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- Jan 27, 2010
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A lot of the CBC commentators this time round are actually Sportsnet commentators. Sportsnet has long and storied issues with on-air talent. When it bought the hockey rights for oodles of dollars, it tried to lure most of TSN's talent (Duthie, McKenzie, Dreger) away. It failed on almost every count. There is some good talent at Sportsnet, but one of the biggest complaints I've seen since the new rights deal and the end of HNIC as a CBC product is that too many Sportsnet guys--both producers and commentators--are still playing it like they're the third-rate game on Tuesday nights.
I'll just say this: thank goodness Kypreos is nowhere near the Olympics coverage that I can tell.'
I don't know who was doing the equestrian commentary and whether they were CBC, Sportsnet, or freelance. CBC's budget problems are such that they are sharing talent a lot at these games. Some of them have been good, some bad, some good but just way out of their depth on certain sports (see also: terrific hockey reporter Elliotte Friedman butchering the swimming--he's not a play-by-play guy).
I wouldn't say the equestrian commentators were bad - they seemed to know the sport, and they knew when to shut up, which I always appreciate!
And I like it that CBC coverage will tell the stories and follow the competitions of lots of different athletes, not just the Canadian ones. It was just weird to notice what felt like a slight of a Canadian athlete by the Canadian broadcasters! Like if the US commentators were predicting medalists for the swimming events and didn't mention Michael Phelps!