The Opening Ceremonies

Here are my thoughts so far on the OPening Ceremonies. I won't watch all of them because I'll get tired and they'll get boring, and I won't tape them because I won't ever go back and watch them.

I think NBC did a much better job this time. I like the partnership of Bob Costas and Matt Lauer. Bob and Katie Couric reminded me too much of gnome twins. I thought the coverage was very good of the Parade of Nations. They caught us up quickly from the commercial breaks and talked about pretty much every nation in some way. I did think they lingered on the US too long, but hello, it's a US broadcast. Wouldn't the Australians be doing the same thing with their athletes?

I was very very disappointed with the 2006 Winter Games because the graphics on the bottom of the screen did not always match up with the flags. That irritated me A LOT. I even went so far as to e-mail NBC, and wrote up a beautiful e-mail, but there was an ERROR. Whatever, they didn't want to hear any complaints.

I love looking at the traditional dress, the folk dress of the various nations. I though the US team looked too much like they were going to the Hamptons, and what is with the hats? In the winter it was those hated wool berets, and now they have the white flat caps that make them look like they're going to the Hamptons by way of Yorkshire.

Ugh.

The highlight of the Olympics for me has to be swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband. Just saying the name is fun. Try it really fast: pietervandenhooganband.

Great fun for the family.

Oh, and if you wonder why the Netherlands athletes wear Orange--one of their provinces is Orange. William of Orange later became King of England back in the 1600s. Orange NJ and Orangeburg SC are both named for the Dutch settlers that came over in the 1600s.