I think what Heiden did is the single greatest athletic accomplishment of all time. The hardest thing to do as an athlete is win when you’re expected to win. Lose, and there’s no place to hide.”

On Plushenko’s performance in the Men’s Short Program:

Paul Wylie, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist: “He takes the ice and blows everyone back — just a lot of cockiness.”

Peter Carruthers, 1984 Olympic Pairs Silver Medalist and Figure Skating analyst: “He completely owns these quad jumps. It’s not a question of ‘if’ he’s going to do (a quad jump in his long program), but how well he’s going to do it.”

Brian Boitano, 1988 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist: “He’s so nonchalant, saving it all for the long program. He’s going to be on fire. He’s going to be so focused. He and Evan are the two most focused skaters out there.”

On Lysacek’s performance in the Men’s Short Program:

Wylie: “He might have stolen the show. I thought he was everything he needed to be. All of the elements were very crisp. He is a machine, very well trained and he has a great opportunity for the gold against Plushenko.“

On Lysacek’s gold medal effort and judging in the Men’s Free Skate:

Wylie: “The right guy won; the reason is because figure skating is about more than one jump (the quad). We’re in a transition time. Evan can look back with a lot of pride. He worked the system. He had an awesome night…the strategy of back-adding those jumps at the end worked.”

On Plushenko’s performance in the Men’s Free Skate:

Yamaguchi (on Plushenko saying Lysacek isn’t the true champion absent performing the quad): “I’m offended by that.  It’s poor sportsmanship.  It just doesn’t look good coming from second place. Plushenko landed the quad, but the rest of his elements were not landed cleanly.”

John Powers, Boston Globe reporter and guest on “Meet the Olympic Press” (on Plushenko’s program): “He was leaking points all over the place, like an old Soviet car leaking oil.”

On the new figure skating scoring system:

Andrea Joyce, NBC Olympics reporter: “Would Nancy Kerrigan have won the gold medal in 1994 with this system (she won silver)? I think she would have, yes.”

Kenan Harkin, Snowboarding analyst (on how to amass speed on the snowboard cross course): “In the halfpipe, air is essential, but not so on the snowboard cross course. You want a straight jump and to stay low and get on the backside of the jump. It’s not just gravity; there’s a lot of little bits of finesse that creates speed. “

On Bode Miller’s performance

Amy Shipley, Washington Post reporter (on Bode Miller’s evolution since the 2006 Winter Olympic Games):  “It’s problematic NOT to use the genius, it’s disrespectful to the competition and your spot on the Olympic team. They (the public) weren’t upset that he failed in Torino (skied out of the course), they were upset that he lacked respect and spent his time in the bars, and didn’t do well.”

Jimmy Roberts, NBC Sports reporter and host of “Meet the Olympic Press”: “You don’t know what you’re going to get with Bode – it’s like watching a NASCAR race.”

Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympic Gymnastics Gold Medalist: “Of the Summer and Winter Olympic sports, figure skating and gymnastics are the most similar, with the artistry, judging, music and choreography. They relate well. …(On returning to competitive gymnastics): “I took the year off, but I have London in the back of my mind.”

Tom Steitz, former U.S. Nordic Combined Team Coach, on Johnny Spillane winning the United States’ first-ever Nordic combined medal: “It’s like the Boston Red Sox and the Curse of the Bambino. It took 86 years to reverse the curse. I don’t know if there’s ever going to be a more exciting day than today. Ten years ago, there was no way we could have medaled. We all come the Olympics hoping. But to be realistic (thinking this could happen)?  No.”

Alan Abrahamson, NBC and Universal Sports reporter (trend of U.S. doing better in Nordic combined/biathlon):  “It’s by design. The U.S. has invested time and money into these sports.  It’s clear, to win the medal count, you need to win medals in Nordic combined and biathlon, since there’s so many medals available.”

Vicki Michaelis, USA Today reporter (On the Americans having only two spots in Ladies singles figure skating events, and no medals in past two World Championships): “The decline in (ladies) figure skating was possibly created by the dominance of Michelle Kwan for so long. But it’s a momentary lapse, the women will be back.”

Eddie Olczyk, NBC Hockey analyst: “(In Canada) Olympic hockey is the most important thing to them.  To play for their home country…winning Olympic gold is more important than winning the (NHL) Stanley Cup.”

SCHEDULE FOR THE UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK – SUNDAY, FEB. 21, 2010:

12 – 12:30 PM                                     Meet The Olympic Press

1: 30 – 2 PM                                         Vancouver Review/Preview

2 – 3 PM                                               Figure Skating Review/Preview

Now your daytime quotage from NBC’s networks from Saturday.

DAY 9 DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS OF NBC WINTER OLYMPICS COVERAGE

“You can rightly put him in the Shaun White, Michael Phelps category in his pursuit in his native land.” –NBC’s Matt Vasgersian on Switzerland’s Simon Ammann

“Life is absolutely wonderful.”- Women’s halfpipe gold medalist Torah Bright of Australia

VANCOUVER - February 20, 2010 - Daytime coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games continued today on NBC and MSNBC. On NBC, live coverage included the ski jumping individual K125 gold medal final, men’s cross-country 30km pursuit gold medal final and women’s freestyle skiing aerials competition. Live MSNBC coverage included men’s hockey with Switzerland facing off against Norway and in men’s curling USA taking on Sweden.

Women’s snowboard halfpipe gold medalist Torah Bright of Australia stopped by to chat with daytime host Al Michaels about women’s snowboarding and winning the gold.

Coverage highlights include:

NBCWOMEN’S HALFPIPE GOLD MEDALIST TORAH BRIGHT ON KNOWING SHE HAD WON GOLD: “I felt that if I landed that run I had a fairly good chance of being where I am now.”

BRIGHT ON WATCHING THE REST OF THE COMPETITION AFTER HER FINAL RUN: “As I watched all the girls come down, I was just praying for safety, what I always pray for, just everyone’s safety. Just wishing that everybody would have their best run. It’s all about our progression as riders ourselves, but also the progression of the sport so you just want to see each other do well.”

BRIGHT ON HER FAMILY SURPRISING HER AT THE GOLD MEDAL FINAL: “My family had kept it a complete secret that my parents were coming. A year ago they weren’t coming, six months ago they weren’t coming, three months ago they weren’t coming. They just weren’t coming. After I finished my second run, my brother pointed up to the stand and said, ‘Do you see Mom and Dad up there?’ And I burst into tears. I couldn’t believe it.”

BRIGHT ON WINNING GOLD AND GETTING MARRIED IN JUNE: “Life is absolutely wonderful.”SKI JUMPING INDIVIDUAL K125 GOLD MEDAL FINALMatt Vasgersian (Play-By-Play), Jeff Hastings (Analyst)Gold: Simon Ammann, SwitzerlandSilver: Adam Malysz, PolandBronze: Gregor Schlierenzauer, Austria

HASTINGS ON BIG HILL JUMPING VS. NORMAL HILL: “The normal hill is more about precision. This is about being fearless.”

VASGERSIAN ON SWITZERLAND’S SIMON AMMANN ON MAKING OLYMPIC HISTORY: “Four Olympic Gold Medals for Simon Ammann. A record for Olympic Ski Jumping. In his native Switzerland, folks there are certainly well aware. More gold medals than any other Swiss Olympic athlete, Summer or Winter Games. You can rightly put him in the Shaun White, Michael Phelps category in his pursuit in his native land.”

“If Rodger Daltrey had the most popular scream in Rock ‘n’ Roll and Howard Dean the most popular scream in politics, then Ammann’s gold medal ‘Ya!’ has got to be the most famous scream in ski jumping history.”

HASTINGS ON AMMANN: “He put down the first run so strong, and basically challenged the rest of the field to try and catch him. No one came close to it, and he threw down another beauty.”MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY 30KM PURSUIT GOLD MEDAL FINALAl Trautwig (Play-By-Play), Chad Salmela (Analyst)Gold: Marcus Hellner, SwedenSilver: Tobias Angerer, GermanyBronze: Johan Olsson, Sweden

TRAUTWIG ON SWEDEN TAKING GOLD AND BRONZE: “We have two Swedes who have the greatest day they could’ve imagined in these Winter Olympic Games.”

SALMELA ON THE KING OF SWEDEN IN ATTENDENCE: “The king of Sweden is on hand today. That is a special treat for the Swedes to have their king on a gold and bronze day.”WOMEN’S FREESTYLE SKIING AERIALS COMPETITION Todd Harris (Play-By-Play), Jonny Moseley (Analyst), Tina Dixon (Reporter)

MOSELEY ON USA’S EMILY COOK: “She’s been on fire today. Consistent, performing under the pressure.”

HARRIS ON COOK: “Her second run was absolutely money.”

MOSELEY ON CHINA’S XU MENGTAO: “She could be the future of this Chinese team.”

MOSELEY ON LYDIA LASSILA OF AUSTRALIA: “This is the only woman that has upset the Chinese this year in competition.”

MSNBC MEN’S ICE HOCKEY: SWITZERLAND VS. NORWAYBill Patrick (Host), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Mike Emrick (Play-by-Play), Eddie Olczyk (Analyst), Pierre McGuire (Reporter)Switzerland: 5 Norway: 4 ROENICK ON THE GAME: “We have seen some of the best goals that we have seen in this tournament today. Unbelievable talent, unbelievable teamwork.” ROENICK ON TEAM SWITZERLAND ENJOYING THE OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE: “You look on the bench, and they’re all laughing, having fun and having a blast. That’s what the Olympic experience is like; it’s good to see.” EMRICK ON SWITZERLAND: "Only the third over-time winning goal in the Olympics." OLCZYK ON TEAM NORWAY: “The resiliency of this team and being able to overcome those momentum surges by the Swiss, that’s what the Olympic games are about. It’s about creating opportunity, taking advantage of those momentum surges, and just playing within yourself.”

MILBURY ON THE GAME: “This was the most entertaining game of the Olympics.”MEN’S CURLING: USA VS. SWEDENFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-Play), Don Duguid (Analyst) Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)USA: 8    Sweden: 7 ROGGIN ON USA'S JOHN SHUSTER BEING BENCHED: “It’s like pulling your quarterback after a losing streak, winning, and then changing back again.”

CATALON ON TEAM USA’S JASON SMITH WINNING THE MATCH FOR USA: “Jason Smith comes through in the clutch, and the U.S. wins its 2nd in a row!” CATALON ON TEAM USA: “This looks like a different team, it’s amazing what one win will do.”  DUGUID ON TEAM USA’S JOHN SHUSTER’S COOPERATION: “Being the great guy that he is, he said, ‘Ok, well I’m going to live by the decision, but I’m going to support my boys.’  And he did that.  So now he is back in, and he took that chance and now he’s playing third. He’s taken that decision really well, so by in large he’s been very strong about this whole thing.”   SCHLEGEL ON THE STRATEGY OF USA’S HEAD COACH PHIL DROBNICK: “Phil told me that there was never a question that John Shuster wouldn’t be back in the game, they new the plan back on Thursday. This break was really just a chance for John to clear his brain and refocus. The challenge, however, for the team is to maintain the energy they found with Chris Plys yesterday and as for Jason Smith throwing last, Phil says they have a hot hand and they are going to keep him rolling. It’s minimal change all around and the team is 110 % behind the decisions made.”  DUGUID ON SWEDEN: “Sweden really plays an aggressive game. A lot of rocks on play; they are not afraid to mix it up.” BELOW HIGHLIGHTS ARE FROM THIS MORNING’S MSNBC COVERAGEMSNBCMidnight - 3:00 a.m.MEN’S ICE HOCKEY: FINLAND vs. GERMANYBill Patrick (Host), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Kenny Albert (Play-by-Play), Joe Micheletti (Analyst)Finland: 5 Germany: 0  ALBERT ON TEAM FINLAND’S VICTORY: “A 5-0 victory for Finland over Germany. There’s Teemu Selanne, he sets an Olympic record with his 37th career point!” TEAM FINLAND’S TEEMU SELANNE ON BREAKING AN OLYMPIC SCORING RECORD: “I am not so big of a number guy, especially now when I’m still playing. Maybe one day when I’m not playing I’ll look back and I’ll get a little feeling. But, obviously I’ve played a long time and this is my fifth Olympics, and I’ve always played with great players. They have really helped me and making this possible. It’s a nice honor.” TEAM FINLAND’S TEEMU SELANNE ON RIVALRY WITH SWEDEN:“We have a really love and hate relationship with the Swedes. Individually they are all great guys but as a country we always try to compete against each other, and we think they are like our big brothers. It’s hard to beat them, but once in a while you got to do it. So, hopefully Sunday we can do it.” TEAM FINLAND’S KIMMO TIMONEN ON TEEMU SELANNE BREAKING AN OLYMPIC SCORING RECORD:“Well, we all know Teemu and what kind of person he is. Off the ice he is great. Great teammate if you need help; he is always there to help you out. Obviously on the ice, how many goals he has scored throughout his career; he is a great piece of our team and a great guy as well.”  TEAM GERMANY’S CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF ON VANCOUVER:“It’s a lot of fun, it’s a great city and a great host.”

BELOW ARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM LAST NIGHT’S CNBC COVERAGECNBC5:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.WOMEN’S CURLING: CANADA VS. SWEDENFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-Play), Don Duguid (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)Canada: 5  Denmark: 4 DUGUID ON CANADA UNDER PRESSURE: “The big thing about this team is if it’s close, they are dynamite. Nothing bothers them, pressure doesn’t bother them.” SCHLEGEL ON CANADA: “The Canadians have never won a national title, they’ve never been to a world championship, and curling fans have been a bit critical saying they lack experience to win gold. Canadian coach Elaine Jackson says, ‘they have surpassed expectations; they’re should be no question that they are equipped to win with a perfect record so far.’” DUGUID ON CANADA: “They’ve got great character, great discipline and they’re a good curling team.” CATALON ON CANADIAN FANS: “Fans expect a lot, but they are incredibly supportive.”  CATALON ON DENMARK:  “Technically Denmark is right there with the other teams but it’s mentally, it’s the confidence that Denmark lacks.”

And we have quotage from NBC’s primetime coverage.

APOLO OHNO BECOMES MOST-DECORATED US WINTER OLYMPIAN EVER; SHANI DAVIS WINS SILVER; LINDSEY VONN EARNS BRONZE

“Apolo Anton Ohno has just set US Winter Olympics history. It’s Apolo Seven.” – NBC’s Ted Robinson

“Switzerland, neutral in terms of all global conflicts, but superior when it comes to ski jumping.” – NBC’s Bob Costas

VANCOUVER - Feb. 20, 2010 - Apolo Ohno became the most decorated US Winter Olympian ever when he earned his seventh career medal by taking bronze in the men’s short track 1000 meters on the ninth day of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

Ohno, whose seven career medals consist of two gold, two silver, and three bronze, broke a tie with Bonnie Blair, who accumulated six medals (five gold, one bronze) in speed skating in the 1980-90s. Ohno’s bronze in the 1000 meters is his second of the these Games. He won silver in the 1500 meters on Day 2 of competition.

Speed skater Shani Davis earned his second medal of the Games with a silver in the men’s 1500 meters. He won gold in the 1000 meters on Wednesday. Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn also won her second medal of the Vancouver Olympics with a bronze in the women’s Super-G. She won gold in the women’s downhill on Wednesday. The US leads the medal count with 23.

Steven Holcomb and Curt Tomasevicz drove USA 1 to fourth place after two heats in two-man bobsled competition. Their total time is only 0.62 off the pace of the leaders, Andre Lange and Kevin Kuske in Germany 1. The competition concludes tomorrow.

