Thursday, August 1, 2024

Olympic News and Notes by Rudy Martzke (July 29-July 31)

 

Best moment: NBC production capturing the moment after swimmer Ryan Murphy captured the Bronze looking in the stands for his family and his wife that is pregnant holding up an “It’s a Girl” sign. Murphy found out his wife was having a little girl after winning another medal.

Top information: NBC's Krista Blunk shares with viewers that in 3x3 5 fouls gives teams 1 shot at the line, but 10+ fouls gives you a double bonus that's difficult to overcome.

Top analysis: NBC's Kyle Montgomery does an excellent job explaining how the constant close proximity in 3x3 leads to each team not only having 10+ fouls each in a 10-minute game, but it also causes a lot of elbows to the face that are accidental.

Top Pop-Culture Reference: NBC's Kyle Montgomery,  "Dr. Strange, with the cloak of levitation, gets past Jimmer and slams it home with some authority."

Top stat: NBC's Kyle Montgomery shared that Jimmer Fredette's 45% 2-point shots are the highest percentage in the 3x3 game and have quickly raised the US ranking from no Tokyo appearance to #2 in the world.

Top stat: NBC's Krista Blunk shared that each of the 3x3 US basketball players has a 9 to 5 job they have to step away from to compete. Serbia's athletes don't have full-time jobs. 3x3 basketball is their full-time job.

Top info: NBC's Krista Blunk does an excellent job outlining how 3x3 basketball is different because it's only a 12 second shot clock and point values are only 1 or 2 points.

Top analysis: NBC's Tony Azevedo shares that they key to winning any water polo match is to have more than 50% of your power plays converted into goals. In the US opener loss their PP was only 45%.

Top stat: NBC's Kenny Albert shares that the last time Romania made the Olympics in Water Polo (2012) they lost to the US in the Opening Rounds Group matches.

Top analysis: NBC's Tony Azevedo shares when you control the TOP in water polo you slowly wear down the defenders until you get within 3-4m of the goal. It makes scoring occur more frequently as the match goes on.

Top stat: NBC's Kenny Albert telling viewers that only 3 of the US men's water polo players are playing in their 1st Olympics. 2 of the 3 however are the Dodd siblings.

Top production: NBC cameras getting a shot of Hall of Fame broadcaster and 12 time Olympics host, Bob Costas. 
Costas will always be synonymous with the Olympic Games.

Top info: NBC's Terry Gannon shared one reason US women's team has rebounded to be the gold medal favorites in 2024 is they only had 2 days without either practice or competition in last month: 1) During Day 2 of Men's Olympic Qualifying & 2) During Men's Team Finals of Olympics.

Top analysis: NBC's Rowdy Gaines shares there's 2 strategies in the Men's 100m Free: 1) Go Out as Fast as possible or 2) Make Sure you have a strong kick off the wall. Gaines remains one of the best all-time analysts.

Top info: NBC's Dan Hicks telling viewers that all swimmers hope to get lane 4 or 5 because those lanes have the least choppy water since the waves caused by the swimmers travel outward.

Best feature: NBC interviewed Bobby Finke about why he tries so hard during the games, and he revealed that he and Katie Ledecky have a friendly rivalry where they aim to bring home the most medals for their country, continually causing each other to improve.

Missing Feature: When NBC ran Olympic Channel they provided live content by airing EVERY medal ceremony live. Now NBC doesn't have a telecast that features the medal ceremonies. It's something viewers are calling to have reestablished the most.

Top information: NBC's Dan Hicks telling viewers that Irish swimmer Daniel Wiffen entered the Olympics hoping to provide Ireland a medal after they only had a handful in 100 years. Now he's given them their 3rd gold medal in swimming ever and 2nd in as many days.

NBC’s Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines are one of the all-time great tandems. Hicks gives Gaines the latitude for Gaines to excel. Hicks is short and sweet to the point. The duo is so reminiscent of Pat Summerall and John Madden.

