FOOTBALL!
At times it seemed as though the Atlanta Games lasted for four years. Part of the problem for those of us watching from thousands of miles away was NBC's coverage.
Why did the network show so many tape-delayed events?
Didn't they realize that our local affiliate would already delay the coverage?
So we got a double-dose in Hawaii, a delayed-delay, and once again you would have to hide in your broom closet for several hours to avoid knowing the results beforehand - especially the big stories.
I like Bob Costas and many of the other professional members of the huge NBC telecast team. But a few of the former Olympians were whiny and overly critical - especially Summer Sanders doing swimming and Tim Daggett on gymnastics. Plus, I'd like to put John Tesh and Bud Collins in the same rocket to the moon.
And whoever made the decisions at NBC on which sports to show live should be a javelin target for the next Olympics.
Here's an example: Yesterday's stunning knockout by David Reid, to win the United States' only gold medal in boxing, wasn't being shown. Instead, it was live equestrian coverage. Now that's truly a horse ... call.
There were many others, including a soppy U.S. women's gymnastics farewell while the American women were winning the softball gold.
In fairness, it's impossible to please everybody, especially since the Olympics now features way too many sports. But some of the choices were just plain stupid.
The ratings were strong, though, so don't expect much change for the 2000 Games in Australia.
My closing TV comment: Bring back the Triplecast. In this age of mind-boggling technology, why can't viewers have the choice of watching whatever they want, even if it costs more?
Overall, the 1996 Olympics had the usual share of triumph and tragedy. The female athletes of the United States were especially outstanding. Michael Johnson, of course, stands out for the men.
BUT the looming cloud of violence, especially after the Centennial Park bombing, also showcased the horrible crime problem in every major U.S. city.
Last night, two National Guardsmen from small towns in Indiana, were shot for no apparent reason and one of them died. The park bombing victim might not be forgotten, but the death of 25-year-old Juventino Silva will just be a fleeting crime story.
Fortunately, the United States fans at the varied venues were exceptionally vocal and supportive - and brave to show up in such great numbers after the bombing.
Still, Atlanta will likely go down as one of the weakest Olympic hosts in history, despite its best efforts.
And some ugly Americans didn't help. Andre Agassi is one guy who comes to mind.
So what can be done to improve the Games for 2000? I would cut back the number of sports and clear out some of the blatant commercialism.
But neither will happen. And if ballroom dancing is added to the 2000 Games, I will head for a remote cabin in Alaska for two weeks of fishing - with no TVs or newspapers.
Yep, the torch is out and now we can forget about the synchronized swimming for four more years.
Atlanta is officially returned to its muggers, rednecks, the Braves, the Falcons and of course, Ted and Jane.
There are 1,501 days until the start of the 2000 Olympics. Maybe by then I'll be excited about the world's biggest carnival again.
But now I have one remaining question: What time is kickoff?