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Certain Segments Unaired?


BanzaiB

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I've watched both CBC and NBC's coverages twice and it appears to me that some of the scenes I've seen pictures of weren't shown in the TV airings.

I've referring to mostly these two:

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I first watched CBC's live coverage so there were definitely some missed portions due to the commercial breaks. Then I watched the encore, which was essentially the same. Then I watched NBC's pretaped coverage and it appeared heavily edited for commercial breaks. But did they edit out an entire segment with the puppet show? This is very annoying.

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Here, in Portugal, the OC was aired on the public station's second channel, so there were no commercial breaks. It had much better live sound than the Eurosport broadcast and less annoying commentators. The only thing they didn't air was the final Jackie Chan performance, but that was overkill after 4 hours...

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I've watched both CBC and NBC's coverages twice and it appears to me that some of the scenes I've seen pictures of weren't shown in the TV airings.

I've referring to mostly these two:

200808082101010bb3aow4.jpg

I first watched CBC's live coverage so there were definitely some missed portions due to the commercial breaks. Then I watched the encore, which was essentially the same. Then I watched NBC's pretaped coverage and it appeared heavily edited for commercial breaks. But did they edit out an entire segment with the puppet show? This is very annoying.

You're right; the #2 section w/ the puppet show was not shown by Stupid NBC.

See, I really wish you people wouldn't petition for seeing the DUMB Athletes' Parade section. It's the same thing every Olympics. THe Parade is such a F*CKING waste of time -- which is why they have to sacrfice some artistic portions.

Dick Ebersole's going to have to suffer another barrage of profanities from me!!

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See, I really wish you people wouldn't petition for seeing the DUMB Athletes' Parade section. It's the same thing every Olympics. THe Parade is such a F*CKING waste of time

I have to say I like the parade of nations - such thing has to be long! I love watching the flags, the different clothes, the different hair dos - somebody has already said it is a little bit like the Eurovision Song Contest!

But let us think about how the parade of nations could be shorten

- I doubt that there is any team, which would voluntarily forgo to take part (e.g. would the US-team forgo to take part?)

- could the number of athletes for every team reduced up to ten persons? Who should decide, which athlete is allowed to take part? What is when one athlete wants to take part and he/she would the the eleventh person?

mhh - maybe just the flag bearer should take part?

But I would miss some "unofficial" competitions: - the worst clothes - the best clothes - the most attractive hunk.... etc. etc.

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But let us think about how the parade of nations could be shorten

Bring the flags in 4 across at a time, followed by all of the athletes mixed together, just like the closing. Have them enter from several different points in order to speed it up.

Or better yet, have the flags come in alone, but allow the athletes to be seated throughout the enter OC!! They are the ones that this is all about, and yet Games after Games, they miss the chance to see the most spectacular parts of the OC and CC live. That never made sense to me.

By the way, long-time-no-see CAF!

Juan

Edited by juan antonio
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Bring the flags in 4 across at a time, followed by all of the athletes mixed together, just like the closing. Have them enter from several different points in order to speed it up.

Or better yet, have the flags come in alone, but allow the athletes to be seated throughout the enter OC!! They are the ones that this is all about, and yet Games after Games, they miss the chance to see the most spectacular parts of the OC and CC live. That never made sense to me.

By the way, long-time-no-see CAF!

Juan

I would have prefer the first of your proposals if it had to be changed...

Yeah - glad to see you again juan!!!

You hadn't been here for a long time - how are you doing?

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See, I really wish you people wouldn't petition for seeing the DUMB Athletes' Parade section. It's the same thing every Olympics. THe Parade is such a F*CKING waste of time -- which is why they have to sacrfice some artistic portions.

You have to be kidding. The athletes are the POINT of the whole thing. The Olympics is an athletic competition, not a Broadway show. The parade of athletes is the most important part of the opening ceremony. All the rest is just some (hopefully pleasant and engaging) singing and dancing. Your suggestion reminds me of people who watch the Super Bowl for "the ads and the halftime show" and somehow miss the fact that the game and the players are the reason for the whole thing.

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Your suggestion reminds me of people who watch the Super Bowl for "the ads and the halftime show" and somehow miss the fact that the game and the players are the reason for the whole thing.

OK, so Michael Phelps will take home more hardware, etc., etc. But HOW MANY TIMES in history will you see a $100 million SHOW? Probably ONLY ONCE!! Not London, not CHicago, not Rio will spend that much on a show again. Phelps, I can't even remember the names of the other wannabees, will just end up as another chpater in Wallachinsky's book and just load down the IOC's athletes database.

They're just really filler that the IOC and the sponsors hope to make money on. Physical whores -- that's what they are. :)

P.S. I ONLY watch the SuperBowl for the half-time show and the commercials. Who gives a FF*ck about those idiots geared up in all that padding, throw themselves against each other for a stupid-shaped ball? Ho-hum.

