Our Opinion

Speaking of the Summer Olympics opening ceremony, it's time to do a little Monday morning quarterbacking on Sunday afternoon. How in the world did Danny Boyle think it was a great idea to celebrate belching smokestacks as part of the greatness of Britain?

Heinrich Kley — Devilish Stench — ca 1900

I would have thought that Kenneth Branagh would have leaped at the chance to portray Shakespeare himself, come forward to celebrate modern Britannia and quote pithy utterances on our modern world, as it leaped and cavorted around him.

Two more critiques (though I could offer so many) and then I'll shut up. Both of these come from my wife:

Wouldn't it have been so much more effective to have the whole string of bicyclists with wings take flight in a spiral and form a circle of light high in the air?

And second, since the Beatles can never come together again, wouldn't it have been great to have the Rolling Stones performing Jumping Jack Flash, with lighted bungee dancers leaping and sparking all around? Bless Paul's heart, but hey, Jude?

I wish Danny had called us in for our opinion. I know Russia won't.