U.S. swimmer Allison Schmitt competes in the women's 200-meter freestyle final on Day 4 of the London Olympics on Tuesday, July 31. Check out Day 3 of competition from Monday, July 30. The Games ran through August 12.
Editor's note: Ed Bark, former longtime TV critic of The Dallas Morning News, blogs about TV at the website unclebarky.com.
(CNN) -- It's not easy being NBC, which is touting record ratings for its first three doses of prime-time Summer Olympics coverage while at the same time getting hammered in some quarters for its time-delayed approach.
The ever-cranky "blogosphere" is aflame like the Olympic torch with denunciations of the network for not airing some of the marquee events live on TV screens, instead packaging them for the nightly Big Show from London anchored by Bob Costas.
There's even a #nbcfail Twitter hashtag available for those who want to vent their fury -- or merely twit NBC. Says one aggrieved tweeter, "Ryan Lochte could cure cancer during a race & NBC would air it 6 hours later with the cure portion removed for a Seacrest interview." (That's a reference to NBC's far less defensible decision to omit an Opening Ceremonies tribute to the 52 victims of a 2005 terrorist bombing in London. NBC instead filled the time with a taped Ryan Seacrest interview of U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps; the network lamely explained, "Our program is tailored for the U.S. television audience.")
I think NBC is getting unfairly eviscerated though, for taking the same prime-time approach of every U.S. Olympic network over the years. The Peacock network also has trumpeted the fact that all the major events packaged for prime-time TV are available earlier live on nbcolympics.com, where the Men's Gymnastics Team Final is in progress as this is being written.
This just in: Your Games of choice: live or taped?
Yes, it sometimes takes 30 seconds or so for the live feed to load up. There also have reportedly been some glitches, as might well be expected. But on my at-times balky old 2006 iMac desktop, nbcolympics.com has been working just fine. The Web coverage is in high-definition, can be viewed full-screen and has far shorter commercial breaks than you'll have to endure during NBC's prime-time TV presentation. So really, what's the big deal?
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Well, we now live in the full-blown age of Twitter, which was still pretty much in diapers during the 2008 Summer Games from Beijing. Information is disseminated at breakneck speed, and tweeters don't want to wait even extra seconds for it. Period.
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Jeff Jarvis, the terminally dissatisfied proprietor of the BuzzMachine blog, says that "we in the U.S. are being robbed of the opportunity to share a common experience with the world in a way that was never before possible."
Really? How so? Those who want every last ounce of up-to-the-second Olympics information can avail themselves of nbcolympics.com. Or scour the Internet for the latest competition results. Why is it necessary to see all of it on an old-school television screen? That's so -- 2008.
There's this, too. NBC and the other "Networks of NBC Universal" are on track to lose money on the Olympics, despite taking in more than $1 billion in advertising revenue. The company has readily acknowledged this. So can Comcast-owned NBC Universal really be expected to even further jeopardize its prime-time ratings by showing all of the most talked-about competitions earlier in the day on the NBC mother ship (or the NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, Bravo, etc.)? Somebody's got to pay for this coverage, and the sprawling blogosphere doesn't look all that ready to sponsor a telethon for NBC Universal.
Opinion: Cheating is as old as the ancient Olympics
Four years ago, the 12-hour time difference between New York and Beijing enabled NBC to show some major events live in prime-time by persuading Olympic officials to begin them in relatively early morning hours. Some of the athletes complained, leading to criticism of NBC for strong-arming the sainted Olympics into a made-for-TV event.
The time difference is just five hours this time, making it basically impossible for NBC to air anything live in prime-time unless it somehow had persuaded the International Olympic Committee to have Lochte and Phelps jump live into the pool sometime after 1 a.m. London time. Imagine the outcry.
News: Fans asked to tweet from Olympics only if it's 'urgent'
Record ratings so far for NBC's prime-time coverage suggest that a lot of viewers are more than content to sit back on their living room couches and watch the "traditional" time-delayed presentation. No doubt a good percentage of them, myself included, try not to know who won ahead of time. It's always been more fun that way. Hasn't it?
In a perfect world, NBC would have the option of going live throughout its prime-time coverage. Any network, and viewers as well, certainly would prefer it this way.
But nothing's perfect, with instant gratification and/or instantaneous complaining ingrained as never before. So NBC will continue to take a severe beating from some no matter how well it does in prime-time. It's the way of the world -- and all the more so on a highly wired world stage.
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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ed Bark.
