NEW YORK -- NBCs plans for the Olympics in Rio over the next two weeks define the term exhaustive.The network, its cable sisters and Olympics website plan 6,755 hours of coverage through the Aug. 21 closing ceremonies in Rio de Janeiro. Obsessive fans have plenty of viewing options, since every Olympic competition will be available live online along with the popular events airing in prime time on NBC.That includes Fridays opening ceremony, which is oddly being aired via tape delay despite Rio being only one hour ahead of Eastern time in the U.S.Bob Costas is the prime-time host for his 11th Olympics, and his continuity defines NBCs coverage. While there are new wrinkles every year -- Ryan Seacrest hosts a new late-night show, Mike Tirico joins from ESPN -- the NBC playbook and personnel remain very consistent. NBCs 170-member broadcast team includes a stable of former athletes, including swimmer Rowdy Gaines, gymnast Tim Daggett and diver Laura Wilkinson, that has combined for 59 Olympic medals.NBC executives strongly believe in how they cover the Olympics, particularly the menu of sports offered on the network each night, and consider the events ratings strength is a public endorsement. The company paid $1.2 billion for the broadcast rights.The opening ceremony will be delayed an hour before being shown on NBC because the network wants the entertainment spectacle, which was seen by 40.7 million people in 2012, to be shown completely in U.S. prime time. NBC was also reportedly upset that because the Portugese language is being used for the parade of nations, the U.S. team (or Estados Unidos) will file into the stadium relatively early.In what is becoming an Olympics tradition, the run-up to the games was filled with foreboding stories: the Zika virus, polluted water, security concerns. HBOs Real Sports aired a thorough investigation last month into the International Olympic Committee and demands placed on host countries, but dont expect something similar on NBC.The network plans to address many of the issues unique to Rio early, perhaps in a one-hour preview scheduled for Thursday night, but will turn to the competition unless something unusual happens.I think when people are tuning in to watch the Olympics, theyll want to watch the Olympics, said Jim Bell, executive producer of NBCs Olympics coverage.Unlike previous Summer Games in Europe, Asia and Australia, the Rio games provide NBC a favorable time zone allowing it to televise many events live in swimming and track and field. With only a few exceptions, those sports -- along with gymnastics and volleyball -- get virtually all of the attention on NBCs prime-time broadcast.The rest of the sports are spread across 10 other networks, many with particular specialties.The Golf Channel, for example, concentrates on the Olympic return of its namesake sport. NBC executives expressed disappointment that several of the worlds top golfers, including Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, are staying away from the event because of concerns about the Zika virus, and suggested theyd someday regret it.Bravo will be the Olympic home of tennis. NBC is also setting up speciality channels for both basketball and soccer, although those sports will also be shown on other networks.The NBC Sports cable network will be the busiest, airing 330 hours of Olympics programming covering 20 sports. On most days of the games, NBCSN will air Olympics coverage from 8 a.m. to midnight. Other coverage will be spread around CNBC, MSNBC and USA. Telemundo and NBC Universo will narrate events in Spanish, focusing on sports and athletes popular in Latin America.NBC, which likes to use the Olympics as a laboratory for new technology and ideas, will also distribute 83 hours of coverage in the 4K Ultra HD format.Once again, the NBC Olympics website offers live streams of every competition. To access this material, a customer must validate an account with a cable or satellite provider.The attention speaks to the huge economic opportunity the games provide NBC in a fragmented media world. NBC is betting, and in fact has advertised the Olympics, on the idea that viewers can use a pick-me-up from a drumbeat of bad news.Theres been a lot of tough things going on in the world, Bell said. I think it will be nice, fingers crossed, if we can have a couple of weeks to give people something to cheer about.---Follow David Bauder at twitter.com/dbauder. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/david-bauder Discount Thunder Jerseys . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. Gary Payton Jersey . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. http://www.cheapthunderjerseyschina.com/terrance-ferguson-jersey/ . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. Detlef Schrempf Jersey . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. Russell Westbrook Jersey . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night.Olympic organisers in Rio have assured the IOC that construction of the velodrome will be completed by the end of June and be ready in time for the Games in August. While most Rio venues are ready, the £30m indoor cycling track has faced serious construction delays, with a test event scheduled for the end of April cancelled because it was not ready. UCI President Brian Cookson said last week he remains very, very concerned about the venue and the city announced on Monday it was changing contractors to take over the project. UCI President Brian Cookson has expressed his concern that there will be no time for a test event at the Rio Velodrome The issue was discussed on Thursday during Rios final presentation to the IOC executive board before the Games, which begin on August 5.Organisers have also told the IOC that the risk of Zika infection will be dramatically reduced during the Games, with cases of the mosquito-born virus reportedly dropping significantly from June to September.A group of 150 public health experts last week called for the Games to be postponed or moved because of Zika, which has been linked to severe birth defects, but the World Health Organization said there was no public health justification for such a move.Elsewhere, Kuwaits chances of competing at the Games have been dealt a severe blow after the IOC said a ban imposed last year was unlikely to be lifted in time.However, the counttrys athletes could still compete at the Games as independent athletes under the Olympic flag, according to IOC spokesman Mark Adams.dddddddddddd. Municipal agents spray anti Zika mosquitos in Rio Kuwait and the IOC have been at odds over a new law that the Olympic body says will undermine the autonomy of sport in the country and the ban, which was imposed in October, means the countrys Olympic Committee and consequently its athletes are not eligible for any funding from the IOC for the duration of the suspension and cannot take part in any IOC-linked event.The situation with Kuwait is not improving, said Adams on Thursday. Since the last IOC executive board there has been no positive development due to the attitude of the government.It is unlikely to be resolved by the time of the Games in Rio. We believe Kuwait will remain suspended, he said.Meanwhile, a Turkish boxer and a Russian cyclist have been provisionally suspended after doping samples from the 2012 London Olympics came back positive in retesting.Boxer Adem Kilicci, who lost in the quarter-finals of the middleweight division, and track cyclist Yekaterina Gnidenko both tested positive for steroids. Also See: Jamaican fails 2008 test Amnesty issues Rio warning McIlroy: My mind is at ease IOC target non-compliant nations Youth NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys 2020 Cheap NFL Gear Camo China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Cheap Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Online ' ' '