Is NBC Trying to Start Another Cold War Through Figure Skating? - Sports - Gawker.TV

Is NBC Trying to Start Another Cold War Through Figure Skating?

"During NBC's coverage of men's figure skating, the network ran a package about Russian favorite/destroyer of worlds Evgeni Plushenko. Plushenko (and Russia) were painted as a bleak, yet brooding force with haunting music and low-angle shots of the Kremlin. Why? Is NBC trying to romanticize figure skating by telling us it's Rocky IV on ice?"

Actually, I think NBC has done a pretty good job of creating drama from situations which are actually snooze-fests. Without all the background they provide, most events would be completely tiresome. Plushenko is an interesting guy, brilliantly good and formerly very arrogant, so he makes for an excellent super-villain, and NBC milked that narrative. Granted they probably give that kind of crap more drama than it merits, but that's their technique to hook viewers into the storyline. Would they treat an obnoxious American or Canadian athlete, ala Barry Bonds, the same way? Probably not, but they're playing to the North American audience.

One question. Why is pro wrestling not in the Winter Olympics? It is a strenuous physical activity which requires both training and showmanship, although the actual contest results are determined well in advance. How exactly is that different from figure skating?