opening ceremony olympics
 

Was it me...or was this a dud? Glad we didn't spring for the tickets. Benvenuto...hope it gets better!!!!!

There were two high points in an otherwise silly (the best word I can think to describe it) production. The ski jumper was cool and the child singing the national anthem was very classy. I couldn't help thinking that if the Olympics were in the US again we would have chosen Mariah Carey. Yuck. Who chose that horrible 70's American music to accompany the athletes?

We were out last night so I missed it! Will be watching the games--I love the winter olympics.

I think totally the opposite. I absolutely loved it. It was modern Italian and understated- not in your face- sleek, speed, dignity- Northern Italy. I loved the ski jumper sequence, and the Ferrari. It was more eclectic and not just dance, gymnastics and fancy costumes. Pavarotti and opera should have been longer and more featured, that would be my only negative with the climbers who did the dove performance shorter.

LOVED the torch lighting much, much better than shooting arrows, standing on top of platforms etc. like in several past locations. It's 2006.

And vintage American pop/rock music is thought of differently in other parts of the world than is thought of here in the USA. I notice that with my German relatives. It's "happy" music and recognized worldwide.

I liked the opening ceremonies. It was certainly better than the opening ceremony here in Atlanta.

I enjoyed them too...and wished I was there. The ski jumper was incredible.

AnnMarie...I know the skater in you will be glued to the TV. Like you, I love the Winter Olympics. In another lifetime, I was Berkshire County Winter Carnival womens' ski champ in the 15 to 18 year old category, woohoo :) , and the ex-skier in me can barely sit still through the slalom and downhill runs. To me, perhaps because of where and how I grew up, the Winter Olympics were <i><b>The Olympics</b></i>

I really enjoyed them. Favorite parts were the torch lighting, the acrobats that formed the dove and all those happy healthy faces with perfect teeth!

I thought the music was odd too. Especially when Ireland came out and the music was &quot;Funky town&quot;.

I'm LOVING seeing Torino. I can't wait to go there.

I liked it.

On the Today show they said the opening cerimonies were very European and didn't play in Peoria. On the Saturday early show they said it didn't play in Kansas. Leave it to New Yorkers to think that thirty American disco songs are European and midwesterners were confused. LOL

I'm a midwesterner with more experience in Europe than all those NYC anchors put together.

That is so cool, Malesherbes! The things we learn about our fellow Fodorites ;-)

The winter olympics have always been the olympics for me as well. I am most excited to see Evegeni Pleshanko skate--he is my absolute favorite skater and man of the hour...besides DH of course ;-)

Sorry I missed the opening ceremony!

The ski jumper was fantastic, and I, too, wish Pavarotti had been on longer. Since seeing Lillehamer 1994, I never think anything quite lives up to that! So utterly gorgeous ....

bonnie, I agree with you , Lillehamer is the &quot;Gold&quot; standard!

I enjoyed the ceremonies very much. The ski jumper was way cool, as was the white dove they made on the vertical platform. But Pavoratti was the icing on the cake!!

I've always liked the Winter Olympics a lot more than summer. Maybe it's because I'm from the South where winter sports are almost non-existant, so I appreciate seeing something on TV that I don't see at home.

I thought the opening ceremonies were outstanding -- but I was able to watch it essentially commercial free (and live) on CBC (Canada). If NBC televised it as it was present on stage you would see how interesting and well it flowed. I later watched NBC's chopped up version and I frankly am tired of Bob Costa's mouth running on and on. He is the gabbiest and most scripted host -- could they have found a better talent?

Another reason why I like the CBC's feed is that they do show more of the international elements of the Olympics. NBC has decided that American's only want to watch American's compete. CBC will show the event as it takes place -- and they will feature the Canadian athelete's but they include the other competition as well.

Miss Maple, LOL. The man puts me to sleep just looking at him. His mouth is always in motion but all I hear is blah blah blah blah blah--could he be more monotone?! I-)

Agree with Miss Maple. I think the U.S. coverage of the Olympics is terrible (and has been for years). Am much happier watching it here in the UK on BBC or on Eurosports. We'll be in Belgium next week, so I can keep watching it on BBC or watch it on French, Belgian, Dutch, or German stations. All of them do a better job of simply focusing on the events and avoiding the annoying and cloying &quot;human interest&quot; stories (a few are ok, but there are SO many of those).

I agree w/ you two also. I used to love the Olympics, but every time I turn it on, there's no competition, but some silly human interest story or worse, commercials. I give up.

Oh, how I agree with you about the lousy coverage we get in the US. Too much fluff, not enough of the actual events. NBC didn't even show the entire Opening Ceremony. They cut a chunk so they'd have time to show us downhill skiing practice runs, for goodness sake. And of course, the announcers can't shut up. They just have to talk and most of it's rubbish.

A big woohoo! to the U.S. snowboard girls! Great job!

As my husband wondered this morning, now that snowboarding is entrenched as an Olympics winter sport (and one of the most popular, based on the TV shots of the crowds attending), skateboarding can't be too far away from getting a perch in the summer Olympics. Which would be cool, IMHO, because you might end up with people who can compete in both summer and winter Olympics. And, as one British commentator noted today, snowboarding seems to be the only Olympic sport where the post-competition party is as important as the pre-competition training.

Totally agree with all of you upon the subject of what the NBC network in the USA is covering. AND about the amount of host/hostess commenting time and personal story hours vs event tape. Too much. Let us look at events without the hype and watch many more categories, USA participation or not. But I did appreciate that they did not cut out countries in the march-in as they did in the past. It was timelapsed not to miss anything- regardless of commercial breaks. Totally enjoyed seeing all the population readings as well. Totally floored that there are only 4 million left in Ireland. We have more Irish than that between Chicago and Boston.

It is all dumb-downed in the USA version- and I wish I could see the Canadian or European versions instead.

But the commercials were entertaining as on Superbowl day. So I didn't mind them as much as I normally would. I don't watch commercial TV very often because I usually won't watch any commercials.

But I don't feel that the Winter is any better than the Summer Olympics. I always feel a very special connection to the ancient Greeks in the summer Olympic events such as the Decathlon, Marathon etc.

I've read at length about the softball, baseball etc. removals as categories. I think that the definitions of what is considered a &quot;sport&quot; or event will have to be more clearly defined and documented in the future. I think that they are going to have to reflect changes in tech. etc. and include categories like skateboarding much faster than in the past- without the long &quot;tradition&quot; waits. Skateboarding is a sport.

I also think that this Olympics has excellent, more simplified, medal ceremonies. They are very Italian, not as formally staged. Sleek, with other things going on at the same time. And I love the medals themselves with the holes in the middle to reflect the piaza concept. You know where you got your medal, always- they look like donuts.

And I too noticed the excellent teeth and lovely skin.

Kudos to Nancy for withdrawing and giving a younger one a chance of a lifetime. What personal and emotional strength she has to know herself and her body that well and act on it.

Last time I went to Italy I went to every large Northern location BUT Torino. I'll definitely get there some day.