Primetime host Bob Costas featured the double gold medal feat of Switzerland ski jumper Simon Ammann. Costas: “Switzerland, neutral in terms of all global conflicts, but superior when it comes to ski jumping.” 

The national anthems of Canada and Great Britain were played during the men’s and women’s skeleton medal ceremonies, which were won by Jon Montgomery and Amy Williams, respectively.

On cable, Team USA defeated Great Britain, 6-5, in overtime in women’s curling on CNBC. Slovakia defeated Latvia, 6-0, in men’s hockey on MSNBC.SHORT TRACK:Play-by-Play: Ted RobinsonAnalyst: Andy GabelReporter: Andrea Joyce

Gabel on Ohno: “He has all the tools it takes to be great. He’s fast, he’s smart, he’s strong, and tactically, he’s one of the best, if not the best in the world.”

Gabel on JR Celski: “It’s just amazing what this young man has achieved so far.” Robinson on Korea placing two skaters in the final: “And the Koreans, again find a way to survive.” Gabel on Ohno’s semi-final move: “That was a near miracle.”

Gabel on the atmosphere before the final: “I’ve seen a lot of short track speed skating races in my life - I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced anything like this. The place is absolutely packed.”  Robinson: “It’s the Koreans 1-2 and Apolo Ohno wins bronze!” Gabel: “What an amazing pass by Lee Ho-Suk to get to the front.” Robinson: “Apolo Anton Ohno has just set US Winter Olympics history. It’s Apolo Seven.” Robinson on Ohno: “So the consistency and the brilliance of Apolo Anton Ohno over three Olympic games highlighted by a silver and a bronze here in Vancouver.” Ohno: “It was a great race. I skated very hard. I moved up into prime position with two or three laps to go and I felt great. In my head, I thought the race was mine but I made one bad slip and that’s where I lost all my speed.” Ohno on coming back from being in fifth place: “I think just experience. I knew the Koreans would be coming around any minute. But again, because I had that big slip I lost so much speed.”  On his seven medals: “It feels amazing, especially in a sport as volatile as short track speed skating. This is my third Olympic Games, and there’s no other athlete here competing that have gone three Olympic Games and medaled every time. I did my best. If I didn’t make that slip, I think I would’ve been able to win the race. But there’s no ‘ifs,’ ‘ands’ or ‘if I could’ve.’ No regrets, I’m happy to race and I left it all on the ice.” SPEED SKATING:Play-by-Play: Dan HicksAnalyst: Dan JansenReporter: Andrea Kremer

Hicks on Chad Hedrick: “This 1500 meter race is what he’s been looking forward to for years.” Hicks on Hedrick being eliminated from medal contention: “Hedrick, out of the medals in his final individual event of his Olympic career.” Hicks on Shani Davis: “And Davis with the silver.” Costas on the Netherland’s Mark Tuitert winning the gold medal: “This is their national pastime when it comes to sports. This is so huge there.”

Davis to Kremer on trying to top the best time: “I thought it was a doable time. I went for it. Just really hard ice conditions for me. I was really tired. I fought as much as I could but today the last outer was too much for me to bear. I just couldn’t do it today but I tried my best and I’m happy with the results.” On his race: “I was trying to go out there and leave it all on the track and I was able to. But it was silver today instead of a gold. It’s ok. It’ll keep me motivated. That’s my favorite race. I want to win it someday.”ALPINE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Tim RyanAnalysts: Todd Brooker and Christin CooperReporter: Steve Porino Cooper on the conditions: “It’s just like concrete up there - Just perfect, difficult, challenging conditions.”

Cooper on Julia Mancuso taking a wide turn: “A massive mistake there.” Cooper on Lindsey Vonn’s injury: “She’s proven the ability to overcome it. Even on this rough and tumble course.” Ryan on Vonn after finishing her race: “Well that’ll make her forget her slalom.” Ryan on gold medal winner Fischbacher: “She’s so excited she nearly smacked herself in the face with her ski.” Fischbacher on her race: “It was a really crazy run.” Vonn on her race: “I’m happy with it. I definitely think I could’ve skied better, I thought I skied the most difficult sections on the top well. But I wasn’t letting the ski run on the bottom, I wasn’t as clean as I could’ve been. I should’ve risked more but hindsight is 20-20 and I’m really happy with another medal.” Vonn on the U.S. ski team’s success: “It’s amazing. Bode and Weibrecht getting silver and bronze yesterday was so cool -- I think we’re definitely fueling off each other. We’re all getting inspired by each other. I think Bode said it well yesterday, when you see one of your teammates having success, it makes you want that even more. We definitely have the determination and the skill, and we’re putting it all out on the line at these Games and it’s definitely coming through for us.” Ryan: “The US assault on Whistler continued in the women’s Super G.”BOBSLED:Play-by-Play: Bob PapaAnalyst: John MorganReporter: Lewis Johnson Papa describing an ideal body type for bobsled: “Think of Brian Urlacher, the middle linebacker for the Bears, and his explosion with that size and power.” Morgan on the US’s Steve Holcomb’s good second run: “If he does that the next two heats, he’s got a chance to medal.”

Holcomb: “It was a decent run, we had a little mistakes at the top, a few minor things in the middle. It kept us in the mix, but I think we can go faster tomorrow. We just have to go back to the village, watch some video and come out tomorrow fighting.”CNBC, Women’s Curling:USA 6 vs. Great Britain 5, OTFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter) Catalon on USA’s win: “Maybe the tide is turning for the U.S.” Jones: “If you are a fan of U.S. curling, you’ve gotten used to these nail biters. It seems that both the men’s and women’s games have all come down to high drama.”Jones on Team USA gaining momentum: “Success breeds success within a program.”  Jones on Great Britain’s Jackie Lockhart: “She’s one of those players that when she gets on a roll, she gets fired up and she just keeps playing better and better. You don’t want Jackie Lockhart on a roll. She is awesome.”  MSNBC, Men’s Ice Hockey:Slovakia 6 vs. Latvia 0Bill Patrick (Host), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Kenny Albert (Play-By-Play), Joe Micheletti (Analyst) Roenick on Slovakia: “They are full of NHL talent, they have a lot of good goal scorers and they have a great goaltender.” Slovakia’s Marian Gaborik on the Olympics: “There’s definitely pressure to play for your country. It’s a big honor, it’s every four years and it’s a very big challenge to play against the best players in the world.” Slovakia’s Marian Hossa on playing next to his brother Marcel Hossa:  “It’s not going to get better than that. I am going to try and enjoy every little bit of it.”

Coming up, CTV’s regular releases.

NBC’s Olympic Quotage for Day 8

We have your quotage from NBC Universal for Day 8 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. As usual, we begin with Universal Sports and its notes and quotes from its studio shows.

UNIVERSAL SPORTS AT THE VANCOUVER GAMES:

NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES FOR FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Friday, February 19, 2010 — On the eighth day of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Universal Sports at the Vancouver Games continues its five-hour programming block, starting at 10 a.m. ET and continuing daily until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 28. 

Vancouver Olympic News Center and Morning Buzz:

News Alerts:

·       U.S Women’s Alpine Skier Julia Mancuso is now tied with Bode Miller for most American Alpine skiing medals in history (3) – she won the first medal (a silver) for Team USA in the women’s Super Combined since 1948.

·       Evan Lysacek became the first American man to win figure skating gold since Brian Boitano, 1988. The United States has earned more medals in men’s figure skating than any other country.

·       Daisuke Takahashi emerged as the first man from Japan to win a medal in figure skating (bronze).

Picabo Street, 1998 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2002 Olympian and Alpine skiing analyst: (on Julia Mancuso’s second silver medal in Alpine skiing at the 2010 Games): “It’s a big advantage when you can fly under the radar.  She knew in her heart she could win. She’s a pretty chill person in general.  She saw an opportunity to pounce and it was fun watching her do it. She’s thinking, ‘I nailed this course once, time for me to nail it again’, and she did.”

Street (on Anja Paerson): “Everyone, including myself, was surprised to see her back in the start gate (after her crash). This is one of the greatest, toughest racers out there.  She charges, she attacks this race course. Slalom is one of Paerson’s favorite events, and she’s always the one to beat. She’s like a Mack Truck going down the hill (in slalom).”

Street (on Vonn): “She’s skiing through a lot of pain.  She’s sitting and waiting for the course to come at her instead of reaching forward. She was looking so far down, further down than she should have been, and made a tactical error.”

Street (on Riesch): “She’s had a bull’s eye on someone else’s back (Vonn’s), and anytime you have that, it’s an advantage.”

Shaun White, 2006 and 2010 Olympic Halfpipe Gold Medalist (on the halfpipe competition): “Qualifying is this weird limbo of doing just enough to get into the finals, but not doing too much.”

White (on his ‘victory lap’ final run): “I didn’t come all the way to Vancouver to hold anything back.”

Kenan Harkin, Snowboarding analyst (on Shaun White): “He’s still completely enthralled with winning.  Despite all of his success, he isn’t jaded in the least.”

Harkin (on Torah Bright’s gold medal in the women’s halfpipe): “A lot of attention on this young lady. She did so poorly in her first run, but on her second…finishing off strong, just elated. Definitely the winning run.”

Harkin (on Hannah Teter’s silver medal run in halfpipe): “She’s the defending gold medalist and the only person who could take the lead from Torah Bright. She put together a solid first run.”

Jeanne Beker, host of Fashion TV in Canada (on the fashion in the men’s figure skating competition): “Better than any couture show I’ve ever seen.”

Beker (on Evan Lysacek): “Elegance personified, such form…his lines, shoulder detailing. Very on trend, theatrical and dramatic. You can see why Vera Wang is inspired by him.”

Beker (on Johnny Weir): “He looked a little Vegas, but it worked. Figure skating doesn’t have required uniforms, so it gives the athletes a chance to say, ‘This is who I am’, by what they wear.”

Tom Steitz, former U.S. Nordic Combined Team Coach (on Norway’s three medals in Biathlon yesterday): “This is a huge day for Norway. They think of themselves as owning the Winter Games, and biathlon is a part of that.  They took a lot of kids out of school and put them in the auditorium and counted down for each Norwegian skier. This is what Norway does so well.  This is how they get their kids ingrained in these sports and they make it tough for the Americans to compete.”

MEET THE OLYMPIC PRESS:

Andrea Joyce, NBC Figure Skating Analyst (on Lysacek not crying):  “(His coach) Frank Carroll has to stop telling his skaters not cry — that’s my bread and butter area!!”

Phil Hersh, Chicago Tribune reporter (on Plushenko’s reaction to getting silver): “I thought it was one of the worst displays of sportsmanship I’ve ever seen.”

Joyce: “Plushenko did not congratulate Evan at all. But Evan gave Plushenko props.”

John Powers, Boston Globe reporter (on Plushenko’s program): “He was leaking points all over the place, like an old Soviet car leaking oil.”

Jimmy Roberts, NBC Sports reporter and host of “Meet the Olympic Press”: “Figure skating is clearly in a state of transition…the most amazing thing to come out of last night’s competition is that if Plushenko had just done one more jump, one that he could have done as a 12-year-old, he would have won. It’s ‘element’ary. That’s amazing.”

Hersh (on Lysacek’s win): “This could not have happened to a nicer guy. Rarely have we seen this in the new system, Evan knew how to work it. He trained to do this and delivered when it counted most.”

Is the sport of figure skating advancing without a quad?

Paul Wylie, 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist: “The sport of figure skating is advancing and the quad is very important, but it’s not just a one-jump competition.”

Powers: “What I’d be afraid of is once the quad jumpers leave the sport, it’ll go back to just triple jumps.”

Joyce: “When they miss the jump (the quad), the rest of their program falls apart.”

Hersh: “The sport is more than jumping.”

Joyce: “Had Plushenko finished that quad and got the extra point, I think people would have been shocked and booed (if Plushenko had won and Lysacek was judged the silver medalist).

Powers: (on the Russian team overall): “This team might not even medal (here in Vancouver).  They have no medals and no venues (in Sochi).”

VANCOUVER REVIEW/PREVIEW:

Since 1990, every women’s ice hockey world championship final has been a match-up between either the U.S. or Canada.  The Canadians are the defending Olympic Gold Medalists.

Cammi Granato, NBC Women’s Hockey Studio Analyst and 1998 Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medalist (on Team USA): “They are having fun. They are smiling and confident. There’s such team chemistry. Finland had no chance (after four first period goals). They are getting offense from everyone, and running on all cylinders.”

Granato: “There’s such speed on the U.S. team.  New coach Mark Johnson has a whole different philosophy. The focus is on offense and creativity, and not being afraid to make mistakes. There were no summers off.”

AJ Mleczko, NBC Women’s Hockey Studio Analyst and 1998 Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medalist and 2002 Olympic Silver Medalist (on Team Canada): “That’s the expected gold medal match-up (USA and Canada). Both teams are playing well. There’s a lot of pressure on this home team (to win gold in Canada).”

Granato: “Team Canada has played with that pressure and they know how to rise. They’re a fabulous hockey team. Both teams (USA and Canada) are playing their best and playing offensively.”

Granato: (on the score differentials finding Canada outscoring 41-2, and the USA 31-1) “Scores were lopsided on the men’s side back in the day. There’s a double standard. The U.S. and Canada have great funding and great support.  Other countries and teams need that.”

Mleczko (on USA versus Canada): “Here in Vancouver, it’s a sea of red and maple leaves. It’s a constant reminder of this (bitter) rivalry.”

Mleczko (on development of women’s ice hockey): “There’s improvement in nutrition, conditioning, technology.  The game has reached new heights in strength and speed.”

AJ and Cammi’s predictions for the women’s hockey tournament: Team USA will win gold; Team Canada will win silver; and Team Finland will achieve the bronze medal.

 

Figure Skating Review/Preview:

In the men’s figure skating competition, American Evan Lysacek won the gold medal, with Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko winning silver and Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi winning bronze.

On the judging in the Men’s Free Skate:

Wylie: “The right guy won; the reason is because figure skating is about more than one jump (the quad). We’re in a transition time. Evan can look back with a lot of pride. He worked the system. He had an awesome night…the strategy of back-adding those jumps at the end worked.”

Peter Carruthers, 1984 Olympic Pairs Silver Medalist and Figure Skating analyst: “This is ridiculous. Lysacek won the gold medal.  But I didn’t think the judges were going to give Lysacek the scores and judge Plushenko accordingly, and they did.”

Carruthers: “Let them have a rematch.  It’s over, Evan won the gold medal.”

Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist and Figure Skating Analyst (on Russian complaints about the judging): “It doesn’t matter what anybody says now.”

On Lysacek’s performance in the Men’s Free Skate:

Carruthers: “Evan’s jumps were straight, and his takeoffs and landing were much more pure (than Plushenko’s).”

Frank Carroll, coach of Evan Lysacek (on what he told Lysacek before his skate): “I told him he was a World Champion, he skated with passion, and that he had something nobody else has.”

Carroll: “He’s just the most disciplined (at training).  He had determination, dedication and the work ethic (to pull it off). Discipline always beats talent.  Always.”

Brian Boitano (on Lysacek’s mindset): “He just wanted to skate well and draw the line in the sand and say ‘here’s the bar you need to reach (to beat me)’.”

Carroll: “(Evan) was very excited about winning a bronze medal…and then the silver.  And then delirious (over winning gold).”

 

On Plushenko’s performance in the Men’s Free Skate:

Yamaguchi (on Plushenko saying Lysacek isn’t the true champion cause he didn’t do the quad): “I’m offended by that.  It’s poor sportsmanship.  It just doesn’t look good coming from second place. Plushenko landed the quad, but the rest of his elements were not landed cleanly.”

