[BeanofJelly]

Does anyone else get sick of the commentators/interviewers ruthlessly putting down athletes at any opportunity, eg: they don't get a medal that's expected, don't do as well as in previous competitions/olympics, have an injury, make a mistake, get disqualified...

It's like when something bad happens these media harpies just relish rubbing salt in the wound. I was appalled yesterday when Victoria Pendleton was being interviewed after her disqualification - she was clearly absoutely thrashed about it, on the verge of tears and I just thought it was incredibly brave of her to come and speak to anyone.

The interviewer just didn't show her any humanity at all. Instead, even after pretty much everything that could be said, she had said - they still weren't satisfied, and continued to press her on how guttingly disappointing and stupid she was, basically. Quite obvious they only care about getting some tear jerker for their report, literally trying to deliberately upset the woman more.

Then in the commentary box, one of the commentators turns to another (ex)-olympian and reminds them, bluntly, of that time "you were the only one who didn't leave with a medal"!!!

If I was that dude, I'd feel like saying "yeah well I still remember all of those championships you were never good enough to enter, all of those olympics you didn't even qualify for the team, and all those times you didn't even make it to the final". In fact I think he was a bit annoyed because he said what made it difficult was the constant reminders...

I just think these are top class athletes, every one of them should be lauded just for being there, and the olympics is a high enough pressure event without this kind of negativity.. for example if you "only" come 4th in the world in one event (Michael Phelps), they are leaping upon the chance to say your career is over, and can't stop bloody going on about it over and over for days. It's as if they don't really care the bloke has already got 14 gold olympic medals, if anything it only seems to make them want to criticise him more. He can't just keep peaking every single olympics! They are criticising him for not achieving the impossible! I hate it!

Now ofc, he's won another gold, they have done a 180 and keep praising him as the best ever athlete ever etc etc. It just sickens me because it only seems to provide further evidence that they've just reduced him and their entire opinion of him to a tally of medals. If he was hit by a bus tomorrow, they'd love it. No humanity at all.

[TimHuak]

There should be a mute button on your TV

problem solved

[Beebumble]

It really annoys me when the commentators (in swimming in particular) focus so much on the Americans. We know the American athletes are good but we don't need it pushed down our throats and to have our own athletes completely ignored.

[cucumber+lettuce]

I'm sick of people moaning about the Olympics.

[Malevolent]

(Original post by Beebumble)
It really annoys me when the commentators (in swimming in particular) focus so much on the Americans. We know the American athletes are good but we don't need it pushed down our throats and to have our own athletes completely ignored.

I would say their focusing more on the British Athletes then the Americans, anytime theres one in the event they interview them instead of the race winner or the competition winner. Saying stuff like oh she finished a very creditable fourth but when phelps does it oh its a disaster. Bit of consistency with the commentary would be nice.

[g_star_raw_1989]

(Original post by Beebumble)
It really annoys me when the commentators (in swimming in particular) focus so much on the Americans. We know the American athletes are good but we don't need it pushed down our throats and to have our own athletes completely ignored.

What?! They focus too much on the British athlete, even the ones that have no hope of winning a medal and interview them over the race winner. Luckily, Ian Thorpe gives the reporting team some balance.

[Malevolent]

(Original post by g_star_raw_1989)
What?! They focus too much on the British athlete, even the ones that have no hope of winning a medal and interview them over the race winner. Luckily, Ian Thorpe gives the reporting team some balance.

Thank you i knew i wasnt the only one who thought so.

[S'Class]

Mark Lawrenson is always moaning at England.

[laura1234]

The media are only trying to get the answers the public all want to know.

[bodie]

(Original post by laura1234)
The media are only trying to get the answers the public all want to know.

Really no, not at all. They are some great media interviewers but there are also some dire, dire ones. They ask exceptionally blunt and mistimed questions with sensationalism always the goal. Asking someone about the deaths of family members, or how disappointed they are is just poor. Many other people conduct the interviews well, asking engaging sensitive questions and gauging the responses before progressing. Sometimes I feel interviews are trying to get athletes to cry!

I want to see them treated with dignity and respect.

Incidentally, the BBC swimming commentators have been wonderful.

[laura1234]

(Original post by bodie)
Really no, not at all. They are some great media interviewers but there are also some dire, dire ones. They ask exceptionally blunt and mistimed questions with sensationalism always the goal. Asking someone about the deaths of family members, or how disappointed they are is just poor. Many other people conduct the interviews well, asking engaging sensitive questions and gauging the responses before progressing. Sometimes I feel interviews are trying to get athletes to cry!

I want to see them treated with dignity and respect.

Incidentally, the BBC swimming commentators have been wonderful.

With papers like the daily mail around non of this is going to end any time soon.

[Squidgyness]

(Original post by bodie)
Really no, not at all. They are some great media interviewers but there are also some dire, dire ones. They ask exceptionally blunt and mistimed questions with sensationalism always the goal. Asking someone about the deaths of family members, or how disappointed they are is just poor. Many other people conduct the interviews well, asking engaging sensitive questions and gauging the responses before progressing. Sometimes I feel interviews are trying to get athletes to cry!

I want to see them treated with dignity and respect.

Incidentally, the BBC swimming commentators have been wonderful.

The interview with Philip Hindes was the worst, used convoluted language to a man who was originally german and clearly wasn't on board with its meaning. Someone needed to give the interviewer a quiet reminder to keep it straightforward.

[Joinedup]

The athletes seem to get the mic in shoved in their face while they're still coming to terms with what just happened. Probably you'd get much better interviews if they got chance to mentally warm down a bit. Think cavendish (iirc) had the right idea snapping at them, Sure I'd want to if I was in their shoes.

[Zubby77]

Its nothing new tbh

[Joinedup]

I think it is quite new for the olympics tbh. Even footballers get a bit of time to sort their headspace out and they're used to the media pecking their heads 52 weeks a year.