Citizen-Seth

Looks like have the official Look reveal… I’ll need to see more of it, but right now this is a big miss for me. I’m sure that will chance once it gets out to used.

You may not, but the Clippers, Dodgers, Angels, Chargers, Galaxy, Rams, Legion, and Lakers all feature blue in their logos/branding. Blue is the color of LA sports in America.

@Sir Rols Ask and ye shall receive! General thoughts: If there any sort of overarching narrative from Milano Cortina, I think that confirms what we saw in Paris: the world wants the Olympics to be a source of joy again. I think the Olympics lost that between 2014 and 2024. It's the host's job to facilitate that joy, and it's the IOC's job to make the host's job as easy as possible. No Games is without its challenges and unique circumstances, but by just about every measurable metric, this was a great edition. Easily the best WOG since 2010, which I think of as the gold standard for WOGs. - Ceremonies o My review of the opening largely stands. I think it’s easily the best opening we’ve gotten since Sochi. Could I have used a little less modern dance? Sure, but they tried some new and innovative things which were largely successful. While I don’t personally care for the cauldron design, you can’t deny that it made for an iconic image under the Arco della Pace and it was actually really nice to have something so iconic on such an intimate, human scale. o I didn’t attend the closing ceremony, but it looked like it checked all the boxes from what I saw on TV. The venue was stunning, though a little disconnected from the actual host cities. - Design o I think I’m generally in the minority of folks on this board when I say that I love almost every design element of these Games. The look was beautiful and classy without the risk of being a little too bland (a la PyeongChang or Tokyo). Though I think it rarely came across on the broadcasts, the indoor venues were branded with the darkest colors at the bottom/nearest the field of play which got lighter/warmer as they went up through the stands – a fun little nuance from the design team. I loved the color palate, especially in the mountains, and even the week-two facelift in the hockey venue looked great. My only gripe was that it was clear that the look applications had been cut for budget. The two venue renders released in the look press release (big air jump and big all of Santagiulia) didn’t materialize. Leaving the scaffolding of the big air jump completely unbranded was a major miss. Even a light-up set of rings like in Sydney would have been iconic. o Likewise, I loved the torches and was thankful to find several chances to hold them (much easier to do than at any of my other Games). The only real miss for me is the medals, which I found to be very bland. I generally prefer the winter medals over summer, but the design felt like an afterthought. - Venues o As good as any I’ve been to. Admittedly, this is only my second WOG, but no complaints. I see why San Siro is beloved and I see why it’s being torn down. Despite the drama around Santagiulia, it was a great arena and, had I not been aware of the delays, I wouldn’t have noticed that a few small details were unfinished. The freeskiing and snowboarding events in Livigno were incredible. The Livigno snow park should rank up there with the all-time great winter Olympic venues. Exceptional atmosphere and a great host city. - Logistics o I’m genuinely shocked at how well everything came together. I wouldn’t be surprised if the “How to get to Livigno” page of the website still says, “coming soon.” Regardless of the lack of information, the transportation to the mountains was easy and hassle-free. I know this aspect kept many from attending, but I never experienced any issues. Honestly, I found the lack of signage in the Milano metro a bigger issue than the logistics of getting into the mountains. o These were my 5th Games and these were the easiest venues to enter, ever. I never waited in line for more than 5 minutes to enter any venue. o I hate that this is one of my biggest complaints, but these were also the most untrained volunteers of any Olympics I’ve been to. Even by the end of week one, there were major inconsistencies in what was being allowed into venues, in how thorough they were being with security searches, and even with how knowledgeable they were on where things were located inside the venue. Very disappointing. - Sporting Competition o I’ll own my American bias here, but these Games were spectacular. Even though I seemed to be a bad luck charm for every American I saw compete, everything I watched – both in person and on TV – was phenomenal. - Digital Engagement o The Olympic app worked seamlessly. I was getting scores in real time, just as I was hearing them announced in the venue. Hearing each athlete say their own name was also a nice touch. o The IOC/OCOG social media game just keeps getting better. Add into that the social juggernaut of NBC and the USOPC, and you’ve got an absolute master class on how to activate real-time content. As someone who works in digital content full time, I’m genuinely blown away. I hope the entire media team of every organization involved is sleeping in this week. o It was fascinating to see the different media narratives that developed through the games, between the US, English-speaking Europe, and non-English-speaking Europe. Social media has made it impossible for there to be a single Olympic story, and the IOC did a good job handling all of them. o Kirsty Coventry is a breath of mostly fresh air, and I think she passed her first Games with mostly flying colors. Her final press conference was an embarrassment, but if that’s the worst of it, I think she still comes out looking good. Could you imagine Rogge crying on Instagram? - Global Broadcast o Sorry, I know this is a hot take, but NBC Peacock is hands-down the best way to experience the Olympics. I really think it might even be better than being at the actual Olympics in many ways. Every event is live and you often have the option of commentator. I know folks on boards like this often hate on NBC for their coverage, but it’s never been easier to have whatever kind of Olympic viewing experience you want. 2026 feels like the year that they finally got the streaming Olympics right. - Vibes/Hospitality o I spent the week before the opening ceremony in Rome, Florence, and Torino, and was surprised by the interest I saw. In Rome, no one seemed to care. One person I spoke to even asked me where they were actually having them “Oh, in Torino again?” A similar vibe in Florence. In Torino, however, lots of people were excited, and we met several folks who had event tickets. In each of these cities, there was no advertising for the Games outside of the broadcaster banners on busses and the sponsoring train line at each station. I contrast this with the LA28 logo I pass on my way to work each day here on the US east coast. o I was 18 when Torino hosted in 2006, but one of the things I remember hearing was that the locals never seemed to get the Olympic fever. It was a similar experience in Milan. I had a local tell me, “They’re for you, not for us.” If you found yourself walking on the Olympic Boulevard (where the official stores, fan sites, and sponsor pavilions were) between the cauldron and the Duomo, you the energy was electric. If you walked two blocks away from that area, it seemed like business as usual. There were very few LOTG banners, and the city didn’t really feel busier than it would during fashion week. This did seem to change a little bit as time went on, but I don’t think it ever reached a fever pitch the was it has at other Games. o Livigno, on the other hand, was a phenomenal host city. Admittedly, I think locals were surprised at how quiet things were. Several folks remarked to us that because so much of the in-town lodging was taken up by volunteers, athletes, and security, the number of spectators staying in town was extremely low. I stayed in Livigno for three nights and it was a highlight of my Olympic experience. I appreciate how it wasn’t overrun by tourists just like me. o The live sites in both Milan and Livigno were very well organized. All of the sponsor pavilions and country houses that I visited (admittedly not that many) were engaging. A special shout out to Casa Polina in Livigno for the best experience. I love Poland and their team was incredibly kind and welcoming to anyone who wanted to stop by. My official-ish Olympic ranking: Paris 2024 London 2024 Vancouver 2010 Milano Cortina 2026 Beijing 2008

