Writers of what storm?

As I sit here hours before the start of the Olympics, I wonder what will transpire over the next 16 days. I've been in Beijing since the beginning of July, working as an intern for the Olympic News Service (ONS). I am a flash quote reporter. No, this doesn't have anything to do with getting quotes from the stars of Girls Gone Wild. Yes, this does have something to do with getting quotes from athletes in the Mixed Zone after they are done competing.

After preparing for the trip for eight months, then getting over here five weeks early, it's safe to say there's been ample time for anticipation to build. This time has also given me an opportunity to read thousands of the millions of words that have been hammered into keyboards concerning the upcoming Games.

But, now it's 8-8-08, and all the waiting and talking and pontificating and predicting will be put to the test, as athletes from 205 countries try to out-muscle and out-hustle each other for those necklaces with the small metal disks on the end. Hundreds of millions of people will flip on their televisions to watch the Opening Ceremonies tonight, the screens acting as windows that allow them to peer in to Beijing. Before the blinds are pulled up, there's the proverbial calm before the storm. The question is, what kind of storm is taking shape?

For all the naysaying, it's very possible these Olympics could be one of those storms that mesmerize little kids and adults alike. With thousands of athletes competing, there are hundreds of stories to follow. Will these Games be remembered for what happened on the field? Will the gripping human drama that saturates sports come to the surface via heartwarming upsets and heartbreaking losses? Will athletes ingrain themselves in Olympic lore on the biggest stage in sports?

Or will these Olympics be a devastating and damaging storm, characterized by thunderous shouts about smog and civil unrest? Will controversies surrounding the pollution and political viewpoints of the host country drench and dampen the spirit of what makes the Olympics great? Will a rising tide of positive doping tests wash away the sympathy and appreciation the public has for the Games?

Starting tonight, and playing out over the next few weeks, we'll get some answers. The blinds are being pulled up on Beijing, and the whole world is looking out. Are they going to like the storm they see? Let's hope so, because the potential damage done will take at least four years to fix.