Olympic coverage begins tonight on NBC

Let the games begin. Beleaguered and battered NBC will try to forget the whole Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien fiasco by hunkering down for 17 days of Winter Olympics coverage.

The coverage should get great ratings - except on nights when "America Idol" airs on Fox.

But NBC still can't catch a break. For the first time, a network will lose money on the Olympics - an estimated $200 million - because the advertising revenue isn't enough to cover the costs.

In addition to a $2 billion licensing fee for the rights to these games and the 2012 Summer Olympics, NBC is shelling out millions more for coverage costs. They cut the coverage staff by 40 percent but they've still dispatched 53 commentators and reporters.

Whom to watch

Superstar skier Lindsey Vonn has injured her shin so her run for five gold medals is in jeopardy. NBC Olympic mastermind Dick Ebersol is probably crying in his Molson right now.

Vonn, who is attractive, articulate and American, seemed destined to be the hero to root for in these games. Her first competition will be Sunday if she is healthy enough to ski.

Floridians may be rooting for pair skaters Caydee Denney, 16, of Wesley Chapel, and Jeremy Barrett, 25, a Sarasota native. Also on the ice will be University of South Florida student Amanda Evora, 25, and her partner Mark Ladwig, 29. The four train together in Ellenton.

And there's speed skater Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami's only Winter Olympian and the first Cuban-American to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. At age 33, she is making a comeback for her fourth Olympic games after retiring, going broke, getting a divorce and losing her mother to cancer.

Opening act

The opening ceremonies begin at 7:30 tonight with Bob Costas on his eighth Olympics as prime-time host. He will guide us through the Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic Caldron inside the domed BC Place stadium in Vancouver.

This is the first time these ceremonies are being held indoors. NBC says being inside plays better on TV with state-of-the-art lighting and special effects.

The opening ceremony has been choreographed by Jean Grand-Maitre, the artistic director of the Alberta Ballet. Ralph Lauren designed the costumes for the U.S. Olympic team. Ski-jumping competition follows.

Less tape delay

More than 835 hours of the Olympics will air on NBC and the NBC Universal-owned cable channels including USA, CNBC and MSNBC. NBCOlympics.com will stream more than 400 hours.

Even though the network promises fewer tape-delayed events than in previous Olympics, some major daytime skiing events, such as downhill and slalom, will be recorded to air in prime-time.

NBC's live prime-time events include figure skating, speed skating, short-track skating, snowboarding and freestyle skiing.

The network plans to post scores immediately on its Olympics Web site because it's pointless to hold back this information in the age of texting and Twitter.

The games run through the closing ceremonies Feb. 28, which will feature popular Canadian musical acts.