That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Beijing Winter Olympics NBC Ratings “Disaster”

Eileen Gu picks up gold at the venue award ceremony during the 2022 Olympics for the women’s halfpipe at Zhangjiakou, China on Fri Feb 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

Beijing Winter Olympics NBC Ratings “Disaster”

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The controversial Beijing Winter Olympics are history. NBC who paid $7.75 billion to carry the Olympics until 2032 for the United States, televised an Olympic with great political tone and corruption by the IOC (International Olympics Committee) who should have never awarded the 2022 Winter Olympic to China.

A diplomatic boycott by countries because of the Chinese communist government of human rights abuse on their Uyghurs Muslims minority as well as other allegations.

According to the Associated Press through Tuesday, an average of 12.2 million people watched the Olympics in prime-time on NBC, cable, or the Peacock streaming service, down 42 percent from the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. The average for NBC alone was 10 million, a 47 percent drop, the Nielsen company said.

Norway, a country of 5.4 million people continued its domination in Winter Olympics. Norway not only broke the record for most gold medals in a single Olympics with 16 Gold medals, but also defeated the ROC – Russian Olympic Committee in the total medal count with 37. Nobody has won more medals in the Winter Olympics competition than Norway.

Top Five countries (Medals)

1-Norway 37

2-ROC 32 (Russia)

3-Germany 27

4-Canada 26

5-United States 25

IOC corruption: Kamila Valieva a Russian skater who was considered the best in the world and the first woman in history to land a quadruple jump (in Beijing last week) but was allowed to skate after she was found positive for enhancing performance drugs in December.

Interesting situation: The very successful American freestyle skater Eileen Gu, born in San Francisco, and competed for China, became the first action sports athlete to win three medals at a Winter Olympic Games. Obviously received much criticism from both countries.

 Olympians must be citizens of the country they represent, and China doesn’t allow for dual citizenship. So how are Americans with U.S. passports competing for Team China in Beijing?

That was the question from lots of US viewers.  Answer: (Rule 40-41) Any competitor in the Olympic games must be a national of the country which is entering such competition.

A competitor who is a national of two or more countries at the same time may represent either one of them, as he/she might elect. In other words, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Congratulations to the great majority of the Olympic athletes that competed and well represented their respective countries.

NBC hoped to get a “bump” from their Superbowl coverage, but obviously that was not the case.

Thankfully the next Winter Olympics will be in Italy. Ciao!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Bruce Magowan: Rooney Rules Flores gets LB coach job with Steel Curtain; US skating team still waiting for their silver

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores in 2021 was hired on Sat Feb 19, 2022 as linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Bruce Magowan:

#1 Bruce, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins Brian Flores was hired over the weekend as a linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers how ironic is the hiring considering the Steelers were the founders of the Art Rooney rule?

#2 Ice skaters at the 2022 Beijing Olympic are having some tough times first it was Russian skater Kamia Valievea who tested positive for performance enhancers and then fell in competition then the US Skating team did not receive their silver medals and demand to get them before they leave Beijing. They’ve asked attorneys to step in and order the IOC to award them the medals.

#3 Bruce, Golden State Warrior Draymond Green had his house in Oakland ransacked of $1 million in jewelry. Green discovered the theft after returning home from the Super Bowl. The burglaries entered through a window to get access and police have no leads as of Saturday night one week after the break in.

Join Bruce for Headline Sports podcasts every other Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Did politics play into the low ratings at the Beijing Olympics

Performers at the opening ceremonies at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on Fri Feb 4, 2022 in Beijing (AP News photo)

On Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 If the barometer of comparing the 1988 Olympics in Calgary TV ratings which was a 20.1 million a record as the standard the 2022. The Beijing Winter Olympic ratings have come out with just a share of 16 million and is considered a low for the Olympics opening.

#2 The Beijing games are well below the 2018 Olympic games in South Korea by 43 percent. Thursday the Olympics came in with 7.7 million also comparing that with the Russian Olympics in 2014 with a 20.02 million rating.

#3 There are two factors at play that could be the reasons for low TV ratings with a large number of countries not sending diplomats to the Olympics in protest against the genocide of the Uyghurs people who are ethnic minority and who are located in the northwest part of China.

#4 The other issues are substandard living conditions for the athletes due to high Covid 19 restrictions the Chinese government is mandating Olympic athletes to stay in restricted housing only to come out when it’s time to compete.

#5 Olympic athletes have started using burner phones and lap top computers to avoid getting hacked or eve’s dropped on. TV crews have been ordered to do “closed loops” no shots of buildings, mountains, recognizable background shots.

