TV Newser is running a blurb from a tipster that NBC is giving serious consideration to showing Saturday’s coverage live on both costs instead of tape delays to showcase Michael Phelps quest to set a record for number of medals in an Olympics (8, which would beat Mark Spitz’s seven). This will be extremely interesting to see whether NBC caves or doesn’t cave. Allegedly a decision will be made late Thursday.

If Phelps is still on track for 8 medals at that point (and the analysts seem to think the hardest gold medal for Phelps is already out of the way as a result of the dramatic relay event), NBC is going to have to make a tough choice. Of course if Phelps gets derailed by then it won’t matter, and apparently (though I simply can’t imagine it) it’s not a slam-dunk that he’ll be inc be included in the final event – the Men’s 4×100m Medley Relay.

But if the stars align, I hope NBC will show the event live-coast-to-coast. Sure, we’re a nation that has everything, but many have died so that we may take a lot of that for granted. If the opportunity exists for a dramatic record breaker, please NBC, let us share this one thing as a nation, together, at the same time, independent of time zones.

I’m beginning to think that China’s idea of having only one time zone, even if it’s light until midnight during the summer in the western portions of China isn’t such a bad idea!

Read the full post on TVNewser.