10. The game was not broadcast live. Well, that’s not exactly right … it was broadcast live on Canadian TV, so a few people up near the border saw it live. But most of the country — almost all of the country, really — saw it on tape delay, in prime time. The game had ended less than an hour before it was broadcast.
Funny, a lot of people still think they saw the game live. But I know that one of my strongest memories — confirmed by the tape — was of Jim McKay saying that it was tape delay and that if even one person did not know the outcome, well, he wasn’t going to be the one to break the news. I have seen polls through the years that suggested most of the people who watched the game on television did not know the outcome. I know that my father and I did not. That shows you how long ago 1980 was in terms of technology. There’s no way you could keep that a secret now.
via joeposnanski.com
Joe Posnanski, of the Kansas City Star, Sports Illustrated, and his blog, shares ten observations while rewatching the miracle on ice. I only need to read one, though. We're watching the Olympics the same way people did in 1980, and that's all you need to know about NBC's coverage of the 2010 Olympics.
Earlier in the week, as people complained about NBC's coverage, I silently judged them. ("How bad could it be?") Silently judged people, I apologize to you.
UPDATES:
Motherfuckers aren't showing me US v. Canada hockey right now... I could smash my TV as a proxy for NBC. Grrrrrar.
Posted by: Jason | February 21, 2010 at 08:46 PM
I've really nothing to add. Actually, did you notice that Bob Costas looks like a tomato? What happened to him?
Posted by: David Jacobs | February 21, 2010 at 09:40 PM
Thank you, NBC, for showing us the last thirty-nine seconds of the game!
Posted by: David Jacobs | February 21, 2010 at 09:56 PM