CLOSING CEREMONY, PART 2

"What is that?" my friend asked.

"More."

More. It's the essence of mankind, really, and certainly that philosophy ("I want more"...and not in an Oliver Twist begging-for-porridge fashion) extends to the Olympics. Michael Phelps won six golds in Athens. But he wanted more. The USA won about twice as many medals on the track as the next best country, but so many analysts focused on the relay teams' dropped batons. They wanted more. The Chinese put on simply the best Opening Ceremony anyone has ever seen, and you can make the argument that these Games truly were, as former IOC overlord Juan Antonio Samaranch used to say at the conclusion of every Games, "the greatest Games ever".

I'd contend that they were. And yet there was Samaranch's successor, Jacques Rogge, saying on the final day of the Games that China "had put the bar very high. I believe London can put the bar higher."

Citius, altius, fortius: More.

Memories of the IBC

The IBC, or International Broadcast Centre, was for many of us at NBC our office (and pretty much our home) for the past month. Some random memories...

--The Starbucks counter at our commissary, manned (and womanned) by the friendliest and most efficient staff you'll ever see. One amusing aspect was that every beverage was served in the same-sized cup ("tall"), and yet when the counter clerk barked the order to the barrista, she'd always include the word tall, as in, "Tall vanilla latte!"

I told our human resources honcho, Rob Landau, that I do believe that at Vancouver, in keeping with the company's strategy, we'll have two Starbucks operating in our commissary.

--The greaseboard in the office shared by myself, Andrew Silver, Matt Stroup and Nate Purinton. It was chock-full of quotes, verbal curios and malaprops (From "We'll do it live!" to "Jaybing" to "You're not the one with the gun to your throat" to a McDonald's coupon for a "Free Corn Cup"). As the weeks wound on that board became more intriguing and held more clues to our existence than the one that Verbal Kint spent all movie staring at in The Usual Suspects.  

--The Chinese volunteers. Service with a smile has never been better demonstrated.

-- The IBC buses, possibly the only flawed idea I came across. To make our lives easier, most--if not all--of the buses left every half hour on the half hour to various venues and hotels. But because the departures were not staggered (say, some buses leaving at 6, others at 6:10, others at 6:20) you'd see a fleet of them sitting idle for 27 minutes and then, right at the half-hour mark, a dozen to two dozen all jamming toward one small departure gate. And, by the way, I don't believe there's a Chinese word for "yield".

--After appearing with Bob Costas on-camera for the final time, Cris Collinsworth walked around the studio, shook every one of our hands, and thanked us. That was par for the course. Bob Costas took his entire overworked and sleep-deprived crew out for dinner after most of them--Bob included--had put in a 32-hour final day. Mary Carillo? Well, she's on my list of Top 5 People, which is not to be confused with my list of "Top 5 Blonde Canadians", which, what the heck, I'll include her on that as well. She's just that cool. I only worked once with Jim Lampley, but it was an unforgettable--in every positive sense--experience. He'd read my copy, scribble in some suggestions, and then call me up to his desk to go over them. It was like  

     I understand that I'm fire-hosing the Kook Aid out to you all, but one of the best aspects of the Olympics is working with people who are so bright, decent and dedicated. I can't name them all, but people like Rowdy Gaines and Paul Sunderland and Heather Cox are, well, they're just the most ut. Michael Weisman, whom you don't see on camera but is a legend as an executive producer, made every 20-minute morning bus ride into the IBC his own comedy act. One night Weisman took me to get a foot massage with him ("It'll take twenty minutes, tops"...it took two hours), which was anything but soothing because when you're hanging with Weisman you're subject to a non-stop barrage of hilarity. He'd rip off about half a dozen jokes and then, when I'd try to comment, he'd say, "John, please. Be quiet. I'm trying to relax."

         Weisman. Nobody like him.

-- Memorable moments? Here are a few: Jason Lezak's out-touching Alain Bernard, which was our first realization that these Games could be magical...Matt Emmons' squandering gold on his final shot yet again. I do hope that he returns for London, but I would not at all be surprised if next time he literally shoots himself in the foot after twice figuratively doing so...The look on Alicia Sacramone's face after falling from the balance beam, knowing that she still had to finish the routine. When all you want to do is dig a hole and disappear, but you still soldier on, well that takes courage... The indelible image of Phil Dalhausser blocking yet another intended kill...The look of disbelief on Lolo Jones' face when she realized that a gold that was hers (and all the fame that would accompany it, given her stunning looks) had been lost on the penultimate hurdle...Usain Bolt giving everything he had in the final 50 meters of the 200, knowing that he'd have to work to break Michael Johnson's 19.32. And doing it... Pole vaulter Jenn Stuczynski's coach providing the one true "ugly American" moment of the Games by telling her in public that she'd failed ("settling" for a silver medal). There's tough love and then there's just being sensei from Karate Kid... The class Tyson Gay showed when Bob Numeier interviewed him following his failure to advance to the 100-meter final... The look on Dara Torres' face when she realized she'd missed her first individual gold by .01 second. What I loved is that she seemed to have a sense of humor about it as well as an appreciation of irony (considering Michael Phelps' victory the day before)...Wrestler Henry Cejudo's gold-medal victory celebration. Pure euphoria... Kobe Bryant's four-point play late in the gold-medal game (and Jason Kidd reminding his teammates' to put their hands over their hearts during the national anthem...Let's see if that practice extends into the NBA season)...And Hugh McCutcheon's reaction after his men's volleyball team won gold... 

Top Three Brits in Running To Light The Torch in 2012

1) Roger Bannister

2) Steve Redgrave

3) Sebastian Coe with Steve Ovett

Not in the running: Amy Winehouse.