Carroll: “I can’t imagine him saying that, it’s so unethical.  Everyone wins and loses, every dog has his day. It was a risk for him (Plushenko) to come back, and he took that risk and it didn’t happen.”  

Carroll (on Plushenko saying the quad was essential for men’s program):  “I think that’s ridiculous because that’s not skating.”

Carruthers: “What was amazing – his jumps were crooked in the air. He was fighting through everything. If you judge him properly, Evan’s jumps were more pure.”

Plushenko to Andrea Joyce: “This scoring system is new. With the old system – if someone would have done the quadruple, they would have won easily.  (I’m surprised) that there is a champion without a quad.”

On Johnny Weir’s performance in the Men’s Free Skate:

Carruthers: “He’s a good athlete and a good stylist.  We’re looking at the skating, not the tassel and the foolishness. It was very well done, very refreshing. Let’s see more of that from him.”

Yamaguchi: “He skated wonderfully and with such confidence. It flowed throughout. He was very poised.”

On Takahashi’s performance in the Men’s Free Skate:

Wylie (on Takahashi): “He was within a point after the short program.  He had the highest program components of the (free skate). The judges were sending a message to Takahashi saying they liked him and want to see more of him.”

Carruthers (on Takahashi’s hard fall while attempting the quad): “Body slam, 1-2. He rebounded (after falling during his quad jump)!”

Yamaguchi: “He has heart of a champion. He never let up one ounce. That’s a fighter.”

On tonight’s Ice Dancing Compulsory event on Feb. 19, 2010:

Tracy Wilson, NBC Figure Skating Analyst and 1988 Olympic Ice Dancing Bronze Medalist:

(On American pair Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto): “They are strong. They don’t have the momentum coming in, but they are definitely in the mix.”

(On U.S. National Champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White): “They have complex choreography and the way they use the music in their competitions is better (than any other pair).”

(On reigning world champions Oksana Domnina and Maksim Shabalin of Russia): “He’s had two knee surgeries and they missed almost all of this season. We haven’t seen them match up against the best.”

“There are three North American teams competing for the podium.  Back in my day, it would have been the Russians versus the Americans versus the Canadians. Now the borders are coming down…everyone is shifting and moving around. It’s helping the sport.  It’s the best of both worlds and you’re getting that on the ice.”

“Always a lot of drama in the dance. Six teams went down in Torino due to the Olympic pressure.  These teams are all so close – but who can skate the (Ice Dancing Original Program)?”

WHAT TO WATCH FOR ON UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK – SATURDAY, FEB. 20, 2010:

Figure Skating Review/Preview: Featuring Evan Lysacek and Dick Button, 1948  & 1952 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist and NBC Correspondent.

FUN QUOTES AND FACTS OF THE DAY:

Harkin (on wearing iPods during competition): “It’s such rawness for snowboarding. These athletes are so authentic and true to their sport.”

Carruthers (on Lysacek vs. Plushenko’s performances, referencing Lysacek’s car of choice, his Ferrari): “Evan’s Ferrari was polished and ready to go, and Plushenko’s had some dents.” Ferrari is an Italian sports car manufacturer and was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929.

Song overheard at the men’s competition last night: “ ‘You ain’t got a thing if you ain’t got that quad.’”

That brings us to the daytime coverage on the networks of NBC.

DAY 8 DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS OF NBC WINTER OLYMPICS COVERAGE

“I don’t know if they’re going to let me in the country now.”- USA’s Evan Lysacek on competing in Sochi 2014

VANCOUVER - February 19, 2010 - Daytime coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games continued today on NBC, USA Network and MSNBC. On NBC, live coverage included the women’s cross-country 15km pursuit gold medal final. USA Network coverage included live women’s curling between Team USA and Russia. MSNBC coverage included live men’s hockey with Belarus facing off against Sweden. 

NBC’s Scott Hamilton stopped by the studio to recap the men’s figure skating gold medal final from last night with daytime host Al Michaels. Men’s figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek also sat down with Al to talk about last night’s victory. NBC’s Dick Button previewed tonight’s figure skating compulsory dance competition live in primetime. 

USA’s women’s halfpipe silver and bronze medalists Hannah Teter and Kelly Clark along with teammate Gretchen Bleiler discussed their plans for the rest of the Olympics.

NBC’s Jimmy Roberts commented on the Tiger Woods press conference from earlier in the day.

Coverage highlights include:

NBC

EVAN LYSACEK ON HIS PERFORMANCE THURSDAY NIGHT: “I knew that I skated a winning performance for me. It was my absolute best on the Olympic stage, the most important moment of my life probably and that’s all I can possibly ask for.”

LYSACEK ON COMPETING IN SOCHI IN 2014 AFTER BEATING A RUSSIAN: "I don't know if they're going to let me in the country now.”

HAMILTON ON EVAN LYSACEK’S PERFORMANCE: “I’ll say this emphatically, he’s the best trained, the most conditioned athlete in that event and it showed up on the most important night it needed to. He skated beautifully. He did everything he needed to do.”

HAMILTON ON PLUSHENKO AND “THE QUAD” CONTROVERSY: “He was rewarded for doing the quad triple combination. He’s the only guy in the world right now that can depend on that combination. It’s his greatest trick and it’s his best asset. It’s what he’s going to throw out in front of everybody and he’s absolutely right to do so. He’s absolutely right to say that the future of figure skating should be in the quadruple jumps. You need to raise the levels of competition. The ISU needs to think about that. But you know what? It’s figure skating. It’s about skating and it’s about the entire performance. That’s one thing that I think has been lost on him. You can’t do the same performance you did in Torino and expect to win four years later. The sport has evolved, and you’re showing up at a championship to compete under set rules and guidelines, and you don’t think they apply to you, generally, directly. I think that’s a problem.”

HAMILTON ON THE FUTURE OF MEN’S FIGURE SKATING: “There a lot of guys whose description ended in ‘teen,’ and they’re phenomenal. Nineteen year olds who are doing extraordinary things under this system of judging. They’ll only get stronger and better.”

MICHAELS ON DICK BUTTON: “The Oracle,who else? Dick Button.”

DICK BUTTON ON USA’S BELBIN AND AGOSTO: “I expect very, very superb skating. They’re really marvelous. They’re elegant and they work together so beautifully. They’re also right up there at the top.”

BUTTON ON USA’S DAVIS AND WHITE: “I am marvelously impressed by with Davis and White. I thought their two performances [at U.S. Nationals], first the original and then the free dance, were just special and they just got to me. I just hope they can do that here. The performance they gave, the choreography of it, it was just mesmerizing.”

MICHAELS AND BUTTON ON ICE DANCING NOT BEING A SPORT: “You don’t need a penalty box for it to be a sport.”

Button: “You don’t need to slug somebody and knock them out. Although I must say, some of the Russians are trying to do that right now after the men’s singles skating. Don’t get me started on that.”

MICHAELS AND TETER, CLARK AND BLEILER ON THEIR PLANS POST COMPETITIONMICHAELS: “You guys are the three amigos. Everybody knows you’re good pals. So what do you do now? Do you stick around? Are you going to go home? Are you going to hang out and have some fun here?”

TETER: “I want to go to the beach.”

CLARK: “I’d like to stay and enjoy, get to watch some of the other events that are going on; walk in the closing ceremonies and just kind of enjoy the Olympic experience now that our event is done.”

BLEILER: “And I’m going to go up into the mountains and ride some powder, and come back; watch some of the other events with these girls probably. And definitely walk in closing ceremonies.”

MICHAELS: “We’ve got to sign you up for a sitcom. This is too good of an opportunity to pass up.”WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY 15KM PURSUIT GOLD MEDAL FINAL Al Trautwig (Play-By-Play), Chad Salmela (Analyst)Gold: Marit Bjoergen, NorwaySilver: Anna Haag, SwedenBronze: Justina Kowalczyk, Poland

TRAUTWIG ON THE 15KM PURSUIT: “Cross-country looks different every day, and today they’ve thrown a little NASCAR flavor into it.”

MICHAELS ON THE CONTINUING CROSS-COUNTRY RIVALRY BETWEEN NORWAY AND SWEDEN: “Today, Norway and Sweden, the Yankees and the Red Sox of cross-country skiing, will go at it again in the Women’s pursuit.”

SALMELA ON THE 15KM PURSUIT: “It’s like an EKG. You go up a little bit, you come down a little bit, you go up a little bit, you come down a little bit.”

SALMELA ON GOLD MEDAL WINNER MARIT BJOERGEN: “Marit Bjoergen. A second gold medal in as many tries.”

TRAUTWIG ON BJOERGEN: “Marit Bjoergen of Norway has her country smiling again.”

MSNBCMEN’S ICE HOCKEY: BELARUS VS. SWEDENBill Patrick (Host), Jeremy Roenick and Mike Milbury (Studio Analysts), Mike Emrick (Play-by-Play), Ed Olczyk (Analysts), Pierre McGuire (Reporter)Sweden: 4  Belarus: 2  MILBURY ON TEAM SWEDEN: “There are simple concepts to every sport and one of them is give and go, and the Swedes do this beautifully all over the ice.” MCGUIRE ON TEAM SWEDEN: “Even though a lot of people for a period of time thought they weren’t the most overly aggressive team to ever come in, they’re playing aggressive and they have for a long time now.”

TEAM SWEDEN’S DANIEL ALFREDSSON: “I feel today was a big game for us; I thought we answered really well.”

USA NETWORKWOMEN’S CURLING: USA vs. RUSSIAFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)USA: 6 Russia: 4 CATALON: “She did it! Debbie McCormick comes through in the clutch and the U.S. wins it’s first in Vancouver.”  JONES: “Curling is often called chess on ice.  It is a game all about strategy, so you’re always thinking several shots ahead.”  JONES: “If you’ve never curled before, but you have golfed, it’s a lot like putting on a green. Sometimes you leave it short, sometimes you have perfect weight to get it in the hole. The exact same feel and touch is needed in curling.”  JONES ON TEAM RUSSIA: “I’m really impressed with how this Russian team throws. They have really lovely deliveries and releases as well.” 

TEAM USA’S DEBBIE MCCORMICK: “It was a big pressure shot. It was the game on the line, and I wanted to make that for the team.”

BELOW ARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THURSDAY NIGHT’S CNBC COVERAGECNBC5:00 p.m. - 5:00 a.m.MEN’S ICE HOCKEY: RUSSIA VS. SLOVAKIABill Patrick (Host), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Kenny Albert (Play-by-Play), Joe Micheletti (Analyst)Slovakia: 2 Russia: 1 ROENICK ON TEAM RUSSIA’S ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: “Alex Ovechkin is a monster and he’s going to continue to impress through this whole tournament.” MICHELETTI ON OVECHKIN: “Look at him. He’s just going, going, punching guys, hitting guys, high-fives!” ALBERT ON OVECHKIN: “He’s got one of the great shots in the game.”  MICHELETTI ON TEAM SLOVAKIA BATTLING AGAINST RUSSIA: “Slovakia has hung tough, and found a way to tie this mid-way through the third period. What a game.” ALBERT ON RUSSIA: “That Olympic gold medal is their prize. It’s their target.” MEN’S CURLING: FRANCE VS. CANADAFred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)Canada: 12 France: 5 CATALON ON CANADA DOMINATING: “The Canadians looking very tough to beat on home ice. They improve to 4-0 after a 12-5 win over France.”

And we conclude with the quotage from the primetime coverage which had plenty of tape delayed coverage on the main network.

BODE MILLER WINS FOURTH CAREER MEDAL, MOST EVER FOR US ALPINE SKIER; ICE DANCING BEGINS WITH COMPULSORIES

“He’s not only skiing better, but he seems much more at ease with himself.” – NBC’s Bob Costas on Bode Miller

“Each one of these top dance teams came to play.” – NBC’s Tracy Wilson

VANCOUVER - Feb. 19, 2010 -Bode Miller earned his fourth career Olympic medal, the most ever for a US alpine skier, when he took silver in the men’s Super-G on the eighth day of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. The gold was won by Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindel, who capped a recovery from a horrific crash in 2007 that was profiled during the program. Team USA’s Andrew Weibrecht earned Bronze, increasing the US medal count to 20, the most of any nation.

Russia’s team of Oksana Domnina & Maksim Shabalin leads the ice dancing competition after the compulsory program with Canada’s Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir finishing second. Team USA’s Meryl Davis & Charlie White and Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto are within striking distance in third and fourth place, respectively. Two more phases of ice dancing remain: original dance on Sunday night and free dance on Monday night.

Team USA's Noelle Pikus-Pace narrowly finished out of the medals in women’s skeleton with a fourth-place finish. The anthems of Australia and Norway were played for gold medal winners Torah Bright (women’s snowboard halfpipe) and Svindel (men’s Super-G). On CNBC, the US defeated France, 4-3, in men’s curling and Czech Republic defeated Latvia in men’s hockey, 5-2.Primetime host Bob Costas interview men’s figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek in studio regarding Yevgeny Plushenko’s controversial comments: Costas: “[Plushenko] spoke even more strongly, subsequent to that, to Russian media, saying things like, ‘If the Olympic champion doesn’t know how to do a jump quad, as he put it, now it’s not men’s figure skating, now it’s dancing. You can’t consider it a true men’s champion without the quad.’ Your reaction?” Lysacek: “No one likes to lose. A lot of what he’s saying is probably coming from a little bit of disappointment and anger, so, taking it out of context, I can’t be emotional about it or react to it. If the points would’ve been 1.3 the other way, and he had won, no one would say a word. So, it was very close. The truth is that he’s been a force to be reckoned with in men’s skating for the last decade and has been a great role model to me and has definitely pushed the sport. He took some time off, came back, did something no one thought was possible, and came back and won his third Olympics medal - two silvers and a gold - and that’s not something that can be taken lightly.” Costas: “It’s clear this has been a great experience for you, as it should be. And you’ve been very, very gracious. But I’m just going to run a few more quotes by you because people are interested. Plushenko goes on to say that if you don’t do the quad, the sport itself isn’t progressing, and it’s, as he put it, a regress, if the Olympic champion doesn’t do a quad. Just doing nice transitions and being artistic, that’s not enough. He thinks figure skating is a sport, not a show.” Lysacek: “It’s interesting that he’s choosing to put so much emphasis on just one step in the program. And it is a 4:40 skating routine. We have to put together our strongest moves, which are jumps, spins, footwork, and we’re graded on everything we do in-between. Interestingly enough, last night, we tied on the component scores, which would be the old artistic score. And where I edged him, slightly, was on the technical score, which means my jumps were graded better than his and my spins were judged better than his. Now, to me, he had a challenge. He had to skate last, he had to wait until the end of the event. He had the most pressure on him because he was leading after the short program. I thought he looked incredible. So, he went out and skated great and for me, I congratulate him and I hope he’s 100% satisfied with that.” Costas: “Was he gracious to you in the immediate aftermath?” Lysacek: “Yes, he was very nice. He’s a great guy. I’ve known him a long time. I’ve looked up to him for a long time. I’ve been on the road touring with him. And he came up and said congratulations and shook my hand. And I said congratulations to him because I think it is quite an accomplishment what he’s done.” Costas: “He was the defending Olympic champion. Now you will be. Will you be back to defend it in Sochi, his homeland, in 2014?” Lysacek: “We’ll see if they let me in the country. And that’s doubtful at this point.” Costas: “Vladimir Putin told Plushenko that his silver is as good as gold. I would expect that Mr. Putin should personally greet you at the border.” Lysacek: “I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one. But that’s true though. I think that the way that that country has supported him is outstanding. He, like I said, has done something remarkable. It’s not easy to come back after three years off. So I hope his country stands behind him because he shouldn’t be disappointed in a silver. He won it fair and square and he did an outstanding job.” Costas: “The way you handled yourself here in response to that is almost as impressive as your performance last night on the ice. Congratulations.”

