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From: london@oddjob.UChicago.UUCP (David London)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: American sportscasting - further comments
Message-ID: <370@oddjob.UChicago.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 6-Aug-84 16:20:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: oddjob.370
Posted: Mon Aug  6 16:20:59 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Aug-84 08:19:53 EDT
Organization: U. Chicago: Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lines: 39

<>
Ok, I guess it's now time to bring the flames down to a lower level.

1. It appears that there is quite a bit of American outcry at the biased,
   jingoistic coverage. There have been many articles on the net, and some
   discussion on the CBS late night news, as well as (thanx to Lauren) some
   articles in the paper. However, being the cynic that I am, I doubt that
   the coverage will change significantly.

2. As to claims that my opinions of Americans are simply prejudice, I
   concede that some things that I said may have been sweeping 
   over-generalizations. BUT (and this is a very big BUT) much of what I said
   is born out by fact. ABC has been covering the Olympics for many years now.
   As long as I can remember, its coverage has been much the same - perhaps 
   not quite so "nationalistic", since it wasn't held in the States (as to 
   Lake Placid, see 3.) before, but basically, all we saw were Americans. And
   it hasn't changed. Why? Simply because it is what the American public (the
   "average American") wants to see. If a majority of Americans were truly
   bothered by the coverage, the ratings would have shown it, and the 
   presentation would have been changed. But the ratings were always top, and
   the presentation has stayed the same (perhaps gotten even worse). It does
   not seem such a great leap in logic to deduce that Americans love to see
   themselves winning, especially if they don't see others winning. If you 
   don't consider yourself in this category, fine. But you should not be
   surprised that most people do, and that they are perceived that way.

3. In Lake Placid, when the U.S. Olympic hockey team won the gold, it was as
   important that they beat the Soviets (those commies) as the fact that they
   beat the best team in the world. The commentators harped on these things,
   and the American public loved it! China is not as hated as the Soviets, so
   I doubt that the U.S. men's gymnastics teams victory (duly earned, by the
   way) will be remembered as long.
 
Finally, I repeat (1). I'm glad that there are Americans who are (violently,
for some) dissatisfied with the coverage. Great. Change it. At least try. I
doubt you will succeed. 

						David London
 						..!ihnp4!oddjob!london