It's A Whole New Games

Looking back now, it almost seems laughable.
Twas back in 1996 when your humble blogger, employed by the Ottawa Sun at the time, was handed what he thought was the sweetest of gigs. Watch the Atlanta Olympics every day and write about what you see.
For someone who developed a serious love affair for the Olympics at a young age ... well, it just didn't get any better than that. I was a couple of years into a lengthy run as the paper's sports TV columnist and going from once a week to a daily spot for 16 days seemed like sheer heaven.
Just to make my life easier, they positioned two 17-inch televisions on my desk: One to monitor the CBC's coverage, the other to follow NBC. To a one-TV guy, this seemed like the next closest thing to luxury.
Fast forward to Beijing and the 2008 Summer Games. Now I can watch every second of coverage on either CBC or NBC in stunning high-definition format. My television has grown to 37 inches and it's a whole lot thinner (and probably lighter).
Options? I've even got more of those. I can flip over to TSN (again in HD) or Bold (alas, only in standard def) for more Olympic coverage. You've gotta love having that kind of choice.
Away from my HD beauty? No problem. I can fire up CBCSports.ca and watch up to nine live streams of Games action. Bell Mobility customers have a further way to stay in touch with the Games, with highlights available for download on video-enabled cellphones.
While my time at the Sun ground to an abrupt halt last fall (my choice, in case you're wondering), the fascination with the Olympics remains — and, as you can see, the interest level in how the five-ring circus is presented to the world by the broadcast types.
When this blog was first launched, I'll admit I wasn't quite sure about the direction it would take. Sometimes, though, your instincts take over. So here I am again, writing about the Olympic TV coverage for a seventh straight Games.
For the time being, at least, that'll be the focus here, though we might stray into other areas every now and then. I've also rounded up loads of links to various Olympic information sites and blogs, with the thought of making it a bit of a one-stop shop for all your Beijing 2008 needs.
Oh, and those two 17-inch boob tubes? Something tells me they still might be in use somewhere in that newsroom. Just a hunch.
Anyways, back to the Games ... hope you're enjoying the view, too.
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Nice touch on NBC's part in deciding to dedicate its Opening Ceremony coverage to Jim McKay, the late, great sportscaster whose name became synonymous with ABC's Olympic coverage for so many years.
We all owe a lot of the way we view the Games to the biggest pioneer of them all. Somewhere, though, we're certain McKay is looking down on these Games, marvelling at the sights and sounds of it all.
And we've only just begun.