The British Open in golf, tennis' Wimbledon and Australian Open and French Open, and the Olympics all have something in common.  And no its not the wives of the golfers and the tennis players and female Olympic athletes being snickety.  Its the morning sports it provides me while I get out of the shower and get dressed.  (There's an image for you America).  But this years Olympics have proven to me something.  It really is not longer a real important thing to today's sports fans.  NBC, and the rest of Universal on television, decided to keep their softball, baseball, and soccer play-by-play duos IN NEW YORK as well as its studio host lineup, except for Bob Costas.  Im not sure if this bothers most, but it does bother me.  Its a disturbing trend in international sport.  ESPNs coverage of EURO 2008, which is a ton of fun if you actually take the time to check it out, included Tommy Smyth, Adrian Healy, and the rest of the announcers were in Bristol.  How can you call a game from a screen???
I think it cost NBC a quarter of a gajillion dollars, ER, and the funny side of Tina Fey to get the Olympics until 30000 AD.  Wouldnt it have made some sense to maybe send some more people across the ocean.  Hell Cris Collinsworth made his way over there.  NBC could have saved themselves some face if they had done this.  At least it would feel like the people bringing us the game are a part of the action.  I cant even tell if Dan Hicks and his swimming partner are actually in Bejing because it always looks like they are sitting in front of a green screen.  I know what could have solved this.  And I think you do too.  Jim Lampley baby, the quintesential understudy to Bob Costas.  He may even be able to walk on water.  His hair is a mountain of love.  Even Pat Obrien could have helped. It just would have been nice to have the network put its announcers in China to at least give the homeviewer the idea that the people covering the games are at the games.

Posted at 9:38 am on 8/16/08