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Radhouane Slimane of Tunisia watches as U.S. player Andre Iguodala's layup goes in the net during their preliminary basketball match.
Jemma Lowe of Great Britain competes in the women's 200-meter butterfly semifinal.
Kelly Smith of Great Britain shoots a goal under pressure from Bruna of Brazil during the women's first-round football match.
Tony Parker of France looks on in the men's basketball preliminary match against Argentina.
Kaeo Pongprayoon of Thailand boxes Mohamed Flissi of Algeria.
Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov eyes the ball before returning a shot to Denmark's Michael Maze in their table tennis men's singles match.
Chad Le Clos of South Africa celebrates after winning the gold in the men's 200-meter butterfly final.
Kosuke Kitajima of Japan gets set for the start of the men's 200-meter breaststroke semifinal.
April Ross and Jennifer Kessy of the United States celebrate a point during the women's beach volleyball preliminary match against the Netherlands.
Russia's Alexey Obmochaev reacts in the men's preliminary volleyball match against Brazil.
Gabisile Hlumbane of South Africa kicks the ball during the women's first-round soccer match against Japan.
Japan's Takeshi Matsuda competes in the men's 200-meter butterfly final.
U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps kisses his gold medal after the podium ceremony of the men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay final. Phelps secured a record 19th Olympic medal when the U.S. team won the event Tuesday.
Ferhat Pehlivan of Turkey enters the ring before his boxing bout with Carlos Suarez of Trinidad and Tobago.
Britain's female football players celebrate their 1-0 win over Brazil.
Japan's Kosuke Kitajima competes in the men's 200-meter breaststroke semifinal.
LeBron James of the United States looks on before the game against Tunisia.
Cedric Sorhaindo of France shoots for goal during the men's handball preliminary match against Argentina.
Karen Bardsley of Great Britain makes a save during the women's soccer match against Brazil.
Australian players celebrate a goal during the preliminary round women's field hockey match against Germany.
From left, Britain's Andrew Willis, Hungary's Daniel Gyurta and Japan's Kosuke Kitajima compete in the men's 200-meter breaststroke semifinal.
Makram Ben Romdhane of Tunisia dunks over Tyson Chandler of the United States during a preliminary match.
Gabrielle Douglas of the United States performs on the balance beam in the women's gymnastics team final.
South Africa's Chad Le Clos poses on the podium after taking the gold medal in the men's 200-meter butterfly final.
Koko Tsurumi of Japan competes on the uneven bars in the women's gymnastics event.
Gold medalist Ye Shiwen of China competes in the women's 200-meter individual medley final.
French forward Florent Pietrus eyes the ball during the men's preliminary basketball match against Argentina.
France's Camille Muffat competes in the women's 200-meter freestyle final.
Derek Wong of Singapore returns against Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark during their men's singles badminton match.
U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps competes in the men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay final.
Sheng Lei of China celebrates winning the men's foil individual gold medal bout against Alaaeldin Abouelkassem of Egypt.
France's leftwing Samuel Honrubia competes in the men's preliminary handball match against Agentina.
Chad Le Clos of South Africa reacts after winning the gold in the men's 200-meter butterfly final.
Todd Rogers of United States dives for a shot during the men's beach volleyball preliminary match against Spain.
Alex Morgan of the United States strikes the ball while Kim Myong Gum and Pong Son Hwa of North Korea attempt to deflect during the women's soccer first-round match.
Germany's Hannes Baumann and Tobias Schadewaldt attempt to right their skiff in the 49er sailing class in Weymouth, England.
Kyla Ross of the United States competes on the balance beam in the women's gymnastics team final.
The U.S. team, left, takes the podium after winning the gold medal in the women's gymnastics event. Russia took silver and Romania won the bronze.
Alexandra Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney and Kyla Ross of the United States celebrate during the final rotation in the gymnastics women's team final.
Gold winners Team USA, center, silver winners Team Russia, right, and bronze winners Team Romania celebrate on the podium of the women's team competition of the gymnastics event.
Gabrielle Douglas of the United States celebrates with teammates during the gymnastics women's team final.
Alexandra Raisman of the United States competes on the balance beam in the gymnastics women's team final.
McKayla Maroney (from left), Kyla Ross and Gabrielle Douglas of the United States celebrate during the gymnastics women's team final.
U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas performs on the beam during the women's team final of the gymnastics event.
Jordyn Wieber of the United States waves after competing on the floor exercsise in the gymnastics event.
Gabrielle Douglas of the United States competes on the uneven bars in the gymnastics women's team final.
