Olympics Overview Discussion

Colombia affectionately calls their own WNT "Las Chicas Superpoderosas" you couldn't make that up

 

I've never seen national team players complain when a national team player on an opposing club team gets heckled. In Portland, it's considered an honor for an opposing team player to be heckled, it's in good humor, and it shows that the opposing team player is worthy of notice.

As for the Brazilians and Solo, they are looking for someone they can heckle during a game and Solo is a good target. I don't think it really means they're against Solo, it's just that she offered herself up as a target and they are having fun taking advantage of it.

I agree it's nothing like what is seen at men's games, at least in some areas of international sports. Even there, though, it's complex (such as Chelsea fans aiming racial taunts at opponents' players during games at the same time that they worship their own team with a majority of players being racial minorities). To some extent, there's a "We'll say anything to try to get under your skin, even if it makes us hypocrites. We could care less about how we're acting if it works." It's sort of like the guy who got Zidane to lose it during the World Cup game. Sadly, some time it goes too far and turns into physical violence among fans.

 

In the Brazil--Iraq men's Olympic match, the crowd was chanting "b*cha" at the Iraqi goalkeeper. The heckling I've seen in woso, including the zika chants towards Solo, are VERY mild in comparison.

 

The US/France game drew an average 2.9 million viewers, which seems like a very good number. US vs Colombia last Wednesday drew 1.3 million, also quite good. Links:
http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2...t-dominant-for-any-olympics-after-two-nights/

http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2...-rio-olympics-up-107-from-2012-london-opener/

http://sportstvratings.com/olympic-...-tv-ratings-for-wednesday-august-3-2016/5602/

also posted at EqualizerSoccer
Some comparison for the US/France game -
the US men's basketball game vs China just after (also on NBCSN) averaged 3.8 million viewers
NBCSN had some of the highest-rated cable sports programs the previous Saturday with their NASCAAR coverage drawing 1.05M viewers, but US/France nearly tripled that

link:
http://sportstvratings.com/pga-cham...ts-tv-ratings-for-saturday-july-30-2016/5574/

 

I wonder if we can top that when we actually play them tomorrow? ;>)
For the NZ match last Wednesday I wonder how many casual U.S.A. fans even knew to look for matches when A) the opening ceremony hadn't happened yet and B) there is no cross-over from Mens' team fans as they again failed to qualify.
Would NZ fans account for even 100k of those viewers with the smaller population, time difference, and only slight resemblance to rugby?

 

Frankly there is little crossover for that segment of men's team fans because it's a "youth" tournament.

 

I don't think New Zealand would account for that at all since these are NBC/NBCSN numbers and New Zealand fans wouldn't be watching on NBC. I think Sky Sport has the Olympics rights there.

 

Couple good points. (Yeah, and my mistake in saying Colombia instead of New Zealand).

1.3M seems like a good number anyway. It's twice the audience for the US opening match in 2012.

Comparing with the previous Wednesday -- the highest rated cable sports program was ESPN's baseball broadcast with an audience of 653,000. NBCSN's highest-rated program (US Olympics Trials) drew 166,000. The highest rated soccer program that day was one of the club friendlies played in the US which drew 402,000 on ESPN.

The earlier non-USA matches on NBCSN seemed to draw respectably as well, with an average viewership of 395,000 from 11:30AM to 7PM ET.

http://sportstvratings.com/cubs-whi...s-tv-ratings-for-wednesday-july-27-2016/5539/

I hope some of the women's soccer websites like Equalizer feature an article on the TV audiences, which so far is very encouraging. I could be wrong but I think Equalizer tends to overlook good news like this and it's a shame. (Credit to Jonathan Tannenbaum and Grant Wahl and other mainstream sports journalists who noted the 2.9M audience on Twitter)

 

Glad the matches are sold out tomorrow. It's been disappointing to see the meager crowds for all matches - even Brazil's.

 

This "taunting" is really nothing more than crowd participation like the WAVE. It's fun to scream ZIKA when hope punts. The boo's are pretty mild. 44,000 in the crowd yelling ZIKA...If I were there Id do it too

 

So, how the hell do you watch this online? I'm not watching it via App, just want to watch it online . . . huh ?

 

Seriously, I click on "live stream" and nothing happens.

 

nbcolympics.com, but you'll have to sign in with your service provider.

 

Works for me.

 

Swe - Ch 0-0 25'

 

I'd love Australia to repeat their upset from last year's World Cup and take down Brazil on their home turf. After last night I'm not as optimistic about the U.S.'s chances in a semifinal against the host nation. Of course, the U.S. does have to defeat Sweden first...

 

US didn't play well last night, but let's be honest. They're about to play Sweden. US will be in the semi.

 

OK, I'll be honest if you like-- Pia scares me to death in a knockout game. She's the only coach in the world who knows both her players' strengths and our players' weaknesses.

We're going to need JJ, Dunn, and Pugh a whole lot, I think. And heaven help us if Engen has to start...

 

FoxSoccer's player ratings for the group stage: http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/sto...e-uswnt-do-in-the-olympics-group-stage-081016

Personally, I disagree (somewhat) with the grades for almost half of them.

 

Reported TV ratings / viewers for US/France on saturday: 2.9M on NBCSN (seems like good number to me)

7-12PM ET timeslot on NBCSN (including, I believe, Brazil/Sweden) drew an average 1.857M
5:14-8PM timeslot on CNBC (including Germany/Australia) drew an average 840,000

The NASCAR race on CNBC preceding Ger/Australia drew an average audience of 1.053M

source (except possibly on the 2.9M figure for US/France - I can't recall where I got that from, but it was a link from Grant Wahl and Jonathan Tannenwald): SportsTVratings.com

 

While Pia might have a great read on US players, she has also managed to make her players shells of their former selves.

 

That scares me, as well as the fact that Sweden was the only team the U.S. faced and failed to defeat in the World Cup last year.

 

Generally speaking, their "use by" dates have expired.