Lots of thoughts about the ceremony, and I’m sure it’ll take me a few days to settle on my real verdict. Here are a few stray thoughts: What worked: The music for the entire ceremony was wonderful. From the national anthem to Mariah (not sure why she was there, but everyone seemed to enjoy her), to the incredible Nessun Dorma and the great orchestral moments. The DJ during the parade was fantastic and was a perfect way to keep the crowd engaged when there weren’t athletes marching in. The artistic segments were very well done from what I could see. My vantage point was very “zoomed in” so I’ll have to go back and watch the telecasts later. I’m sure there’s so much context I missed. The poster tribute. Not sure if it was AI, but I enjoyed it a lot. No “Imagine!” The presentation of the Italian flag. Seeing all of those super models walk the runway was awesome and really set a “Welcome to the world’s fashion capital” mood. The parade. I was very curious as to how this would work, but it worked out so well! I loved the placard bearer outfits (maybe a new favorite) and the block of ice placards. It did start a little rocky, given that the first 4-6 countries didn’t have any athletes actually in Milan. Azerbaijan got a huge cheer just because they were the first people to finally walk in. The only thing I wish was different was that I wish every nation would have had a flag walk into the stadium; even if it was carried by a volunteer. All of the flags showed up anyway as the speaker backdrop, so why not give the audience something to look at? Andrea Boticelli, the flame, and Nessun Dorma. I was 18 in 2006 and remember getting chills as I watched Pavoratti sing in Torino, and I had those same chills tonight. A truly spine-tingling moment. What worked less well: The way finding and organization here in Milan is quite poor. Getting around the stadium was very confusing and getting out was a mess. The time travel dance sequence seemed very jarring. Caveat: I was sitting directly behind the mountain backdrop, so I couldn’t actually watch the segment. All I saw was the cast desperately changing costumes behind the scenes. Maybe it worked better on TV? The video screens in San Siro were very small. I get not wanting to invest money in something larger, but all of the video content was different to see. Both of the speeches were too long and poorly written. The peace segment at the end seemed tacked on to give the flame time to get from the stadium to the cauldron. It seemed like an afterthought compared to the rest of the ceremony. No fireworks. Boo. The cauldrons. Granted, I haven’t seen them lit up, but I have seen them in person and I just think they’re an influence gimmick.

No audience participation kits like in the last. Each audience member gets a small program booklet (which is very beautifully designed) along with a light-up bracelet to wear.

In my seat and ready for the pre-show in 15 minutes!

I appreciate the desire to present something new, but this just looks silly.

I’ll be at the ceremony. Will try to log on sometime afterward and post some photos!

Lights have been installed on the seats of San Siro so there will be images shown across the crowds similar to PyeongChang.

Work is really coming along on the cauldron, though you can kind of get a sense for how small the actual flame will be Looks like aerial dancer will be part of the rings formation

Looks like aerial dancer will be part of the rings formation

Seems like a non-story. This same division of ICE was present in Paris. This is not the same as the thugs we're seeing in Minnesota.

I can't figure out how to post a photo, but I'm really enjoying the look this time around. Probably my favorite of any Games since PyeongChang. The purple/orange of Milano and the violet/teal of Livogno look especially nice. This is the first time that I can remember a look that really leaned into texture.

They’ve begun covering the field with a new floor and building out the stage, per some leaked photos online.

Well…at least it’s better than Beijing’s? 🤷‍♂️ I’ll reserve judgement until I see it in person…but judging from the photos this gets a massive meh from me.