From Kwan to Bode, a perfect storm of bad breaks

0 Comments | USA TODAY, February, 2006 | by Michael McCarthy

The image of Bode Miller flailing on one leg unfortunately symbolized NBC's coverage of the Torino Olympics: off-balance and ultimately out of luck.

Did any Olympic broadcaster ever catch worse breaks? The U.S. team's biggest audience draw, Michelle Kwan, withdrew in the first 48 hours. The six- to nine-hour time difference between Italy and the USA meant many viewers knew the results in advance.

NBC also had the unenviable task of covering some of the most unlikable U.S. Olympians ever. Miller acted like he couldn't care less. Why should viewers? Chad Hedrick and Shani Davis feuded on air. Jeret "Speedy" Peterson pulled a triple play. He was profiled on Today, got into an early-morning brawl, then was sent home.

NBC blundered by devoting 418 hours of...