NBC is 'Going for Bronze'

Considering the web’s come down with a severe case of election fever, you’d think more people would be trying to capitalize on that other contest that happens every four years in front of a global audience.  But so far world-famous blogger Kanye West is one of few content creators to upload notable videos with an Olympics-based hook.

It would’ve been way cooler to see Puppet Kanye come in not-first and then totally flip out, but it’s still cute, Kanye. Cute. 

Far better than Atom‘s zero-budget attempt at capitalizing from the Beijing Games with 60-second, faux-history lessons photoshopped on the cheap with barely-moving animation and storylines that wouldn’t make it past the editors of Mad Magazine.  Though probably not quite as entertaining as NBC’s Going for Bronze, at least not in context.

As Andrew points out, NBC’s regular Olympics coverage “is so suffused with self-congratulation and gravitas that it gets to be a bit much after a while,” especially because when Bob Costas and crew are not waxing importance, they’re making a point to color events with docu-drama-reality-tv-soap-opera commentary.

That’s where Matty Blake’s Going for the Bronze comes in.  It’s a pleasant respite from NBC’s regularly scheduled programming that asks the suits in the reporter’s booths, “Why so serious?”

The show is an extension of Blake’s normal gig, hosting a self-titled, sports/comedy newscast at NBCSports.com.  It’s the same “live on tape,” half-informative, half-entertaining Jim Rome meets Adam Corolla schtick, except with daily installments, a focus on Beijing (with unlimited access to NBC’s footage), and Maxim models as correspondents. 

It’s funny and might be the best piece of entertainment derived from the 2008 Summer Games.  That is, of course, if we don’t count the Puppy Olympics.  Look out Maxim Models, you got some competition.