NBC has crossed an ethical line now in their Olympic coverage

First off, how long are Americans going to sit by and allow NBC to turn a world event into an NBC event? You know believe it or not citizens you DO own the airwaves they broadcast on.

Last night in an attempt to build NON-EXISTENT drama around the US Women's Gymnastics team (and congratulations to them on a dominating performance, they never bent and certainly never broke -- like the Russians which is why we're here now) ignored, completely did not show Russian gymnast Ksenia Afanasyeva inexplicably fall down to her knees in the middle of her floor routine. Just fell, and stopped, and slowly got back up. A crushing mistake. For all intents and purposes it knocked the Russians out of the race for gold right then. You may have seen the cut aways to the Russian team in shock and tears. It wasn't because the Americans were going great guns. BUT, NBC being NBC didn't show you the reigning world champion in the floor routine simply running and falling down. Instead they showed a clip of American Aly Raisman missing a landing in morning warmups in the floor event. Why would they avoid this shocking development? Easy, to keep you in front of the television and make their advertisers happy. They actually manipulated (or looked the other way at best) the story to sell cars and toilet paper and tampons. The gold medal was decided then unless between events the U.S. gals each ate three bowls of Cocoa Puffs, ran into the third row like an angel of the Jovian Moon claiming they were going to purge the world of sin, and attacked ticketholders.

Would you like to hear NBC's position? Here's NBC Sports Chairman Mark Lazarus: "...we are charged with making smart decisions for our company, for our shareholders and to present the product the way we believe is best.”

See that? Shut up, there are shareholders to please. The Olympics is 'the product". No mention of the games or athletes. He says he simply trusts the programmers with "the product" and that Americans are happy with it after NBC's own audience research.

Sometimes you go to a baseball game and your team wins 10-3. It's really not close but the local network doesn't not put up your team's runs from the 5th inning until the 8th to keep people watching. Tape delay it BUT play it AS IT HAPPENS. Anything else is truly a slap in the face to the American public.

NBC's created a sixth Olympic ring and it is called pablum.