Image credit: London 2012
Dear Olympic Broadcasters,
I know. You’re getting a ton of hate mail about your terrible coverage of the Olympics (I’m looking at you, NBC) and probably you have email filters set up to send letters like this straight to your recycle bin. But really, I don’t want to talk about how maybe you could find a list of post-competition interview questions that include things other than “What was your strategy?” (Um, to win?) or “How does it feel to lose that race?” (Pretty bad? Seriously?) I won’t even mention that. I just really, really love the Olympic Games and so I have a small favor to ask:
Please stop demeaning our athletes by referring to their silver or bronze medal wins as a “crushing blow” or “a huge disappointment.”
All the glory is not gold, commentators.
It’s not just you, I know. Maybe it’s (sadly) a cultural thing. Because I saw one of our athletes, best in the world, I saw his father wrap his mouth around a curse word and shake his head in disappointment as his son ended his race and won the honor of a silver medal. And I thought about how he’ll go home, he’ll watch the replay of his race and he’ll see his father’s frown and hear the voice of a commentator remark “Second place. A huge disappointment.” And the second best swimmer in the entire world will feel like he isn’t good enough.
When I was a little girl I tiptoed across a beam, arms out, head high and as I leaped I imagined I was one of the Magnificent Seven. I wrapped my hands around a bar and flipped my body over and I thought “Maybe one day I can be an Olympian.”
Because Olympians are the best athletes in the world. Are we so in need of sensationalism that we have to find a sad story in a silver medal?
I don’t think the athletes agree with you. I can’t be positive because you keep cutting the cameras away, noting the silver or bronze medal winners as an almost afterthought (stop doing that.) But when they’ve fallen into the shot I’ve watched them put a shaky hand to their face or pump their fist in the air in a display of joy because a circle of bronze will be placed around their necks on the medal podium.
This is the language of triumph that I find the most beautiful. Tell a different story. A better story. Of hard work and sweat and tears and “Congratulations to that history making athlete on winning the silver medal in the London 2012 Olympics.”
I think the best of the world deserve it.
About Kayla Aimee
Love this. Thank you. I’d take a silver. Heck, I’d take a participation ribbon.
I know,right?! I’m almost thirty and I’m still proud of my NONOLYMPIC silver medals, lol.
Well said.
I was so annoyed, yesterday, when people described Beth Tweddle’s bronze as a failure. The woman is 27 years old, she’s been World Champion gymnast two or three times, but hadn’t yet won an Olympic medal. Yesterday, she won a bronze and instead of congratulating her on her massive achievement, it’s all – aren’t you disappointed you got a gold?
And then, because (I’m English, by the way) there is so much expectation on our athletes because it’s a home Games – they apologise to the Nation for letting us down when they get a silver or bronze! It’s ridiculous – they’ve done so well, and should be so happy they’re even there with the best in the world, rather than feeling like they’ve lost. They didn’t lose – they *won* second, or *won* third.
* aren’t you disappointed you didn’t get a gold,
Was what I meant to say. Asking her – aren’t you crushed you took a step back on the dismount (after your gobsmackingly good uneven bars routine) and didn’t get gold?
If anyone is disappointing, it’s the reporters who can’t find something better to say than to criticize the athlete’s for anything less than gold. Every single one of them has made their mark in sports history and should be proud of their accomplishments!
I’d be happy just being good enough to qualify! Well said girlfriend!
Yes! And then there is the athlete who stomps off when she doesn’t achieve the gold the announcer’s had handed her. Rude. Childish. Embarrassing. Sportsmanship is essential! That is what makes Kirani James and Gabby Douglas shine!
Beautifully and most eloquently said Kayla! A truly wonderful, heartfelt piece of writing and you are so right. Thanks for posting your point of view.
Elaine Allen
So THAT is what was bothering me about the Olympic coverage! I couldn’t quite pinpoint why I haven’t been enjoying the Olympic Games in quite the same way I used to. They used to focus on all three medalists and hear from the commentators about why it was special to each winner to have achieved the gold, silver, or bronze. I agree that we need to go back to emphasizing what a great achievement it is just to compete. And I would love it if they would find some athletes to feature who were just plain thrilled to have run the race, even though they didn’t win a medal. Or interview some Brits on the street who can say, “we are so proud of Beth Tweddle for achieving that accomplishment!” Please let my kids hear some of those stories!
