Thank heavens for Roy & H.G. and their nightly Dream show from Athens - that uniquely Australian sense of nonsense, the high art of taking nothing seriously. How else to deal with an international sporting extravaganza set against a backdrop of empty seats? The awful truth must be coming home to the IOC, that real people just aren't interested in a mass of esoteric sporting activities. They don't know the rules. They don't care. And they don't want to sit for hours on end in the blazing sun.
Athenians, of course, have always most sensibly had siesta in the afternoons. They are night people. And their national sport is conviviality. From what I gather on the Olympic blogs, the Plaka is one of the most interesting spots where they seem to have set up some do-it-yourself games for people to play between coffees and retsinas. It is clearly much more fun than the official venues where the catering seems to be junk food with McDonalds in a starring role.
Fortunately there are thousands of athletes, officials, volunteers and security people to keep the event looking busy - because, obviously, the general public came for the theatre of the opening ceremony and promptly left.
Maybe the Olympics should be scaled down - just competitions for which country can hold the best opening ceremony.
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