Olympic Stupid: NBC Anchors Are Un-American And I’m Sick Of Them

August 16, 2008 / 10:45 am • By Dr. Melissa Clouthier

So like everyone else, I’m watching Chris Collinsworth interview Kobe Bryant. (A side note for people who don’t read regularly: Kobe Bryant is, without qualification, my least-favorite NBA basketball player. He is a preening narcissist and just plain an annoying ball hog. I never bought his humility schtick around winning the Most Valuable Player. Every time he opens his mouth I feel like he’s lying.) Ok, with THAT being said, I saw the interview and I managed to hate Chris Collinsworth more than Kobe Bryant. That’s quite the feat.

Here’s the video at Ms. Underestimated. Here’s the gist:

Collinsworth: Where does the patriotism come from inside of you? Historically, what is it?

Kobe: Well, you know it’s just our country, it’s… we believe is the greatest country in the world. It has given us so many great opportunities, and it’s just a sense of pride that you have; that you say “You know what? Our country is the best!”

Collinsworth: Is that a ‘cool’ thing to say, in this day and age? That you love your country, and that you’re fighting for the red, white and blue? It seems sort of like a day gone by(?)

Kobe: No, it’s a cool thing for me to say. I feel great about it, and I’m not ashamed to say it. I mean, this is a tremendous honor.

But this idiotic conversation comes on the heels of Bob Costas looking like he’s receiving an enema every time Bela Karolyi screeches in delight over the American gymnasts succeeding. Costas babbled like a buffoon about “journalistic integrity.” Oh shut your pie hole, Bob! You’re an American for pete’s sake. It isn’t wrong to want an American to win. It IS wrong, just for your moral clarification, to pretend that the Chinese aren’t cheating commie scum. To NOT report that demonstrates a definite lack of journalistic integrity, since you’re so worried about that.


Credit: AP Photo Mark Stehle

And what about Collinsworth with Michael Phelp’s poor mother? He’s trying to be all distant, as if this isn’t a PERSONAL INTEREST story. This is personal for Michael’s mother. She is a complete wreck and who wouldn’t be? She is proud of her son and her country and yes, she laughs and cries and cheers. I know this is shocking, but Michael Phelp’s mom thinks it’s better when Michael and Americans win. One would think the dumbass news anchors would feel the same way.

Holy crap, people! This is a sports competition. There are winners. There are losers. I want America to win everything, every single time. It’s nothing personal against the other competitors. If they are better, smarter, faster, work harder, then may the best man win. I don’t want the game rigged, unlike the Commies, to achieve my dream of American Olympic world domination, I just want us to be that good that we’re in contention in every event. It won’t happen. But big deal. The Olympics are about dreams.

The Olympics is not a communist utopia where there are no winners and losers. The Olympics is about a safe, fair place where politics (yeah, right) are set aside for the love of excellence. It is perfectly natural to be an American and want Americans to win. Just as it is perfectly natural to be a Chinaman and want a Chinese competitor to win. As long as the competition is fair, let’s play.

As for the NBC anchors skin-crawling discomfort with any athlete demonstrating love of country, get the eff out of my face. I’m serious. If it weren’t for this country, you monkey-ass clowns wouldn’t be paid ungodly sums of money to put your taut-faced vapidness before a screen reporting greatness. So shut the hell up and show some freaking respect.

Oh! And another thing about Collinsworth. He enthused about how great the American young people were and how well they represented our country. WE KNOW A@@HOLE! It is not surprising to Americans that these kids who work their butts off and show discipline, dedication and devotion to their sport would be anything less than disciplined, dedicated and devoted while in China. What is surprising is that Collinsworth is surprised.

And here’s a note for Obama, since I’m thoroughly pissed by this whole thing and irked in the extreme. Kobe Bryant was doing interviews over in China with other countries. Why, Kobe knows Italian and Spanish, too. Here is an American athlete who knows more than one language, Barack. Wait, wait, there’s more! The winner of the women’s gymnastics gold medal knows at least English and Russian. Wait, wait, the Olympic team is made up of Americans who are LEGAL immigrants and they retain their heritage while becoming fully cultured Americans. Proud Americans.

