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A Ton of People Watching TV

TV executives are on top of the world right now, thrilled that you spent at least part of the last few weeks tuning into major sporting and political events. Records were shattered last month when more than two out of three people worldwide watched the Beijing Olympics on TV. According to new numbers just released by Nielsen Media Research, 4.7 billion viewers worldwide tuned into at least some of the 17 days of Olympic TV coverage last month. The audience was one-fifth larger than the 3.9 billion who watched the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, according to the folks at … Continue reading →

Olympians Turning Gold to Green

Now that the last of the fireworks has exploded over Beijing and the Olympic flame has been officially extinguished, the world class athletes that made the Summer Games such a huge success are moving onto their next mission: turning their gold medals into green. Cold hard cash—and a ton of it—will welcome golden boy Michael Phelps as he heads back to Baltimore in the coming days. The swimming super star raked in more gold medals than any athlete in Olympic history and if he plays his cards right he could be set for life. Can you say endorsements? Those eight … Continue reading →

Michael Phelps’ Mom Scores Big at the Olympics Too

Swimming sensation Michael Phelps is not the only one in the family who made waves at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The woman who gave birth to the “Baltimore Bullet,” Debbie Phelps, has just been crowned with the title of “Mom of the Olympic Games.” The honor was given by Johnson’s Baby and comes in the form of a hefty check the company plans to donate in Debbie’s name to her favorite children’s charity. The middle school principal from Maryland says she was honored by the award and is pleased that the money will be going to help children … Continue reading →

How Do You Pronounce It?

Is it “Bay-jing,” “Bay-zhing” or “Bay-zheeng”? The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China are rapidly coming to a close and I have yet to view a day of coverage where broadcasters are on the same page when it comes to pronouncing the host city’s name. Have you noticed this too? Brian Williams spent more than a week anchoring NBC’s “Nightly News” from a place he calls “Bay-jing.” The veteran news anchor makes a concerted effort to place the emphasis on the second syllable and he sounds as though he knows what he is doing. However, lead primetime Olympic anchor … Continue reading →

Another Athlete Role Model with an Adoption Story

Two adoptees representing the U.S. in the Olympic Games this month have met adversity with dignity, both on and off the field. My last blog was about Lopez Lomong, a Sudanese refugee who represented the United States not only on the track, but as the bearer of the U.S. flag in the opening ceremonies. Reese Hoffa represented the U.S. in the shotput. Hoffa was born in Kentucky to a 15-year-old mother who already had a two-year-old. Diana Chism, Reese’s birth mother, said she had been working 12 hours a day at a retail job but still wasn’t making it financially. … Continue reading →