Canada takes the gold! USA wins the silver! Mexico is eliminated.

OK, so there hasn't been any real 2008 Olympic event (yet) where that has been the outcome. But when it comes to TV coverage of the Olympics, if I was the sole judge sitting in the review box, I'd have to give the edge to ... the CBC. However, NBC comes in a close second. And TV Azteca doesn't even rate.

Yeah, I know ... I live in Mexico ... you're saying "Has he had one too many margaritas? Does he really think he's watching the Olympics on US and Canadian channels?" Well, yes, it's magic (in Mexico we call it satellite). "OK," you're saying, "So he sees Olympic coverage from three different countries. Big deal. But why would he become a turncoat to the good ol' USA's NBC and give the thumbs up to the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company)?"

Here's the deal. Starting Friday morning at 6:00 AM (Central time), while you're watching "The Today Show" or "KCRA Reports at 4:00 AM" or "Hello Toledo" or whatever your NBC station has on, the CBC is carrying live, in HD the Opening Ceremonies from Beijing. By the time NBC showed it, 12 1/2 hours later (15 1/2 hours later on the west coast), it was already Saturday and the games were underway ... games which were being shown live on the CBC Friday night (while NBC was showing the aging opening ceremonies).

Since we are in the central time zone, NBC does provide us with live coverage of a select few events ... we’ve seen Michael Phelps take home the gold live, tonight we’ll see US women's volleyball duo win (I hope). But more often than not, while watching a tape delayed women's gymnastics competition on NBC, on CBC and their separate sports channel, swimming and soccer are unfolding live.

Technically, both are excellent with crystal clear HD signals. And the announcers on NBC are as qualified (or as obnoxious) as those on the CBC. I want to watch NBC, but I keep going back to CBC to see what's going on now.

It's even worse for those on the west coast. I talked with my brother last night in Nevada City, CA who was frustrated that the tape delayed broadcast he was watching was three hours older than the tape delayed broadcast I was watching earlier.

Enough criticism ... remember, I awarded CBC and NBC gold and silver ... you can't get much better than that. Especially when you compare it to TV Azteca. That's the Mexican network carrying the Olympics. We get it here on Channel 7. There is really no schedule when you can find out what's on. Almost everything is tape delayed. And the video quality is, well, think of Jim McKay in Munich in 1972. It's so bad, the Mexican workers in our complex like to come in here during their break and watch the CBC or NBC in HD. They don’t understand a word the announcers are saying, but they often mutter “Imagen bonita.” Translated: “That’s one pretty picture.”

If you'd like to check out my brother's editorial in the Nevada Union on this very serious subject, click HERE.