Fire it up

Early thoughts and musings about the Opening Ceremony and Day 1 of the Beijing Summer Olympics:

I, like most of the others I've talked to and read, enjoyed most of the Opening Ceremony. The only minor problem was that it was a bit long. Cut about 45 minutes off and it would have been just about perfect. The coordination and thoughtfulness that went into the performances and displays were incredible. The thousands of human Christmas trees were like a Clark Griswold wet dream, only they worked the first time.
Probably my favorite innovation was the ink pad the athletes walked on as they paraded around the stadium. By the end of the night, a once-white surface had turned into a painting of some sort of horizon. Proof that athletes do have soles, after all.
I was also a fan of the torch lighting. Kudos on the whole running around the inside of the stadium with the video wall in the background. Li Ning's slow motion run was epic without becoming boring. Like something out an 80's track movie, only real and suspended hundreds of feet off the ground.

I was able to watch the first subdivision of the men's gymnastics qualifying at the National Indoor Stadium today, and one thing that became clear was how well the US travels. I would be surprised if anybody besides China comes anywhere near matching the US when it comes to cheering sections. The largest applauses of the morning rang for the Americans, who are thought by many to be Hammstrung without Paul or Morgan on the squad. Seeing the team pull together and the former backups come through was intriguing, and should continue to be one of the most compelling stories of the Games. As hokey as it may sound, watching how pumped these guys were and listening to what they had to say after competing was exhilarating. They're proud and expect to be medal contenders. Genuine excitement and competitiveness ooze from these guys, something that's pretty refreshing to experience in a day of political correctness and canned quotes.

Another thing that became evident was the fact that it's much harder for Olympic athletes to know when to hang it up. Non-Olympic athletes usually take about a year or so to figure out they don't have it anymore. Most of the greats usually have a season or two where they kind of fizzle out and retire. But it's much different for Olympians and their four-year competition cycle. It's a big commitment to go after another medal, and sometimes it's just not the right decision. Spain's Gervasio Deferr came into today as the two-time defending gold-medalist in the vault. In less than 7 seconds we knew he would not three-peat after he landed his qualifying attempt...in a seated position. Four years of training down the drain in less time than it takes to peel an orange. Olympic athletes don't have the luxury of fizzling out like other athletes do. Their biggest tests come only once every four years.

Finally, members of the USA Men's Basketball team may have caught an early glimpse of what Candace Parker will be doing after she's done demolishing the WNBA. Kobe, LeBron and D Wade were in the stands watching the US Women's Basketball team cling to an 80-44 lead over the Czech Republic, when Candace Parker was fouled going to the rim. She collided with the ref, taking her down in a manner that would make Jeff Hardy blush. Maybe she'll end up in the WWE someday. You know, after she fizzles out for a couple years.