CLINE: Olympics best reality show on TV  Todd Cline  Todd Cline
Any doubt that the Olympics are a made-for-TV show disguised as
sport should be erased by the criticism NBC is receiving for
airing the top events on a tape-delay basis. Viewers are steamed
(this one included) that races and competitions are shown hours
after they were actually contested, causing, for instance, those
interested to watch the 100-meter men's track finals on TV more
than six hours after Usain Bolt actually won the race.  This is
irritating when comparing the Olympics to a major sporting event
like the Super Bowl. No one, not even NBC, would dare air the
NFL's biggest game five hours after the Giants had already
defeated the Patriots. The difference is the Super Bowl is a
sporting event that makes for a high-rated (usually the highest)
television program, whereas the brilliance of the TV industry is
that it has turned Olympic sport into an amazing reality show.
Once you accept the Olympics as a TV program, the issue of tape
delay