Edited by baron-pierreIV
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Well, perhaps my problem is that I'm actually a sports fan. That is to say, I much prefer a sport itself to the hullabaloo that surrounds it. In the end, the ceremonies aren't important to me except as spectacle and entertainment. A momentary diversion before the real event starts. I'm going to Beijing to watch track (and a couple of other things), and that's what most important to me. Great athletes competing on the biggest stage.

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I've just seen the unaired portions. I can see why they cut the part with the Peking Opera puppets out. It was definitely the least appealing segment to a western audience.

And that's about the only thing which reminds one that the games is actually held in Beijing and not any other Chinese city. :P

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And that's about the only thing which reminds one that the games is actually held in Beijing and not any other Chinese city. :P

It's just the 'puppet' sequence though. The imperial of the Tang or was it Qin imperial court is shown in its full glory.

Other than that, I can see where NBCmade the cuts-- they were primarily in the transitions while one portion cleared the floor for the next segment to come in.

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You can't put off the athletes' entrance. The OG is about the athletes, not the show. It's also mandated in the Olympic Charter and I doubt the IOC would change their minds. No athlete would agree not to march unless he has a competition early the next day. This is very important for small contingents. I really hate it when big contingents make a single line so they can hog the limelight longer, like the USA or Spain this year.

The problem for broadcasters and organizers is how to make the athlete's march faster w/o spoiling their 30 seconds of fame. This is the uncontrollable part of the OC. The show and everything else they can control.

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The Parade of the Athletes takes so darn long because they're all walking. We need to speed the process up for London.

I had to laugh at Team USA during the Beijing parade. The first few rows of athletes that entered the stadium used the entire width of the track. This was quickly followed by rows of 3 or 4. This created a huge snake-like formation and definitely slowed the sequence. It made me wonder if the American team were given instructions to make their numbers look at big as possible. :rolleyes:

Of course, I'm not for one moment saying that other teams did not do this, but the USA team were so huge, I immediately noticed this formation.

Can't they put the athletes on trolleys of some kind or moving platforms with wheels? Something must be possible to shuttle them in, and around. (I'll leave the Baron to come up with a little picture to give us an idea of what this could look like) :P

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The Parade of the Athletes takes so darn long because they're all walking. We need to speed the process up for London.

I had to laugh at Team USA during the Beijing parade. The first few rows of athletes that entered the stadium used the entire width of the track. This was quickly followed by rows of 3 or 4. This created a huge snake-like formation and definitely slowed the sequence. It made me wonder if the American team were given instructions to make their numbers look at big as possible. :rolleyes:

Of course, I'm not for one moment saying that other teams did not do this, but the USA team were so huge, I immediately noticed this formation.

Can't they put the athletes on trolleys of some kind or moving platforms with wheels? Something must be possible to shuttle them in, and around. (I'll leave the Baron to come up with a little picture to give us an idea of what this could look like) :P

I think the only solution is to tape the March the day before of the actual OC.

Then just show it on the screens in double-time on the Official OC -- thereby putting the whole actual Ceremony in bladder-friendly time!!

Edited by baron-pierreIV
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Al is right. You HAVE to have the athletes parade. It is the most enduring opening ceremony tradition! Yes, it is very long, but without the athletes, there are no Olympics. And for many of these athletes, the march in is the closest they will get to hearing the cheers of victory. Of the 10000 athletes there, only a few hundred bring home medals.

My suggestion would be to have the athletes enter at multiple points and set up so that a national team is called out every 15 to 20 seconds, and then swirl into the centre of the stadium. So while the big USA team may enter at the south gate, the smaller teams from the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, and Vanuatu enter at the north gate.

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My suggestion would be to have the athletes enter at multiple points and set up so that a national team is called out every 15 to 20 seconds, and then swirl into the centre of the stadium. So while the big USA team may enter at the south gate, the smaller teams from the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, and Vanuatu enter at the north gate.

So it would then have to be a REQUIREMENT from the get-go that the main Olympic (or Ceremonies) stadium must HAVE 4 entrances/exits to allow for a quicker Parade of Athletes. I think they should institute that ASAP!!

And really limit the larger delegations to NO MORE than 50 athletes each. (The home team gets to bring in 100.) That would cut a good 1/2 hour from the March.

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So it would then have to be a REQUIREMENT from the get-go that the main Olympic (or Ceremonies) stadium must HAVE 4 entrances/exits to allow for a quicker Parade of Athletes. I think they should institute that ASAP!!

And really limit the larger delegations to NO MORE than 50 athletes each. (The home team gets to bring in 100.) That would cut a good 1/2 hour from the March.

All athletes have the right to march into the OC. That will be voted down by the athletes and no one wants to antagonize them as a whole. We're all aware how the athletes pressured the Chinese government on pollution. Imagine if they can't get in the OC. Nobody will march at all if some of their national team comrades can't march because of television viewers want a shorter parade.

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