Later in the program, Costas and Lysacek were joined in studio by Scott Hamilton and Dick Button.Hamilton: “He beat probably the best field of Olympic men’s skaters in history.” Button: “The one thing that you’ll remember, and I can tell you this as actual proof of it, but that [the gold medal] will weigh around your chest for the rest of your life. However, in your mind will be the fact that you skated well. And that will be the thing that will be the most satisfying thing 50 years from now. You’ll find that’s what you remember from this event. It’s a lovely, lovely feeling.”

Costas was also joined in studio by Olympic Correspondent Cris Collinsworth, who introduced a feature on the relationship between Apolo Ohno and his father Yuki.Collinsworth: “The friction between Apolo and Yuki Ohno resided in the space between a father’s expectations and a son’s willingness to meet them.” Apolo: “Dad, I’m ready. I made my decision. I want to skate. This is what I want to do.” Yuki on watching his son during his experiences: “An immense, immense emotional experience.” Collinsworth: “I’m a big fan of Apolo, but I think I’m an even bigger fan of Yuki.”ALPINE SKIING:Play-by-Play: Tim RyanAnalysts: Todd Brooker and Christin CooperReporter: Steve Porino

Brooker on the icy hill conditions: “I could’ve come down on hockey skates and not punched through this snow. It is bulletproof.” Brooker on Italy’s Peter Fill, who fell by the finish line: “He came through the finishing line like a curling rock.” Brooker on Bode Miller: “It’s so much fun this year to watch Bode Miller. He’s more mature. He’s recommitted himself. You can see his determination this year to win. He’s also skiing smarter than I’ve ever seen him before.” Svindal on wanting to come back after his injury: “I can’t sit still for long.” Ryan on Svindal: “His silver medal in the downhill at Whistler is a testament to his remarkable resolve.” Ryan on Svindal: “Svindal takes the lead away from Bode Miller.” Brooker on Svindal: “There’s not a guy in the field that doesn’t respect or envy Aksel’s ability to crank it up.” Svindal: “There’s a lot of carrying on to do with all the great champions ahead of me. This is an awesome day.” Svindal on being back atop the podium after his injury: “This is where I wanted to be.” Miller on his performance: “I came in here ready to win.” Ryan on Weibrecht: “It was a race for the ages. A young American warhorse galloped his way to an early lead that turned into Olympic bronze.” Ryan on Svindal: “The Norwegian Viking proved yet again that he’s the best big-event skier in the world, sailing to a gold medal finish.”

Costas on Miller: “Different attitude. Different outcome.”

“He’s not only skiing better, but he seems much more at ease with himself.”

FIGURE SKATING:Play-by-Play: Tom HammondAnalysts: Tracy Wilson Reporter: Andrea JoyceBelbin: “If we didn’t believe we could achieve a gold medal at these games, I don’t even see why we’d be going. That’s been driving us for the last four years.” Agosto: “We have the experience to bring some emotion that nobody can match.” White on the rivalry with Belbin & Agosto: “Having beaten them now just gives us tremendous confidence and great momentum going into these games.” Wilson on Davis/White: “Exactly how they wanted to start this competition off.” Hammond on Davis/White: “That waltzed them into first place. - An impressive start to their Olympic careers.” Hammond on Russia’s Domnina/Shabalin: “They are threats to win the gold medal.” Wilson on Dominina/Shabalin: “A mature, sophisticated dance.” Belbin on her performance: “Satisfied, yes. Because we feel that we skated well. This dance is relatively new to us, we didn’t compete with it all season. We felt really good about being able to do the two patterns. Where we are now, we’re sitting in a comfortable position. We have plenty of opportunity to make a move.” Wilson after Canada’s Wilson/Moir: “Each one of these top dance teams came to play and these two were exquisite in this performance.”SKELETON:Play-by-Play: Bob PapaAnalyst: Lea Ann ParsleyReporter: Lewis Johnson

Great Britain’s Amy Williams on the controversy surrounding her helmet: “I’m not bothered. It’s the same helmet as everyone else’s.” Lea Ann Parsley on Noelle Pikus-Pace: “A tough run for Noelle.” Papa on Williams’ final run: “And gold for Amy Williams of Great Britain!” Noelle Pikus-Pace on placing fourth: “I had a blast here and I feel like I gave it my best.” Papa: “Amy Williams was dominant in all four of her runs.”CNBC, Men’s Hockey:Czech Republic 5 vs. Latvia 2Bill Patrick (Host), Jeremy Roenick and Mike Milbury (Studio Analysts), Mike Emrick (Play-By-Play), Ed Olczyk (Analyst), Joe Micheletti (Reporter) Milbury on Czech Republic’s Jaromir Jagr: “Boy he can bring it. He is one of the top 10 in my book.”  Roenick on Czech Republic’s goaltender Tomas Vokoun: “He doesn’t get the respect or recognition because he is in a down market, but he has seven shut outs and is tied with Marty Brodeur for No. 1 in the NHL.” Olczyk on Czech Republic: “Their ability to make plays in small areas and their defense did a really good job of putting a lot of pressure on the Latvians.” Czech Republic’s Jaromir Jagr on taking more slap shots: “It’s a lot tougher to score in this league, so that’s why I am trying new things.” CNBC, Men’s Curling:USA 4 vs. France 3Fred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-by-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter) Catalon: “Four heartbreaking losses and the United States finally gets one to go their way. They win it, 4-3!” Team USA’s Coach Phil Drobnick on hoping for a comeback in the tournament: “We are going to do everything in the last five games here that we can to try and get a few wins and represent our country the best way we can.” Team USA’s Honorary Captain/San Francisco 49ers Tight End Vernon Davis: “I respect the energy and the time that goes into the sport. This is a unique sport.”

One more press release post regarding CTV’s coverage and we’ll shut down for the night.

Some Friday Night Megalinks

Let’s give you some linkage this evening. I’m going to weed out the Tiger Woods previews so this may not be as extensive as past editions. Your Weekend Viewing Picks has your sports viewing including college basketball and Olympic viewing guide.

Let’s get to the links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand tells NBC it’s time to go live with Olympic events.

Seth Livingstone of USA Today says NBC will not be showing the USA-Canada men’s hockey game on the main network relegating it to MSNBC instead. 

Eric Fisher of the Sports Business Daily/Journal says NBCOlympics.com and Yahoo! Sports are battling it out for online traffic this month.

Tripp Mickle of SBD/SBJ writes that NBC Sports Emperor Dick Ebersol sent a letter to his staff Thursday congratulating his employees for beating American Idol in the ratings this week.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says NBC is averaging almost 25 million viewers a night for the first seven days of the Olympics.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine says as Americans win gold medals in the Olympics, ratings for NBC keep going up.

My Twitter trophy wife, Amanda Rykoff in the OCD Chick compares Dick Ebersol’s production of the Olympics to American Idol.

Etan Vlessing of the Hollywood Reporter says it appears that after initially expecting losses, the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium will break even on the Vancouver Games.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell writes that multiple medal-winning skier Julia Mancuso could turn out to be a marketing gold medal winner.

Darren says for sponsors, Tiger Woods’ refusal to set a timetable to return to golf is most troubling.

Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated has the very funny video of Golf Channel analyst Charlie Rymer crying after Tiger Woods make his robotic apology in the Friday afternoon edition of Hot Clicks (scroll down).

Marisa Guthrie of Broadcasting & Cable has various golf analysts reactions to Tiger Woods’ wooden apology.

Anthony Crupi of Mediaweek writes that the PGA Tour’s TV partners will just have to wait for Tiger Woods’ return. 

Gail Sideman writing in the Sports Networker blog says Tiger’s announcement was bad timing as far as public relations are concerned.

The Sports Media Watch looks at how the networks covered the Tiger Woods announcement today.

SMW also has some idle notes.

SportsbyBrooks says Tony Kornheiser has apologized to Hannah Storm for saying she dresses like a harlot.

AJ Daulerio at Deadspin says ESPN has actually banned some of Hannah’s wardrobe.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe defends NBC’s handling of the Olympics.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram also compares the Olympics to American Idol.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, a frequent critic of NBC’s tape delayed Olympic coverage, is begrudgingly learning to live with the delays in the Vancouver Games.

Bob Raissman in the New York Daily News feels Mets manager Jerry Manuel is helpful in feeding the media beast with soundbites.

The Albany Times Union’s Pete Dougherty critiques some of NBC’s announcers at the Olympics.

Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record has some spring training TV schedules. First, the Yankees, the Mets, MLB Network, ESPN and WGN America.

Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News says the first network analysis was kind to Tiger Woods. 

David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun is not happy how NBC has stopped mentioning the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during its coverage.

Dave Hughes of DCRTV.com writes in Press Box that advertisers were sad to see Baltimore sports radio host Anita Marks leave last month.

Tim Lemke doesn’t quite understand NBC’s Olympic philosophy.

South

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle writes that ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike will be back in town next month.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman says Oklahoma University baseball games will be seen on local cable TV.

Mel says two Australian TV commentators are in trouble for making homophobic comments about US figure skater Johnny Weir.

Midwest

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press wants the tape delayed Olympics coverage on NBC to stop.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is puzzled why Milwaukee is on top of the nation’s ratings for the Olympics.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has his weekly winners and losers.

Ed notes that the White Sox will be part of a new reality show on MLB Network.

Ed also analyzes Tiger Woods’ apology.

Charles F. Rouse of the Kansas City Examiner says Big 12 fans want Brent Musberger and Bob Knight removed from the conference’s basketball games.

Dan Caesar at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if the Cardinals could be heading to the FM dial this season.

Dan writes that part-time Redbirds analyst Jack Clark will return for another season on Fox Sports Midwest.

West

Scott D. Pierce from the Deseret (UT) News says the reconstructed arena football Utah Pride have a TV deal in place.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune doesn’t like how the local NBC affiliate is playing coy about the Olympic delays.

Jay writes that Padres voice Jerry Coleman will be working less this season, but be doing more.

John Maffei of the North County Times says the West Coast is to blame for the Olympic delays.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star writes about the Olympics finally beating American Idol in the ratings.

Jim says the Olympics are bringing down the ratings for the Daytona 500 and the NBA.

Over to Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times who reports on Tiger Woods’ apology.

Diane adds that NBC’s Cris Collinsworth was critical of Woods. 

Phil Rosenthal writes in the Times that MSNBC will put the politics aside on Sunday and air the anticipated USA- Canada men’s hockey game which will be seen live in all time zones.

The Times publishes several readers’ complaints about the Olympic delays to the West Coast even though the Vancouver Games are taking place in their time zone.

Canada

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says it’s no surprise that hockey is tops in CTV’s Olympic coverage.

In Yahoo! Canada, William Houston critiques CTV’s coverage to date.

In his Truth & Rumours blog, William has a few columns in one.

Bill Brioux of the Canadian Press wonders if CTV’s all-out approach for the Olympics is too much of a good thing.

And that will complete the links.

NBC Universal’s 2010 Winter Olympics Schedule

Be ready to scroll. This is the NBC Universal Olympics Schedule from Day 1, February 12 until Day 17 on February 28. I have omitted overnight programming on MSNBC which starts at 3 a.m. If you’re up at that time, you’re a better person than me. All times are Eastern. Here we go.

DAY 1 – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12

NBC, 7:30 p.m. – midnight: Opening Ceremony, Ski Jumping: Qualification

DAY 2 – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13

NBC, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Ski Jumping: normal hill, Speed Skating: men’s 5000m and Biathlon: women’s sprint.

CNBC, 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: Sweden vs. Switzerland

CNBC, 8 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: Canada vs. Slovakia

NBC, 8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.: Short Track: men’s 1500m (live ET/CT). Alpine Skiing: men’s downhill — and women’s moguls.

NBC, midnight – 1 a.m.: Luge: Men’s Singles, Women’s Short Track prelims: 500m, relay and medal ceremonies.

DAY 3 – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14

NBC, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Nordic Combined (live ET/CT), Speed Skating, Luge and Biathlon.

USA, 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: USA vs. China 

NBC, 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.: Alpine Skiing: Women’s Combined. Figure Skating: Pairs Short Program. Luge: Men’s Singles Gold Medal Final

NBC, 11:35 p.m. – 12:05 a.m.: Recap and analysis from Figure Skating’s opening act: the pairs short program. Plus, medal ceremonies from Speed Skating and more.

DAY 4 – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15

NBC, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Women’s Cross Country, Men’s Snowboarding and Men’s Cross Country

MSNBC, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: Canada vs. Switzerland

NBC, 8 p.m. – midnight: Figure Skating: Pairs Free Skate, Snowboarding: Men’s SBX, Speed Skating: Men’s 500 meters

NBC, 12:35 a.m. – 2 a.m.: Women’s luge, Medal ceremonies

DAY 5 – TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16

USA, noon – 3 p.m.: Men’s Curling: USA vs. Germany

NBC, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Biathlon: men’s 12.5K, women’s 10K

USA, 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: USA vs. Switzerland

CNBC, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Women’s Curling: USA vs. Japan

MSNBC, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: USA vs. Russia

CNBC, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Canada vs. Norway

NBC, 8 p.m. – midnight: Figure Skating: men’s short program, Snowboarding, Speed Skating: Women’s 500 meters

CNBC, 10 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Women’s Hockey: Finland vs. China

CNBC, 12:30 a.m. – 2:30 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Russia vs. Latvia

NBC, 12:35 a.m. – 2 a.m.: Women’s Luge

DAY 6 – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17

USA, noon – 3 p.m.: Women’s Curling: USA vs. Germany

NBC, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Women’s Cross Country Skiing

MSNBC, 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Finland vs. Belarus

CNBC, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Men’s Curling: USA vs. Switzerland

MSNBC, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: Canada vs. Sweden

CNBC, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Sweden vs. Germany

NBC, 8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.: Speed Skating: men’s 1,000 meters, Alpine Skiing: women’s downhill, Snowboarding: men’s halfpipe, Short Track: men’s 5,000 meter relay & 1,000 meters.

CNBC, 10 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Women’s Hockey: Switzerland vs. Slovakia

NBC, 12:05 a.m. – 1:30 a.m.: Short Track: men’s 1,000 meters, doubles luge, medal ceremonies.

CNBC, 12:30 a.m. – 2:30 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Czech Republic vs. Slovakia

DAY 7 – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18

USA, noon – 3 p.m.: Men’s Curling: USA vs. Denmark

NBC, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Women’s Biathlon: 15K, Women’s Snowboarding: Halfpipe

USA, 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: USA vs. Norway

CNBC, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Women’s Curling: USA vs. Denmark

MSNBC, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: USA vs. Finland

CNBC, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Canada vs. Norway

NBC, 8 p.m. – midnight: Figure Skating: Men’s Free Skate, Women’s Snowboarding, Speed Skating: women’s 1,000 meters

CNBC, 10 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Women’s Hockey: Russia vs. China

CNBC, 12:30 a.m. – 2:30 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Russia vs. Slovakia

NBC, 12:35 a.m. – 2 a.m.: Skeleton: Men’s and women’s 1st and 2nd runs, Biathlon: men’s 20K, medal ceremonies.

