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When I discuss the end of the Olympics with friends, we all talk about getting 'back to reality'. That the Games were this amazing thing that exists outside of normal life. Getting to be such a big part of the Games experience for the world makes this an incredibly sad thing for me. Like what I have just done is something that cannot be sustained. That a job as incredibly rewarding and challenging and fulfilling doesn't exist at any other time.
To some extent perhaps that is right. But I now have a benchmark right at the beginning of my career that will be hard to match. At least from here when I get asked why I think I can do a job well, I can say "I've done the Olympics! This is nothing!"
This is quite a negatively toned entry considering the incredible experience I've just had. But I guess I'm just a little lost as to where I go from here. And that is the highest compliment I can pay. This has been the experience of a lifetime. Many of the much older people involved said as much too. So I now have to go in search of something that can capture my interest and enthusiasm in a similar fashion. It won't be easy.
So. I hope everyone else had a great Olympics. They were the greatest ever. And the world isn't just saying that. I can tell you from the inside that the world is dumbfounded. They have no idea where the Olympics can go from here. EVERYTHING was perfect at these Games, so general opinion is that future Games can only ever try to be like Sydney... we showed the world not only how to do it right, but how to really make it a party for the entire city - not just the ticket holders.
As my friends, I urge you to go and take a look at NBCOlympics.com. It has received EVERY possible form of praise from all manner of web reviewers, as well as finishing as the Number One global site for the Olympics. Considering their target was only to be the best in the USA, it was simply phenomenal. Take a look around it, there are some amazing features in their - from games to medical and scientific explanations of sports and athletes to critical analysis of events and key athletes. The depth of coverage was a step forward in the use of the web medium for event coverage.
More 'reality' will soon follow, as we return to our regularly scheduled programming.