The American Olympic team is the story of America. Far from being stupid white-bread, rubes, Americans are worldly because of their bloodlines–they come from everywhere–yet they are culturally American. It is called a melting pot for a reason. We do not discriminate based on race or gender. We discriminate though: BE THE BEST. (So we have a Chinese coach of diving and gymnastics. We import the best and brightest and most idealistic and hardest working. That is the American spirit.)

Argh! I hate stupid liberals. The fact that this is lost on them is absolutely frustrating. America is great because America has earned it. There are no short-cuts to greatness.

Posted in America • Entertain Me • Isms • Political Animals
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  • http://urbangrounds.com Robbie

    The best Olympics blog post I’ve read so far.

    I know it makes me a bad person, but I was openly rooting for the French swimmers to sink like stones and for the Commie Little Girl’s Gymnastics Team to hit puberty mid-balance beam routine causing them to fall on their baby-teethed faces.

    Go USA!

  • Chalmers

    Great Post!!

    I too was miffed that Bob Costas was such a wet blanket when Bela was so excited for the success of the USA gymnasts.

    I am so tired of the apologies for the medal count reporting to… “Its not about the medals, but we know that there are people out there that like to keep track…” IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MEDALS!!! This is not pee wee soccer, with no scoreboard! It is the best of the best, competing on a world stage, representing their country.

    USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

  • http://bornavol.blogspot.com/ DADvocate

    Kobe’s comments are great but I think you misinterpreted Collinsworth. I’ve lived in the Cincinnati are for 18 years where CC lives and has been a talk show host on WLW. All indications are that he’s as conservative as Bill Cunningham (of Barack HUSSEIN Obama fame) and Mike McConnell who still broadcast there.

    Collinsworths’s Southern accent and slight goofiness (yes, he’s a little goofy) makes him a little hard to read. But, I believe he knew full well what Kobe would say and was simply setting Kobe up to say what Kobe and CC believe. CC has a law degree and knows how to lead a “witness.”

    Collinsworth lives in a very conservative area. His son goes to school with children of several of my co-workers. He does all sorts of things to support the community. I’ve never seen or heard any evidence he’s liberal. And, hey, apparently CC strongly dislikes Keith Olberman.

  • http://melissaclouthier.com Dr. Melissa Clouthier

    DADvocate,

    Thank you for adding that. I don’t know Collinsworth personally and I’ll take you word for his values. The thought did occur to me about the leading question.

    It has just been the feel of the NBC coverage in totality. The announcers have striven to be absurdly unmoved by the successes of American athletes. And I’m not sure if they’re aware how it comes across.

  • http://bornavol.blogspot.com/ DADvocate

    Thanks for responding to my comment. Here’s another link that a commenter left at GWP showing Collinsworth donated to Republican candidates.

  • bee

    The US is the greatest nation on earth and the games are proof. How many of the world’s athletes owe a great debt to America’s love of athletics.

    Let’s see, how about China’s tall man? Is not his ability in large part due to America’s willingness to help develop him?

    How about the numerous athletes who train at America’s universities. If we credited the US with a fraction of each meddle that was earned by an athlete who trains in the US the medal count would look far different.

    As for bob costas, he is pathetic. I have to change the channel when he opens his mouth. He is clueless who thinks posturing is drama.

  • Mickey

    A-Frickin’-men.

  • ricktus

    Clap…clap…clap….clap…clap…clap….
    Nicely said…….

  • j clark

    I have lived in Cincinnati for most of my life. I watched Chris play for the Bengals and have seen him interviewed and have heard him speak. I met him and is wife years ago, a great couple. Collinsworth is in no way shape or form anti-American hes pretty conservative and beyond that a heck of a nice guy. I love the good dr. but I think she missed what Chris was saying. No doubt the coverage is LESS pro-American then it has been in the past. Waiting for anyone to call the Chinese cheats and the French swimmers the total losers that they are.

