SportsPageFair

After watching a week of innovation during the Beijing Olympics swimming competition — hi-tech touch pads to underwater photography — NBC’s coverage of the women’s marathon Saturday night was a disaster.

As Romania’s Constantina Tomescu-Dita pulled away from the field after the halfway point and ran to 22-second solo victory, it was as if NBC lost all communication capabilities.

Constantina Tomescu-Dita

Race cameras showed impressive footage of the leader and the chasing pack. But with all the assistant producers, field reporters and course spotters available, how come viewers were never updated with time splits or mile pace times?

And why wasn’t there some information on the status of the three American runners, Deena Kastor (withdrew) Magda Lewy (withdrew), Blake Russell (27th, 2:33:13)?

And what about an interview any of the top finishers? It never happened.

Marathon running is certainly not the most popular event in the Olympics. But the National Stadium, the “Bird’s Nest” was packed and there was a great welcome for Tomescu-Dita and the other women when they entered the stadium for the final few hundred meters of the more than 2 1/2 hour race.

Clearly, NBC’s focus was on Michael Phelps’ pending eight gold medals. As a result, the women’s marathon coverage was the network at its Olympic worst.

Here’s my top-10 list in reverse order of the best things about the Beijing Olympics:

10. Opening ceremonies. Jaw-dropping choreography, music, dance, singing, etc. No better way to open a global event.

9. Morgan Freeman’s voice in commercials. The man’s got “pipes.” Let him read the phonebook, it would sound great.

Three-time gold medalist Usain Bolt

8. Ato Bolton, track and field commentator. Who better to analyze Usain Bolt’s history making than a guy who’s been there? Bolton had superior insight.

7. Chinese diver Guo Jingjing. The diver’s personal life has been endlessly scrutinized, but no one in the Olympics performed with such precision.

6. Technology. The touch pad timing in swimming, freeze frame in diving and robotic camera detailing side views in track sprints provided mesmerizing viewing.

5. The women’s gold medal match in the beach volleyball won by the United States. It was superior athletic competition. Long rallies, sportsmanship, all-round fun.

4. Jason Lezak’s final 50 meters in the 4×100-meter free relay. He overcame nearly a body-length deficit, allowed Michael Phelps to secure his second of eight gold medals and set the tone for all of the Olympics’ finest moments.

3. Bob Costas. The host of NBC’s prime time coverage handled hard news, soft news and controversy as a pro’s pro. He mixed in humor and often was too quick for his own colleagues. But Dude, NBC can afford it. Get a wardrobe makeover.

2. Michael Phelps’ eight gold medals and seven world records. It was among the greatest Olympic performances in history. And, oh, he may earn $100 million because of it. Not bad for a week’s work.

1. Usain Bolt’s dominance. The Jamaica runner’s final races in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4×100-meter relay took about 40 seconds total. The result: three gold meals, three world records. Nobody close. Enough said.

I can still remember the calm of Jim McKay’s voice. He recently passed away, but he was a broadcaster during 12 Olympics. He had a keen knack for wonderfully accentuating surprising victories and unexpected defeats.

It’s all changed now, of course. McKay’s four words “They’re all gone now,” his tearful goodbye after Munich Massacre during the 1972 Summer Olympics, is as much a part of his legacy and his opening words to ABC’s Wide World of Sports, “The Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat.”

Legendary broadcaster Jim McKay

Bob Costas is now the “broadcast host” for the Olympics and he does a fine job. He has what may be the finest vocabulary of any network sportscaster.

I’m not a doomsayer. But thinking about McKay and Costas and all the strife that’s occurred even before the opening ceremonies Friday night, I can’t help but think there’s tragedy on the horizon in Beijing.

Bad air, athletes wearing masks, political protests, a national stadium surrounded by anti-aircraft weaponry are all bad enough. And there are concerns about the potential of anthrax in the water supply and a reported security force of 100,000 awaiting a problem.

The world is full of unrest and poverty and anger, and the Beijing Games are about to begin in a massive haze.

It would be nice to watch the athletic competition for its sheer beauty. And I will do my best. But I’m sure like many others, I’ll be watching with hopeful but wary eyes.