The 2012 London Olympics, if nothing else, are going to force you to pay attention to NBC Sports. The Olympics TV schedule is dominated by the network's cable stations, including the newly rebranded sports channel formerly known as Versus, and Thursday's slate of soccer games is no exception. Here's where and when you'll be able to find Olympic soccer ahead of the Opening Ceremonies Friday night:
NBC Sports: Honduras and Morocco aired live at 6 AM CDT, drawing at 2-2. Mexico and South Korea began next, at 8:30 AM. After that you'l see the United Arab Emirates play Uraguay, scheduled for an 11 AM start, but the night's big event is the debut of the unified Great Britain team, competing against first-timers Senegal at 2 PM. After that, at 3:45, NBC Sports will air the already-played match between Belarus and New Zealand, which Belarusian dictator Alexander Kukashenko has been barred from attending.
MSNBC: You probably already have an opinion about NBC, but its soccer schedule is partisan in a different, less divisive way. Spain and Japan started playing at 8:45; they'll be followed by Gabon and Switzerland, two newcomers, at 10:45. Rounding out the afternoon's play is Egypt vs. Brazil, at 1:45.
For more viewer's guides, updates on NBC's byzantine Olympic TV schedule, and updates about the political situation in Belarus, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis.