Unfair how little coverage there is of the Special Olympics

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice that this organization exists and allows people to compete, but it’s not a moral failing if the average Joe doesn’t want to watch.

Who says the average Joe doesn’t want to watch?

That’s once said about women’s softball yet it makes as much money as many men’s sports except the big 2.

If you air it they will come.

Who watches women's softball? Is that even aired on TV? Beyond the Olympics themselves, the only women's sports I see on TV are basketball and volleyball (usually the beach variety).

Lots of people watch women’s softball. It is one of the most popular collegiate sports.

https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2024/06/espn-viewership-clears-the-bases-during-2024-division-i-ncaa-softball-season/

It was part of the Tokyo Olympics and televised. It isn’t part of the Paris Olympics

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Paralympics is comparable to the Olympics. The special Olympics is a great organization, but is not at all similar to the Olympics, in function or intent.

There have been tons of adds for the Paralympics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice that this organization exists and allows people to compete, but it’s not a moral failing if the average Joe doesn’t want to watch.

That has nothing to do with the network’s equitable obligation to provide equal coverage.

Who decided they had this obligation?

^^^! The warped thinking that a network is ethically obligated to provide equal coverage is absurd. My adult child competes in Special Olympics, I am grateful it exists. That doesn't mean that everyone has to care about it. Businesses exist to make money.

[Anonymous]

For one thing, people like you don't know the difference between the Paralympics and the Special Olympics.

For another, tv coverage goes where the sponsors want it to go. Sadly, that means not as much coverage of the Paralympics. That said, Toyota especially has been great about providing Paralympic sponsorship the past few olympics and even their ads during the Olympics coverage show Paralympic athletes.

Finally, if you pay for Peacock for the summer, you'll be able to find good Paralympic coverage. That is our plan. My children are very interested in the Paralympics, they've been asking why there hasn't been as much trial coverage for Paralympic swimming and track & field as there has been for the Olympics. We'll be watching on Peacock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice that this organization exists and allows people to compete, but it’s not a moral failing if the average Joe doesn’t want to watch.

That has nothing to do with the network’s equitable obligation to provide equal coverage.

I feel like you don’t know what words mean.

[Anonymous]

It’s all about viewership and ad revenue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice that this organization exists and allows people to compete, but it’s not a moral failing if the average Joe doesn’t want to watch.

That has nothing to do with the network’s equitable obligation to provide equal coverage.

I think therefore I am

[Anonymous]

I’m a medical doctor and learned about the level of cheating in the Paralympics in residency.

The Paralympic movement is supposedly based on the concept of classification. Classification in the Paralympics is key to making sure competitions are fair by grouping athletes based on their type and level of disability. This way, athletes compete against others with similar physical capabilities, focusing on skill and training rather than the degree of disability. But there have been some recent scandals, especially in swimming and tennis, where the classification system has been manipulated or ignored. Some high profile athletes have been suspected of faking or exaggerating their disabilities to get an edge.

The problems have not been addressed and my mentor thinks they are just getting worse as athletes get away with it. It’s hurts the integrity of the Paralympic Games and makes me less than enthusiastic about watching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has been bothering me for a long time.

Every four years, the world’s attention is drawn to the Olympic Games.

And we all get bombarded with constant adds, reminders, images, coverage etc. for months in advance of the Games.

Then we are again repeatedly assaulted for months afterwards, with athletes in adds who won gold and landed promotional gigs.

How is it in any way fair we fail to provide the same Media coverage to the Special Olympics?

It’s discrimination, really. An ugly form of modern bigotry, which no one wishes to speak about.

It certainly is not equitable.

You are part of that bigotry. Why didn't you post a video link to promote it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice that this organization exists and allows people to compete, but it’s not a moral failing if the average Joe doesn’t want to watch.

Yes it is fool

Did you get to participate this year?

[Anonymous]

I am really confused about which Olympics the OP was referring to. Paralympics gets pretty decent coverage and many of the participating athletes do get endorsement deals and news attention.

I thought that the Special Olympics was more of a local thing. Do the athletes travel to national and international games? Or do they have games grouped by region? If so, it's more likely the coverage is through local news outlets. Some of the SO participants are true athletes who train hard for their sport, but most do not perform on the level of the International Olympics or Paralympics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a medical doctor and learned about the level of cheating in the Paralympics in residency.

The Paralympic movement is supposedly based on the concept of classification. Classification in the Paralympics is key to making sure competitions are fair by grouping athletes based on their type and level of disability. This way, athletes compete against others with similar physical capabilities, focusing on skill and training rather than the degree of disability. But there have been some recent scandals, especially in swimming and tennis, where the classification system has been manipulated or ignored. Some high profile athletes have been suspected of faking or exaggerating their disabilities to get an edge.

The problems have not been addressed and my mentor thinks they are just getting worse as athletes get away with it. It’s hurts the integrity of the Paralympic Games and makes me less than enthusiastic about watching.

That's incredibly disappointing. Thank you for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has been bothering me for a long time.

Every four years, the world’s attention is drawn to the Olympic Games.

And we all get bombarded with constant adds, reminders, images, coverage etc. for months in advance of the Games.

Then we are again repeatedly assaulted for months afterwards, with athletes in adds who won gold and landed promotional gigs.

How is it in any way fair we fail to provide the same Media coverage to the Special Olympics?

It’s discrimination, really. An ugly form of modern bigotry, which no one wishes to speak about.

It certainly is not equitable.

You do realize that tv coverage is about $$$$$, right?

[Anonymous]

It's called market demand.
Or lack thereof.

[Anonymous]

OP, can you tell us what events you'll be competing in so we can cheer you on with claps of encouragement?