DAY 8 – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19

USA, noon – 3 p.m.: Women’s Curling: USA vs. Russia

MSNBC, 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Sweden vs. Belarus

NBC, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Women’s Cross Country Skiing

CNBC, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Men’s Curling: USA vs. France

CNBC, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Czech Republic vs. Latvia

NBC, 8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.: Figure Skating: Ice Dancing, Women’s Skeleton

CNBC, 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.: Women’s Curling: Canada vs. Denmark

MSNBC, midnight – 3 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Finland vs. Germany

NBC, 12:05 a.m. – 1:30 a.m.: Medal ceremonies

DAY 9 – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20

MSNBC, noon – 3 p.m.: Men’s Curling: USA vs. Sweden

NBC, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Women’s, Ski Jumping: Large Hill, Cross Country Skiing: Men’s 30K Pursuit

MSNBC, 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Norway vs. Switzerland

CNBC, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Women’s Curling: USA vs. Great Britain

MSNBC, 7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Slovakia vs. Latvia

NBC, 8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.: Alpine Skiing: Women’s Super G, Bobsled: Two man, Short Track: men’s

CNBC, 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.: Men’s Curling: Canada vs. Great Britain

MSNBC, midnight – 3 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Belarus vs. Germany

NBC, midnight – 1 a.m.: Short Track: Women’s 1,500 meters and medal ceremonies.

DAY 10 – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21

MSNBC, noon – 3 p.m.: Women’s Curling: USA vs. Canada

NBC, noon – 6 p.m.: Freestyle Skiing: Ski Cross, Biathlon: Men’s 15K, Men’s Hockey: Czech Republic vs. Russia

CNBC, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Men’s Curling: USA vs. Great Britain

MSNBC, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m: Men’s Hockey: USA vs. Canada

NBC, 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.: Figure Skating: Ice Dancing (Original Dance), Alpine Skiing: Men’s Giant Slalom

CNBC, 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.: Women’s Curling: USA vs. Sweden

NBC, 11:35 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Biathlon: Women’s 12.5K, Medal Ceremonies

MSNBC, midnight – 3 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Sweden vs. Finland

DAY 11 – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22

USA, noon – 3 p.m: Men’s Curling: USA vs. Canada

NBC, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Cross Country Skiing: Men’s and Women’s team sprints

USA, 3 p.m – 6 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: Semifinals

CNBC, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Women’s Curling: Canada vs. Sweden

CNBC, 8 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: Semifinals

NBC, 8 p.m. – midnight: Figure Skating: Ice Dancing (Free Skate), Freestyle Skiing, Ski Jumping

CNBC, 10:30 – 1 a.m.: Men’s Curling: USA vs. China

NBC, 12:35 a.m. – 2 a.m.; Men’s Hockey: Elimination Round, Medal Ceremonies

DAY 12 – TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23

USA, noon – 3 p.m.: Women’s Curling: USA vs. China

NBC, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Biathlon: Women’s 4 x 6K Relay, Speed Skating: Men’s 10,000 meters

USA, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Elimination Round

CNBC, 5 p.m – 8 p.m.: Men’s Curling: Canada vs. China

CNBC, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Elimination Round

NBC, 8 p.m. – midnight: Figure Skating: women’s short program, Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Ski Cross Final, Bobsled: Women’s, Alpine Skiing: Nordic Combined

CNBC, 10 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Elimination Round

MSNBC, 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.: Women’s Curling: USA vs. Switzerland

CNBC, 12:30 a.m. – 2:30 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Elimination Round

NBC, 12:35 a.m. – 2 a.m.: Figure Skating recap plus medal ceremonies

DAY 13 – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

NBC, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Quarterfinal Round

MSNBC, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Curling: Tiebreaker Round

CNBC, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Quarterfinal Round

NBC, 8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.: Alpine Skiing: Women’s Giant Slalom, Bobsled, Short Track Speed Skating: Men’s 500 meters and Women’s 3,000 meters relay

CNBC, 10 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Quarterfinal Round

NBC, 12:05 a.m. – 1:30 a.m.: Short Track Speed Skating: Women’s 1,000 meters and Medal Ceremonies

CNBC, 12:30 a.m. – 2:30 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Quarterfinal Round

DAY 14 – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25

USA, noon – 3 p.m.: Women’s Curling: Semifinal

MSNBC, 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: Bronze Medal Game

NBC, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Cross Country Skiing: Women’s 4 x 5K relay

CNBC, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Men’s Curling: Semifinal

MSNBC, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.: Women’s Hockey: Gold Medal Game

NBC, 8 p.m. – midnight: Figure Skating: Women’s Free Skate, Freestyle Skiing

NBC, 12:35 a.m. – 2 a.m.: Figure Skating wrap up plus Medal Ceremonies

DAY 15 – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26

USA, noon – 3 p.m.: Women’s Curling: Bronze Medal Match

NBC, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Semifinal

MSNBC, 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Speed Skating: Men’s and Women’s Pursuit

CNBC, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.: Women’s Curling: Gold Medal Match

NBC, 8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.: Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom, Short Track Speed Skating: Men’s and Women’s 1,000 meters

CNBC, 9 p.m. – midnight: Men’s Hockey: Semifinal

NBC, 12:05 a.m. – 1:30 a.m.: Snowboarding: Women’s PGS Gold Medal Final plus Medal Ceremonies

DAY 16 – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27

USA, noon – 3 p.m.: Men’s Curling: Bronze Medal Match

NBC, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Snowboarding: Men’s PGS Gold Medal Final, Speed Skating: Pursuit

CNBC, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.: Men’s Curling: Gold Medal Match

NBC, 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.: Alpine Skiing: Men’s Slalom, Bobsled: Four Man, Figure Skating: Champions Gala, Snowboarding: Men’s Parallel

MSNBC, 10 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Men’s Hockey: Bronze Medal Game

DAY 17 – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28

MSNBC, 6 a.m. – noon – Figure Skating: Champions Gala

NBC, noon – 3 p.m.: Cross Country Skiing

NBC, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Men’s Hockey: Gold Medal Game

NBC, 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.: Closing Ceremony

NBC, 11:35 p.m. – 12:35 a.m.: Wrap Up

That’s it. I hope this helps you when you’re looking for certain events.

The Final NBC Press Release on the Olympics

Here we go, the last press release from NBC that I will put up on the Communist China Olympics. Without looking at it, I can tell you it will say the Olympics in Beijing set a viewing record. The Games averaged over a 16 rating for the 17 days of viewing. The Olympics won each night in primetime. The press release will also say people visited NBCOlympics.com in droves (however, we know that Yahoo Sports beat NBCOlympics as far as pure numbers are concerned). And we’ll get a statement from NBC Universal Sports & Olympics Emperor Dick Ebersol. Now, I will go to my inbox, copy the text and paste it here and see what we get.

BEIJING OLYMPICS SET RECORD AS MOST-VIEWED EVENT IN U.S. TV HISTORY WITH 214 MILLION VIEWERS

OLYMPICS CAST ‘HALO’ ACROSS NBC UNIVERSAL

NEW YORK – Aug. 26, 2008 – NBC Universal's Beijing Olympic coverage was viewed by more Americans than any event in U.S. television history, according to data provided by Nielsen Media Research.  NBCU's coverage reached 214 million total viewers, shattering the previous mark set by the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (209M) by five million viewers and surpassing the 2004 Athens Games (203M) by 11 million viewers.  The Beijing Games averaged 27.7 million viewers and scored a 17-day rating of 16.2/28 to post significant gains over the 2004 Athens Games.  Sunday night's Closing Ceremony had the best rating for any Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony outside the U.S. since the 1976 Montreal Games.

"This audience record is something I thought I'd never see again, but what really satisfied me is the way in which these Olympics truly captivated and seemed to inspire our country," said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics and Executive Producer of NBC Universal's Beijing Olympics coverage.

"For me, the greatest measure of success at an Olympics is the number of messages I receive from parents of young kids who have fallen in love with the Olympics. That child means more to me than anything because I think a love affair with the Olympics is the greatest in all of sports."

MOST VIEWED EVENTS IN U.S. TV HISTORY:1. 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, 214 million (17 days)2. 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, 209 million (17 days)3. 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, 204 million (16 days)4. 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, 203 million (17 days)5. 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics, 194 million (17 days)

VIEWERS AND RATING BOTH UP SIGNIFICANTLY FROM ATHENS:The Beijing Olympics 17-day average primetime viewership is 27.7 million, the best primetime average viewership for a complete Summer Olympics outside the U.S since Montreal in 1976, and 13 percent ahead of Athens in 2004 (24.6 million).

NBC's average of a 16.2 rating, 28 share is the best rating for a Summer Olympics outside the U.S. since Barcelona in 1992 (17.1/33) and is an eight percent increase over Athens in 2004 (15.0/26).

With the Beijing Olympics, NBC became the most dominant network in primetime for 17 consecutive nights since the advent of Nielsen People Meters in 1987.  On each of its 17 nights of Beijing Olympic coverage, NBC enjoyed a 244 percent or greater lead over the nearest broadcast network in the adult 18 to 49 demographic (important to advertisers), a 225 or greater percent gain in viewers (persons 2+), and 200 or larger percent in household rating.

NBC also set records in Nielsen People Meter history for biggest margins over the combined major-network competition for three consecutive weeks, with wins of 24 percent or more over ABC, CBS and Fox combined for three straight weeks in 18-49 and 23 percent or more in total viewers.

OLYMPICS IN PRIMETIME DOMINATE COMPETITION:In primetime, NBC's Beijing Games won all 100-rated half-hours against its entire network competition.

CLOSING CEREMONY BEST NON U.S. SUMMER RATING SINCE 1976:Sunday's Closing Ceremony garnered 27.8 million average viewers, a 42 percent gain from the Closing Ceremony night in Athens (19.6 million). The night earned a 15.5 rating/25 share, a 30 percent increase from Athens (11.9/20).  In both categories, the Closing Ceremony from Beijing was the best delivery for a Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony outside the U.S. since Montreal in 1976.

NBC Universal's 3,600 hours of Beijing Olympic coverage not only fueled record-breaking Olympic viewership, but also cast an Olympic "halo" across the many different divisions of NBC Universal.  The unprecedented Olympic coverage drove record numbers of viewers to NBCU's cable networks; it also produced impressive gains in viewership and competitive advantage for NBC News' "Today," "NBC Nightly News," and NBC's affiliated stations. 

Following are the details of the Beijing Olympic "halo" effect:

OLYMPICS HELP WIDEN TODAY SHOW'S LEAD OVER GMA:Based on data during the Beijing Olympics through last Thursday (8/8-8/21/08) only:TODAY averaged 6.272 million viewers, a 69 percent (2,553,000) advantage over GMA's 3.719 million.TODAY widened its advantage over GMA in all ratings categories.  Specifically, the NBC program increased its lead in homes (from 19 percent to 69 percent), total viewers (from 21 percent up to 69 percent), rating  adults 18-49 (from 30 percent up to 90 percent), and rating  adults 25-54 (from 21 percent up to 77 percent) versus its pre-Olympic 3rd Quarter 2008 performance.TODAY posted its best Summer Olympic advantage over GMA in total viewers since the 1996 Atlanta Games.

NIGHTLY NEWS TAKES FULL ADVANTAGE OF OLYMPIC 'HALO':Based on data for the full Beijing Olympic Games (8/8-8/24/08):

Nightly News delivered 9.087 million total viewers, a 32 percent advantage (2,185,000) over ABC World News and 63 percent (3,522,000) more than CBS Evening News.Nightly had 42 percent of the total 3-network share of news audience, the highest percentage during any Summer Olympic Games.

NBCU'S CABLE NETWORKS MAKE MAJOR OLYMPIC GAINS:88 million viewers tuned into the Beijing Games on the cable networks of NBC . This is 28 percent more than Athens and more than any previous Olympics.CNBC posted a 0.32 household rating, 229,000 persons 18-49 and 236,000 persons 25-54 during the Beijing Olympics.  Versus the prior 4-week average, CNBC was up triple-digits across all key demos.MSNBC posted a 0.46 household rating, 267,000 persons 18-49 and 267,000 persons 25-54 during the Beijing Games.  Versus the prior 4-week average and year ago average, MSNBC was up triple-digits among all key demographics. USA averaged a 0.70 rating, 491,000  persons 18-49 and 484,000 persons 25-54 with all Olympic programming.  Versus the prior 4-week average and the year ago average, USA was up double-digits across all key demos. Oxygen posted a 0.43 household rating, 291,000 persons 18-49 and 313,000 persons 25-54 with all Olympic programming during the 6-8 PM block - up double to triple-digits versus the prior 4-week average and the year-ago average.

NBCOLYMPICS.COM ON MSN POSTS RECORD NUMBERS:  For the complete Beijing Games, NBCOlympics.com has more than doubled the combined totals for the Athens and Turin Games in page views and unique users, while increasing videos streamed by more than seven times.

VIDEO STREAMS: 75.5 million for Beijing, 10.8 million for Athens and Turin Games combined (+601%)UNIQUE USERS: 51.9 million for Beijing, 25.2 million for Athens and Torino Games combined (+106%)PAGE VIEWS: 1.24 billion for Beijing, 561.1 million for Athens and Torino Games combined (+122%)HOURS OF VIDEO STREAMED: 9.9 million hours of video consumed through for Beijing Games is the equivalent of 1,126 years of video.

TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR BEIJING GAMES IN PRIMETIME:T1. Denver          23.1/40T1. Salt Lake City         23.1/453. Minneapolis  22.1/41T4. Indianapolis         21.3/37T4. San Diego  21.3/39T6. Baltimore  21.1/35T6. Oklahoma City 21.1/338. Nashville          21.0/339. Columbus, Ohio 20.4/3510. Portland, Ore.         20.2/41

So let's go over my predictions.

• The Olympics in Beijing set a viewing record. (check)
• The Games averaged over a 16 rating for the 17 days of viewing. (check)
• The Olympics won each night in primetime. (check)
• The press release will also say people visited NBCOlympics.com in droves (however, we know that Yahoo Sports beat NBCOlympics as far as pure numbers are concerned). (check)
• And we’ll get a statement from NBC Universal Sports & Olympics Emperor Dick Ebersol.(check)

That wraps up Fang’s Bites extensive coverage of the Olympics from Communist China. If there are links in the next few days, I’ll provide them, but as far as independent entries like this one, we’re done.

The Fang’s Bites Awards for Olympics Coverage

Now that the Olympics in Communist China are over, it’s time for me to hand out my Gold, Silver and Bronze medals to the NBC Hosts and Announcers. In addition, those not deserving of medals will receive an infamous carton of Chinese cigarettes. Here we go. I’ll start with hosts and then move down to announcers and analysts.

HOSTS

Gold Medal

Bob Costas, NBC – No doubt. He took the standard set by Jim McKay of ABC Sports and has moved it up even higher. He was solid during the 16 days of action. His interview of President Bush and IOC President Jacques Rogge were among his highlights.

Melissa Stark, MSNBC – It was nice to have Melissa doing sports once again. Very solid.

Alex Flanagan, CNBC and USA – Alex was in New York and sometimes had to fill time when rain delayed events. She did quite well.

Lindsay Czarniak, Oxygen – Hosted the Olympics on Oxygen show. I can see why people in DC like her so much. Deserving of a network shot down the line.

Silver Medal

Jim Lampley, NBC – Host of daytime coverage, Jim is a great nuts and bolts host. However, he had to be up during the overnight hours in Beijing. During the second weekend of action, he began to show some wear and tear.

Bill Patrick, MSNBC – Also host of Versus’ NHL coverage, Bill is not bad. He was also on hand for soccer and baseball coverage. He was ok.

Mary Carillo, NBC- Late night host, I liked Mary’s irreverent style. I could have done without her perky features.

Bronze Medal

Matt Vasgergian, USA – He’s a better baseball announcer than a studio host.

