I think I wrote a very cynical piece during the Beijing Games, (I’m too lazy to check), about how nationalism and commercialism diminishes the purity of the best-of-the-best competition between athletes.  Assuming I did, and with the start of the London Games, (and the crazy notion that I’m still blogging away), I’m able to compare my views at a four-year distance.  In 2008, a slightly less tolerable me found the fascination with the national medal tote board to be, along with the infantile chiding of “USA…USA”, a constant and embarrassing distraction to the celebration of the individual achievement of so many dedicated athletes.  Sure, NBC picked it’s stars, (who would then, coincidentally, show up in Olympic advertisers commercials for shampoo, auto insurance and gum…all of the things you associate with the pommel horse or skeet), and we were treated to vignettes with cocker spaniels and water balloon fights, though primarily about Americans, or the best Chinese or Bulgarian who some American had hopes to upset.  There were, to be fair, moments of pure sport, (if those moments were short enough to fit between ad buys), but they paled when compared to the fluff.  Today, more tolerable probably because I simply care less, little has changed in the philosophy of the presentation, but I realize that without the blatant commercial meat market that the Olympic Games has become, (including the “my country’s faster than your country” mindset), there would be no funding for the unbelievable training life of the participants.  And, even though I personally wouldn’t mind seeing some of the more ridiculous “sports”, (the dancing horse deal is about as much of a sport as bubble farting), fall by the wayside, I think that celebrating achievements in physical excellence is important.  I was encouraged to see that Danny Boyle thought that it was also important to celebrate the commitment to National Health, (in the UK, at least), but it’s probably a stretch to think that the IOC has any plan to include Best National Health to its list of events…even as an exhibition sport.  I think I’ll probably like the Rio Games…at least the music’s better.