Olympic wrestling: NBC ignores sweaty men grabbing each other

Henry Cejudo on Channel 9. Colorado wrestler Henry Cejudo is big news in these parts, landing on page one of the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News after coming out of nowhere to win an Olympic gold medal in the 121-pound weight class. But NBC viewers have seen precious...

By Michael Roberts

August 20, 2008

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Henry Cejudo on Channel 9.

Colorado wrestler Henry Cejudo is big news in these parts, landing on page one of the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News after coming out of nowhere to win an Olympic gold medal in the 121-pound weight class. But NBC viewers have seen precious little of Cejudo. The net's prime-time broadcast last night was dominated by gymnastics (including Shawn Johnson's triumph in the balance beam, seen on mondo-tape delay) and track events (like LoLo Jones' heartbreaking loss in the 100 meter hurdles). Meanwhile, extended wrestling coverage was relegated to sister channels such as MSNBC and CNBC.

Is it because Americans don't like wrestling? Not at all. It's because American's don't like wrestling without performance-enhancing drugs, scantily clad ring girls and guys hitting each other in the head with chairs.

The following video purports to show professional wrestling's 10 worst gimmicks ever -- click "More" to check them out. Still, odds are good that if Cejudo and his fellow Olympians had used even one of them, NBC might have given them a lot more love. -- Michael Roberts

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo