[doydie]

I'm exhaustd watching the opening ceremony for 4.5 hours but it was wonderful. I even enjoy watching the looooong parade of nations. I think the most touching thing was the tall basketball from China who was their flag bearer. When China had that bad earthquake that killed 70,000 people, you know most of them were children. This one little 7 year old boy was rescued out of the rubble and he had to immediately started trying to find others. He said that he was a leader in his class and a hall monitor so it was his duty to help. Anyway, they had him walk along this big tall 7.5 foot basketball plaeyer the whole way.

I felt sorry for the swimmers. They are one of the first competitions tomorrow so most of them did not march in tonight. NBC has the Olympics on tomorrow from 9 AM to 5 PM then again at 7 PM!

I like waht Tom Brokaw said tonight. He said that of all the nations represented in the Olimpics only a very small percentage of them will go home with any medal so tonights ceremony is their 'time on the pedestal' for them. It's their glory moment.

[MSacorn]

I watched the ceremony too. Wow it was long. I love the parade of nations and I guess I'm one of those that lets each olympian have their "moment on the podium" while I watch.

The NBC/Universal owned stations (7, I believe) will have coverage. NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA that I can think of do for sure. The overnight coverage is great for us insomniacs.

GO TEAM USA!

GO TEAM AUSTRALIA! (for our Koala)

[weegot5kiz]

me too to see those smiles on all the athletes faces is worth it, right now i am watching the females judo competition on line, while I type on here, me and deb watched it on a small tv in our room I also recorded the rebroadcast tonight so we can see it on the HD tv, when he ran the final leg of the torch up top along the wall, that was so cool

good luck london topping that beginning

[Koala77]

Thank you MSacorn for remembering this little Koala.

If Koala's country isn't competing in the event that she's watching, then she'll be barracking for the country that her board buddies come from.



Aussie, Aussie, Aussie...........Oi, Oi, Oi!

.......

.
.

[lady_express_44]

Originally Posted by MSacorn

GO TEAM USA!

GO TEAM AUSTRALIA! (for our Koala)

So what am I going to do, here in Canada, when the ladies volleyball comes down to the USA vs. Australia then?

Did anybody watch the women's volleyball match between Russia and OZ last night. That was so exciting, I had to watch it from the kitchen (instead of close-up in the livingroom).

The winter olympics are coming to Vancouver in 2010, so y'all will get to see my home town then.

Cherie

[SandyC]

I am watching for the very first time right now. I am sad to hear about the USA men's volleyball coach's family. His father was killed last night and mom is in critical condition. :-(

[SallyC]

I watched the marvelously spectacular opening ceremony, but alas, pooped out, to watch the parade of Nations.

Go USA....and AUSSIES, when they're not playing the USA..

[megveg]

Originally Posted by lady_express_44

So what am I going to do, here in Canada, when the ladies volleyball comes down to the USA vs. Australia then?

Did anybody watch the women's volleyball match between Russia and OZ last night. That was so exciting, I had to watch it from the kitchen (instead of close-up in the livingroom).

The winter olympics are coming to Vancouver in 2010, so y'all will get to see my home town then.

Cherie

ill hopefully be there in 2010! mom and I are planning on going

[FaithS]

Yes, Sandy. Was also sad to hear of the volleball coach's family.

I'd hoped to see the swimmers in the march last night. Didn't catch their events this morning.

Am a huge Dara Torres fan. Watched her in the 2000 Olympics. She was considered old, then, at age 33. And, now she is competing at age 41!

DD18 was 10 years old when we watched Dara and Jenny
Thompson and Michael Phelps in 2000. She had just started competetive swimming less than a year before.

Anybody remember Eric Moussambani, a swimmer from Equatorial Guinea? He gained entry to the Olympics without meeting the minimum qualification requirements via a wildcard draw designed to encourage developing countries without expensive training facilities to participate. It took him more than twice the time to finish his 100m swim than the winner of the event. My daughter, an average 10 y.o. swimmer, swam at approximately the same speed as he did, at the time. Was inspirational, to see someone who did not have the training or experience, to be willing to compete on a world stage.

I also watched the 2004 swimming events, but have not enjoyed watching Olympic swimming ever as much as in 2000 at Sydney.

~ Faith

[doydie]

What a day. Koala, Aussie did you proud today in swimming. Some of our swimmers weren't to happy about it, but it's the Olympics! I started out the day watching our young 3 fencers take a medal sweep. I don't even know what fencing is but that's one reason why I like the games. I may not be very popular to say this but I don't like Micheal Phelps. Does that make me un American? I think he's to cocky.

I guess what I enjoyed the most was our young mens gymnastic team. None of them have ever been there, two of them were alternates. One of the alternates had never been in the stadium before performing. But wasn't he wonderful on the pommel horse!

I feel so sorry for the Chinese team. They feel it is their civic duty to do well. I told my daughter that that is one of the reasons for her oldest daughter to watch the games so she cna talk to her about our freedoms and also the pride all the athletes have and how an underdog can win and how a swimmer from an underdeveloped country can swim, take a veeeery long time to finish but still be cheered on by the whole stadium. Just because he came and finished.

Can you tell I love the Olympics? I just found out on the NBC web site all the live things I can watch on the internet!!!!