Beijing Makes Olympic Splash

Wow - it hasn't been 24 hours and already this is shaping up to be one of the more memorable Olympics. Hopefully it won't stand with the tragedy of Munich or the audacity of Berlin, but certainly promising to be at least as crazy as Atlanta, as political as Mexico City and Moscow, as competitive and conflicted as Los Angeles, as showy as Sydney: or all of that put together.

First, an amazing, beautiful and rousing opening ceremony mixing culture and technology, in an architecturally wonderous Olympic park that makes all of China proud.


Then, word that Chinese officials have denied a visa to a former Olympic athlete days before flying to attend.

Then, war breaks out between Russia and Georgia and Putin packs his bags to attend.

The next morning: a deranged local stabs and kills the father-in-law of one of the American coaches (a father of a former member of the women's volley ball team), then leaps off a tourist attraction; meanwhile, the women's team beats Japan while still in morning for their teammate's Dad.

Ok. That's the first 24 hours. What next?