Ok?! When they were asking if Michael Phelps had lost it, was finished, I was screaming at the tv!!! Silver counts!! Silver adds to the 20+ hanging around his neck!! Of course then he came back and kept winning gold so…
THANK YOU. I haven’t even bothered watching NBC’s coverage this year because I just cannot tolerate how demeaning and sensationalized it is. I have been streaming Eurovision coverage instead. NBC’s commentators and their highly edited footage are SO BAD that I, who can barely remember how to italicize fonts, actually figured out how to do computery things and [legally] stream other coverage in the US.
The revelation of the Eurovision coverage was that I got to see SO MANY GYMNASTS! From so many countries! The Italians and the Japanese and the Canadians – who knew? All these things I’d been missing for years while NBC’s coverage followed US gymnasts around as they stretched or fixed their hair or sat flashing peace signs at the cameras, with some inane commentary voicing over top telling us the reality-TV narrative they’ve constructed this year. I caught a glimpse of NBC’s coverage of the women’s gymnastic team finals and a commentator actually SAID, “Have we seen any diva-moments yet?” I envisioned a whole control room – DIVA MOMENT WATCH – with cameras on each individual girl waiting for someone to look angry or cry over something small or, heaven forbid, actually GET angry. A flashing red light and a siren blaring the moment a girl brushed away a hug from her trainer in a moment of personal frustration. DIVA MOMENT!! DIVA MOMENT!! CODE RED, ALL CAMERAS TO THE BEAM!
It is so stupid and disrespectful and diminishing of the professionalism and accomplishments of these athletes, to boil everything down to one-dimensional plots. The winner, who matters, and the losers, who don’t. The reason I watch the Olympics is because they ALL matter. And yes, as cliched as it sounds, I do think they are all winners, but I definitely think we should at least agree that the ones who WIN a silver or bronze medal are…winners.
I don’t watch the Olympics to get a dose of negativity. I think the people who watch it to be anything but inspired and lifted up are probably pretty few (I hope). So why does NBC’s coverage seem to bring every single person in the world except the one who wins gold, down?
Well said!
Yes! So true! I heard that “diva moment” comment too and found it not only incredibly patronizing, but also sexist. Are they asking if the male athletes are having diva moments? Or would those qualities in men be described as confidence?
Thank you for pinpointing one of the many reasons this Olympics has seemed so negative. The announcers are framing everything in the most dramatic way possible, but sucking out the joy in the process.
This is supposed to be a friendly competition among nations, with our best athletes competing. They make it seem like a desperate race for the highest medal count, with anything less than a gold deemed inadequate.
Thank you, so much, for this. It’s amazing how much more complete and thorough the coverage is in other countries – you have the chance to see ALL the competitors in the events, not just the one NBC deems the winner or condemns as a loser for *only* achieving second or third place…IN THE WORLD.
The beauty of the Olympics for me has always been the spirit of the best of the best competing and the sportsmanship of the athletes. They are so excited to be there – it’s wonderful when we’re allowed a glimpse of it!
Maybe they can take a clue from the athletes – Kirani James asking Oscar Pistorius if they could trade name banners, even though Oscar came in last in the semis and Kirani James ended up with the gold medal. Or Sam Mikulak last night during the vault competition. He was there when each of his competitors exited the floor, hugging them and congratulating them on how amazing they were, even after he was knocked out for a medal.
They understand the importance of competing with someone born without calves in a footrace amongst the best of the best or just counting themselves fortunate to be considered with those other champions.
Perspective is a beautiful thing sometimes, not just the circle of gold around your neck.
That’s the true reason I watch the Olympics.
Can I just say, “Amen” to what you wrote? Seriously. The commentators barely mention anyone except the winners. I love our gymnasts and Michael Phelps and Missy and our beach volleyball pair — go team! — but more well-rounded coverage would be appreciated. And I’m getting sick of stories about the Prime Meridian (which, hilariously, my 8-year-old deemed not true — she wasn’t buying the whole telling time from the stars thing) when they could be showing me the final of a race I’m interested in before I have to go to bed. CNN Breaking News emails tell me who won things at 2:30 in the afternoon, but many times I never get to see the coverage of it on NBC at night because they somehow think I can stay up until midnight every night to see them and not fall asleep while driving my car the next morning. (Because it’s all about me, of course.)
