When I lamented that the Summer Olympics were ending after only a mere two weeks of sporting, a friend remarked “That’s what makes them special.” Touché. I am already counting the days until London 2012.

Since August 8th, I have spent almost evening watching the Olympics – and I don’t even watch much television. I have cheered for gymnasts, swimmers, and other Americans until 1 a.m. only to wake up for another sleep-deprived day of work. Why were my favorite events always on so late at night? Throughout the work day, I have spent my breaks and lunches catching up on Olympic news and controversies. America’s reputation in the world may be at a low point, but during the Olympics patriotism is not only accepted, it’s encouraged!

This is not to say that I only cheered for American athletes. Usain Bolt’s gold medals were awe inspiring – actually, watching almost every Jamaican athlete was thrilling! And Samuel Kamau Wansiru of Kenya (who won the gold medal) had me glued to the TV during the marathon!

My laments are few: I have Michael Phelps fatigue. Yes, I know he is an amazing swimmer, but he is not the only athlete at the games. Let’s profile someone else, just for a moment. Please. In women’s gymnastics, I do not believe that all of the Chinese gymnasts are 16; Nastia Liukin shouldn’t have lost the gold medal [in a tiebreaker] on the uneven bars to He Kexin.

Finally, I must admit that I occasionally watched the Olympics on mute. In some events (gymnastics comes to mind), the commentary was helpful. In other events (synchronized diving), the commentary was harsh and confusing – the splash didn’t look that big to me. What really pushed me over the edge, was all of the assumptions. During the Men's 4x100-Meter Medley Relay, the commentators were particularly annoying. They kept saying, “Jason Lezak can’t do it. He can’t catch up. No way. Wait, he catching up. Wait he won the race. How did that happen?” Why can’t the commentators just report on what’s happening, not declare the winner before the race even starts.

Only four more years…