One of the unique pleasures of the Olympics is the opportunity to watch sports you would otherwise never take any interest in, and not out of any interest in the outcome of the competition, but for the sheer spectacle of the sport.
Gymnastics, for example, is always great viewing, justfor the sheer strangeness of what gymnasts can do with their bodies, despite the fact New Zealand is almost never represented.
Weightlifting, diving, highjump, synchronised swimming- all good entertainment we hardly ever see on our screens, except when the Games roll around.
But it seems Olympics is becoming less about the sport and more about what happens outside of the competition- what celebrities are at the events, why the stadiums are empty and what's being said about it on Twitter.
The opening ceremony is an extraordinary, elaborate and expensive affair which seemingly has nothing to do with sport- although it is competitive, with commentators rushing to give their verdict on whether the latest extravaganza was better than the last.
I only saw news reports on the weekend's opening ceremony, but it seemed to be largely a highlights reel of the past 50 years of British movies, music and entertainment, and I'm not sure what's sporty about that.
Is there really any need for much more than a march-past of athletes, maybe a song or two, a few speeches?
I'm more interested in the business of the Olympics, and settling back on the couch for a four-yearly dose of fringe sporting activities.