Fred Roggin, CNBC Boxing – I don’t know if it was his location or if he has a lazy eye, but Fred never seemed to look straight at the camera from his position at the Beijing Workers’ Gymnasium. Very distracting.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Tiki Barber and Jenna Wolfe, MSNBC – Co-hosts of the Olympic Update abortion on MSNBC, they were awful. They talked over each other. Tiki made no sense at times. Jenna has been knocked for her behavior on the Weekend Today show and she can knocked for her demeanor on Olympic Update. The show was horrible. Tiki and Jenna were horrible. The show should have been scrapped after two days, but it kept on for ten. We viewers who watched this show cannot get those 20 hours back from our lives.

ANNOUNCERS

Gold Medal

Tom Hammond, track & field – When he was assigned track & field in 1992 over Charlie Jones, I was not happy, but I was quick to see that Tom was solid at what he does. He can call football and basketball well. He has great knowledge of horse racing. His calls of track & field are among the best. He was on top of Usain Bolt’s world records, and he kept the right tone when Lolo Jones lost her bid for the women’s 100 meter hurdle race and when the 4 x 100 relay teams had their disastrous runs.

Dan Hicks, swimming – Did Dan yell too much? Yes he did, but when you have the assignment to call Michael Phelps’ run at history, you have license to do so. Dan was able to use the computerized lanes to help call who was 1st and 2nd. I’ll give him the gold for his work at the Water Cube.

Mike Breen, basketball – Mike has had a good year, calling the Celtics’ championship for ESPN/ABC, then returning to his old home of NBC to call the gold medals in both women’s and men’s basketball. Solid announcer. Has come a long way from being Bill in White Plains on the Imus show.

Bob Papa, boxing – Brutally honest in what was a disastrous venue. He gave great explanations of the questionable scoring system and then was right on top of punches that weren’t scored or decisions that were just plain baffling. Bob is one of the up and coming announcers on network TV.

Ted Robinson, diving – Another good nuts and bolts announcer. Gives you the facts and is usually on target.

JP Dellacamera, soccer – JP was in New York having to call most of the soccer action. He did the best he could off the monitors at 30 Rock and still made it sound as if he was in Beijing or Shanghai. Best at his sport.

Tim Ryan, rowing and canoeing – Tim is another excellent nuts and bolts announcer. He’s called just about every sport and has done them well. He’s a pro’s pro.

Silver Medal

Craig Hummer, cycling, open water swimming, triathlon and canoeing – Too many sports to call. It showed.

Kenny Rice, equestrian – Called the event from New York. Knows horses, but sometimes a bit too verbose.

Bob Fitzgerald, water polo – Solid throughout.

Paul Sunderland, indoor volleyball – Sometimes not emotional enough during matches, he picked it up duing the medal round.

Andrew Catalon, handball – Called the games off a monitor, but I liked what he did. Handball is not very well known in the US and by the end, he was sounding like an expert.

Bronze Medal

Barry McKay, tennis – Called the matches from New York, he’s not bad, but because he wasn’t in Beijing, he missed several points.

Eric Collins, baseball – Picked up from ESPN, he again had to call the games off a monitor in New York and it wasn’t easy. I’m not high on Eric to begin with, but he did as well as he could.

Bill Clement, table tennis – Did pretty decently, especially in the gold medal singles matches.

Mike Corey, field hockey – From what I could see from DVRing various programs, he did fine.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Al Trautwig – Not quite at the level of John Tesh’s overgushing in 1996, Al made every routine, every score and every moment seem life or death. Usually, Al is very solid, but these were not his best Games.

Chris Marlowe, beach volleyball – I enjoyed watching beach volleyball, but my enjoyment was tempered by Chris’ love of his own voice. Too melodramatic for my tastes.

ANALYSTS

Gold Medal

Ato Boldon, track & field – Honest, forthcoming and gave his opinions especially when Usain Bolt showboated in the last 15 meters of the 100 meter dash. Ato did his homework and was right on top of things. Has grown into a very good analyst.

Rowdy Gaines, swimming – I had been down on Rowdy for yelling too much in past Olympics, but during his eight days of analysis in Communist China, he was very good. There were times when Rowdy’s voice went up a few octaves, but for the most part, he was on top of the action. Very good on replays especially when Michael Phelps outtouched Milorad Cavic in the 100 meter butterfly.

Wolf Wigo, water polo – He made the sport understandable without talking down to the audience. I liked him.

Cynthia Potter, diving – She seemed to know every trend, every way the judges would score dives and used NBC’s Stromotion to perfection when explaining why dives were good or bad. Very good at her sport.

Karch Kiraly, beach volleyball – As bad as Chris Marlowe was in calling the sport, Karch was excellent in not going over the top in rooting for Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. Karch is an innovator in the sport and did not come off as arrogant. Very good in explaining replays.

Doug Collins, basketball – The best NBA analyst did not show any signs of jet lag in Beijing. He was on top of the sport throughout the Olympics. Great moment when the US team came to his broadcast position to shake his hand at the end of the gold medal game against Spain. Wonderful moment. And Doug was very good throughout the Games.

Paul Sherwin, cycling – I wish he had been teamed with his regular partner, Phil Liggett, but 7 Network in Australia gobbled him up for its coverage. Paul is a great analyst and also can call play-by-play when necessary.

Teddy Atlas, boxing – Again, one of the best analysts in his sport. He had to deal with the worst judges of all time. Teddy’s Corner was one of the better features of the Olympics as he and Bob Papa went into the ring to explain what would happen in bouts and they would become true. Teddy should be used on HBO, but unfortunately, he’s not.

Bela Karolyi, gymnastics – Sure he was a walking, talking conflict of interest, commenting on action coached by his wife, but he was honest. Many times, he was difficult to understand, but Bela was not afraid to give his opinion and seeing him in the studio rooting for Nastia Liukin during the all-around competition was priceless. I hope NBC uses Bela more often. He’s great.

Silver Medal

Melanie Smith-Taylor, equestrian – Was hampered by being in New York. She preferred being on-site in Hong Kong for the competition and said so. But she knows her sport extremely well.

Elfi Schlegel, gymnastics – I would give her the gold had Tim Daggett and Al Trautwig not talked so much. She could barely get “good routine” or “Nice vault” in before being stepped upon.

Lewis Johnson, track & field – Overshadowed by Ato Boldon, there were times I thought his analysis was Ato’s.

Kevin Barnett, indoor volleyball – Like Paul Sunderland, was unemotional at times, making the matches seem dull. But he was good on the replays. Didn’t talk over Paul and played the analyst role well.

Yaz Farooq, rowing – Her voice was soothing. Sometimes so soothing, I fell asleep, but that could have been the sport itself.

Ann Meyers, basketball – Sometimes she was a bit too forceful. Knows her sport, but I prefer Doris Burke.

Joe Magrane, baseball – Maybe it’s because he calls Tampa Bay Rays games and I’m a Red Sox fan that I dislike Joe’s analysis, but I thought he was honest during Olympic baseball. Another analyst hampered by having to call the games off a monitor.

Brandi Chastain, soccer – I thought she did quite well analyzing the women’s matches and giving foresight on her experiences being on the women’s team. However, she could not see trends as she was in New York and the action was in Beijing or Shanghai.

Sean O’Neill, table tennis – Was pretty good.

Bronze Medal

Tim Daggett, gymnastics – Overgushed, overdramatic, didn’t take moments to let the action breathe. And he didn’t allow Elfi Schlegel to talk.

Jimmy Arias, tennis – Hampered by being in New York. Not the best tennis analyst. Were Patrick McEnroe, John McEnroe or Darren Cahill not available?

Dawn Lewis, handball – Sounded confused at times.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Marcelo Balboa, soccer – He made statements that made you scratch your head. I saw why ESPN dropped him from its soccer coverage.

Carol Lewis, track & field – Yelled too much.

REPORTERS

Gold Medal

Bob Neuemeier, diving and track & field
Jim Gray, boxing
Andrea Kremer, swimming
Lindsay Soto, tennis, volleyball

Silver Medal

Heather Cox, beach volleyball
Andrea Joyce, gymnastics
Craig Sager, basketball

Bronze Medal

Marty Snider, cycling, triathlon, baseball

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Cris Collinsworth – What exactly was he doing in Beijing?

And there you have it. Some announcers and analysts are missing. That’s due to the fact I was not able to watch their respective sports.

I give a gold medal to NBCOlympics.com and the Microsoft Silverlight technology used to stream action. When it worked using the correct bandwidth, the picture was clear, crisp and close to HD quality. When the bandwidth was low, the picture would freeze causing the player to buffer. Best seen at an extremely high speed.

I also give a gold medal to CBC’s coverage of the Opening Ceremonies. I got to watch the Opening Ceremonies at work through a site on Justin TV. Ron McLean and Peter Mansbridge of CBC News set the right tone during the ceremonies. Unfortunately, the International Olympic Committee went through any site showing Olympic action and forced many channels to shut down. I understand copyright and rights fees, but it would have been nice to watch CBC’s coverage to compare it to NBC every once in a while.

That is all.

A Lazy Saturday Morning Blog

Woke up late after I struggled to stay up to watch the US-Japan bronze medal game in baseball online and the Argentina-Nigeria men’s soccer gold medal match. I fell asleep and missed the endings of both games. But I was awake long enough to discover that Barack Obama had chosen Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. Since this is not a political blog, I won’t be commenting on that, but immediately, MSNBC went back into political coverage and will probably stay there throughout the weekend.

As we head to the end of the Olympics, it’s time to give you some linkage on this Saturday.

I’ll begin with CNBC’s Darren Rovell who says the International Olympic Committee’s strange rules are preventing athletes from getting endorsements the day after the Games.

Brent Hunsberger of The Oregonian’s Playbooks and Profits blog looks into Nike’s alleged efforts to squash rumors it had convinced Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang to pull out of his race so as not to minimize its investment in him. Interesting.

Tripp Mickle of the Sports Business Daily/Journal’s Olympic website notes that bloated and overrated TV host Oprah Winfrey is working hard to get every U.S. medalist, not just gold medalist, but every single one on her show.

Jim Williams writing for the SBD/SBJ is enjoying Ato Boldon’s work on track & field for NBC.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times also likes Ato Boldon’s analysis of the sprint events at track & field for NBC and adds Boldon’s comments about Usain Bolt have made him public enemy #1 in Jamaica and even in his native Trinidad and Tobago.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has been mostly quiet regarding the Olympics and today, he has some observations.

Ken McMillan of the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record says the announcement of Joe Biden as Obama’s running mate ran into some glitches during NBC’s late night Olympics coverage early this morning.

Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News notes how the Olympics has stomped on the Cowboys in the ratings this summer. And Barry feels NBC is treating Olympics basketball like a bastard stepchild.

Tom Maurstad of the Morning News looks at the difference between Super Bowl and Olympics ads.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star says NBC’s Mary Carillo and Cris Collinsworth are making sure no one forgets that the Olympics are fun.

Jerry Garcia of the San Antonio Express-News talks about how the Olympics have made big ratings, are big business and also have some big problems.

Ron Judd of the Seattle Times live blogged NBC’s primetime coverage on Friday.

Tom Hoffarth from the Los Angeles Daily News tells us what we can expect for the Closing Ceremonies. And Tom has some closing thoughts on the Olympics.

Steve Springer of the Los Angeles Times says online, NBCOlympics.com was not even number 1 in web visits.

Emily Steel from the Wall Street Journal says NBC did not make as much revenue from online video as it could have.

Elizabeth Kim of the Stamford (CT) Advocate looks at the team behind NBC’s Olympics website.

Shannon Owens of the Orlando Sentinel explores whether Tiki Barber called Jenna Wolfe a “cunt” on MSNBC.

Scott Greczkowski of Multichannel News says DirecTV gave its customers a better presentation of the Olympics than Dish Network.

William Houston from the Toronto Globe and Mail says digital media is the big winner from the Beijing Olympics.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star has some suggestions of which Olympic sports should be tosssed for being unwatchable.

The Sports Media Watch says the Olympics had its lowest rated night on Thursday. The SMW notes that MLB on Fox hit its lowest ratings last Saturday. And here are the SMW’s weekend ratings predictions.

The Schenectady Gazette’s Ken Schott has some New York State Capital Region radio notes for us. And Ken says Chris Russo will be a guest on a local radio show on Sunday. In his Saturday column, Ken writes that today’s Travers Stakes at Saratoga will be sent out nationally on radio.

The New York Post’s TV Sports blog reports Russo will be a guest on Fox 5′s Good Day New York program on Monday to promote his new show on Sirius XM.

Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says 1250 ESPN Radio has gone in a different direction after Mark Madden was fired.

Jonathan V. Last of the Weekly Standard says Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is doing his best to destroy DC sports radio.

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson writing a column for Pro Football Weekly says the reunion of Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann should work magic on NBC’s Football Night in America.

Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media blog has most of the national college football telecasts for this fall. Noticeably missing are SEC games as those are selected by CBS and ESPN about 10 days before they air.

Brian T. Smith of the Bristol (TN) Herald Courier calls ESPN/ABC’s Dr. Jerry Punch the Voice of NASCAR. And Brian profiles ESPN/ABC’s pit reporters Jamie Little and Shannon Spake.

You have a lot of links on this Saturday. I have another update for you coming up because I don’t want the news to get buried in this entry.

Weekend Olympics Viewing Guide for 8/23& 8/24

Here’s your final Olympic Viewing Guide. This covers the weekend. If you know where to look, there is plenty of live action to watch. You may have to stay up late to do it, but I’m sure you can find it.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 – DAY 15

NBC and NBC HD10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.Women's Basketball – Gold Medal Game USA vs. Australia (LIVE)Women's Volleyball – Gold Medal Match USA vs. BrazilSynchronized Swimming – Team Gold Medal FinalCanoeing – Gold Medal FinalsGymnastics – Rhythmic Individual Gold Medal FinalBoxing – Gold Medal Finals

7:30 p.m. – Midnight Men's Track & Field – Marathon (LIVE)Track & Field – Gold Medal FinalsMen's 800m, 5000m, 4x400 RelayWomen's 1500m, 4x400 Relay, High Jump Men's Diving – Platform Gold Medal Final

**Pacific Coast Primetime begins at 6:30pm PT**12:30 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.Men's Basketball – Gold Medal Game USA vs. Spain (LIVE)Track & Field – Gold Medal Finals       Men's Javelin ThrowBoxing – Gold Medal FinalsMen's Table Tennis – Singles Gold Medal MatchMen's Mountain Bike

CNBC and CNBC HDMidnight – 2:00 a.m.Men's Soccer – Gold Medal Game Nigeria vs. Argentina (LIVE)

USA and USA HD2:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.Baseball – Gold Medal Game Cuba vs. South Korea (LIVE)                  Bronze Medal Game USA vs. JapanMen's Water Polo – Semifinal USA vs. SerbiaWomen's Handball – Gold Medal Game Norway vs. Russia      Bronze Medal Game South Korea vs. HungaryMen's Field Hockey – Gold Medal Game Germany vs. Spain Men's Table Tennis – Singles Semifinal

MSNBC8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.**Please note there will be no coverage on MSNBC** - Why put this up then? Fang's Bites

TELEMUNDO6:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Baseball – Gold Medal Game (LIVE)Track & Field – Gold Medal FinalsMen's Diving – Platform SemifinalBoxing – Gold Medal Finals

6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.Men's Volleyball - Semifinal

Midnight – 1:00 a.m.TBA

UNIVERSAL HD24-hour MSNBC & CNBC HD Simulcasts and Coverage

NBC OLYMPIC SOCCER CHANNELMidnight – Noon                                  Men's Final12:00 a.m. – 1:45 a.m.  Men's Gold Medal Final (LIVE)2:40 a.m. – 3:00 a.m.  Medal Ceremony (LIVE)3:00 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.  Match Re-airs5:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.  Match Re-airs8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.  Match Re-airs10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Men's Gold Medal Final (re-air) NBC OLYMPIC BASKETBALL CHANNEL7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.                 Women's Final7:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.  Bronze Medal Game (LIVE)10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.   Gold Medal Final (LIVE)12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Medal Ceremony (LIVE)12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.  Game Re-airs5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.  Gold Medal Final Re-air NBCOlympics.com - LIVE STREAMING BROADBAND COVERAGE:Baseball – Gold Medal FinalMen's Field Hockey – Gold Medal FinalMen's Taekwondo - +80kg Gold Medal FinalWomen's Taekwondo - +67kg Gold Medal FinalWomen's Basketball – Gold & Bronze Medal GamesMen's Basketball – Bronze Medal GameCanoeing – Flatwater Gold Medal FinalsMen's Mountain Bike Women's Handball – Gold & Bronze Medal GamesMen's Handball – Classification & Bronze Medal GamesMen's Soccer – Gold Medal MatchMen's Table Tennis – Singles Gold & Bronze Medal MatchesWater Polo

NBC PRIMETIME HIGHLIGHTS:Live coverage of the classic Olympic event, the Men's Marathon, as rising American star Ryan Hall of Big Bear Lake, California, looks to continue Team USA's distance running revival. Hall followed a strong marathon debut in 2007 with the fastest ever marathon time by an American-born runner at the 2008 London Marathon.