Exactly. I don’t care where the athletes finished. The fact that they are good enough to be there and represent us should be enough. Even if an athlete has no chance of winning a medal they still have a worthy story to tell about what it took to get to the Olympics. I miss the stories they used to show. I miss watching the ‘lesser known’ sports that aren’t usually shown on the major channels. I want to see the equestrian events, and the one synchronized swimming pair who were good enough to qualify this year. It’s not all about winning the gold medal NBC.
EXACTLY.
I know right! I’ve been watching the bbc coverage and whilst it hasn’t been as harsh as NBC there has been a few moments where I’ve been left thinking wth? Naturally sometimes its the athletes who feel sad, sorry, and dissapointed and apologise for not winning, but they gave it 100%. You can’t ask more than that. More often than not the time between Gold and last has been a second! Between Gold and Silver has been a 20th of a second! Insane!!!
I can dream right?
To the commentators: seriously if you think you could do a better job than these world class athletes please go ahead and try!!! I keep waiting for one of the athletes to just hit them round the head with their silver medal
Very well said!!!!!!!!!
.
Agreed!!
great post
Thank you for this post! I could not agree with you more! I sent them an email referencing this post, and begged them to stop demeaning the athletes who didn’t get gold. If I can find a number, I think I am going to call them. The father who was cursing is just so sad!
Standing and clapping for this post. Thank GOODNESS someone else thinks like I do. I think all of them are amazing, and the fact that a 2nd place finish is viewed as a disappointment is just ridiculous to me. Kudos to you, and very well written!
Bravo! Well done, KA. I think this POST deserves a gold medal.
p.s. I won’t be alerting the media however, because they would likely ask you if you are disappointed you *only* won a gold medal and not a Pulitzer Prize.
Its not just a cultural thing. We’re getting the same rubbish in Australia. Agree with every word you wrote.
Agreed on ALL accounts. My mom made a comment about “watching the poor parents in agony” when one of the gymnasts didn’t win gold. Seriously? She is IN THE OLYMPICS!!!! How can a parent be disappointed??
Gosh, it has been the same over here in Australia, the media have been absolutely dreadful in their commentary and interviews with the Athletes, also doing the “you must be so disappointed with *insert non-gold coloured medal name*”. A couple of the Aussie athletes have called the journos on it though, which was brilliant to see, however I don’t think many of the commentary team has learned a lesson from it.
But some of the athletes themselves (it seems to be the younger swimmers) act petulant about losing is just as bad.
However, you then to get to someone the 19 yr old aussie runner Steve Solomon who came last in the final, to still be proud of all he achieved to get to the olympic final, stating “someone has to come last, and unfortunately today it was me” but then went on to say how he had ran his very best (against the seven other top runners in the world mind you!), and was still so excited and happy to have even been in an olympic final was simply one of the best displays of sportsmanship I have seen.
There should me more focus on just how extraordinary these athletes are in their achievements, no matter where they place, or if they end up with a medal or not, and sharing of their inspiring stories to help encourage young kids everywhere to do their best!
YES!!! Thank you for writing this! I’ve been thinking the exact same thing!! DRIVES ME NUTS!!!
perfectly said.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Agreed, great post.
I haven’t been watching, but just from your post, I am SO with you. I remember watching the ’88 winter games in Calgary, women’s figure skating, and the ladies were SO PROUD to be representing their country. Even if they didn’t place. And no one made them feel, at least, televised, that they were anything but amazing. And they were.
Exact-a-mundo! What happened to “it’s an honor to be nominated”??? They are the BEST.ATHLETES.IN.THE.WORLD. Otherwise the couldn’t even GET to the Olympics! In what way should ANY of them be disappointed? It’s the OLYMPICS, people! Not some 50m race in the dead end across the street, after dinner, before the sun sets… These young people (and not-so-young repeat Olympians!) are so dedicated, so fit and athletic, they are the best in the world. No medal? Bronze? Silver? Gold? I am proud of each and every one of them, medal winner or not, and I thank them for representing me and the USA (and all the other countries, too!).
