Simone, Katie, and even Djokovic—so far a "Sein-sational" Olympics

Television is an advertising medium, not an entertainment medium. The idea is to put enough material between and among the ads to keep us entertained and watching.  

Without question the Paris Olympics—the  NBC Olympics, if you will—have been a triumph. Thanks certainly to athletes such as Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky, whose performances never lack excitement or drama, the essentials that have kept us entrapped and involved. 

I come with an overload of cynicism. Covered three Summer and three Winter Olympics. Covered 70 Rose Bowls, dozens of Super Bowls, basketball championships, World Series, Masters, U.S. and British Opens. Been there, done that.

But staging the opening day parade on the River Seine, Biles’ dizzying spins, Ledecky’s ageless strokes and to win the men’s golf competition, Scottie Scheffler’s strokes of a different sort to take the men’s golf event, proved irresistible.    

The Olympics, the telecasts, have us paying attention to people and items we normally couldn’t care about but wouldn’t even think about, like women’s archery. There I was grabbing the remote at midnight and a couple of Korean ladies were shooting arrows at a target so far away 75 yards—three-quarters of a football field—at a target the size of a cup of Cappuccino from Starbucks.     

Lim Sihyeon took my breath away and took the gold a third straight time. Robin Hood would have been proud.

Novak Djokovic is proud. He had won more major tennis championships than any male but he couldn’t win in the Olympics. That changed on Sunday when he surprised Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 1-ranked player who had defeated Djokovic a few weeks ago in the Wimbledon final.

So many countries--you did know Djokovic is from Serbia—so many personalities.` For too brief a period, among the tragedies and agony, a world at play. A verification that determination and dedication have rewards.

Coco Gauff, the tennis player, and LeBron James, the basketball player, were chosen to carry the U.S. flag for the opening ceremonies, a very much deserved honor. Albeit, one based on their recognition. However, at the halfway point, if there is an American star it would appear to be Biles or Ledecky. The overall MVP is France swimmer Leon Marchand, who, memories of Mark Spitz, this Olympics, won four golds.

How do we choose between Biles, with her gravity-defying routine, and Ledecky, who handles every distance in the pool—or this time the Seine—and has medaled in her fourth Olympics? They’re both 27 and one would guess in Olympic competition for the last time, although they seemed destined to go on and on.

Every move and leap, and whirl made by Biles seems impossible but also to a novice so does Ledecky swimming 1500 meters in a quarter hour and admirable fortitude. The rest of us get weary just thinking of going that far on a walk, much less than a swim.

 If there were expectations, these games have surpassed them. They have been joyful and exciting. Not much more we could ask—including Paris as the setting.