1st    Week    Finished

441 hours on NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC breaks down to 200 hours of profiles, 225 hours of commercials, 15 hours of competition, and 1 hour of Bob Costas saying repechage.

Lookalikes - NBC's John Dockery and Randolph Mantooth (Johnny Gage of EMERGENCY!)

Bad girl of winter resurfaces- Tonya Harding pitching for the Australian Softball Team? No that's Tanya Harding

More than just a game- US Softball's Leah O'Brien-Amico's mom sold her house just to see her daughter play in Sydney

Old business - omitted from Day 6 recap - Bud Collins jewel - The favorites are falling like dandruff.

Jim Lampley drollery - What's Summer without a beach? (when introducing Summer Sanders at Bondi Beach)

Dick Vitale Vitrolics- Oh wait! He's not on NBC. Thank goodness!

Jim Watson witticism- (while the beach volleyball audience was doing the wave) "Since we are in the Southern Hemisphere, should the wave go the other way?"

Also heard at Beach Volleyball- "The Italians are covered in sand." "They look like sugar donuts"

In Teddy's Corner- Teddy Atlas told Marv Albert while demonstrating how boxers hands are wrapped, "If you were my fighter, I would have to get another job.

On one of my local stations - The sports guy read the latest Olympics results, but played the Secondary Audio Program (SAP) in Spanish

New rule - Beach Volleyball now allows let serves. That is, if the ball hits the net and still goes over, it's good.

Channel surfing - FOX Sports Net - Ellis Burks receives the Willie McCovey Award as the Most Inspirational San Francisco Giant. Later, the Giants defeat the D'Backs to clinch the National League West.

More than just a game - GM Features - Crystal Fullen, a 16 year old from California is a softball fanatic. She developed cancer in 1998 and faced amputation of a foot and possibly a leg. There would be no way she could play softball again. She ended up only losing one toe to amputaion, which she painted before the operation because she wanted to make sure the surgeons cut the right one. She befriended Valerie who had the same type of cancer and was also passionate about Softball. Valerie's dream was to meet the USA Olympians. Unfortunately, Valerie died before the dream could be fulfilled. Crystal, in tribute to her friend was sent to Sydney to be the bat girl for the USA team for a day by Make a Wish.

Swimming Dynasties - USA and Australia have been pool powers for quite awhile. Other nations have risen and fallen over the past few decades. In the 60's Japan rose in power. In the 70's, East Germany was dominant, mostly due to performance enhancement drugs as discovered later. In the 80's, China emerged as the swimming giant, suspected of drug enhancements. In the 90's, Hungary was the country to watch. Now, it seems to be Italy and the Netherlands.

Costas quip - Reporting about an accident at the Equestrian Venue - The rider... and the horse, named Fri-co'-te, or Fri-co-té, or Frî'- co-te are both OK. Is the horse going call and complain about my pronunciation?

Lookalikes - NBC's Craig Sager and Jack Hanna (Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures/Director Emeritus Columbus Zoo)

Great reaction shots - Elise Ray's parents and Andreea Raduca (the eventual winner) to Elise's disasterous miss on the vault during practice.

Channel surfing - Discovery Channel Wild Australia- Australia is the only continent where the majority of snakes are venomous (as they show someone pick up a Death Adder from a suburban yard)

Commercial bedfellows - General Motors unveiled the GMC Envoy. You could see an NBC Olympics logo on the top right corner of the screen.

Dutch Treat - The world's fastest swimmers are Male - Peter van den Hoogliband and Female - Inge de Brujin from Holland.

Nickname - Romainian gymnast Simona Amanar translated nickname is "Airhead"

Channel Surfing - WWF Smackdown- The Rock explains in "Swedish" and "Chinese" that he did not run over Stone Cold last year, while "Commissioner" Foley tries to keep a straight face. Later, speaking of strange bedfellows, the main event has The Rock teaming with HHH and the Undertaker to meet Chris Benoit, 1996 Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, and Kane.

Backstroking - American Lenny Krayzelberg became the first man to win both the 100 & 200 meter backstroke in the same Olympics since 1984 Rick Carey (USA)

which leads to

Olympic Memory - Rick Carey won a Gold Medal in the backstroke, but whined during an interview that he wasn't satisfied because he didn't set a New World Record. He pouted during the medal ceremony and National Anthem. It's one thing to have high expectations, but grow up RicK! He later apologized for his conduct and at least pretended to be happy when he won his second Gold.

Speaking of Crybabies - Many gymnasts are complaining about the hard floor. It doesn't have enough bounce. If they want bounce, they can swtch to trampoline or even better, pro wrestling. They wear tights too.

On the other hand - the afore mentioned vault was set up 2 inches too low. Never mind that medals were lost due to this. Some of the falls could have permanently injured the girls.

Cool Commercial - OnStar added the Joker to its Batman spots

Channel Surfing - TLC Nature's Fury- the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the coast of Washington is a ticking time bomb. A major earthquake or landslide there would cause devastating tsunamis not only for the Pacific Northwest, but Alaska, California, Hawaii, Japan and other areas of the Pacific rim.

--------------------------------------- Jay Leno interlude

This tape delay is outrageous. Today they reported that the FBI is investigating Richard Jewell.

Tommy Lasorda is entered in the Sumo Wrestling Event.

A special person in rowing is the guy doing all those calls. (They show a close-up of Gilbert Gottfried in the coxswain's seat with his glorious voice)

Regis Philbin said he wasn't attracted to Kathie Lee. "There was more sexual tension between me and my Urologist." Frank Gifford made an appointment with the Urologist when he heard this.
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French fry incentive - McDonalds commercial shows a guy eating McD fries get close to his TV and hold a fry to it. The runner he is rooting for surges to the lead. He then eats the fry and the runner falls back, so he holds another fry to the screen and the runner wins. ---------------------------------
Hollywood Squares Break- Old business first- from Monday's outakes - Caroline Rhea is talking to the guest Olympians "I'm from Canada. Bronze is the best you can get , right?" Whoopi:   "It is for your country"

Q: Pinky and Leather Tuscadero were characters on what TV Show?
Bruce Vilanch: The Gay Sopranoes
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LasordaSpeak - If you're not young around these guys, they'll bury you.

Ahmad Rashad brought back a bunch of USA baseball caps to the studio which prompted this exchange -
Costas: "You've brought a bounty of booty"
Rashad: "Say what!"
Costas: "That may have a double meaning, come to think of it"

Boo hoo, only 9 days left.