Comments on: Watching the Olympics Outside the US http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:19:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dave http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-265841 Dave Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:25:31 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-265841 Recently USA has been winning both golds and totals except for this year so it had been a moot point. I think its okay to have the two different methods of medal dominance. World viewers are savvy enough to keep track of two medal counts and recognize two winners; a gold medal winner and a totals winner,<br><br>I would be curious to see chinas coverage. I bet its budget was comparable to NBC's. Recently USA has been winning both golds and totals except for this year so it had been a moot point. I think its okay to have the two different methods of medal dominance. World viewers are savvy enough to keep track of two medal counts and recognize two winners; a gold medal winner and a totals winner,

I would be curious to see chinas coverage. I bet its budget was comparable to NBC's.

]]> By: Dave http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-21279 Dave Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:25:31 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-21279 Recently USA has been winning both golds and totals except for this year so it had been a moot point. I think its okay to have the two different methods of medal dominance. World viewers are savvy enough to keep track of two medal counts and recognize two winners; a gold medal winner and a totals winner,<br><br>I would be curious to see chinas coverage. I bet its budget was comparable to NBC's. Recently USA has been winning both golds and totals except for this year so it had been a moot point. I think its okay to have the two different methods of medal dominance. World viewers are savvy enough to keep track of two medal counts and recognize two winners; a gold medal winner and a totals winner,

I would be curious to see chinas coverage. I bet its budget was comparable to NBC's.

]]> By: gregorylent http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-19724 gregorylent Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:42:16 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-19724 just be glad you weren't watching the olympics in india .. abyssmal just be glad you weren't watching the olympics in india .. abyssmal

]]> By: Bill Gorman http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-19135 Bill Gorman Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:45:13 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-19135 Since this was the first time getting Olympic medal information from non-US sources I will freely admit to not realizing that the "gold medal" sorting had long been the practice outside the US.<br><br>If that has long been the practice, then this is definitely *not* a case of anti-US bias.<br><br>In fact, the US has in the past typically been atop in recent history, no matter which sorting system was used.<br><br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_medal_rankings">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_medal_rank...</a> Since this was the first time getting Olympic medal information from non-US sources I will freely admit to not realizing that the “gold medal” sorting had long been the practice outside the US.

If that has long been the practice, then this is definitely *not* a case of anti-US bias.

In fact, the US has in the past typically been atop in recent history, no matter which sorting system was used.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_medal_rank…

]]> By: John http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-19127 John Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:26:39 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-19127 Apparently US is the only country that ranks by total medals, and not gold medals. Even in Canada the ranking is sorted by gold medals, and it has been that way since as far as I can remember. Does it make more sense to count the number of times a country has won an event, or list the number of Top-3 finishes a country has mustered up? I think it's just a matter of perspective - it certainly does not account to "anti-US bias". It wouldn't be fair to say someone is "anti-US" simply because they use a system that is different from that used by the Americans. One wouldn't say that using the meter or the kilogram as the standard unit of measurement as being "anti-US", would they? Apparently US is the only country that ranks by total medals, and not gold medals. Even in Canada the ranking is sorted by gold medals, and it has been that way since as far as I can remember. Does it make more sense to count the number of times a country has won an event, or list the number of Top-3 finishes a country has mustered up? I think it's just a matter of perspective – it certainly does not account to “anti-US bias”. It wouldn't be fair to say someone is “anti-US” simply because they use a system that is different from that used by the Americans. One wouldn't say that using the meter or the kilogram as the standard unit of measurement as being “anti-US”, would they?

]]> By: Vitor Fernando http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-18959 Vitor Fernando Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:24:10 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-18959 It`s nothing against USA, here in Europe we always ordered the number of medals by the gold medals,never for the total medals. USA is the only country in the world that ordered by the total medals and just because USA won more medals.<br>Don`t make us anti-USA people, you just didn`t won this time, maybe in 2012. It`s nothing against USA, here in Europe we always ordered the number of medals by the gold medals,never for the total medals. USA is the only country in the world that ordered by the total medals and just because USA won more medals.
Don`t make us anti-USA people, you just didn`t won this time, maybe in 2012.

]]> By: wopa http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-18932 wopa Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:52:49 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-18932 If you assign points to the medals (Gold=3, Silver=2, and Bronze=1) China wins with a score of 223 to the USA's 220.<br><br>Gold decides the winner, China won. If you assign points to the medals (Gold=3, Silver=2, and Bronze=1) China wins with a score of 223 to the USA's 220.

Gold decides the winner, China won.

]]> By: Holly http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-18721 Holly Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:38:04 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-18721 Actually, the US has always used total medal count. Britain did too until this time (or maybe the time before). Other places have used the gold medal count for a number of years now. There is no official method. Actually, the US has always used total medal count. Britain did too until this time (or maybe the time before). Other places have used the gold medal count for a number of years now. There is no official method.

]]> By: Ralph http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-18720 Ralph Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:33:05 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-18720 This medal thing is all over the internet. Actually if you look at the Medal Tables from past Olympics (Summer and Winter), they show rankings by Gold medals first. NBC seems to have cynically used the Total medal count so as to show the US on top. The bias is the other way around! Or is the US way right and the rest of the world wrong ... as usual? This medal thing is all over the internet. Actually if you look at the Medal Tables from past Olympics (Summer and Winter), they show rankings by Gold medals first. NBC seems to have cynically used the Total medal count so as to show the US on top. The bias is the other way around! Or is the US way right and the rest of the world wrong … as usual?

]]> By: Holly http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-18698 Holly Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:05:25 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-18698 Welcome Back Bill!!!!! Welcome Back Bill!!!!!

]]> By: Robert Seidman http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/08/25/watching-the-olympics-outside-the-us/4765/comment-page-1/#comment-18672 Robert Seidman Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:47:04 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4765#comment-18672 Welcome back! I prefer ranking by Gold medals and not total medals as the Gold medal *is* the gold standard. I ran the NBC medal-tracking widget in your absence and it was always sorted by total medals. But even with that view it was obvious China was dominating in the Gold category. Welcome back! I prefer ranking by Gold medals and not total medals as the Gold medal *is* the gold standard. I ran the NBC medal-tracking widget in your absence and it was always sorted by total medals. But even with that view it was obvious China was dominating in the Gold category.

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