Join Amaury for News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary; Beijing Winter Olympics – US Athletes the Most Watched, by the Chinese Government–

The Olympic rings as Biathletes skate above the rings in a practice run on Thu Feb 3, 2022 at Zhangjiakou, China (AP News photo)

Beijing Winter Olympics – US Athletes the Most Watched, by the Chinese Government–

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The FBI warned the US Athletes participating in Beijing to take temporary cell phones (burner phones) and leaving their regular phones at home, because of the Chinese government surveillance, possible cyber attacks and other uses of their personal information for malicious intent.

The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, told the US Athletes against angering the “ruthless” Chinese government and to focus on competing in the games rather than speaking out. In other words “shut up and just compete”.

The US boycotted diplomatically these games, together with other nations. What this means is that no US dignitaries will be in attendance at Beijing for the Opening Ceremonies, no politicians and diplomats.

The United Nations and Amnesty International, as well as other worldwide organization in the free world accuse the communist government of China of human rights violations, especially of forced labor camps across China of Uyghurs, a much persecuted Muslim minority as well as Tibetan populations in that country and other types of abuses including torture and even death.

Recently famous Chinese Tennis star Peng Shuai spoke about being raped by a high Chinese government official. She was “missing” for days after her allegations, to this day many do not really know what is happening with Shuai. Although the Chinese government is expected to use her as propaganda during the games that just began.

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter has been consistently critical of the human rights abuses in China and even criticized the NBA for doing business with that country. There will be no public allowed for all events. This is basically a televised Olympic with very strict regulatory policies for all the athletes.

These Winter Olympics are called by many around the free world “The Genocide Olympics” as the tensions will be high, as Russian leader Vladimir Putin, threatening an invasion of Ukraine will be attending as a special invite of his friend and ally Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, the man in charge of China’s over 1.4 billion people.

Chinese laws are very vague on the crimes they can use to prosecute people’s free speech. The free speech in China is allowed speech as long as that speech is favorable to the government. Nothing remotely close to the laws of the United States.

The athletes attending from all over the world will be very much in lock-down inside their quarters, because of strict covid precautions and also because the communist always consider every visitor to their country a “potential spy”. Although that is not right, their system of government, like other communist countries live with that paranoia all the time.

Because the Olympics always have the potential for international conflict, the US delegation must be very discipline. We can only think like the stress of competition was not enough, they have to deal also with these other stressful situations which are more political than anything else.

The US delegation has 225 athletes, 115 men and 109 women plus one (1) non-binary athlete. There are 91 countries participating in these 2022 Winter Olympics.

NBC is the official carrier for the United States and CCTV for China, a country with an estimated 370 million televisions among their population. 200 countries around the world will have some kind of coverage.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports with Jessica Kwong: Olympic games just eight days away and NFL Championships just four days away

2022 Beijing Olympics logo (image from pixellogo.com)

On Headlines podcast with Jessica:

#1 Jessica the excitement is building as the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing is just eight days away beginning Feb 4th through 22nd. All nations attending are looking forward to the games.

#2 Tough break for Olympic downhill skier Breezy Johnson who tore her right cartilage on a downhill slope during on a training run. Breezy will miss this Winter Olympic. Breezy skied the last two seasons with teammate Mikaela Shiffrin.

#3 Jessica some baseball writers are saying that not allowing former MLB players Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens in the Hall of Fame is dangerous because that will also keep out other steroid era players but isn’t that the whole idea keeping out dishonest players?

#4 Jessica the Kansas City Chiefs are on the fringes of advancing to the next round to play in Super Bowl LVI. The Chiefs have won four of their last five games but one trick the loss in those five games came against their next opponent the Cincinnati Bengals back on Jan 2 in Cincinnati 34-31. Quite a climb for both teams to get here with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow both who are having a bang up season.

#5 The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will slug it out for the NFC Championship at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles this Sunday. The 49ers have defeated the Rams six consecutive times over a three season period. The Rams have home field and will be fired up and try to knock off the 49ers. The 49ers are looking to keep it going with the Super Bowl on the line.

Join Jessica for Headline Sports every other Wednesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Winter Olympics US Team warned of Phone Surveillance

Photo of burner phones recommended by US Olympic Team for use for athletes and staff as Androids and digital phones can be invaded or spied on while at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing (digitalcameraworld.com file photo)

Winter Olympics: US Team warned of Phone Surveillance

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

The US is getting ready to send its athletes to the Winter Olympics beginning February 2 in Beijing, China. The US government has warned all US Olympic team members to leave their phones at home and use burner phones during the games, because of potential digital surveillance from the Chinese government.