The competition on the track concludes, featuring gold medal finals in the men's and women's 4x400m Relays. On the men's side, Jeremy Wariner should lead a USA quartet that is among the biggest favorites in the entire Olympics, and American record holder Sanya Richards should pace the Team USA women.

At the 2007 World Championships, Kenyan-born American Bernard Lagat completed an impressive double, winning gold in the 1500m and 5000m. Today Lagat races for Olympic gold in the 5000m. Also watch for gold medal finals in the men's 800m, the women's 1500m, the men's javelin throw and the women's high jump.

The diving competition concludes with the gold medal final in the men's 10m platform. China is expected to field two strong contenders, and Russia's Gleb Galperin is the reigning world champion, but in this wide-open event a trio of teenagers has a chance to challenge the favorites: Americans David Boudia (who performs among the most difficult sets of dives in the world) and Thomas Finchum, who train together in Indianapolis, and emerging British sensation Tom Daley, competing in his first Olympics at age 14.

NBC DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS:It's gold medals galore on NBC: In live women's basketball, Team USA aims for its fourth consecutive gold, three of which were against Australia (with Lisa Leslie a standout on all four teams); plus finals in women's volleyball, rhythmic gymnastics, synchronized swimming's team event, five boxing weight classes, and flatwater canoeing. 

NBC LATENIGHT HIGHLIGHTS:Stay up late for special live coverage of the Men's Basketball Gold Medal Game. Will this edition of Team USA – featuring megastars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant – earn the nickname "Redeem Team" by capturing Olympic gold for the first time in eight years? 

USA NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS:Team sport gold medal games abound, with gold at stake in baseball, women's handball and men's field hockey.

CNBC HIGHLIGHTS:Four years ago, Argentina won the men's soccer gold, igniting celebrations in the streets of Buenos Aires. The defending champions, now led by rising star Lionel Messi, will look to repeat in today's live gold medal match against Nigeria.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 – DAY 16

NBC and NBC HDNoon – 4:00 p.m.Gymnastics – Rhythmic Group Gold Medal FinalBoxing – Gold Medal Finals Men's Water Polo – Gold Medal MatchThe Best of Gymnastics, Swimming, Track & Field

7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Men's Volleyball – Gold Medal MatchClosing CeremonyBeijing Olympic Closing Party

CNBC and CNBC HDMidnight – 2:00 a.m.Men's Basketball – Bronze Medal Game (LIVE)

USA and USA HD5:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.Men's Basketball – Gold Medal Final Game (re-air)Men's Volleyball – Bronze Medal MatchMen's Water Polo – Bronze Medal MatchMen's Handball – Gold Medal Game TELEMUNDO4:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.Men's MarathonTrack & Field – Gold Medal FinalsMen's Basketball – Gold Medal GameMen's Diving – Platform Gold Medal FinalOlympic Wrap-Up

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.Boxing – Gold Medal Finals

Midnight – 1:00 a.m.TBA

UNIVERSAL HD24-hour MSNBC & CNBC HD Simulcasts and Coverage

NBC OLYMPIC BASKETBALL CHANNELMidnight – NoonMen's Basketball – Gold Medal Game

NBCOlympics.com - LIVE STREAMING BROADBAND COVERAGE:Men's Basketball – Gold Medal GameMen's Handball – Gold & Bronze Medal GamesWater Polo

NBC PRIMETIME HIGHLIGHTS:At the Closing Ceremony, it's celebration time for the athletes, and the torch will be passed to London for the 2012 Summer Games. China's flair for the spectacular in its approach to these Olympics promises to make the Beijing Closing Ceremony one of the grandest in history. 

Catch one more gold medal game in the high-flying men's volleyball final. NBC DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS:Several gold medals can be awarded on NBC, with gold medal finals in three sports: men's water polo, boxing (six finals), and rhythmic gymnastics.  USA NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS:The gold medal game in men's handball, plus bronze medal matches in men's volleyball and men's water polo. Also, a same-day re-air of the gold medal game in men's basketball.  CNBC HIGHLIGHTS:LIVE on CNBC, two teams, only one medal, in the men's basketball bronze medal game.

Olympic Viewing Guide for Friday, 8/22

Here is your viewing guide for the 2nd to last day of the Olympics.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 – DAY 14

NBC and NBC HD10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.Track & Field – Decathlon, Final DayMen's Basketball – Semifinal USA vs. Argentina (LIVE)Gymnastics – Rhythmic CompetitionWomen's Table Tennis – Gold Medal Final

8:00 p.m. – MidnightTrack & Field – Gold Medal FinalsMen's 4x100m Relay, Pole VaultWomen's 4x100m Relay, Long Jump, 5000mDecathlon 1500mMen's Diving – Platform Semifinal (LIVE)      Platform Competition

12:35 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.Women's Volleyball – Bronze Medal Match (LIVE)Men's Table Tennis – Singles SemifinalsSynchronized Swimming – Team Competition

CNBC and CNBC HDMidnight – 4:00 a.m.Boxing – Semifinals (51kg, 57kg, 64kg, 75kg, 91kg)(LIVE)Baseball – Semifinal (LIVE)

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Boxing – Semifinals (48kg, 54kg, 60kg, 69kg, 81kg, +91kg)

USA and USA HD2:00 a.m. – NoonMen's Basketball – Semifinal Spain vs. Lituania (LIVE)Men's Water Polo – Semifinal Hungary vs. Montenegro (LIVE)Men's Track & Field – 50k WalkMen's Table Tennis - QuarterfinalsCanoeing – Gold Medal Finals

MSNBC5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.Men's Soccer – Bronze Medal Match Brazil vs. Belgium (LIVE)Baseball – Semifinal USA vs. CubaMen's Volleyball – Semifinal Brazil vs. ItalyWomen's Field Hockey – Bronze Medal Game Germany vs. ArgentinaWomen's Modern PentathlonWomen's Table Tennis – Singles SemifinalsMen's Handball – Semifinal France vs. Croatia

OXYGEN6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Women's Field Hockey – Gold Medal Game

TELEMUNDO2:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.Women's Diving – Platform Gold Medal FinalTrack & Field – Gold Medal FinalsMen's Beach Volleyball – Gold Medal Match

6:55 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.Men's Soccer – Bronze Medal Match (LIVE)Men's Basketball – Semifinal (LIVE)

11:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.Men's Soccer – Gold Medal Match (LIVE)

UNIVERSAL HD24-hour MSNBC & CNBC HD Simulcasts and Coverage

NBC OLYMPIC SOCCER CHANNEL7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.Men's Bronze Medal and Women's Final Encore7:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Men's Bronze Medal (LIVE)9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Women's Bronze Medal10:45 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. Women's Gold Medal Final12:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Women's Medal Ceremony1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Match Re-airs

NBC OLYMPIC BASKETBALL CHANNEL8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.Men's Seminfinals8:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Game #1 (LIVE)10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Game #2 (LIVE)  12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Game Re-airs4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Game Re-airs

NBCOlympics.com - LIVE STREAMING BROADBAND COVERAGE:Baseball – Semifinal & Bronze Medal GameWomen's Field Hockey – Gold Medal GameMen's Field HockeyWomen's Modern Pentathlon – Swimming, Riding & RunningMen's Taekwondo – 80kg Gold Medal Finals, +80kg CompetitionWomen's Taekwondo – 67kg Gold Medal Finals, +67kg CompetitionMen's Basketball – SemifinalsCanoeing – Flatwater Gold Medal FinalsWomen's Mountain BikeMen's Handball – Competition & SemifinalsWomen's Handball – Competition & Bronze Medal GameMen's Soccer – Bronze & Gold Medal MatchesMen's Table Tennis – QuarterfinalsWomen's Table Tennis – Singles Bronze & Gold Medal MatchesWater Polo

NBC PRIMETIME HIGHLIGHTS:The world's top two decathletes, the Czech Republic's Roman Sebrle and America's Bryan Clay, who finished 1-2 in Athens, may be competing head-to-head once more to determine who is the "World's Greatest Athlete" as the decathlon concludes with five events on Day 2. Gold medals are also at stake in the women's 5000m, the women's long jump, and the men's pole vault.

The final diving competition of the Beijing Olympics, the men's 10m platform, is perhaps the most wide open. As usual, China is expected to field two strong contenders, but this event has been a relative weak spot for the host country in recent years. American teens and training partners David Boudia (who performs among the most difficult sets of dives in the world) and Thomas Finchum give Team USA two legitimate contenders. Russia's Gleb Gelperin is the reigning world champion. And look for emerging British sensation Tom Daley, competing in his first Olympics at age 14.

NBC DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS:Four years ago in Athens, the unthinkable happened: Team USA failed to advance to the men's basketball final, falling to eventual champion Argentina and it's pay back time as they meet again. In today's live semifinal, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant look to lead the "Redeem Team" back to the gold medal game.

NBC LATENIGHT HIGHLIGHTS:Grace and beauty are on display as the world's top synchronized swimming teams compete for a berth in the gold medal final. Russia, which dominated the 2007 World Championships, has won the last two Olympic gold medals and should win a third straight in Beijing. 

USA NETWORK:Catch live team sport action in men's basketball, featuring a semifinal showdown between two of the world's best teams, Spain and Lithuania.

Olympic gold is on the line in the longest Track & Field event at the Games: the Men's 50km Walk.

MSNBC HIGHLIGHTS: The women's competition in modern pentathlon features American Sheila Taormina, who will be competing in her fourth Olympics in her third different sport (she was a swimming relay gold medalist in 1996 and competed in triathlon in 2000 and 2004).

Team sport competitions near their conclusion with medals at stake in men's soccer and women's field hockey plus semifinal action in baseball, men's volleyball and men's handball.

CNBC HIGHLIGHTS:Catch live coverage of boxing semifinals in multiple weight classes.

OXYGEN HIGHLIGHTS:Watch as Olympic gold is determined in women's field hockey gold medal game.

Olympic Viewing Guide for Thursday, 8/21

Here are your viewing highlights for Thursday on the networks of NBC Universal. Remember, the Olympics in Communist China end on Sunday so we’re in the home stretch and we’ll deal with the next Summer Games in four years.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 – DAY 13

NBC and NBC HD10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Track & Field - Decathlon Gymnastics – Rhythmic Competition Women's Water Polo – Gold or Bronze Medal Match Equestrian – Individual Jumping Gold Medal Final Softball – Gold Medal Game Report

8:00 p.m. – MidnightTrack & Field – Gold Medal FinalsMen's 400m, 110m Hurdles, Triple JumpWomen's 200mDecathlon Day 1 Women's Diving – Platform Gold Medal Final Men's Beach Volleyball – Gold Medal Match (LIVE) 12:35 a.m. – 2:00 a.m Men's Volleyball – Semifinal (LIVE) Track & Field – Gold Medal Finals      Women's Javelin Throw Men's Beach Volleyball – Bronze Medal Match

CNBC and CNBC HDMidnight - 2:00 a.m. Women's Track & Field – 20k Walk

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Wrestling – Freestyle 84kg, 96kg, 120kg Gold Medal Finals

USA and USA HD2:00 a.m. – NoonWomen's Soccer – Gold Medal Match (LIVE)Softball – Gold Medal Game (LIVE)Women's Beach Volleyball – Bronze Medal Match China vs. BrazilMen's Swimming – MarathonCanoeing – Semifinals Women's Table Tennis – QuarterfinalMen's Table Tennis 

MSNBC5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Women's Basketball – Semifinal USA vs. Russia (LIVE       Semifinal China vs. Australia (LIVE)         Women's Soccer – Bronze Medal Match Germany vs. Japan (LIVE) Women's Water Polo – Bronze Medal Match Australia vs. Hungary (LIVE) Wrestling – Freestyle 84kg, 96kg, 120kg Competition Women's Handball – Semifinals Norway vs. Korea Women's Volleyball – Semifinal China vs. Brazil Men's Field Hockey – Semifinal Netherlands vs. Germany OXYGEN6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Gymnastics on Oxygen Gala

TELEMUNDO2:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.Track & Field – Gold Medal FinalsWomen's Diving – Platform Competition and Semifinal

8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Women's Soccer – Gold Medal Match (LIVE)Women's Beach Volleyball – Gold Medal Match

Midnight – 1:00 a.m.TBA UNIVERSAL HD24-hour MSNBC & CNBC HD Simulcasts and Coverage

NBC OLYMPIC SOCCER CHANNEL6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.Women's Final 6:00 a.m. – 7:45 a.m. Bronze Medal (LIVE) 9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Gold Medal (LIVE) 11:40 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Medal Ceremony (LIVE) 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Cycle repeats NBC OLYMPIC BASKETBALL CHANNEL8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.Women's Semifinals 8:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Game #1 (LIVE) 10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Game #2 (LIVE)  12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Game Re-airs 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m Game Re-airs

NBCOlympics.com - LIVE STREAMING BROADBAND COVERAGE:Baseball – SemifinalMen's & Women's Field Hockey Men's Modern Pentathlon – Swimming, Riding & RunningWomen's Modern Pentathlon – Shooting & FencingSailing – Gold Medal FinalsMen's Taekwondo – 68kg Gold Medal Finals, 80kg CompetitionWomen's Taekwondo – 57kg Gold Medal Finals, 67kg CompetitionWomen's Basketball – SemifinalsCanoeing – Flatwater SemifinalsWomen's Handball – Competition & SemifinalsMen's Handball Equestrian – Individual Jumping Gold Medal FinalWomen's Soccer – Gold & Bronze Medal GamesSoftball – Gold Medal GameMen's & Women's Table Tennis – Singles Competition & SemifinalsMen's Wrestling – Freestyle 84kg, 96kg, 120kgWater Polo

NBC PRIMETIME HIGHLIGHTS:Defending Olympic gold medalist and two-time reigning world champion Jeremy Wariner – whose agent and mentor is the only man to repeat as Olympic 400m champion Michael Johnson – has been dominant in his signature event, the 400m, though fellow American LaShawn Merritt topped Wariner at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Led by Wariner, the USA swept the medals in Athens and at the 2007 World Championships, and a repeat sweep with Wariner and Merritt at the fore in Beijing is possible.Four years ago, teen sensation Allyson Felix was a rising star and won the 200m silver in her Olympic debut. Last year at the World Championships, she dominated the field and is the favorite for gold in Beijing. Also watch for Jamaican sprint queen Veronica Campbell-Brown, the defending Olympic champion in the 200m.While expecting a showdown with Athens gold medalist Liu Xiang in his home country, instead world record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba will contend with a pair of Americans, David Oliver and David Payne, in a bid for his first Olympic medal. Also in contention for an upset is 2005 World champion Ladji Doucoure of France.Who's the "World's Greatest Athlete?" It just may be reigning Olympic and world champion Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic, who will face a strong challenge from his good friend and Athens silver medalist Bryan Clay in Day 1 of the two-day decathlon competition.Laura Wilkinson is used to being the underdog. In Sydney she came back from eighth place in the final round to win an unexpected gold medal, competing with broken bones in her foot. Then after a fifth-place finish in Athens, Wilkinson came back to win a world championship one year later. Now, at age 30, she plays the underdog again, this time behind two Chinese teens half her age: Wang Xin, the 2007 world champion, and Chen Ruolin, 2008 World Cup champion.

