The Olympics have new life

Mark Cuban blogged today (someone shoot me for using that word as a verb) that this may be the Olympics that reinvigorated TV. His thinking: Folks with HD TVs really can enjoy the Olympics (it's true!). This is all well and good, except that when the Olympics ends TV will go back to the same old World's-Toughest-Job, Dancing-With-The-Stars drivel it usually shows. With all respect to Cuban, who is a very entertaining and insightful individual, I think these Olympics have reinvigorated the Olympics. Part of it is that the bulk of the competition is live. TV has such control that swimming events were held in the morning in China so it could be shown in primetime in the USA. No matter, Michael Phelps obliterated records. Another part is that NBC is doing such a good job, letting the compelling stories tell themselves without shoving them down our throat (thank you Bob Costas, the best Olympics host this side of Jim McKay). The final element is that there are great stories. Phelps is one. Dara Torres another (anyone see her tell that preliminary race to wait because one of her competitors had a torn suit — she did not have to do that). The gymnastics actually got interesting. The USA basketball team is compelling. Me, I like Usain Bolt best. I don't think anyone has ever run so effortlessly and so fast. Yes, the same thing was said about Ben Johnson. Let's just hope modern testing has not allowed Bolt to cheat. The guy just destroyed the field in the 100. Overall these games have been entertaining, compelling and far more interesting than I'd dreamed possible. China — and people like Phelps and Bolt — may provide the Olympics its greatest boost since the fiasco that was Atlanta.