Top information: NBC's Samantha Peszek shared one of the things that makes the Olympic village so special is all the athletes support each other regardless of sport or country. They're all there to just have fun and represent.

Top feature: NBC showed a feature where each of the US gymnasts reminisced and discussed what they would tell their younger selves if they need they'd be Olympians. They also discussed how different this Olympics is because of the fan support and being able to have family present. 

Top info: NBC's Terry Gannon told viewers that the US gymnasts have come in with a team first attitude. They've willingly stepped aside to let their teammates perform when illness strikes rather than risk dragging the team down.

Top analysis: NBC's Daytime Olympics broadcast of Rich Lerner and Laurie Hernandez is the future of the industry. They've let the crowd tell the story throughout the team competition and focused on no individual nation despite being NBC employees. They've let the athletes shine.

NBC's Daytime Crew did an excellent job featuring Italy and Brazil 
gymnastics in afternoon coverage. Rich carefully highlighted how Brazil's team has only existed for 16 years and already earned their 1st medal.

Top analysis: NBC's Amy Van Dyken shared that the most disappointing result in swimming in the Backstroke is when you accidentally go beyond the 15m mark underwater on a turn because it results in a DQ.

Top analysis: NBC's Amy Van Dyken shared the key to successful 200IM swims is don't overkick in qualifying. Doing so tires out the legs and leads to slower times in later races.

Top analysis: NBC's Connor Fields shares athletes wear a full facemask in BMX because it is impossible to determine when an athlete may come up short on a spine stunt. Doing so prevents most major injuries from occurring.

Top analysis: NBC's Julie Foudy telling viewers USWNT manager Emma Hayes has changed the team chemistry by not focusing on opposing stars. Instead they do fundamentals day-to-day.

Top analysis: NBC's Eric Giddens shares the key to gaining time in canoeing is don't focus on any mistakes you've previously made. Instead go as fast and clean as possible.  It removes the tensed muscles and allows you to perform your best.

Top analysis: NBC's Robbie Hummel explained to viewers most of the US turnovers occur because the team forgets to focus on cohesion, leading to turnovers and opposition fast breaks.

Top analysis: NBC's Dwyane Wade explained the key to keeping pace with the US is recognizing when to attack the rim. Don't take an outside shot if you're against an elite blocker.

Top observation: NBC's Noah Eagle noted one reason South Sudan struggled early is that they didn't face KD in the scrimmage. Today in the first 12 minutes KD and LeBron combined are outscoring South Sudan.

Top analysis: NBC's Dwyane Wade told viewers Steve Kerr's approach to coaching the US team is ignore social media's suggestions. Instead study and focus on the best line-up by strategically countering the opponents strong points, even if it means not everyone plays.

Top analysis: While discussing why every US player won't play every game, NBC's Dwyane Wade shared one reason it's improbable to do so is FIBA only has 40 minutes. The NBA has 48.

Top analysis: NBC's Dwyane Wade told viewers when you bump defenders up into a zone formation it's easier to force turnovers, but because one defender is always moving side-to-side you can have easier fastbreaks.

Top analysis: NBC's Kyle Montgomery shared a big difference in 3x3 basketball vs. regular basketball is you must have a short memory in 3x3. You can't afford to dwell on the last play, much less what happened the previous day.

Top analysis: NBC's Kyle Montgomery shares that a lot of big men won't play 3x3 basketball because you play with a smaller ball, the same size used in the women's game. It makes he harder for big men to possess and control it.

Top call: NBC's Kyle Montgomery, "Bogucki with the steal, and the slam! He put that down like a 2-year old throwing a tantrum!"

Top analysis: NBC's Kyle Montgomery shares a 2 point lead in 3x3 isn't a guarantee when you're in the bonus and have a big man who shoots 35% from the line because it places an easy target on him at all times.

Top observation: NBC’s Rowdy Gaines, with Katie Ledecky having a huge lead in the W 1500M Free Final told viewers that he just saw a cameraman zoom out so he could get all the swimmers in the picture.

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