NBC DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS:Gold is at stake in women's water polo for the third time in Olympic history, and Team USA, led by Brenda Villa, could be looking to add one to its collection after winning silver in 2000 and bronze in 2004.

NBC LATENIGHT HIGHLIGHTS:If you like volleyball, this show is for you. Indoors, you'll find live semifinal action. On the sand, it's the men's bronze medal match in beach volleyball.

USA NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS:This could be a golden day for Team USA in women's team sports live on USA. First, the USA Softball Team is expected to play for its fourth – and perhaps final – Olympic gold medal (softball has been removed from the Olympic program beginning in 2012). Also, the USA Women's Soccer Team, led by a new generation of stars is looking to repeat as Olympic champion, as they take on Marta and Team Brazil.  MSNBC HIGHLIGHTS:The USA Women's Basketball Team has won three straight Olympic gold medals, and Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie & Co. and today will take on Russia in the semifinal, live on MSNBC. 

CNBC HIGHLIGHTS:Gold medals are on the line as the big men take the mat in Freestyle Wrestling's 84kg, 96kg and 120kg Finals. Daniel Cormier, in the 96kg class, is one of Team USA's top hopes, and New Jersey's Steve Mocco makes his Olympic debut in the 120kg class, representing a family of athletes. 

OXYGEN HIGHLIGHTS:An encore presentation of the gymnastics Champions Gala, featuring the men's and women's stars of the Beijing gymnastics competition one last time as they perform routines set to their favorite music.

Olympic Viewing Guide for Wednesday, 8/20

Here’s your viewing highlights for Wednesday on the networks of NBC Universal:

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20

NBC and NBC HD10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. all time zonesMen's Volleyball – Quarterfinal (LIVE)Women's Diving – Platform Competition

8:00 p.m. – Midnight ET/PTTrack & Field – Gold Medal FinalsMen's 200mWomen's 400m HurdlesGymnastics - GalaWomen's Beach Volleyball – Gold Medal Match (LIVE)Cycling – BMX Gold Medal Finals (LIVE)

12:35 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.ET/PTWomen's Volleyball – Semifinal (LIVE)Women's Track & Field - Hammer Throw Gold Medal FinalWomen's Diving – Platform Semifinal

CNBC and CNBC HDMidnight – 2:00 a.m.ETSoftball – Semifinal

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.ETBoxing – 51kg, 75kg Quarterfinals

USA and USA HD2:00 a.m. – Noon ETMen's Basketball – Four Quarterfinals (LIVE)Men's Beach Volleyball - SemifinalCanoeing – Semifinals (LIVE)Women's Swimming – MarathonMen's Water Polo - Quarterfinals

MSNBC5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.ETSoftball – Bronze Medal Game (LIVE)Men's Volleyball - Quarterfinals (LIVE)Baseball – USA vs. JapanWomen's Field Hockey - SemifinalWrestling – Freestyle 66kg, 74kg Gold Medal FinalsTable TennisMen's Handball - Quarterfinal

OXYGEN6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.ET/PTSynchronized Swimming – Duet Gold Medal FinalGymnastics on Oxygen

TELEMUNDO2:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.ETMen's Basketball - QuarterfinalTrack & Field – Gold Medal FinalsMen's Diving- Springboard Competition

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.ETMen's Beach Volleyball – SemifinalGymnastics – Individual Event Gold Medal Finals

Midnight – 1:00 a.m.ETTBA

UNIVERSAL HD24-hour MSNBC & CNBC HD Simulcasts and Coverage

NBC OLYMPIC BASKETBALL CHANNEL2:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.ETMen's Quarterfinals Round2:30 a.m. – 4:15 a.m.  Game #1 (LIVE)4:45 a.m. – 6:30 a.m.  Game #2 (LIVE)6:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.  Game #1 or #2 re-air 8:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.  Game #3 (LIVE)10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Game #4 (LIVE)12:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.  USA Game Re-air1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.  Game of the Day – 2nd half re-air

NBC OLYMPIC SOCCER CHANNEL6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.ET"The Semifinals Encore"6:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.  Women's Match #17:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.  Women's Match #29:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.  Men's Match #110:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Men's Match #212:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Match Re-airs

NBCOlympics.com - LIVE STREAMING BROADBAND COVERAGE:BaseballMen's Field HockeyWomen's Field Hockey – SemifinalsSailing – Competition & Gold Medal FinalsMen's Taekwondo – 58kg Gold Medal Finals, 68kg CompetitionWomen's Taekwondo – 49kg Gold Medal Finals, 51kg CompetitionMen's Modern Pentathlon – Shooting, FencingMen's BasketballCanoeing – Flatwater SemifinalsMen's HandballWomen's HandballSoftball – Bronze Medal GameSwimming – Marathon Gold Medal FinalMen's & Women's Table Tennis – Singles CompetitionMen's Wrestling – Freestyle 66kg, 74kg Gold Medal Finals           Freestyle 84kg, 96kg,120kg CompetitionCyclingWater Polo

NBC PRIMETIME HIGHLIGHTS:The 200m sprint could be a wide-open classic. Americans swept the medals four years ago in Athens, led by Shawn Crawford, who's back at the fore of another strong USA group that includes Florida State standout Walter Dix and former Arkansas Razorback Wallace Spearmon. But the favorite is Jamaican sensation Usain "Lightning" Bolt, who will attempting to complete a 100m-200m gold medal sweep.

Olympic Trials champion Tiffany Ross-Williams, who came up through the same Miami (Liberty City) track club as Bershawn "Batman" Jackson and is the mother of a young daughter, leads the way for the USA Team in the 400m hurdles.

Defending Olympic champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh could confirm their status as "Queens of the Beach" in the gold medal final where they take on China.

Think of it as the roller derby of bikes. BMX racing is one of the new events at the Olympics – an all-out, full-contact, eight-man race through a twisting course with plenty of jumps. Though the event is wildly unpredictable in nature, the American men have unmatched depth, featuring 2007 world champion Kyle Bennett, world medalist Mike Day, and 2007 USA champion Donny Robinson. On the women's side, Jill Kintner, who returned to BMX racing when it was added to the Olympic program, was the top American finisher at the 2007 World Championships and is a medal contender.

In the gymnastics Champions Gala, see the men's and women's stars of the Beijing gymnastics competition one last time as they perform routines set to their favorite music.

NBC DAYTIME HIGHLIGHTS:The USA Men's Volleyball Team finished fourth at last year's World Cup and is looking to climb to the medal podium in Beijing. Now it's time for the elimination round: the quarterfinals are today live.

Sydney Olympic champion Laura Wilkinson begins her pursuit of another Olympic medal in women's platform qualifying.

NBC LATENIGHT HIGHLIGHTS: Live in volleyball, a place in the gold medal match is at stake in the women's semifinals. Team USA, led by veteran Logan Tom, could be aiming to advance to the final for the first time since 1984.

USA NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS:It's a basketball fan's dream: eight teams matched up in four live quarterfinal games featuring NBA stars with the winners guaranteed a chance to play for a medal – a critical step for LeBron, Kobe and the "Redeem Team" as they try to win Olympic gold for the first time in eight years.

Marathon swimming events make their debut in Beijing with a taxing 10km (6.2 mile) race. The women's competition features one of these Olympics most compelling stories: South Africa's Natalie du Toit, whose leg was amputated following an accident, is the first athlete to qualify for the Olympics and Paralympics.

MSNBC HIGHLIGHTS:In one final key matchup before the medal round, the USA Baseball Team faces gold medal contender Japan.

Iowa's Doug Schwab and Missouri's Ben Askren, each making their Olympic debut in Beijing, hope to compete for medals in freestyle wrestling.

OXYGEN HIGHLIGHTS:Style, grace and athleticism combine in synchronized swimming's Duet Final.

Now that the medals have all been awarded, get one more look back at all the drama of the gymnastics competition.

CNBC HIGHLIGHTS:Boxing's quarterfinal round continues in two weight classes. American flyweight (51kg) Rau'shee Warren, who competed as a 17-year-old in Athens, is back for his second Olympics and is one of Team USA's top boxing hopes.

In a semifinal showdown, The USA Softball Team – led by three of the world's best pitchers in Cat Osterman, Jennie Finch and Monica Abbott – looks to advance to the gold medal game for the fourth consecutive-and what may be the last-time.

NBC Decides To Talk About Everything, But Sunday’s Ratings

The NBC public relations department is very good at finding ways to promote the ratings for the Olympics. It’s using the midway point of the Games to show how the Olympics have helped other programs. Even Access Hollywood is mentioned and this will be most likely be the last time you’ll ever see Access Hollywood referenced on this blog. Man, do I hate that program. I might like it more if they ever got rid of Billy Bush, but that’s a rant for another day. Here’s what NBC is saying:

OLYMPICS MID-GAMES REPORT:  NBC’s BEIJING SUCCESS BOOSTS VIEWERSHIP ACROSS ALL NBC UNIVERSAL PLATFORMS

Olympic Coverage Boosts NBCU Cable Viewership; NBC “Nightly News” & “Today” Increase Leads over Competition

NBCOlympics.com on MSN Serves 40.7 Million Video Streams, More Than 750 Million Page Views, More than 36 Million Uniques

BEIJING – Aug. 19, 2008 – More than 196 million viewers have watched the Beijing Olympics on the networks of NBC Universal through the first 10 days, already making it the fourth most watched television event in U.S. history, only behind the complete totals of the 1996 Atlanta (209 million), 1994 Lillehammer (204 million) and 2004 Athens (203 million) Games.  The 196 million through 10 days is 11 million more than the first ten days for Athens (185 million) and three million more than the Atlanta Games (193 million), which was the most viewed television event in U.S. history.  The ten-day total for these Games now surpasses the final overall viewership totals for the Barcelona Games (192 million) in 1992 and the Seoul Games (194 million) in 1988.

The Beijing Olympic 10-day average primetime viewership is 29.8 million, 14 percent ahead of Athens in 2004 (26.2 million).  NBC's average of 17.2 rating/30 share is the best through the second Sunday for a Summer Olympics outside the U.S. since Barcelona in 1992 (18.6/35) and is a nine percent jump from Athens in 2004 (15.8/28).

NBC Universal's 3,600 hours of Beijing Olympic coverage is not only fueling record-breaking Olympic viewership, but also casting an Olympic "halo" across the many different divisions of NBC Universal.  The unprecedented Olympic coverage has driven record numbers of viewers to NBCU's cable networks; it has also produced impressive gains in viewership and competitive advantage for "NBC Nightly News," NBC News' "Today," and NBC's affiliated stations. NBCOlympics.com has had a record number of page views, unique users and video streams, surpassing its total number from the entire Torino and Athens Games combined.  

Sunday night garnered 75 million total viewers in primetime and 26.8 million average viewers, a three percent gain from the comparable night in Athens (26.0). The night earned a 15.8 rating/28 share, which is even with Athens' comparable night which featured three USA track & field gold medals.

Here is a rundown of how Beijing Olympics "halo effect" benefited the various divisions and dayparts of NBC Universal:

"TODAY" AND NIGHTLY NEWS DOMINATE THE COMPETITION: Preliminary affiliate time period data indicates that TODAY will have its highest delivery since the Turin Games in February, 2006 (2/13/06) as well as its best advantage over GMA since the week of the 2000 Presidential election (11/6/00). "Nightly News" is on track for its best advantage over the competition since the week of the Brokaw/Williams transition (11/29/04).

NBC CABLE: Through Sunday, Aug, 17, Olympics coverage on the cable networks of NBC Universal has reached 73.3 million average viewers, up 31 percent from August 2007 (56 million) and up 30 percent from the Athens Games. USA NETWORK: Through Friday, Aug. 15, the Olympics on USA Network are averaging 960,000 viewers, up 39 percent from the same time periods in Aug. 2007, up 31 percent from the prior four-week viewer delivery before the Games and up 20 percent from the 2004 Athens Games. MSNBC: Through Friday, Aug. 15, the Olympics on MSNBC are averaging 650,000 viewers, up 145 percent from the same time periods in Aug. 2007, up 137 percent from the prior four-week viewer delivery before the Games and up 22 percent from the 2004 Athens Games. CNBC: Through Friday, Aug. 15, the Olympics on CNBC from 5-8pm are averaging 606,000 million viewers, up 143 percent from the same time periods in Aug. 2007, up 165 percent from the prior four-week viewer delivery before the Games and identical to the 2004 Athens Games. OXYGEN: Through Friday, Aug. 15, the Olympics on Oxygen are averaging 658,000 viewers, up 190 percent from the same time periods in Aug. 2007, up 141 percent from the prior four-week viewer delivery before the Games. The week of August 11 saw Oxygen's highest ever delivery for the M-F 6-8pm Olympic time period.

TELEMUNDO: Through Sunday, Aug. 17, Olympic coverage to-date on Telemundo has reached 12 million unique viewers, up 12 percent from the Athens Games.  The Olympics on Telemundo are averaging nearly a quarter-million million viewers, up 88 percent from the same time periods in Aug. 2007 and up 87 percent from the prior four-week viewer delivery before the Games.

OLYMPICS POWERS NBC AFFILIATED STATIONS TO NO. 1:For the Olympic period (August 8-17) every NBC affiliate in the metered markets ranks No.1 in their market on a total day (5a-5a) basis.  Local News ratings for NBC's metered market affiliates have shown significant increases from the prior four-week viewer delivery before the Games.5-6am  up 69%6-7am up 35%5-6pm up 23%6-6:30pm up 27%Late news up 67% despite the start times significantly later than normal.

OLYMPIC ZONE VIEWERSHIP INCREASES: "Olympic Zone" is a partnership between NBC Olympics and NBC affiliated stations.  The 30-minute show airs prior to NBC's primetime Olympic coverage and is showing significant ratings increases for many markets vs. the prior four-week ratings.  The markets showing the biggest increases are:1. San Francisco up 404%2. Los Angeles up 395%3. Miami up 336%4. Atlanta up 288%5. New York up 220% 

"ACCESS HOLLYWOOD" UP 29% ON NBC AFFILIATED STATIONS: This section deleted by Fang's Bites.

NBCOLYMPICS.COM ON MSN DRAWS MORE VIDEO STREAMS AND PAGE VIEWS THAN ATHENS AND TURIN COMBINED: Through the first 10 days of the Beijing Games, NBCOlympics.com has already generated 754.3 million page views, nearly 200 million more than the combined totals for the entire 17 days of the Turin and Athens Games (561.1 million).   

The 40.7 million video streams on the site are nearly four times the combined Turin and Athens total of 10.8 million.

36 million unique visitors to the site since the start of the Games are 42 percent higher than the total monthly unique visitors for the entire Turin and Athens Games combined.

NBC Olympics mobile WAP site has amassed 21.4 million page views.