Well said! Each athlete should be congratulated for making it to the Olympic games whether they win a medal or not. Second and third place are not disappointments; they are achievements to be celebrated.
Well done to all the athlete!
I know I should just say, ‘Well said,” and I do agree with you all to a point. However, I think the father who cursed was not disappointed that his son “only” got silver, but upset that his son who wanted and worked so hard for the gold did not get it, and he was feeling his son’s pain ( Mothers have to know what I’m talking about). Also, to most Olympians, second and third are disappointments, not to me, let me make that very clear, but not many go to the Olympics just to place.The drive for the gold is often what gets them to the Olympics in the first place. I get the strategy question, as one who never finds a good one it is helpful to hear others and their takes.
You may be right- probably from a mother’s point of view I can’t help but think I would hide that emotion lest it come across the way it did
Hi KA! I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while, and am pretty sure I’ve never commented, but this post begs for me to tell you – watch the CANADIAN coverage (if you can)!! I’m a bit biased, yes, as I am Canadian, but I prefer CTV because they focus on the winners, and not just the Canadian ones or the Golds either. I find the American coverage is as you describe, and they focus almost solely on American athletes. I just like to enjoy the talent, should it be Canadian talent, well, that’s just a bonus
plus then I get to hear them say eh
I’ve started streaming other coverage online!
Yes and yes!! I see two other Aussies here complaining about our coverage too, so it’s not just me! Maybe it is a western cultural thing, I don’t know, but it comes to something when the 7-9 year olds in my classroom tell me how proud they are of our Olympians and ask why the journalists say that they failed with a silver or bronze. I get that they’ve all worked hard, and they all want gold, but there are over 10,000 participants, they have to know that they aren’t all gonna get one, surely! I love hearing the stories (well, I have to read them because you won’t see them on tv!) of the under-dogs, like the women from the middle east who are competing, and how hard they have worked to get there, and then run only 15m before being injured, but are still so proud to have been able to represent their country. I cry like a baby when I watch the medal presentations, and when a complete unknown comes in last but is racing like it is the Olympics, with no disappointment!
Yes, yes, yes. My BFF said her two 4 and 6 year olds were questioning too and THAT is what makes me the most sad. What sort of culture does that create for our children? I know that it’s my job to teach Scarlette the truth but it still makes me sad that this is an area where I’ll have to reinforce positivity for her.
Yes! This is so true and something I’ve been saying again and again while watching the Olympics. The silver and bronze medals are not consolation prizes. They are huge honors. These are still the best athletes in the world, and there are still billions of people who will only DREAM of ever getting to compete, let alone walking away with a medal.
There are so many contributing factors on who will win on a particular day – nerves, excitement, mood, jitters, energy, amount of sleep… On another day and time, one day’s gold could have been silver and vice versa. Not only is there no shame in being second place at the Olympics, there is absolutely only pride.
When I hear newscasters talk about Olympians who are trying to make up for the “crushing blow” of the Olympics four years ago because they’d gotten a silver medal, I think, “You have to be kidding me!” Who among us that’s watching those athletes run faster than most of us ever will, swim harder than most of us ever could, and perform gymnastic feats that most of us could only dream of achieving looks at Olympians and feels anything but amazement?
I agree with you, but part of me disagrees too.
On one hand, yes, making it to the Olympics is an EXTRAORDINARY accomplishment that most can’t even fathom being a part of. And yes, finishing 2nd or 3rd or 13th for that matter still means you are better than most of the world. Should this be celebrated? Heck yes. One of my favorite comments came from Brendan Hanson when he said, “this is the shiniest bronze medal you will ever see.” However, for a rare few athletes, not winning IS a huge disappointment. To must of us, we can’t begin to imagine what it feels like to win a silver medal, so winning silver, to us, should be celebrated. But to some, it truly is devestating. That seems hard to believe, but it is true. Should they be proud they won silver? Yes. But it can still be disappointing (and at times crushing) to not win gold for many athletes.
I see what you’re saying and I get the athletes feeling “the agony of defeat” – IMO I just don’t think the newscasters should focus on that