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the breakfast table: An e-mail conversation about the news of the day.

from: Seth Stevenson
to: Randall Patterson

Let's See Some Live Action

Posted Monday, Feb. 11, 2002, at 2:33 PM ET

Who are these people?

Every time McKay came on I was forced to change the channel (to the Slovakia-Germany hockey game on CNBC). The stuttering, the a-rhythmic pauses, the vacant gaze. At one point I was sure he was having a stroke on live TV. Disturbing.

Speaking of CNBC, I'm very disappointed at the absence of the wall-to-wall coverage. I thought CNBC and MSNBC would broadcast all the odd, small sports we don't see on the main network. Instead, all I've seen on CNBC is hockey, and I haven't seen anything on MSNBC. With three separate channels, you'd think we wouldn't have to watch on tape delay, yet when I tuned into the women's half-pipe I already knew Kelly Clark had won—ESPN told me two hours before. I can't believe they're tape delaying events held in America on a Sunday afternoon. If you can't show live Olympics then, when can you show live Olympics?



Seth

from: Seth Stevenson
to: Randall Patterson

Let's See Some Live Action

Posted Monday, Feb. 11, 2002, at 2:33 PM ET
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Randall Patterson's work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and The Best American Sports Writing 1999. He lives in Asheville, N.C. Seth Stevenson raced for his high school's cross-country ski team ... but he sucked, and mostly just did it on a dare. He now writes for Slate.
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