USA Swimming blow's it again

Has anyone seen any ratings come out from NBC on viewership for swimming, gymnastics, etc. at the Olympics? Even though the Olympics has been huge, NBC is doing like 18 hours per day of broadcasting for it - not even counting the Today show and others live from Beijing. There is no doubt there is a spike of interest in the non major-media sports due to the Olympics, but I would be curious how much that spike in interest translates into new participants. Obviously, with at least 5 members of the US Swim team making 1 million plus per year, people might start to view it as a sport that one can "make a living" at if you are at the top - though that still remains such a remote chance.

I just read where NBC paid under $900 million for the Olympics but it will cost over $1b to produce the coverage. They are already in a $100m hole. USAS might have missed the boat with local ad space, probably much cheaper. They could probably buy ad space even now, who knows.

Paul Smith - I was being sarcastic. Of course they are entrenched in their ways and disorganized. The Jessica Hardy case is a glaring example.

$57 (annual membership) = millions in adverising costs? Sorry, I just don't see it. Although, a link or banner ad on nbcolympic.com swimming pages would likely be money well spent. You have no idea....they have far more in their coffers than you could imagine. Hoffman...no I'm not. Jim & Geek...I have to believe that they are far from being in the hole based on what they are getting in advertising fee's...and yes I do think someone should have been involved in the negotitations that was at least working to get some of the national organizations in this country that coach these athletes some press.

Jim & Geek...I have to believe that they are far from being in the hole based on what they are getting in advertising fee's...and yes I do think someone should have been involved in the negotitations that was at least working to get some of the national organizations in this country that coach these athletes some press. What you believe and the financial facts may or may not be in sync. Unless you've seen the financials you have no idea. It's really easy to sit on your couch and see a Coke and Bud ad and think all is well but many times your perception is not financial reality. As to working up front, that might have been a good idea. But, this isn't about charity, it's about money. How much they have in their coffers isn't relative if they don't have enough to cover the monstrous ad costs. How much do you think a national package costs, just out of curiosity?

I need to help clarify this subject. USA Swimming may be entrenched in its ways but it is not disorganized. Jessica Hardy problem... caused only by the lab, not any thing USA S could have known or done at the time. The lab has taken total responsibility for the delays. And just to be a grammar Nazi, there should not be an apostrophe in the word "blows" in the title. To the point, USA S has done a remarkable job of public relations beforehand and will reap rewards after the Olympics are over. Spending millions on an ad or campaign during the event that has a dubious or marginal possibility of return would just be wasteful. For all of the things USA Swimming is, it is not stupid. Most of us read about the lab's role in this. Hardy's sample was not marked for expedited processing. But they also documented that the results were faxed 3 days before USA-S saw it. And why didn't USA-S proactively ask "where is Hardy's results?" when they were clearly late? And why didn't the procedures anticipate a problem like this? Were they so convinced that 5 weeks in advance of the Olympics is enough time? What about a swimmer's results for the 1500? I don't believe those results, even expedited, would have given USA enough time to react correctly. Why is Schubert allowed to openly and publicly favor one brand of swimsuit over another since it is known he is a paid spokesman for Speedo?

Why didn't you suggest this before the games?

I don't know that much of the specifics of how USA Swimming is running its organization, but I don't think they need to advertise, at all. They are getting all they need every night. I've spoken to a couple of parents with younger kids who are just fixated on the swimming coverage. They won't have any problem at all finding the local club.

Fair enough.

For what they charge for USA Swimming yearly membership, I think that they could afford one spot. $57 (annual membership) = millions in adverising costs? Sorry, I just don't see it. Although, a link or banner ad on nbcolympic.com swimming pages would likely be money well spent.