As George Carlin would call them, here are a few “brain droppings” from Paris on this Wednesday, the first day of competition.
Ten Olympiads I’ve covered and I made a real rookie mistake this morning. An NBC email alerted me that the U.S. Men’s rugby team was playing today at 10:30 a.m. I started to make my way to La Stade de France, a mammoth 80,000 seat stadium. En route, I realized the NBC email was from NBC programming, meaning it will air at 10:30 a.m. EASTERN TIME. That means a 4:30 p.m. start here. So much better — more time to get these few thoughts down and dispatched.
The two sports that get underway today, rugby and soccer, both have the U.S. taking on France. Not easy playing the host nation, especially right out of the gate. In rugby, the U.S. and France have played each other four times of late, splitting the games with two wins apiece.
The U.S. can clearly match the French on the pitch, but can they match the French on this rowdy and raucous pitch? Let’s hope so, because their second game later today comes against the two time defending champs, Fiji, where Rugby Sevens is the national sport. (I spent some time yesterday with Michigan’s Aaron Cummings, a member of the U.S. team. Absolutely loved the time I spent with him and would love to see him and his mates come through the day with at least one win.)
As for soccer, the U.S. against France would seem a wipeout to many. And if France’s best players were available, the U.S. would have its hands full. But Olympic soccer is no World Cup. Only three of the world’s top 100 players are here. (FIFA controls the game with an iron fist and has never allowed a gold medal to displace the solid gold Jules Rimet trophy. FIFA has made it near impossible for the best footballers to leave their professional teams for the Olympiad, which means the U.S. actually has a fighting chance.
The American men haven’t qualified for the Olympics since 2008 so they’ll be pretty amped themselves. Let’s hope they can match the energy of the crowd in Marseille. (The Olympic soccer tournament is played at seven sites around the country.)
I ran into one of the most accomplished of the WDIV family yesterday, NBC’s Anne Thompson. She is always a delight and I just love catching up with her. And she informed me of something that I clearly must see while I am in Paris. There is actually a museum here devoted to cheese.
Yes, CHEESE. As she put it, “an homage to fromage.” There’s not much I love more than cheese so I will be endeavoring to work that into the schedule.
Lastly, we got a security briefing today from NBC’s security chief here. Nick Monacelli and I have been astonished by thick police presence here (most all of them quite friendly, by the way). And it’s not our imagination.
The French have loaded up on security measures to an unprecedented degree, owing partly, of course, to the plan to spread the Opening Ceremony out of a stadium and to the people, along the River Seine. But he also pointed out that not all of the trouble aims so high; there have already been a number of NBC folks dinged by petty crime.
The Paris Metro is a wonderful system, but it’s also a place where some would like to separate you from your phone or wallet. If you’re lucky enough to be headed this way for any or all of the next two and a half weeks, remember to be your own security team.
A bientot.
Devin