Computers, data applications on cell phones are subject to malicious intrusion, infection and data compromise, Team USA advisory reportedly stated, as they encouraged the use of “burner phones”.

Like it was not enough the current tensions between the USA and China, with the case of professional Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, (the WTA has suspended tournaments in China because of concerns about Peng’s safety) it is sad for American athletes that have spend some of the best years of their youth training for this Olympic event, now they have to be fearful of their own private information on their phones, because they are traveling to a country that doesn’t respect individualism and where the government rules foremost with little to no opposition.

In other words they are traveling to the biggest and most powerful communist country in the world. China is not a country where an athlete can “take a knee” and becomes famous, that only happens here in the United States, where Thank God we enjoy those freedoms.

China is the subject of an Olympic boycott movement. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Japan, have joined together with the US for a diplomatic boycott as no government officials from these countries will attend this 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

In June 2021, a letter signed by 200 rights groups was delivered to NBC urging the broadcaster not to show the games in Beijing on human rights grounds specifically on the treatment of Uighur Muslims by the Chinese communist government.

It would be interesting to see what are the ratings for this upcoming Winter Olympics on NBC, the official rights holder. The last Tokyo 2020 Olympics viewing figures for the Opening Ceremony were reported to be the lowest for more than 30 years for an Olympics at 16.9 million.

Ultimately the Chinese government controls every sporting event including the Olympic games and censorship is a “normal”practice for the communist. The government has banned for example Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and since 2019, Wikipedia.

Their government could care less if it’s NBC or Al Jazeera. China internet censorship is regarded as the most sophisticated in the world, as a matter of fact their system is commonly referred as “The Great Firewall of China”.

Good luck to all athletes, especially the United States team.

Listen to Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcasts heard Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL podcast with Matt Harrington: NHL action returns on Tuesday; Winter Classic is game on for New Years Day; plus more

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) gets in between Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) and guard Cameron Payne at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Christmas Dec 25, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the NHL podcast with Matt:

#1 Matt, how important was it to delay the Holiday shutdown one more day as NHL action returns on Tuesday night instead of Monday night.

#2 The NHL Discover Winter Classic is on target to be played between St Louis Blues (17-9-5) and Minnesota Wild (9-19-2) at Target Field is still scheduled to be played on Sat Jan 1 barring no further Covid interruptions.

#3 According to former NHL great Wayne Gretzky said that Washington Capitals (18-6-7) Alexander Ovechkin will pass him up for most goals scored. Ovechkin could do it with 143 goals remaining. Ovechkin has 22 goals in 31 games this season. Gretzky said he’s on his way to 40-50 goals this season there is no he will break the record.

#4 It’s really no surprise that the NHL called off it’s players from participating in the Beijing 2020 Winter Olympics due to the surge in positive tests for Covid 19. The Feb 6-22 Olympic schedule now scratched the league will use those dates to make up games that were postponed.

#5 The Boston Bruins (14-10-2) surprisingly are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division three points out of a playoff spot. The Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said that there is a lot of hockey to be played yet and their looking for some consistency to get right back in the hunt again.

Join Matt for the NHL podcast each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Olympics and Politics-Other Countries Join Boycott–What else is new?

Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics logo (image from 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics)

Olympics and Politics -Other Countries Join Boycott — What else is New?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

As recently reported, here and in other media sports sites, the United States announced a boycott of the Winter Olympic Games to take place in Beijing, China next February, because of their continued record of human rights abuses. This is more of a symbolic boycott, as the US pledged not to send any government dignitaries or VIP.

Aside from that, US Athletes will travel and take part of the competition. So far these countries have done same as the US, no diplomat dignitaries, but their athletes will make the trip: Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Lithuania and New Zealand and there might still be others.

A total of 95 countries are scheduled to be in Beijing for this winter Olympics. Many believe this is not really a serious boycott. So far no countries have prohibited their athletes from attending. Many decades ago, there was a big argument here in the United States about such controversy, to send or not to send the athletes because of political reasons.

It was in 1936. In 1936 the Berlin Olympic Games (summer) was much more than another big sporting event. Hitler used it for worldwide propaganda when his ambitions of world domination were just starting to form. A few years later (1939) the Nazis invaded Poland, then Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia and Greece. Obviously there was no boycott by the US. However, there was a lot of debate in the US if the country should send their athletes to Hitler’s Germany.

(The US didn’t declared war on Germany until after Pearl Harbor in 1941) Many US athletes believed the best way to defeat the Nazi’s was to beat them in athletic competition, others however, believe to participate was like sending an endorsement of Hitler. After a long debate in the country those that opposed the boycott won and the US sent their athletes to that historic Olympics. The rest is history.

