Olympics: Athens Snippets
Bill Grant
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Thursday, August 26, 2004; Noon ET
In "Athens Snippets," washingtonpost.com Staff Writer Bill Grant keeps readers up-to-date with the latest buzz around Greece. He shares the low-down on how athletes are really feeling in and out of the spotlight -- like the Australian softball team kicking back with a few beers and "clearing out the refrigerator" after winning the silver. In his latest dispatch, Grant features the entrepreneurial spirit of Italians Aldo Siragusa and Domenico Ferrara who sell olive wreaths to tourists at the local train station. And he also shares what some readers are saying about the latest judging controversy.
What's the Olympic Village really like? How hot is it in Athens?
Grant was online Thursday, Aug. 26, at Noon ET to discuss his latest column and the last few days of the Olympics.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Bill Grant: Greetings from Athens, where it's about 7 p.m. but still very, very warm. It's been a pretty slow day so far, with the big news being the U.S. victory over Spain in men's hoops and the American women getting bronze in water polo. Lots of track tonight, though. We'll get started in a few seconds.
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Fairfax, Va.:
For your emailer from VT in today's snippets... If the CBC only showed events that the Canadians had a chance in winning, well you wouldn't be seeing much of the Olympics. Have you looked at the medal count? NBC shows the events that are popular, and it happens that the US is competitive in most of them. Do you REALLY want to watch the Chinese win the gold in Ping Pong, I'm sorry, Table Tennis again?
Bill Grant: Ouch. Our Canadian friends are not going to be happy with you, Fairfax. This is clearly a hot-button issue, judging by my e-mail, but it has been for just about every Olympics I can remember. The network's get good ratings when they show Americans with a chance to medal. Having said that, they go overboard on the gymnastics and figure skating because they like the demographics those sports attract. I have seen both CBC and Eurosport while over here and both do a very good job, especially with the so-called minor sports.
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Washington, D.C.:
In your latest writings, you are complaining about being at the OLYMPICS in ATHENS watching SPORTS.
I really, really feel sorry for you. You are welcome to come sit in my cubicle and stare at my computer screen. I'll cover your job for the next few days.
Bill Grant: Hey, I gotta complain about something. Actually, I'm sitting in an open office -- not even a cubicle -- with a shower curtain hanging from the window to block the sun. And I've been starting at my computer screen for way too much the past two weeks. Trust me on that.
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Baltimore, Md.:
Thanks for your snippets...they have been the most enjoyable Olympic coverage I've seen, other than Wilbon's chats. I do have to chime in, tho: I like the olive branch crowns for the medalists. In fact, the day before you snippet on them I was commenting to a girlfriend how much I liked them. washingtonpost.com:
The End Is Near, but Not Close Enough (washingtonpost.com, Aug. 25)
Bill Grant: Thanks for the kind words. It's very flattering to be mentioned in the same paragraph as Mike Wilbon. Now, the olive wreaths ... sigh ... I had a feeling this might come up. My point I was trying to make was that they didn't look particularly attractive on anybody, they didn't fit right and the athletes weren't briefed about what to do once they got to the podium. Are they like hats? Are they supposed to be taken off like hats? There seemed to be some general confusion about what to do.
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Wheaton, Md.:
How did people react when the Israelis won their first Gold Medal?
Bill Grant: That's a good question. I was wondering about that myself, but I have yet to see anything that indicates there was any reaction either way.
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Alexandria, Va.:
So how about the beach volleyball bikini bottoms? Because of them, my track loving husband has completely fallen in love with the sport. So would the FCC consider that and the very low slung swim trunks worn by Phelps as “indecent”? Seriously, how did Phelps keep those things on?
Bill Grant: I don't think your husband is alone on this score. Another case of NBC playing to its demographics. And Phelps's trunks did seem to defy gravity.
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Vienna, Va.:
That was funny about the medal. Did they have to make sure it was real? That was awfully nice how he got it back.
washingtonpost.com:
The End Is Near, but Not Close Enough (washingtonpost.com, Aug. 25)
Bill Grant: It was nice that he got it back. It was not terribly bright to leave it in a taxi cab in the first place. He's lucky. I don't know for sure, but I'm betting there was some excessive celebrating going on that night.
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Washington, D.C.:
So, what sports do you think will be new for 2008 and what sports do you think they will take out. Well, what sports do YOU think needs to be eliminated from the Olympics?
Bill Grant: Well, in her chat, The Post's Tracee Hamilton says that golf could get in in 2008 and that baseball and softball are on the bubble. There are some sports that we don't particularly like, rhythmic gymnastics, that are hugely popular in the rest of the world. But that's a good place to start.
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Hyattsville, Md.:
Personally, I like the wreaths and the tradition they represent - plus, they are going to make a cool heirloom. Quibble - the ancient Greeks used laurel, not olive, but on the other hand, the olive branch is a symbol of peace. So kudos to whoever came up with the idea.
