NBC knows that most viewers are tuning in to see sports in the Olympics that they'll NEVER watch outside of the Winter Olympics.
In a formula perfected by ABC, the network has learned that viewers love to hear the compelling stories of various athletes. NBC hits the personal profiles frequently and repeatedly.
Do you worry that the focus on a few American athletes puts extra pressure on people who are ALREADY feeling stressed because they are competing in the Olympics?
For example, I had no idea who Nathan Chen was UNTIL tuning into the Olympics. He was seriously hyped in figure skating by NBC and now I dread watching him underperform. I can't help but wonder if he's feeling the stress of the sudden extra publicity.
I DO know who Lindsey Vonn is. And it's a headline-making event that Vonn has failed to medal in Super-G.
Vonn, though, knows how to use the extra attention to deliver a positive message.
“I did the best I could,” she said later. “I’m happy with my performance. It might not be a medal, but I definitely gave it everything I had.”
I've said on the show that I worry that we are not letting our kids fail - which means they are not learning from failure. I am glad that Vonn is delivering the message that sometimes, you do your best, but it doesn't work out.