Worse, because of the tape delays, NBC gets to tease the actual events, and make us watch a lot of filler before getting to see the various competitions.  Yes, it's interesting to see the human interest stuff, the minutiae on the athletes - we all want to see the hometown athlete (as a Marylander, trust me when I tell you that coverage of Michael Phelps is as hard to escape as Bob Costas - but there's also a local woman that my younger daughter went to high school with - Suzanne Stettinius - who's competing in the modern pentathlon), but usually by the end of the first day's coverage, I'm kind of over all of that, and am ready to scream.

It's a good thing I care more about the mating habits of The Red-sided Eclectus than about your ratings, but

Don't know why the flaming towards him. I like him for a lot of reasons, but one of the best is that he's a real fan. I mean he really loves sports, and his description of events, and the players, comes across very genuine, not to mention accurate. The guy has an encyclopedia for a mind and when he's building up to a great, classic event, he gets so excited, almost giddy, like a school kid.

I don't know, he just seems like a "real," unpretentious, endearing kind of guy.

And, don't get me started on his walks down Memory Lane, and his personal love affair with Mickey Mantle (only bigger fan of "the Mick" is writing this post)

Seeing the saga through their eyes, rather than those of our commentators from "the colonies," as the BBC still enjoys describing us, gave me a lot of good insights into the larger story line and many of the lesser but contributing details.

Also, I never sit and concentrate on TV; always have reading material in hand.  Reading usually wins most of my attention, tho I put it aside if the program becomes engrossing.

2.) Seeing the Independent Olympic Athletes enter along with everyone else was great. They all seemed to be genuinely giddy about even being there.

3.) Every time I see Bob Costas it reminds me of how badly Keith Olbermann has bungled his own career.

4.) Why, exactly, did Danny Boyle feature so many Hollywood movie clips in his background montages? Couldn't they find enough great shots of folks kissing from British films?

5.) Paul McCartney seemed to be truely and sincerely overwhelmed during the start of his closing piece. He quickly recovered, but it's always striking to see a seasoned professional get choked up for a moment.

Wearing diamond-studded grillz in his mouth and lime-green sneakers on the feet that powered him through the water faster than anyone else, Lochte strolled around the deck kissing his medal while Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" played over the loudspeaker.

I'll look forward to your fair and balanced assessment of Phelp's performance after you watch it.  Here's his own:

"It was just a crappy race," Phelps said. "I felt fine the first 200, then I don't know. They just swam a better race than me, a smarter race than me, and were better prepared than me. That's why they're on the medal stand."

Link

As to being 4th best in the World, here's what Boulder's own Taylor Phinney (who missed out on a medal by the length of bike to winning bronze) feels about that:

Fourth seems like it would be nice," Phinney said, "but it's the worst place you can imagine at the Olympic Games."