I got distracted from noticing the quality of NBC's Week Two Olympic coverage because we descended into bizzaro land this week in the competition. Between all the strange medals being awarded/taken away/screwed up by the judges and the apparent belief of the (primarily) Greek crowds that booing could somehow change the fact that their star runner withdrew from the 200 under suspiscion of drug use, AND the US Men's basketball team delaying their bronze medal match because they brought the wrong uniforms and the correct ones were already on the Queen Mary 2 to be shipped home, AND the wacko ex-priest taking out the leader of the men's marathon this morning ....

I'm exhausted. I'm tired of all the "controversy" -- most of it stirred up by the media who didn't have any terror attack/poor planning stories to write like they expected. I'm tired from staying up too late because NBC saves all the best finals for 11:45 PM eastern time. I'm tired of the men's basketball team being obsessed over because they didn't win, and the women's basketball team being virtually ignored because they won too easily. (And prevented a riot during the uniform delay by entertaining the crowd, I might add.) I'm tired of hearing poor Paul Hamm's squeaky voice (Has anyone ever won two Olympic medals without cheating and had a worse time than this kid? Let him get on with his life already).

I will watch the closing ceremonies because I like spectacle, and I like the parts where they show all the athletes hanging out with each other and having fun, which is the whole point, right? But I'm glad to have my evenings back (at least until baseball playoffs start in a month).

So long, Athens. Thanks, but don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.