The Numbers Don't Lie

If you're wondering why NBC insists on holding back on coverage of such things as an Opening Ceremony ... well, here's Exhibit A.
NBC's overnight numbers for Beijing 2008's lid lifter: A 21.5 rating and 37 share. That's 19% higher than Athens 2004 and 16% better than Sydney 2000 (a comparable time zone). In fact, Beijing's rating is the highest ever for a non-U.S. Games.
One more number: NBCOlympics.com drew a whopping 70 million page views on Friday, 10 times higher than the opening day in Athens four years ago.
Okay, so maybe NBC really does know what it's doing. Even if it's fair to wonder whether that audience number would have been cut drastically by a live morning showing.
Guess we'll never know, will we? And not anytime soon.
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Time is such a tricky thing when you're on the other side of the world.
Take, for example, this line we heard from CBC Olympic Morning host Scott Russell about the men's gymnastics qualifying: "Canada awaits its fate in the competition."
Um, wasn't that decided hours before?
On the other hand, though, those who weren't up well before dawn (Canada began competing at 4 a.m. ET) probably appreciated being kept in the dark so they could enjoy their own private little drama. It's what rivets so many folks to this stuff every four years.
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Picture of the day: Calgary gymnast Kyle Shewfelt hugging his phyisiotherapist after getting through his floor routine -- the same event in which he broke both legs 10 months ago, putting his participation at these Games in jeopardy.
Never mind that Shewfelt won't defend his Athens 2004 gold. Just getting to Beijing was Shewfelt's biggest triumph of them all.
Oh, and for those of you looking for the blog detailed in his Olympians profile ... You'll find it right here. You're welcome.