  • Robert Arvanitis

    The great media personalities of the past had no trouble both telling the truth and rooting for their side at the same time. Think of Ernie Pyle in the World War Two. Or Bob Sheppard covering the Yankees.

    As long as you tell the score right, you don’t have to hide your loyalties.

    Oh wait — maybe the new “journalists” AREN’T hiding their loyalties…

  • Lee

    I saw Kobe’s interview where he said he was proud to wear the USA team uniform, and that was the first time I really respected him (I am a Spurs fan). He grew up in Europe where his father played ball, and is a world wide star. So when he says that he believes America is the best country on earth, you know that he has been around and seen the competition.
    I contrast that with the one Collingsworth did with Becky Hammon, the WNBA player who became a Russian citizen earlier this year so that she could play on the Russian Olympic team. Granted, the Russians are giving their team a big cash bonus if they win a medal, but as the joke goes, “we’ve already determined what you are; right now we are just haggling on the price.” I don’t know when I have ever been more disgusted.
    LPR

  • Dar

    I’ve been watching Canada’s CBC Olympic broadcasts almost every single night, because they’re live broadcasts of various sports, and not the “slick”, packaged and overly commentated sort of tripe NBC dishes out. There are usually at least two other channels other than NBC showing the Games at any given time (I’m a Comcast subscriber in the Seattle area) as well.

    This is actually the first summer Olympics I’ve really enjoyed watching–having multiple channels (especially in HD) showing different events has really opened up the Games to me in a way that was not possible before. I’ve really enjoyed the equestrian, volleyball and beach volleyball, softball, synchronized diving, and even badminton competitions that before I was not even aware of.

    Of course, a large measure of that enjoyment comes from NOT watching the Games on NBC!

  • http://www.ejectejecteject.com Bill Whittle

    This is getting really silly now.

    Chris Collingsworth is a patriot, a Republican, and a good man. This kind of shreiking hysteria over something that is not there is a good indication that someone needs to open a window and get a little air.

    I have seen all of the gymnastics coverage. Costas is proud of our athletes, and shows real affection for Karolyi. Costas and Karolyi mention the uneven scoring and the underage Chinese gymnasts several times. That means it’s being REPORTED.

    To say that As for the NBC anchors skin-crawling discomfort with any athlete demonstrating love of country is, well.. just plain batchit INSANE. Did you hear them during Phelps win against the French? In his 1/100th of second win? When we won the best all-around female gymnast? The announcers’ HEADS were coming off from sheer joy, and you have the NERVE to make a comment like that?

    What the hell do you mean when you say Oh! And another thing about Collinsworth. He enthused about how great the American young people were and how well they represented our country. WE KNOW A@@HOLE!

    So what are you saying? He’s enthused about how great the young American atheletes are and how well they represented our country. Agreed. So he should — what — shut up, “A@@hole?” He’s an A-hole for CELEBRATING our athetes. I see.

    As someone who has done a fair amount of thinking and writing about the greatness of The United states of America, I can honestly say this is one of the most absurd, embarrasing and discrediting blog posts I have ever read. Period. I can not imagine ever taking anything this person says seriously after something like this.

    This kind of hyperventilating nonsense makes me ashamed to be a conservative. You should be ashamed of yourself. You owe a retraction and an apology, and you might want to go out and take a long walk and think about how deeply into something you must be to make enemies out of such obvious friends.

  • asdfadsf

    Bela and his wife are the most vindictive, petty, biased people i’ve seen in these olympics so far.

    His wife was openly mocking and denigrating the chinese team during the competition. Bela, meanwhile, wants to rewrite history by making wild accusations he can’t prove. And if he can’t prove it, he shouldn’t be spewing his hate on national tv. It is revealing that he was all sugar and spice when it was either the US or Romanians who won.

    What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty. The INTERNATIONAL judges decided what they thought was the best. The IOC and Gym federation was satisfied with proof of chinese team age. Why does NBC allow these baffoons to denigrate competiting sportsman and women, opposite that of the olympic spirit. I’m all for ferreting out potential cheats in with proper procedure, but his comments was just plain ugly.

