OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL--NOT FOR THE OPENER

As a sports nut and an Anglophile, I am naturally in seventh heaven with the London Olympics. Everything, as the Brits would say, is going "brilliantly, swimmingly". But I have to admit to one disappointment---the opening ceremony.

Mind you, it had wonderful scenes such as the opening with 007, greeted by the Queen with her first acting line, "Good evening, Mr. Bond," I loved the Corgis and the whole parachute scene. I liked the idea of giving some history, expecially the Industrial Revolution bit. The Mary Poppins, Count Valdemort, Captain Hook and the other floats were fun. BUT...I thought the N.H.S. (National Health Service) got tedious and the dancing wasn't that original. I though the musical transition from the 60s to now with the black lovers wasn't all that creative. It was more like a Super show halftime spectacular; in fact, I think some of the Super Bowl extravaganzas have been better. Danny Boyle, you could have done so much more!

What would I have liked? More emphasis on historical pageantry, a panorama of British history from 1066 when William the Conqueror changed the face of history for Britain by beating Harold and the Anglo-Saxons; when the British fleet in 1588 destroyed the Spanish Armada, thus establishing Elizabeth I as queen of the world; Wellington in 1815 beating Napoleon at Waterloo; when in 1940 the R.A.F. held off the Luftwaffe and saved England from invasion: those kind of high notes. Then throw in a little more pomp and circumstance with Grenadier and Coldstream guards---you know, the kind of wonderful magic dust we saw at the Queen's Jubilee.

Then get to the music scene: the Fab Five, the Stones, Kinks, Cream, Led Zeppelin, you name it. Show Carnaby Street and the mod and mini-skirt days evolving to the rap scene of today.

I guess my age once again is showing. It was a just a bit too trendy and "let's be with it"  today. Yes, I did enjoy Sir Paul McCartney.

I just came away craving for a bit more meat on the bones.