This year was really the first time that I watched more than just a few minutes of the Paralympics. And, honestly, I was missing out. Because these athletes are incredible to watch. From the eight-foot tall Iranian sitting volleyball player to the Egyptian table tennis player with no arms to the sheer skill and athleticism of the wheelchair rugby players (talk about brutal, that sport is called "murderball" for a reason). There are so many amazing athletes in the Paralympics that deserve to have their stories told. (Although, my feelings on certain publicity-seeking Paralympians remain unchanged.)
And NBC did a great job of telling those stories. They've received criticism in the past (mainly from the IOC and IPC) for their lack of coverage in the past, but this year NBC showed more of the Paralympics they ever have before.
I have no idea what their final ratings for Rio will end up looking like, but the Paralympics put NBC in a tough spot. They invest so many resources and dedicate so much air time to the Olympics because they know the audience is there. The Paralympics are part of the deal, though, both for the host city and the broadcasters. In the past, NBC has explained its lack of Paralympic coverage by arguing that the interest in the Paralympics simply isn't there. Although, it's tough to build interest if there's nowhere to watch the Paralympic events, which presents an interesting catch-22 for NBC.
Maybe this increased exposure will result in increased interest in the Paralympics. Paralympians were included in the Team USA commercials alongside the Olympians, and athletes like Tatyana McFadden and Jessica Long have become just as well-known. The Paralympics are only going to continue to grow, too. Especially if anybody saw how intense and competitive those wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby games were.
One of the other cool things about the Paralympics is the range of the athletes. Their athletic peak is much different than that of able-bodied Olympians. Rio was Jessica Long's fourth Paralympics. She's only 24. She made her debut at 12 in Athens. There were plenty of teenagers, but there were also a number of 40-somethings. Likewise, there were athletes who've had their condition since berth, as well as army vets who lost a limb in war and those who suffered some sort of catastrophic injury or illness at various ages. It truly is a diverse collection of athletes.
Although, the Paralympics are difficult to follow. There are so many different classifications that all the different numbers can get confusing. Especially since they have different events in the different classifications, which may or may not be the same. I understand why they do this. These athletes have different levels of disability and they have to make the playing field as level as they can. Having an artificial leg is much different than being blind, which is different still than having a limited range of motion. But that doesn't make it any easier for those of us on the outside looking in to know what number stands for what or who competes against who. Even though it's sometimes obvious.
That might be why NBCSN focused so heavily on the team sports. In wheelchair basketball or wheelchair rugby or sitting volleyball, you're not sitting there trying to figure out why the athletes are in a certain class. The athletes are assigned a point value based on their level of disability and the players on the court have to add up to a certain number, but you don't need to know whose point value is what to understand what you're watching.
From all accounts, the fans have enjoyed what they've been seeing, too. There were worries about lagging ticket sales heading into the Paralympics. But from the events I've seen, the venues were either sold out or close to it. Some Paralympic events even drew better than some Olympic events in the same venue! The Paralympics are more accessible and the competition is just as good.
Some have suggested that the Paralympics be integrated into the Olympics somehow. Whether that means combining them into a single entity or holding the Paralympics immediately after the Olympics end instead of the current gap of a few weeks, I don't know. But either would be a mistake. Because that won't increase exposure or interest in the Paralympics. I think it would actually have the reverse effect. The Paralympics would lose their identity. Those events would just be Olympic events like all the others.
The Paralympics are never going to be the Olympics. And that's OK. They still deserve their own spotlight. Which is why the Paralympics are perfect the way they are. They just need to be appreciated. That appreciation will only continue to grow as the Paralympics gain more exposure. And that exposure will only come if the Paralympics and Olympics remain separate but equal entities.
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