Bill Grant: I think that would be the ancient Greeks.
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Washington, D.C.:
Enough belly-aching. Tell us what you events you've actually seen and who you've been most impressed with
Bill Grant: I've tried to sample a little bit of everything. Volleyball, water polo, softball, baseball, track cycling, tennis. And I just had to go down to see what all the commotion was about beach volleyball. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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College Park, Md.:
People are asking the question, “What’s the biggest story of the Olympics?” They argue about doping scandals, the women’s soccer team’s last hurrah (I’m a fan), the pitiful play of our men’s basketball team, and Mr. Hamm holding onto a medal that, let’s face it, isn’t his. But is there any bigger story, American or not, than M. Phelps? Did anyone else match his greatness, or come close? I’m not gloating. I’m actually curious, because I don’t follow every storyline.
Bill Grant: Phelps would get my vote. The guy won six gold medals! I don't have the number in front of me, but I don't think many others have done that at a single Olympics.
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Anonymous:
Face it it's a FACT: CBC's coverage of the games is FAR SUPERIOR and far more interesting, and fun than any American station.
Enough with the editorialising and weeping stories, show the dang SPORTS!
Bill Grant: I'm at a loss because we don't get the NBC feed here. But my e-mail tells me that many people agree with you. You have to remember that they are not programming for sports junkies; they are going after casual viewers who don't watch sports 24 hours a day like some of us do. And they try to rope them in with the soft stuff that drives many of us mad.
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Ottawa, Canada:
I am able to watch CBC, NBC and SRC(the french language CBC) coverage and they all have good and bad points. Actually I have found the NBC coverage to be an improvement from 4 years ago. The only moment I really got annoyed was when the Korean gymnast blew his individual high bar routine and the NBC commentator said that this showed he didn't deserve the all-round gold medal. After they had been going on how Paul Hamm shouldn't be subjected to negative repercussions from the controversy he takes a cheap shot at the Korean gymnast. I suppose Allen Johnson didn't deserve the gold medal in 1996 because he crashed into a hurdle yesterday?
In any event I was wondering if there have been any problems with smog/pollution in Athens? I recall hearing that there were worries about that and haven't heard any complaints so far.
Bill Grant: Funny you should ask about that. Coming in today, I thought it seemed very hazy but that's the first time I've really noticed it. Actually, it's been quite breezy over the past couple of days so all the bad stuff gets blown right out of here. Good thing, too, because it's been very warm.
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Baltimore, Md. again..:
Was there ever a winner to the cost of Olympic food question? If not, are you going to tell us the answer or did I miss it somewhere?
Bill Grant: Ha. I got a couple answers that were very, very close. I'm going to check my addition and make the big annoucement soon.
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NBC-ya:
How much longer does NBC's contract last with the IOC? Do you think another network (like ABC with ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN classic, ESPN News, etc.) would better handle the breadth and depth of coverage required to make the american partisans and the general sports fans happy at the same time?
Bill Grant: I'm not sure exactly but I think they have the Olympics locked up through 2012.
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Washington, D.C.:
Do you find it odd that numerous publications get so excited about U.S. dominance in Olympic softball?
I do.
I mean, it's softball. Does anyone else in the world actually play softball? I've never really thought of it as a global sport, and I'm not surprised we won every game by 50 runs.
Bill Grant: I think there were some serious doubts this time around. They lost three games in Sydney and had to come storming back to win the gold. The Chinese and Aussies were thought to be getting better, and the U.S. team wasn't getting any younger. I think it is one of those sports where the world will eventually catch up to us. But probably only if it remains in the Olympics.
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McLean, Va.:
Well, they're missing the point then. I'm not a big sports fan. In fact the only sports I really watch are the Olympics. I love seeing all the athletes COMPETE, not sappy stories about whoever died to inspire them to get there. I like the gymnastics and diving, but I also want to see fencing and archery and crew. Enough already with the endless qualifying heats in swimming and track and field! Show us the actual -competitions- - not just the highlights and the Americans. The Olympics is a chance for the WORLD to come together to compete, not just the US - and that's what I want to see!
Bill Grant: Understood -- it's not your cup of tea. It's not mine either. But NBC doesn't put anything on the air without lots of research, especially a big-ticket item like the Olympics. So, the sappy stuff must be appealing to somebody.
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Rosslyn, Va.:
Please can we get rid of track and field! Seriously, I hate those events, sooooo boring!!!
Bill Grant: That to me is the beauty of the Olympics. You don't like track; I don't like rhythmic gymnastics. I suspect it won't be long before we'll be able to pick and choose what we get from NBC or whomever is doing the Games. That will solve a lot of this, I suspect.
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Bill Grant: Thanks for all the questions and comments today. Enjoy the rest of the Olympics.
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