My Favorite Olympic Openings

Today had been circled on my calendar for years.  Today was supposed to be the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.  Instead, our friendly global pandemic happened and we have to wait another year for the Olympics (if they're even able to happen then, which I think they will)!  So, needless to say, even with baseball finally back, I'm gonna be feeling what 2020 has taken away from us a little bit more over the next two weeks.

Every Olympic Opening Ceremony is spectacular in its own unique way, and next year's celebration in Tokyo figures to be no different.  IOC President Thomas Bach is keen on bringing the world together to show the global resolve in overcoming the virus, which is something I think we'll all need by then.  They obviously won't be able to ignore the elephant in the room, and the organizers have promised to "scale down" the Olympics.  What that means for the Opening Ceremony is unclear, but either way, it promises to be spectacular.

The Opening Ceremony has been a staple of every Olympics since the First Modern Games in 1896.  However, it has changed dramatically over the years.  Certain formal elements, such as the Parade of Nations, the Head of State officially opening the Games and the athlete's oath, have always been included.  The Olympic flag debuted in 1920 and the torch relay in 1936.  But the Opening Ceremony as we know it today wasn't a thing until 40 years ago.

It wasn't the 1980 Games in Moscow when the Russians wanted to show off their culture to the world that the artistic presentation became the featured portion of the Opening Ceremony.  They did the formal stuff first, followed by the artistic portion.  Four years later in LA, the order was reversed.  Every Olympic host ever since has followed that same format, taking advantage of the biggest stage they'll ever have to showcase their country and city to a worldwide audience.

Tokyo is set to become the 10th Olympic Opening Ceremony to use the format established in LA.  Which was the best?  That's obviously a subjective question, and people have their own reasons for their personal favorites.  Here's how I rank the previous nine:

9. Seoul 1988: My biggest problem here weren't entirely Seoul's fault.  It was held at 10:00 in the morning so that NBC could broadcast it live.  And there's something about the Olympic torch being lit in bright sunshine that makes it significantly less dramatic.  There were other issues, though.  The lighting of the cauldron wasn't the climax.  They went for another half hour afterwards.  But that wasn't the weirdest part.  The athletes were gone by then.  They marched in, they lit the cauldron, the athletes left the stadium, then they had a whole nother segment!  It was all just odd!

8. Atlanta 1996: Not even Muhammad Ali could save Atlanta!  (Speaking of which, the Atlanta Olympics as a whole weren't the best.)  The big problem this time?  It was way too long!  The Ceremony started a little after eight (after NBC had like 90 minutes of pregame!), but The Greatest didn't make his appearance until after midnight.  And, outside of Muhammad Ali, there's nothing memorable about it.  That shouldn't be the case for the Centennial Olympic Opening Ceremony.

7. Rio 2016: Everyone knew Rio's Opening Ceremony would be drastically different than the spectacles of Beijing and London.  So comparing it to those two wouldn't be remotely fair.  And Rio's simplified Opening Ceremony achieved its purpose, which was made even harder by the fact that it was the first Olympics in South America, so they were representing an entire continent, not just a country.  So why No. 7?  Because while there wasn't anything "bad" about it, it simply wasn't as memorable as those above it on the list.

6. Athens 2004: I just wish Athens had done more.  It was an Olympic homecoming 108 years in the making, and they did honor both the first Modern Games and the Ancient Olympics.  I also loved the beginning, where the entire stadium floor was flooded and empty other than a boy in a boat.  However, like Rio, there are few memorable moments that stand out (Greece both starting and ending the Parade of Nations was perhaps the best).  Which is why I can't rank Athens any higher than No. 6.

5. Barcelona 1992: This is the first one I can actually remember watching "live," and afterwards I was hooked!  They replay it on Olympic Channel every once in a while, and I find myself watching almost every time it's on.  It's the first Opening Ceremony that took place at night, and the difference is remarkable.  Would that flaming arrow have had anywhere near the same type of impact if it wasn't flying through the pitch black sky?

4. Los Angeles 1984: Home team bias?  Perhaps!  But this was the first "modern" Opening Ceremony, and LA really did set a great example for how it should be done.  It played out like a major Hollywood production, which is fitting considering the setting.  I'm even willing to overlook the daylight thing because there was very little they could do about it thanks to the time difference between the East and West coasts.

3. Beijing 2008: A lot of people consider this one to be the best Olympic Opening Ceremony ever and don't even think it's close.  Not me.  Personally, I think they overdid it.  It was too much.  Don't get me wrong, it was quite a display and there were some spectacular elements.  But I found it overwhelming.  Although, considering the worldwide reception, get ready to be overwhelmed again 18 months from now when Beijing hosts the Winter Games.

2. London 2012: Personally, I preferred London's Opening Ceremony to Beijing's.  It was just as grand in a very different way.  And it was quintessentially British.  You knew right away what country the 2012 Olympics were taking place in.  The first Olympics in a Twitter/Instagram world even gave us the first viral Olympic moment.  Who can ever forget the Queen and James Bond parachuting in?  Hands down, the best entrance by any Head of State at any sporting event ever!

1. Sydney 2000: For me, it will be hard for any Olympic Opening Ceremony ever to match the amazing show put on in Sydney.  The Aussies did everything right with the 2000 Olympics, starting with the Opening Ceremony.  Scary fact: Nikki Webster, the little girl who stole the show, is now 33 years old!  And that climax, with Cathy Freeman walking through that pool of water, setting it ablaze and watching the Olympic flame rise still gives me chills!