Turin Opening Ceremony Garners Mostly Positive Reviews

Ferrari Makes Appearance In Opening Ceremony

The Turin Olympics officially began Friday night with the Opening Ceremony, and during NBC’s broadcast of the event, NBC’s Bob Costas said the 35,000-seat stadium was “filled to capacity. ... The most expensive ticket for this Opening Ceremony comes to just over a $1,000 U.S. The most expensive ticket for an event: figure skating at more than $400.” During the Opening Ceremony, an F1 Ferrari car appeared on-stage with the pit crew performing a pit stop. The car had the Italian flag on the nose and Olympic rings on the side and rear spoiler. The driver did several “donuts and burnouts” on-stage. NBC’s Brian Williams: “I’m pretty sure that’s a first for an Opening Ceremony” (NBC, 2/10).

PEACE OF MIND: In Houston, Dale Robertson wrote, “With tensions worsening between Christians and Muslims, and the war in Iraq dragging on, the show’s organizers were apparently given the green light by the [IOC] to give the show a bit more of a political edge, something recent Opening Ceremonies have gone to great lengths to avoid.” Opening Ceremony Exec Producer & Creative Dir Marco Balich: “We wanted to make a strong statement of peace tonight” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/11).

GOOD SHOW: In DC, Mike Wise wrote the Opening Ceremony was “delivered in the most breathtaking, theatrical and, if we’re being honest, occasionally kitschy way imaginable. An amalgam of history, culture, pride and pyrotechnics captivated the stuffed and standing Olympic Stadium, ... ushering in a new era of progress for the Turinese and their industrial, often-overlooked city” (WASHINGTON POST, 2/11). In Boston, John Powers wrote the ceremony was “a mad artistic sprint from the Renaissance through the Baroque to the fast-forward future” (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/11). In L.A., Alan Abrahamson: “The pageantry mixed scenes from Italy’s Renaissance years with rave dancing, marrying the appearance of famed operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti with the roar of a red [F1] race car” (L.A. TIMES, 2/11). On Long Island, John Jeansonne: “The event, in a city that considered itself a fashion capital before its neighbor Milan was, had a certain runway feel” (NEWSDAY, 2/11). In N.Y., John Dellapina wrote the ceremony “celebrated the entire scope of the history and traditions of the country, and the Piedmont region in particular” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/11). The NATIONAL POST’s Cam Cole noted the event included “homebrewed icons such as actress Sophia Loren,” one of eight women who carried the Olympic flag. Pavarotti left “nary a dry eye in the house after a heart-pounding rendition of Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot. Even an old sportswriter got a little choked up” (NATIONAL POST, 2/11).

Some Call Opening Ceremony Overdone And Confusing

A LITTLE OVER THE TOP: In Baltimore, Rick Maese wrote the ceremony “remained true to Olympic pattern: overdone and simplistically naïve” (Baltimore SUN, 2/11). In Atlanta, Karen Rosen: “Without any exploratory programs, the ceremony was about as confusing to the 35,000 people in Stadio Olimpco as the new figure skating scoring system” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/11). In St. Paul, Tom Powers: “At times, the ceremony was as confusing as a Fellini movie. The only thing in greater supply than cries for world peace was symbolism. There was so much of it during Friday’s festivities that volunteers were passing out symbolism ‘cheat sheets’ to the press” (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/11).

DISCO PARADE: In Seattle, Art Thiel wrote the “most enduring hit was, as always, the parade of athletes from 82 nations. Maybe it was because the Winter Games parade is less than half the size of its mammoth summer counterpart, or maybe because the entry music was everything from disco to Doobie Brothers, but the sometimes-tedious tradition moved along smartly and happily” (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 2/11). In Miami, Linda Robertson noted the music selections included “YMCA” and Barry White, and wrote, “Curiously, the home of Verdi and Vivaldi chose a medley of disco hits for the parade of athletes. ... But as with anything done in the inimitable Italian style, the disco concept worked” (MIAMI HERALD, 2/11). But in L.A., Bill Plaschke wrote, “What was supposed to be the highlight of every opening ceremony became the fifth inning of a minor league baseball game” (L.A. TIMES, 2/11).

MEN WITHOUT HATS: Bode Miller was the only U.S. athlete at the Opening Ceremony not wearing a hat that was part of the team’s uniform (NBC, 2/13). Miller’s manager Jake Serino and agent Lowell Taub attended the Opening Ceremony. Serino in his blog wrote, “If you watched on television, you might have noticed that everyone in the stands was wearing white ponchos to make up for the lack of snow on

Rogge Addresses Doping In Opening Remarks

the surrounding landscape. We were not. All through the beginning of the performance, this guy kept telling us it was a sin not to wear the poncho, and he didn't want to be the one sitting next to the people who wouldn't participate. He even went so far to ask if we were in the right seats. (The ticket price was around $1,000.)” (NBCOLYMPICS.com, 2/11).

ROGGE’S REMARKS: IOC President Jacques Rogge during his opening remarks said, “Athletes, you are role models; your achievements both on and off the field of play will inspire and motivate the future generations. Please compete in a spirit of fair play, mutual understanding and respect and, above all, compete cleanly by refusing doping.”

HAVING SOME FUN: To view the “Top Ten Signs You’re Watching A Lame Olympics Opening Ceremony” from CBS’ “Late Show” Friday night.