There were many other times that countries have boycotted other countries. This is nothing new and there will be more boycotts, I am sure in the future to come. China has already blasted back at the US and other countries, like Communist governments usually do “they are right and the rest of the world is not”.

NBC owns the rights, and will carry the games; they know that anything that the Chinese government doesn’t like on the NBC feed it will be censored. That’s what they do, because when some of their own athletes in China criticize their government they “disappear”. Famous tennis star Peng Shuai, is a story currently developing.

Sometimes athletes speak against human rights violations, and that is fine, when it is done here in the US and other Democracies, but not in China or dictatorships where free speech is not allowed. Actually in Communist countries speech is allowed as long as you agree with those in power. Boston Celtics player Enes Kanter Freedom (Freedom, he added to his name after recently becoming a US Naturalized citizen).

He was born in Turkey and has made serious comments about that government and their abuses as well as China and their human rights abuses. It is too bad that other players in the NBA have been very quiet on that front.

China is a huge market for the NBA, and most players chose not to compromise their careers talking about China. Let’s say they like to keep selling their Nike shoes here, which are made there for pennies…

I hope for the very best to all athletes, US and from all countries, that will participate. But to be surprised about political implications during summer or Winter Olympics is to be totally disconnected with the world we are in.

Enjoy the Olympics, if you can.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2022 Winter Olympics USA Announces Symbolic Boycott; Peng could figure into boycott

USA government officials announced they will boycott the 2022 Beijing Olympics but Team USA athletes will attend and compete. Although not mentioned in the boycott protest the handling and missing of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai would be no surprise if her situation added fuel to the boycott. In this file photo Peng serves to Japan’s Nao Hibino at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia during the first round singles, on Jan. 21, 2020. (AP News file photo)

2022 Winter Olympics: USA Announces Symbolic Boycott

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The United States Government announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics that will begin in Beijing, China next February. The boycott does not include the hundreds of American athletes that will still travel and participate during this competition. The “boycott” is done basically to send a message from the United States government to the Chinese communist government of disapproval for the human rights abuses going on inside of China.

These abuses are well documented by the UN (United Nations) who has published these violations as well as non-profit organizations like Amnesty International. Although not a winter sport, the tennis world is well involved currently with the controversy of Chinese tennis superstar Peng Shuai.

The best news coming out of this? The American athletes who have practiced for years will be able to represent their country, unlike other boycotts where the country doesn’t send a delegation, including the athletes. In the 125 years of the modern games, the Summer and Winter Olympics have gone through six boycotts. Recently some countries did not attend, because of the pandemic, but the most common situations for boycotts are war, invasions of countries, apartheid, and doping of the athletes.

The most common theme for the Olympics games is “world peace, fraternity, goodwill diversity and unity for all nations” however, we would be pressed to find a time when the whole world achieved most of that. We might have to go back to the Bible and the Garden of Eden as the only and last terrestrial paradise and that only lasted for a very short period of time.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Baseball Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: USA Could Boycott Winter Olympics in Beijing 2022

2022 Beijing Winter Olympics logo (photo from bleacherreport.com)

USA Could Boycott Winter Olympics in Beijing 2022

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday confirmed that it is weighing the possibility of a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics, to be held in Beijing, China. The push for a boycott stems from China’s alleged human rights abuses, and its treatment of the Uyghurs, an ethnic minority group that China has moved to “re-education” camps, which is a sanitized word for what many believe are slave labor camps and genocide against the Muslim minority in that country.

Chinese authorities are notorious for silencing of human rights defenders, journalists, and activists, and placing restrictions on their internet. They also are persecuting Christians and churches. It is difficult to obtain accurate information about Chinese government policies and their actions.

Last year, the country of China silenced scientists in their country that spoke about the mishandling of the covid-19 virus which it is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China. The communist government, who controls the media is very protective and rarely allows a different opinion than the official opinion of the Chinese government. In 2020 Chinese Tycoon Ren Zhiquiang vanished after criticizing the government for their handling and misinformation about the corona virus pandemic.

While the U.S. government does not appear close to a decision on a potential boycott of the 2022 games, the threat is sure to raise concerns within Comcast’s NBC Universal, which has the TV rights for the Olympics.

In 1980 the United States led a boycott of the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow to protest the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Then four years later in 1984 the Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles. 14 Eastern Bloc countries and allies, led by the Soviet Union, initiated the boycott for the games in 1984.

This boycott occurred during the Cold War, which ultimately was won by US/Free World. Once the Berlin Wall fell, freedom and democracy was adopted by The Soviet Union, now Russia. In 1991 the process of democratization began in Russia.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com