NBC’s Routine Rapped by Gymnastics Viewer

NBC’s coverage of the U.S. gymnastics championship should be nominated for an Emmy as the most biased presentation ever to be broadcast nationwide.

What we saw, for the most part, was a Bela Karolyi gym workout with an occasional guest appearance from an outsider gymnast.

The reason Don Peters, U.S. women’s gymnastics coach, remained incognito could be found in the closing comments of the NBC commentator, who noted that Karolyi is coaching the top female gymnasts but that he is not going to Seoul. The commentator added, “This is a reminder that in the sport of gymnastics, some egos still rank a perfect 10.”

I could not agree more, and the one with the biggest ego of all is Karolyi. It is a disgrace that NBC permitted itself to be used as a forum for Karolyi. If this was a foreshadowing of the type of coverage we can expect of the Olympics, I doubt that there will be much point in watching such a farce.

M. E. TIEFENTHALER

Walnut