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Every four years for as long as I can remember, I have turned on NBC’s Olympic coverage knowing exactly what to expect: patriotic graphics to make Stephen Colbert proud, Super Bowl-level commercials, inane banter, and introductory montages that explain which American, on a moral basis, deserves to win this backstroke final. The characters change but the narrative never does: This is the Olympics, a quadrennial contest between the heroes of Team USA and the vaguely sinister confederation of foreigners trying to steal their gold medals.

Now I live in London, where the BBC’s restrained, impartial and comprehensive coverage of the games in its backyard is nothing short of a revelation to a fan grown used to commentators who treat Chinese athletes like the Russian from...

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Related Topics: Olympics 2012, NBC