    And Shawn Johnson is shorter than half of the chinese team. She’s obviously heavier, but do not blindly attribute the slimness of the smaller chinese athletes to underage-ness. They obviously don’t eat a fat filled western diet with all the growth hormones and unnaturally high protein in their food. How many research papers have come out saying western girls are reaching puberty at a much earlier age?

    And about the chinese news paper reporting that one chinese gymnast was listed as 14 at some time. Well, GASP! My my, could a newspaper have made a mistake? Never!

    Phil Graham is right. America is mostly a bunch of whiners, and if we don’t quit whining and actually doing, we’re going to be eclipsed by the workaholic chinese and indians very shortly in things with much more serious consequences than sports.

    The the Karolyi’s are a most disgusting symptom of what’s wrong in America today.

  • http://melissaclouthier.com Dr. Melissa Clouthier

    Bill,

    I’m sorry you feel this way. Way back up there, I granted that I don’t know Collinsworth. It sounds like he’s a good man and a patriot.

    I too, watched Costas’ interaction with Bela Karolyi and I stick to my opinion. And I stick to my opinion about the tone of the reporting generally. The NBC coverage has been ok and when it comes to reporting American greatness, it’s been apologetic. “Not that medal counts are important, but….” That’s how Costas ended his reporting this weekend. Please. Medal counts are too important. They are symbolic.

    Anyway, this post was a rant and I blogged emotionally. Oh well… I am a proud conservative and a proud American and I’m sick of those who would represent us in the world acting apologetic about being American.

  • http://coloradoright.wordpress.com ColoradoRight

    Well, we knew this type of thing was coming when NBC pronounces before the games that the announcers wouldn’t be allowed to say “we” and “us” when talking about the American athletes.

    I wonder if any other national network came out ahead of the games and said basically “we are so ashamed of our country we won’t even identify with it” in that way.

    And it really says something about all of us when we are pleasantly surprised that one of our athletes is willing to say that he’s proud of America and our country is the best!

  • Doc

    Last year Olberman was put onto NBC’s football coverage in an obvious attempt to garner more ratings for his piece of garbage show. The first segment he tried to carry over his worst person in the world segment into the football realm and make it the worst person in the nfl. Well, Collinsworth called him out on his political segment. Something to the effect of, do you really think Limbaugh is worse than Osama Bin laden? He did it on the air.

    I think this was a misread but if it wasn’t for that exchange last year I could see how this interpretation of Collinsworth could be made.

  • http://www.tsfiles.wordpress.com Sisyphus

    “Journalistic integrity” means NOTHING when it comes to politics.

    http://tsfiles.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/even-washington-post-thinks-its-biased/

  • Russ

    Melissa,

    You drastically misread Collinsworth. He was leading Kobe into that answer. Watch him for any amount of time, and you get a feel for the man.

    Remember that most of the anti-American folks aren’t going to reveal it so blatantly. Collinsowthr was so obviously poking at the anti-American folks that I am amazed others couldn’t pick up on the (very) thinly veiled sarcasm.

  • Richard

    While I agree with you on Costas, I believe you’re way off base with regard to Collinsworth.

  • Joel

    Oh shut up.
    You call America a bunch of whiners yet here we are with, oh, twenty posts or so and you’re the only one whining.
    I don’t remember where I read it but supposedly the average weight of the Chinese gymnasts is 75 pounds or so, less than the weight of anyone on the American team.
    As far as proof of age, the IOC requires only a passport. And with the Chinese gov’t being the producer of said documents, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chinese gymnasts still had baby teeth to go with their “16 year old” passports.

  • Mike

    No More UnAmerican NBC for me…… I’ve had it with the likes of Chris Collingsworth… Goodbye NBC and General Electric

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  • Obloodyhell

    I don’t have a clue about Collinsworth personally, but, hey, he’s a former Gator, and I don’t think former Gators are likely to be too obnoxious — esp. not ones who had success there. There’s something about the overall attitude of sports at UF that engenders an appreciation of being an American.

    I’d ask, instead, how much of his questions were scripted for him by someone else, and how much of it was edited to push some agenda by the media?