[lorrieholdridge]

One thing I always enjoy is the commentators the network gets. The best ones are very helpful to viewers, and they do a lot of homework to catch us up on sports that we may not have been following in the inter-games years.

Some of the best experts are often in the less familiar sports. For example, I just watched a really articulate woman take us through the finals of a women's skeet-shooting match. Guns aren't something I generally enjoy, but this woman made the sport not only understandable but interesting. Apparently the eventual winner, American Kimberly Rhode, has just earned her fifth individual gold in five consecutive Olympics. Rhode didn't win all these golds in the same discipline, because as the commentator explained, the IOC abolished the sport the athlete first won in, trap shooting, so she had to train for another sport. Wow! So the commentator managed to draw me in by telling me what people in that sports community would find important.

What other commentators has anyone on GS been impressed by? I always like Rowdy Gaines in swimming, for example.

Sidebar to this topic: it is so cool to realize what some of the venues are here! I think the shooting is being held in some sort of royal military facility, and of course the tennis is at Wimbledon. Honestly, it's like seeing the Olympics in Narnia.

[HotDolly]

Rowdy Gaines yells a lot... In skating this is not appreciated of the commentators, i wonder if swimming boards complain about it?

[freflellalafe]

He's not an expert, but I love Terry Gannon & his partner who is some lady rower in the rowing. Just because it's Terry!!

[BadbarmrapBef]

Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere, and I guess she isn't really an expert on things summer Olympics, but....I just caught Tanith Belbin doing some a kind of update on Phelps piece (post 400 IM but pre-free style relay): here's the link, http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/swi...pointment.html

[syptopsygieds]

I find Cynthia Potter, a diving expert, very informative. I think she won a silver at Montreal? Wait...no, apparently it was a bronze on springboard, as well as an impressive number of national championships.

[LINETFAD]

He's not an expert, but I love Terry Gannon & his partner who is some lady rower in the rowing. Just because it's Terry!!

Dad had to tell me to chill because i went in total fangirl mode when I realised it was TERRY!

[Snweyuag]

I watched rowing just hear my fellow Wolfpacker, Terry Gannon! Wish NBC would hire him for fs commentating in 2014!

[Flieteewell]

I watched rowing just hear my fellow Wolfpacker, Terry Gannon! Wish NBC would hire him for fs commentating in 2014!

he already does their commentary on Universal Sports for FS, so it could be possible, but I think the senior guys get first dibs and figure skating is still one of teh highlight events of the games and it's indoors/warmer than the skiing/snowboarding events...

[mtautomoscow]

Dad had to tell me to chill because i went in total fangirl mode when I realised it was TERRY!

please send us video of Toni and fangirl mode! With Dad saying, calm down Toni, he's just an old guy with good hair! You made me smile, what a mental pic! LOL

[ViaxobbimeVar]

He's not an expert, but I love Terry Gannon & his partner who is some lady rower in the rowing. Just because it's Terry!!

Dad had to tell me to chill because i went in total fangirl mode when I realised it was TERRY!

I watched rowing just hear my fellow Wolfpacker, Terry Gannon! Wish NBC would hire him for fs commentating in 2014!

please send us video of Toni and fangirl mode! With Dad saying, calm down Toni, he's just an old guy with good hair! You made me smile, what a mental pic! LOL

We've been watching mainly in prime time, but fangirl Gail (me) is with you all the way for Terry! Just so happy to hear his voice during the rowing events!!!!! That said, I wish ABC still covered all the Olympics!

[Seisyvose]

Cynthia Potter is hands down the best commentator NBC has in any sport. Has been for years. She's fair, not a a drama queen and highly educational.

[ChrisGoldstein]

Yeah, I like how Potter points out the strengths and weaknesses of everyone, and the graphics that are superimposed on the divers to show angles (especially the comparisons between the two divers in a synchronized pair) are simple but effective. Potter also explains a bit about where each diver comes from and how he or she trains, so they're not just interchangeable dripping-wet souls in swimsuits to us uninitiated viewers. Really a splendid example of good sports commentary.

[KuRoregioNka]

He's not an expert, but I love Terry Gannon & his partner who is some lady rower in the rowing. Just because it's Terry!!

With all due respect I wish Terry would get a gig calling basketball...which is a sport he actually knows something about.
His comments about skating or most other sports always seem particularly shallow to me.....which is not harsh but fair since he has no expertise in those sports.

Teery Gannon and "expert commentator" seems to be an exceptionally good definition of "oxymoron."