Canada's Tyler Bjorn (shown) and Richard Clarke struggle to keep their keelboat upright in the star sailing class in Weymouth, England.
Emmanuel Lucenti of Argentina loses to Antoine Valois-Fortier of Canada in the men's 81-kilogram judo event.
Russia's Maria Sharapova returns the ball to Britain's Laura Robson during their women's singles tennis second-round match.
Fredrik Loof and Max Salminen of Sweden compete in the men's star sailing event.
Russia's Maria Sharapova returns to Britain's Laura Robson during their women's singles tennis second-round match.
Great Britain's Zara Phillips, riding High Kingdom, reacts after competing in individual eventing.
Russia's gymnast Viktoria Komova performs on the beam during the women's team final of the gymnastics event.
Luol Deng of Great Britain dives for the ball in the men's basketball preliminary match between Great Britain and Brazil.
Tiago Splitter of Brazil drives to the basket in the match against Great Britain.
Chinese fencer Lei Sheng celebrates his victory over Italy's Andrea Baldini at the end of their men's foil semifinal bout.
Britain's Zara Phillips waves to the crowd after the British equestrian team won the silver medal in eventing. As part of the British team, Phillips, Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, becomes the first member of Britain's royal family to take home an Olympic medal.
China's Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao compete in the women's synchronized 10-meter platform final. They won a gold for their performance.
Spain's Liliana Fernandez celebrates with fans after her team's beach volleyball preliminary match against Argentina. Spain won 2-0.
Byungchul Choi of South Korea celebrates winning during the quarterfinals of the men's foil individual.
Jordyn Wieber of the United States competes on the vault in the gymnastics women's team final at North Greenwich Arena.
Jonas Hogh-Christensen of Denmark competes in the men's sailing Finn Race at Weymouth Harbor.
India's Devendro Singh Laishram, left, embraces Bayron Molina Figueroa of Honduras after stopping the Honduran in the first round of their light flyweight boxing match.
Australian and Kazakh athletes swim for the ball during a men's water polo preliminary round at Water Polo Arena in London.
Canada's Melissa Tancredi, right, heads the ball to score her team's second goal against Sweden in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Italy's Dragan Travica reacts after the Italians won their men's volleyball match against Argentina.
Silvana Saldarriaga of Peru chalks her hands before the women's 63-kilogram weightlifting final.
The Belgian team lines around the D for a penalty corner during their women's field hockey match against China.
Journalists work from the stands during a women's beach volleyball preliminary match between Spain and Argentina at Centre Court Stadium in London.
Massimo Giacoppo of Italy motivates his teammates before a water polo match against Greece.
Bryony Shaw represents Great Britain in the women's sailing competition.
China's Ning Ding plays a forehand during a women's singles table tennis quarterfinal match on Tuesday.
American Travis Stevens adjusts his bandage as he competes Tuesday during the men's under 81-kilogram judo semifinal match.
Italy's Ennio Falco removes cartridges as he competes in the men's skeet shooting qualification round Tuesday.
Britain's Susan Egelstaff returns the shuttlecock during a women's singles badminton match Tuesday.
The Olympic flame burns in the cauldron at Olympic Stadium on Tuesday, the fourth day of the Games.
American Phillip Dutton riding Mystery Whisper balks at a jump in the show jumping equestrian event Tuesday.
Japan and South African players shake hands before their women's football first-round match Tuesday.
Brazil's Talita Rocha dives for the ball during the women's beach volleyball match against Germany on Tuesday.
Serge Ibaka of Spain dunks over Matt Nielsen of Australia during a men's basketball preliminary round match Tuesday.
Canada's Antoine Valois-Fortier, in white, gets taken down by Russia's Ivan Nifontov during the men's under 81-kilogram quarterfinal judo match on Tuesday.
Britain's Mary King on Imperial Cavalier competes in the team show jumping phase of the equestrian eventing competition Tuesday at Greenwich Park.
Juan Jose Aramburu of Spain takes aim during the men's skeet shooting qualification round Tuesday.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France screams out after losing a point during the men's singles second-round tennis match at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Li Xiaoxia of China talks with her coach during a table tennis women's quarterfinals match Tuesday.
David Florence of Great Britain paddles through in the men's canoe single slalom semifinal Tuesday.
