Timing for these Games on our side

If you enjoy watching sports, and you admire incredible athletic achievement, it goes without saying that these Olympic Games have been worth the wait.

In fact, they might be the best we've ever seen.

Strictly from an athletic viewing standpoint - and certainly not related to human rights or press freedom - the Beijing Olympiad has been spectacular.

Not only have the glamour events been brilliant, with races down to the wire in swimming and gymnastics, but the U.S. also has been sensational in both.

Having said that, a huge factor at work here - and the ratings reflect this - is that we were able to see those phenomenal moments live in the States.

So simple, yet so unusual.

NBC pays billions to televise the Olympics, and getting the key swim and gym events moved to the morning (Beijing time), allowed viewers in the U.S. to catch the events as they were happening.

NBC would be wise to manipulate the schedule again in London four years from now, if at all possible.

In this case, Beijing - 13 hours ahead of us in the Midwest - allowed for late-night, live telecasts, though leaving us minus the best track and field events.

Jamaican Usain Bolt destroyed the field in the 100, an extraordinary feat, but it was shown on tape, and who didn't already know?

Michael Phelps, who's giving Tiger Woods a run for his money as this young century's greatest athlete, left you gasping for air and grasping for words.

His 2 split-second victories - one in a relay - brought screams of joy and amazement that were reminiscent only of Woods' major-winning shots.

But had the races been taped, Phelps wouldn't have had nearly the same effect - or pulled in the same ratings - if you already had surfed the Web and stumbled upon the result.

In Athens (2004) with the Games eight hours ahead, there was no information you didn't already possess, and with London (2012) six hours prior, it's going to be a problem again, with no conceivable way to schedule all the best events in U.S. prime time.

NBC can lobby to hold the key contests at night (London time) on the weekends, making it midday here, and use those six days for as much as they can schedule.

But it won't be like it was this year, when we found ourselves glued to the TV, each night asking the same questions: What time is Phelps swimming, and when does gymnastics start?

The anticipation for Phelps to swim, hoping to see history, was palpable, as was the concern over whether the U.S. gymnasts could possibly overcome outright thievery, bringing back memories of the old Soviet bloc scoring.

Some days they did, but there was much injustice, none worse than for Alicia Sacramone. Still wrongly blaming herself for the American team silver, she bravely finished fourth in vault after the Chinese bronze medalist stuck her landing - with her knees.

Yet, the drama was breathtaking.

It would have been equally great to see some baseball and soccer, softball and volleyball, but, alas, finding it live at night was nearly impossible.

Since Sunday night the broadcasts have been chock- full of taped events, including gymnastics individual finals, but the ratings are sinking because the outcome is known.

I watch sports for the opportunity to be surprised and amazed, to see something never accomplished before, and perhaps never again.

I watch for the upsets, the comebacks, the thrill of victory, and to witness great strength in surviving the agony of default and defeat.

For wins and losses.

Can't experience that when I already know the final score.

The bad news is we can't expect to enjoy the London Games as much as we have this one, which offered perhaps the best viewing since Los Angeles.

The good news is these Games have been outstanding, chock-full of inspiring performances and great memories.

And we can only hope to witness something as splendid in Chicago in 2016.

brozner@dailyherald.com