Filipe_Golias

MUUUCH better ceremony. Great blending of traditional and modern, with creativity and emotion that I seldom saw at the opening.

Regardless of the overall high standard, there was just too much of Athens 2004 OC for it to go unnoticed and uncommented. Such a praised artistic director should've known better. That burning ring thing will stay inside the stadium? Not in that position, I expect. Maybe it'll be placed on the roof rim. Nor judge's oath! Prepare for some serious rigging!

Another cauldron outside the main stadium... and a pretty unimpressive one.

Wow!

Oh Aliyeva, you think poorly of yourselves. Two years to put these Games up is nothing for a country that erected a huge arena for Eurovision in less than a year.

Wow, they really don't restrain from rubbing themselves over and over... Great, immense, God-bless State of Azerbaijan!

Oh my... this is blatant Athens 2004 plagiarism. I thought better of Dimitris Papaioannou...

The EOC flag is hardly creative...

Details that fade away when the superior propagandistic interest of Azerbaijan is at stake.

To that purpose, I agree - it's better to start with a bang. Still, the absence of major sports and athletes and the lack of interest from the big media cans till hamper these Games, and with it, the interest in future editions (which again I don't predict to be this flashy).

I hardly believe that future Games (if this event survives) will be this grand unless they're hosted by the likes of Azerbaijan or Russia... The withdrawal of Netherlands - which were already planning to downsize and spread the event - doesn't bode well, too.

Don't ask us to join, this time, please. You can do it on your own.

An online poll in a Spanish sports paper (Marca) shows almost 80% of voters don't want Madrid to try for 2024. Can't blame them, it's the expected reaction one day after a third consecutive disappointment. In that same paper, they quote El Moutawakel: "Spain should invest in matters more important than the Olympics". Ouch.

Happy as I would be with a torch stopover in Portugal for the very first time, I think Brazil should get the most of the relay. At best, a relay through some important South American points.

I'm a sucker for that type of Olympic look. Plus, the vibrant, warm colors boosted by the logo which will most likely be a part of the look as well.