South Africa's Janine Van Wyk, left, and Mana Iwabuchi of Japan go after the ball during the women's football first round match Tuesday at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
India's Rahul Banerjee competes in the men's individual elimination archery event at Lord's Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
Australia's Rhys Howden looks to take a shot during a men's water polo preliminary round match against Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
Sweden's Fredrik Petersen scores on Robert White of Great Britain during the men's handball preliminary match between Britain and Sweden on Tuesday.
Natsumi Hoshi of Japan competes in the women's 200-meter butterfly heat on Tuesday.
Artur Akhmatkhuzin of Russia celebrates after beating Richard Kruse of Great Britain during a preliminary men's foil match Tuesday.
Fans wave Union Jack flags as Britain's William Fox-Pitt, riding Lionheart, performs Tuesday in the show-jumping qualifying equestrian event at Greenwich Park.
Great Britain competes in the women's eight rowing Tuesday in Windsor, England.
Azerbaijan's Sardar Hasanov reacts after failing a lift in the men's weightlifting 69-kilogram group B event Tuesday.
Britain's Husayn Rosowsky prepares for men's foil individual competition Tuesday.
Egypt's Sara Mohamed Baraka, right, and Fatma Rashed rest after competing in the women's rowing lightweight double sculls repechages event Tuesday.
Biao Chai of China in action during a men's doubles badminton match against Denmark players Tuesday.
Germany's Ole Bischof, in white, and Islam Bozbayev of Kazakhstan face off in the men's under 81-kilogram judo contest Tuesday.
Talita Rocha and Maria Antonelli of Brazil react during the women's beach volleyball preliminary match between Brazil and Germany on Tuesday.
Azmy Mehelba of Egypt competes in the men's skeet qualification round Tuesday at the Royal Artillery Barracks.
Kamilla Rytter Juhl, right, and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark celebrate after beating China's Yunlei Zhao and Qing Tian in a women's doubles badminton match Tuesday.
Hungary's Peter Biros, right, challenges Montenegro's Vladimir Gojkovic during the men's water polo preliminary match Tuesday.
Spanish center Serge Ibaka fights for possession during a men's preliminary round basketball match against Australia on Tuesday.
Britain's Zara Phillips rides High Kingdom in the show jumping phase of the eventing competition Tuesday.
Kosuke Kitajima of Japan competes in a men's 200-meter breaststroke heat Tuesday.
Members of the South African women's field hockey team protest to the referee during a match against New Zealand on Tuesday.
Spanish center Serge Ibaka, right, makes a grab during Tuesday's game against Australia.
Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa, in red, faces off against Wang Yuegu of Singapore during a women's singles table-tennis match Tuesday.
Argentina's Emmanuel Lucenti celebrates after beating France's Alain Schmitt in the men's under 81-kilogram judo contest match Tuesday.
China's Wang Zhizhi, left, tries to block Sergey Monya of Russia from scoring during the men's preliminary round basketball match on Tuesday.
Turkmenistan's Gulnar Hayytbaeva, in blue, fights with Azerbaijan's Ramila Yusubova during the women's under 63-kilogram judo match Tuesday.
Jefferson Bellaguarda of Switzerland dives for a shot during the men's beach volleyball preliminary match between Brazil and Switzerland on Tuesday.
France's Alain Schmitt, in white, competes with the Netherlands' Guillaume Elmont during the men's under 81-kilogram judo contest match Tuesday.
Ahmed Husam of the Maldives competes in the men's 100-meter freestyle heat Tuesday.
Teams from the Ukraine, Germany, the United States, China, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic compete Tuesday in the women's rowing double sculls in Windsor.
Brazil's Cesar Cielo dives in for the men's 100-meter freestyle heat Tuesday.
Chinese forward Zhou Peng, right, guards Russian forward Andrei Kirilenko during the men's preliminary round basketball game Tuesday.
From left, Ahmed Husam of the Maldives, Mamadou Soumare of Mali and Beni Bertrand Binobagira of Burundi compete in the men's 100-meter freestyle heat Tuesday. See photos from 
Tunisia's Mehdi Ben Cheikh, left, sets the ball during the men's preliminary volleyball match between Serbia and Tunisia on Tuesday.
Kim Lammers of the Netherlands attempts to score during the women's field hockey match between the Netherlands and Japan on Tuesday.
Iceland's Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson jumps to shoot during the men's preliminary handball match against Tunisia on Tuesday.
Travis Stevens, in white, of the United States tries to take down Slovenia's Aljaz Sedej during the men's under 81-kilogram judo contest match Tuesday.
Yong Dae Lee of South Korea takes aim during a mixed doubles badminton match Tuesday.
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