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Did NBC Alter the Olympics' Opening Ceremony?

Posted by timothy on from the for-those-with-the-stomach-for-pageantry dept.

techmuse writes "Viewing the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony online at NBC's Olympics website, you can see that the order in which the countries were presented was very different from the actual order of the countries in the ceremony, as listed at Wikipedia. NBC skipped roughly 100 countries ahead, then jumped back and forth, apparently delaying the appearance of the United States in its home market until later in the broadcast. (In fact, the US team was shown on the infield before they were shown marching!) NBC did not acknowledge this in its broadcast. Is NBC altering the reality of the broadcast to boost ratings? Was this true only online, or also in the live broadcast?"

23 of 499 comments (clear)

  1. Last Post!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Last Post!!!!

    1. Re:Last Post!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      first post in UK, 29th post in USA!

    2. Re:Last Post!!! by ADRenalyn · · Score: 5, Funny

      I actually posted first, but because I am in Beijing, so you Americans won't see my comment until about noon tomorrow.

  2. What web Broadcast? by jackb_guppy · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you are not Windows or Mac, there is no web broadcast.

    Gets me thinking, how did a Slashdoter view the web broadcast... Is someone using Windows?

    1. Re:What web Broadcast? by Darkness404 · · Score: 5, Funny

      They are probably some WINE developer who is using the API for Windows 7 to view it

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  3. Other countries? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hi:

    I thought only America was in the Olympics. When did they start letting other countries participate?

    1. Re:Other countries? by amRadioHed · · Score: 4, Funny

      The other countries are kinda like the Washington Generals, we just need them there so America can show of their skills.

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  4. Re:This just in... by r00b · · Score: 4, Funny

    the truth alters ratings to boost American media!

  5. dilemma by matushorvath · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now I don't know whether to boycott the Olympic Games because of China ignoring human rights or because it was converted to a festival of commerce. If it goes on like this, I may be soon able to boycott each day of Olympics for a different reason.

  6. Re:This just in... by LostCluster · · Score: 5, Funny

    Movie at 11.

    Movie at about 12mid/11pm CT on NBC affilitates tonight... due to Olympic runover. You just never know when those taped sporting events will end.

  7. Re:YOUR GAY by Endo13 · · Score: 4, Funny

    your gay and youe a newb your gay and youe a newb

    Translation:

    "Translate Server Error."

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  8. Re:not a real issue by smittyoneeach · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sounds like a Quentin Tarnetino flick.

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  9. AAAGGGHHH! by clang_jangle · · Score: 4, Funny

    ***We all point at you and shriek like Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers***

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  10. Re:not a real issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah but more entertaining & original.

  11. Re:This just in... by moxley · · Score: 4, Funny

    American mainstream media alters the truth for many reasons, one of them is to boost ratings...

    There..fixed that for ya.

  12. Re:not a real issue by carlzum · · Score: 5, Funny

    That would just lead to a rash of countries with names like A One Republic and AAA Reliable Nation (well, probably in the French equivalent).

  13. Re:OMGWTF!?!?! by Kredal · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Momento" sure made a lot more sense when it was shown on NBC!

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  14. Mr. Godwin please pick up the red courtesy phone. by Minwee · · Score: 5, Funny

    Indeed. I believe the practice started with the 1936 Berlin Olympics when the German newsreels showed only negatives of all of the track and field events, so that a white Jesse Owens could be seen beating the pants off of all the black athletes.

  15. Re:Not the most disrespectful behaviour. by MmmmAqua · · Score: 4, Funny

    I mean, it's not like we invented the Olympics or anything...

    I didn't realize that the UK had such a big hand molding the games in ancient Greece. Thanks for clearing that up! I didn't know that!

    -Just another stupid American
    (tongue firmly in cheek, for the humor impaired)

    --
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  16. Re:This just in... by emilng · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't tase him bro.

  17. Re:not a real issue by wallsg · · Score: 5, Funny

    Most Chinese dictionaries actually sort characters first by the radical and then by stoke count within each group of radicals.

    Fool! Look at the government sanctioned sites! There are NO radicals in China!

  18. Re:not a real issue by zippthorne · · Score: 4, Funny

    No free radicals, you mean. Which is why Chinese always look so healthy and young.

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  19. Re:This just in... by houghi · · Score: 5, Funny

    That is why I watch FOX. At least they are objective.

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