Thoughts from the Opening Ceremonies

Like many people, I watched the Opening Ceremonies of the XVIII Olympiad on TV Friday night. Here are a few of my thoughts from the evening.

• First, while I am always impressed by the beauty and grandeur of the opening ceremonies, the one in Athens wasn't quite as good as the one we had here in Salt Lake City a couple of years ago. (Of course, civic pride may hinder my impartiality here.)
  
• It was comforting and reassuring to hear loud cheering when the U.S. delegation entered the stadium. At least there's someone out there who doesn't hate us.
  
• While I found the music for the Parade of Nations mostly unremarkable (with the exception of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings), the music for the rest of the ceremony was gorgeous. I wonder how I can find out what it was and/or how to get a copy of it.
  
• No country but Brazil could pull off those bright green jackets.
  
• I thought the outfits worn by the American delegation were gaudy, but I suppose we have to stick with what we're good at.
  
• In my humble opinion, Bob Costas and Katie Couric could have improved their commentary during the 'floating statues' and 'historical floats' sections of the ceremony by doing about half as much of it. Okay, maybe the average American needs to be spoon-fed their history and culture, but we're not all idiots. Let us enjoy the sights and sounds on our own.
  
• Bob and Katie commented on Great Britain's rich track and field history, using the movie Chariots of Fire as an example. I think they missed an excellent cultural tie-in by not mentioning that the Oscar-winning soundtrack for that movie was written by a Greek national.
  
• It was wonderful to see so many people of different nations, races, and ideologies all with smiles on their faces and excitement in their eyes.
  

I know that we place too much emphasis on sports in this country, but I think the Olympic Games are different. There's a different feeling, an emphasis on things beyond athletic competition. I like the idea that despite wars, rivalries, and international distrust, we can still find a way to get together every couple of years to play games.