This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

It just wouldn't be the Olympics if lots of people weren't complaining about NBC's coverage of the Games.

Beginning with all the tape-delaying on the NBC broadcast network. Which led to one of the dumbest-ever responses from a TV executive.

In response to a journalist's comment about having to watch delayed coverage because he was on the West Coast and didn't have a laptop handy to stream the Games, executive producer Jim Bell replied via Twitter: "Then move back East."

I believe Bell was kidding. That he thought he was being funny. That he forgot that Twitter exchanges aren't private. (Duh.)

Still, it was dumb, dumber, dumbest — an unforced error adding to this year's anti-NBC narrative. Which includes:

• The ratings are down from 2012 because of all the tape-delaying.

Yes and no. The ratings are down, but not because of the delay. London was more delayed than the Rio Games.

• It's terrible that NBC delayed the Opening and will delay the Closing Ceremonies.

It's not. This is the worst argument against delays. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies are big variety shows. Fireworks on TV look the same live or on tape.

(That's not a defense of the quality of NBC's coverage of the Opening Ceremonies, which was laughably bad.)

• What was with Al Trautwig refusing to call Simone Billes' adoptive parents her parents? And then getting in a Twitter fight when he was called out on it?

This was an completely unnecessary, self-inflicted wound. Trautwig eventually apologized — sort of — but it was hurtful and foolish.

• NBC has focused too much on American athletes.

NBC is not providing the world feed, it's telecasting to the United States. Americans are allowed to be more interested in American athletes — and so is the American network telecasting the games.

• NBC's coverage of the Games has been hugely sexist and offensive.

This is a tougher issue, difficult to address in a few sentences. For one thing, female athletes get more and better coverage during the Games than anywhere else on TV.

Just try looking for women's sports on TV after the Olympics. Good luck with that.

However, it's hard to argue with the criticism that some — not all — of NBC's coverage has been sexist. From crediting Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszú's husband for her gold medal to NBC talking about the U.S. gymnastics team looking like a bunch of girls at the mall, there have been more than a few examples of good ol' boys patting the lil' gals on the head and condescending to them.

Not all the sexism is coming from male sportscasters, sadly enough.

NBC has been getting called out for this behavior, as it should. And, perhaps, all the criticism will sink in.

• NBC's storytelling detracts from the actual athletic events.

Agreed. And this is directly related is the way NBC packages events for its majority-female audience — gives us warm-and-fuzzy background stories because research shows this appeals to women.

Really? I don't have access to the research, but my daughters have watched/attended football, basketball, soccer and baseball games with me all their lives, and our enjoyment has had a lot to do with who won and nothing at all to do with heartwarming stories about the athletes involved.

Personally, I don't mind a bit of backstory. But I'll change the channel if it goes on for more than a couple of minutes.

Scott D. Pierce covers TV for The Salt Lake Tribune. Email him at spierce@sltrib.com; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce.