They put all the "boring" matches on the overnight (midnight-6am) showings on their cable channels. Primetime on NBC is the "high profile" events they think will draw the most viewers.

Oh, and you forgot the whole bit where NBC pretended they were showing the opening ceremonies live during the parade of nations when really what they wanted to do was save time by skipping the smaller countries. They came back from commercials with "while we were at break, these nations came in" and then had more small nations than ever could have fit in the commercial break flashed quickly across the screen. At least be truthful and say you're skipping them to save time NBC.

I wasn't that impressed with the opening ceremonies to begin with--I've seen better half-time shows.  Finding out now that there was lip-synching going on is kinda like finding out that Milli Vanilli were fake.  Who cares?

Well hopefully it won't come to the point where I'm found too ugly to blog and I am provided with a blog-syncher.

There was a Windows Blue Screen of Death during the opening ceremonies too.  I'm told...I didn't watch it except for about thirty seconds when a friend called and said "you gotta watch this."

The only fake part of the fireworks was the footprint crawl near the beginning.  It actually occurred, but logistically, they couldn't film it.  For anyone who has seen a movie in the last 15 years, the CGI was quite obvious.  The whole girl replacement is just sad.  I'm glad that here in the US, a singer's success is determined solely by their talent and not their looks.  Could you imagine such a thing?  As for the show, it was a spectacular and costly display of good old fashioned propaganda.  At least it was enjoyable.

Duplicity in the presentation? Oh, horrors! Sounds like the Chinese are catching on to how capitalism works.

I am burned out on reporters cliched How did you feel? questions. How did you feel when you won? What was going through your mind when you stepped on the podium? How did you feel when the national anthem was played? Just once, I'd like to see a gold medal winner answer, "Damn depressing....I'm going to hang myself tonight."

It should be a rule that any on-camera questioner (I can't call them reporters) who asks a question beginning "How do you feel..." can be punched in the nose.  One free shot.  Especially when the question relates to a recent tragedy.

Faked lip-synching and fireworks? Sounds like China has finally integrated with the world of Western capitalist mass media. Welcome!