No, Where did you get that from? I have checked the schedule online, and none shows up. NBC is probably not going to do LIVE on it.
The bios of the announcers are available on the NBC Olympics Website. The color commentator, who is supposed to be the expert, is a former ice hockey player who was the Quebec high school badminton champion, so I guess they figure that qualifies him. Yes, I think they both had to study up on badminton to do this. I don't know if they couldn't find someone more knowledgable who had a good command of English, or if they just felt it was better to get an experienced sportscaster and have him learn badminton. These guys also do the table tennis matches.
I guess I was just confused with what you posted, I thought it's live: Station: Bravo Time: Fri, Aug 20 7:00-8:00PM ET. Weightlifting Badminton - Men's Doubles Gold Medal Final
these are the times for Saturday's finals, i believe all times are EST: Station: Bravo Showing time: Fri, Aug 20 7:00 PM Events: Weightlifting, Badminton, Judo Station: CNBC Showing time: Sat, Aug 21 7:00 AM Events: Badminton Station: CNBC Showing time: Sat, Aug 21 8:00 AM Events: Badminton, Basketball Station: CNBC Showing time: Sat, Aug 21 9:00 AM Events: Basketball, Badminton Station: CNBC Showing time: Sat, Aug 21 10:00 AM Events: Badminton, Beach Volleyball, Soccer
I woke up at about 10 us central time and the schedule said 10 am Badminton final but as soon as I turned on my CNBC it's soccer game that was on. I missed the final or they just didn't show it? anybody record the whole olympic tournaments, DVD maybe?
NBC Commentators sometimes accidentally funny 1) "A good tactic is direct your shot is right at the opponent, and a good place to aim for is the armpit that holds the racquet." 2) Explaining the lunge: "The lunge has to end with the foot that holds the racquet out in front." [These examples remind me of the time when I fell on court during a tournament and hyperextended my left wrist - thank goodness it wasn't the right one. When EMS guys on site were icing it to reduce swelling, they kept referring to this injury as occurring at my ankle.] Anatomy refresher course, anyone? 3) also, one guy said that during the Mia Audina/Gong Ruina(?) match, Mia appealed a line call to the umpire and the call was reversed. He went on to 'explain' that the umpire could reverse a line call in badminton. I was so surprised at this that yesterday when a friend who had worked as line judge in athens called me on the phone I asked him about it. He said that the Olympics made no changes to badminton rules and the IOC does not experiment with such changes during the games. Other than these few things I think they did a good commentery most of the time.