I'm an Olympic addict. I'll watch anything (although I did fall asleep duing the famed 1980 US hockey victory). I have three kids and my 13 year old daughter is likewise an addict. (Not great for getting the homework done.)

Did anyone read Dave Barry's column this morning? Pretty funny. He said that the newest event was "Celebrity Ski Jumping."

I liked the Italian touch to the Opening Ceremonies, very different to an American perspective, but that is what I like about the Italians. Who would rev up a Ferrari onstage but the Italians! Or skating cow people, or skating tree people!

I watched the coverage last night, liked the snowboarding, the kids are so lively and cute. I like Shaun White's natural demeanor.

I would love to watch it on a live feed but haven't the time, so I watch the condensed Bob Costas version. His eyes are now wide open (due to "having some work done?") and that bothers me a little, only his mouth moves.

But it the show is entertaining.

I read the Ferrari not only as an allusion to the auto industry (and Ferraris aren't Torinese, I believe they're produced somewhere near Modena-- Fiat is based in Torino) but also part of the Futurist theme that was key in the ceremony. Italian Futurism was a very important early 20th c art movement, and was directly referenced by the replica of Boccioni's sculpture Unique Forms of Continuity in Space in the Balla/Bolle (Bolle-sp?) dance segment. (Balla was a Futurist painter, for that matter.) So I disagree that the ceremony was primarily Torinese in outlook. Futurism was not confined to Torino, and since Futurism transcended regional style, it was an appropriate way to summarize pan-Italian artistic achievement.

I wondered also if they deliberately went Futurist for much of the ceremony to constrast with Athens, where antiquity was the primary motif.

There was Botticelli in there though, who was of course Florentine.

Even so, I thought the Alpine elements were essential; as previous poster pointed out, there is such a sense of regional identity that it would not be appropriate to reference Venice, Rome, etc. If the Olympics were in Rome, I hardly think they'd reference Torino!

Have been watching them, but there is just too many commercial breaks. I don`t think I have seen so many in the past, and it`s annoying to see one right after another.

I was in Rome, Florence & Milan in December, and it's 100% true that the Olympics mean nothing in those area.

Now, while Turin is FIAT territory, FIAT owns Ferrari, and there's the big auto show there; Turin has little to do with Ferrari and Ferrari has little to do with Turin. It's based in Modena in Emilia-Romagna. Ferrari also has little to do with winter or winter-sports either.

They're tweaking tradition and authority and they LOVE to do that.

I love figure skating, I love winter Olympics, and being a "woman of a certain age" I shocked my co-workers, one of them, a young man, nearly fell off his chair when I said I was watching the half-pipe competition!

Congratulations to Emily Hughes! She's really earned her right to be there!

And the final results of pair skating are on the Internet already. But I will still be watching with as much adrenaline!

I do miss Eddie the Eagle.

And don't forget that FIAT is one of the primary sponsors, leading us cynics to remember that "he who pays the piper gets to pick the tunes..."
The Jamaican Bobsled team is still around...

I think I am in the minority here re: opening ceremonies. Some great moments and I watched it all, but seemed disconnected to me.

But as a cross-country skier, not a "big" US sport and relegated here in the US to non-primetime coverage, (oh to be in Norway now!) I was thrilled to see the torch lit by the multi-medaled Italian XC female skier. Yay!

On that note, liked some of the other focus on women, from the Olympic flag carriers to the little anthem singer to Venus herself.

And Alberto (loved how he used to down a shot of espresso before his ski runs) and Luciano in one night -- not bad.

I happily admit that I will be addicted to my TV for the next two weeks. However, I also dislike the nightly medal counts and "Go USA" emphasis of NBC coverage.

RufusTFirefly...

Eddie the Eagle is now a builder and plasterer in and around the Stroud Valleys in the Cotswolds.

According to our local newspaper, there is a Hollywood film about Eddie in the pipeline, with Kirk Jones (Nanny McPhee, Walking Ned) set to produce.

My name is Shadow and I'm an Olympic Addict....ever since Dorothy Hamill in the 1976 Olympics....
My dh and I realized my dream of attending the Olympics and being at the Women's Final (Ice Skating) at the 2002 Salt Lake Games. We also attended the Closing Ceremonies ($900 EACH for JUST the Closing Ceremonies), the Women's downhill, Ski Jumping and bobsled.

I am most disappointed with the NBC sound during the Ice Skating events...I cannot hear their commentary over the skaters music!! Its very frustrating!!
This has never happened before.....with all that money you think they could have better sound!
Shadow

I don't care much about winter sports, but this is the very first Olympics with most (or all) events in HD broadcast.

There's a huge difference in the TV-watching experience - when you can actually see the ice being carved by the skaters' blade, or all the movements of the skis during downhill.

And about the commentary, I always find the less commentary on all TV sports the better.

It was tough watching last 2 nights with the Westminster dog show on at the same time. I kept switching.

I hate the commercials. I realize we have to have them but they are so annoying. I feel I am really watching a program about commercials with some shots of the Olympics from time to time. Doesn't bother my husband. He says it's me!!!

Does anybody else find the remarks by Dick Button to be annoying, overly critical, and superfluous?

Olympics addict signing in. Would have sooner but have to tear myself away from the tube. Ah Dick Buttons, yes, yes and yes. But I forgive Dick as he has two gold medals if I recall. My first winter Olympics was the '76, my first summer Mexico City '68.

I envy my sister in Washington state, she can get the Canada feed, less Costas chatter.

What Olympics?

USNR, I've noticed long time ago: Button always has something negative to say about skaters. As opposed to other commentators who focus on the positive side.

Right now, the long men's program is on. I'm "watching" it live, the scores only, being at work. The first 10 are done. Here is the URL

http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/IDF/FS/RT_FSM010100.html

anthonyGA, although I'm addicted to the Winter Olympics, I get what you are saying!

Except for me it's more like, "What NBA playoffs/World Series (still don't get that title)/Superbowl?"...then every 4 winters I turn into a sports zombie myself (well, that and my July Tour de France obsession) and I understand the sports fan mentality a little more tolerantly.

Only one more week; I'm already in withdrawl. Fortunately lots of dry fresh snow outside so I can ski myself!