The Ringmaster
It's a bit interesting that I do have to pay attention to NBC's primetime coverage to make sure we have all our bases covered. I guess if the Peacock hasn't shown it, it really hasn't happened, right?

The Costas coverage seems to be OK, although you know what you're going to get: U.S.-centric coverage, sob stories, etc., etc. Still, it seems to show what you need to see.

However, all of the other cable channels picking up the slack are doing a nice job as well. I've already watched a couple of handball games on MSNBC, and that (not badminton) really should be the "breakout" sport of Athens for U.S. fans, even if the Americans aren't even in it. It's also nice to get at least a flavor of a bunch of other sports either really late at night or early in the morning. At least I'll have something to watch when I start doing the overnight shift tomorrow (other than a repeat of the prime-time coverage).

Other Olympics thoughts:
-- I think we all saw the "Dream Team" losing sooner rather than later, but who knew Carlos Arroyo had that much game? Even more fun was watching the end of the Argentina-Serbia game -- the pass to Ginobili in the final seconds was just as impressive as Manu's shot. It is interesting to see that most of the hoops teams have some NBA presence.
-- I still can't put my finger on it, but I think if you look at Jenny Thompson, you're getting a preview of what Kirstin Dunst will look like in a few years (minus the ripped physique, obviously).
-- What type of plastic are the U.S. women's gymnastics team wearing? They're definitely not drab, but it seems a tad too shiny, especially when you factor in the makeup and what seems to be what Last Comic Standing winner John Heffron calls "stripper dust" on a couple of them. Speaking of the gymnasts, where's Pamela Anderson? You'd think with the money she shelled out for Mo Bhardwaj, you'd think she'd make her way to Greece. There were plenty of great seats available Sunday.
-- Speaking of attendance, I just about lost it when Telemundo showed the Ghana-Paraguay match and saw no one in the stands at midfield. The wide shot was even worse. If no one shows up for a match, does it really count?