Opening Ceremonies

On a sweltering, muggy night in Beijing, the Olympic Ceremonies opened in grand fashion. 90,000 onlookers packed into the famed "Birds Nest" and saw the Parade of Nations, the lighting of the torch and the grandiose artistry that made up the opening ceremonies. The ceremonies were directed by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, (House of Flying Daggers), and featured over 15,000 actors and actresses.  Ancient Chinese art and culture dominated the opening ceremonies, from the beating of the Dou drums for the countdown to the use of a giant ancient scroll as the centerpiece for much of the show.

I happened to be one of the lucky ones who was in attendance at the Birds Nest. The sense of nationalistic pride, and sheer excitement was unbelievable. The efforts of so many went into the Ceremony, and after 4 hours, at 12:00 a.m. the torch was lit and the games officially opened. I have been fortunate enough in my life to have worked a Final Four, a World Series, and NLCS, but nothing comes close to what I witnessed last night. 205 nations, 10,000 athletes, 90,000 spectators in the birds nest, the rest of the world watching intently, and a fireworks display that literally lit the dark night Beijing sky aflame. China asserted it's arrival to the world with bright lights, militaristic drum warriors, flying acrobatics and loud explosions. It will be tough for other host cities to match the sheer aesthetics of the 2008 Opening Ceremony. True to the ways of the Chinese culture, every minute detail was planned out meticulously, and rehearsed time and time again in order to stage sheer perfection.