Here Is The End Result Of The USOC And NBC's Over-Protectionist Olympic Nonsense

from the nice dept

Wed, Aug 10th 2016 11:59am — Timothy Geigner

When it comes to intellectual property bullying, the unholy alliance between the USOC and NBC seems to be trying to see exactly how far it can push things. Between NBC's "most live ever" broadcast of the games that still has unnecessary delays in both its television and streaming product and the USOC's strange belief that companies that sponsor athletes year-round somehow can't tweet out factual results or news images of those athletes as it relates the games due to trademark law, it's enough to make you laugh.

But it's not only the antics of the USOC and NBC that is chuckle-worthy. Local sports coverage of the Olympics is too, thanks to the laughable restrictions NBC has put in place. Here's my hometown sports anchor, for instance, who came up with a creative way to cover the Olympics by not covering them at all in protest.

Yes, instead of actually reporting on the games at all, Pat Tomasulo of Chicago's WGN decided to relay just how insane NBC is with its demands for how its footage is used and how other news groups are allowed to cover the Olympics. He decided to cover a different international competition run by "one of the most corrupt organization's in the world", whose logo is a series of interconnected triangles and whose theme song is Bump and Grind by R. Kelly. Then he read some Olympics results over footage of his own high school wrestling days, fully crediting his own mother.

Now, this isn't just funny, it's also a wonderful little push back against NBC for its frankly insane restrictions on Olympics coverage. As a reward for being that restrictive, at least one local news organization decided not to report on the Olympics at all. So, NBC... mission accomplished?

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Filed Under: fair use, olympics, pat tomasulo, sports coverage, wgn
Companies: usoc, wgn

29 Comments

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Paul Renault (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 12:23pm

Yay for individual sports!
As a former HS wrestler myself, I applaud Pat Tomasulo's refusal to be a 'team player' and to think for himself.

The CBC usually covers Canadian athletes plus the important/medal competitions even when no Canadians are involved. Right now I'm streaming Judo 90Kg men's repechage, Japan vs. China. I don't know if it's available outside of Canada - it's worth trying.

http://olympics.cbc.ca
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Capt ICE Enforcer (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 12:25pm

Creative
God dang it. Copyright has led to someone being creative in a whole new way. Now he should copyright that and shut everyone else out of the market without paying him a license fee.
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BentFranklin (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 12:31pm

Nice to see knowledge of the corruption reaching mainstream.
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PRMan (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 12:39pm

Re: Yay for individual sports!
1. cbc.ca has the rights to the games in Canada.

2. It's not available outside Canada (without using a smart DNS service).
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DogBreath, 10 Aug 2016 @ 12:48pm

Great Job, Pat Tomasulo.
We need more reporting on the Olympics like this.

Reminds me of this opinion on Olympic Badminton vs "Real" Badminton:
Mary Carillo's Badminton Rant - Athens 2004
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 12:48pm

Yesterday or earlier today a commentator on Dutch TV noted that there were longer breaks between the swimming matches than normal. He then explained that that was because room had to made for NBC to show commercials.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 1:01pm

The more NBC and the IOC and regional committees become ass hats the more people are going to write the entire Sport-Event-Not-To-Be-Named off entirely as too much of a bother to watch, report on, or even participate in. And frankly, that would be a shame from a societal point of view.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 1:11pm

10 for difficulty, 8 for execution
Only one question, why did he get a song by a kid toucher?
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 1:22pm

Re: 10 for difficulty, 8 for execution
Only one question, why did he get a song by a kid toucher?

HS wrestling - 'nuf said...
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BeldansFire (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 1:33pm

Re: Creative
"I understood that reference." (c) Marvel Studios, TM Disney LLC
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 2:46pm

Olympics is pointless anyway.
Just like the Eurovision song contest, medals are pre-decided based on who has trade agreements with who.
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David (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 3:25pm

Well playes and lipsynced.
Thanks for that bit of good news. I have ignored the Rio Swimming in Da Feces Games, because of their incredibly ridiculous attitudes.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 4:46pm

Is anyone even watching?
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JoeCool (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 4:58pm

Re:
Not that they need ANY breaks considering NBC isn't showing anything live. You're lucky if the delay is only hours.
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JBDragon (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 5:07pm

Re:
I watch a few of the things Yesterday for the first time. being a Cable cutter, all I get is NBC and my TIVO is recording everything. Then I look and see what's on each day and then I FF through most of the stuff that I'm interested in quickly. I didn't watch the Opening Ceremonies, and so far I've watch about 5% of what's been on NBC. They can have all their commercials and other crap, I'm blowing past it all. Full Speed Fast Forward. It's the only way to go.
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Tanya Feelgoods, 10 Aug 2016 @ 5:38pm

Re: Re:
Who is providing your TV service to your Tivo?? Then you are not a cable cutter.
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z! (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 5:56pm

Only the Old Ones remember
Am I the only person that first read "USOC" as Uniform Service Order Code, and was confused about the article's title?
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Williuam, 10 Aug 2016 @ 6:09pm

Not only NBC
CBS and the NCAA is tgwe same with the basketball tournament in March.
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orbitalinsertion (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 11:09pm

Re: Only the Old Ones remember
I'm sure AT&T would find a way to bill you for the Olympics in your phone bill.
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Chris Jude, 11 Aug 2016 @ 3:59am

Thanks giving
Your efforts in bringing information about end results and its after effect is highly appreciable. Great research though.....
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Jeremy Lyman (profile), 11 Aug 2016 @ 5:20am

Re: Re: Re:
You can hook your Tivo up to an antenna and record Over The Air Broadcasts. As long as your antenna wire isn't too long...
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Jeremy Lyman (profile), 11 Aug 2016 @ 5:28am

What is this "olympics" you speak of?
As far as I'm concerned the modern olympic revival is dead and should be burned to the ground. Maybe a post-modern olympics could be reborn from the ashes after a break but the current machinery needs to stop.
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Berenerd (profile), 11 Aug 2016 @ 5:52am

Re:
I am totally gonna trade mark "Sport-Event-Not-To-Be-Named" and all of its variations
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Aug 2016 @ 6:09am

Thou shalt not murder.
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As a former HS wrestler myself, I applaud Pat Tomasulo's refusal to be a 'team player' and to think for himself.
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