"We're Gonna Need A Montage"

Ahh...Team America: World Police...

Anyways, if there's one thing I'm a sucker for, its a solid montage. CBC has been the official Olympic Broadcaster for the past few games, and don't get me wrong, they can do a great montage. Many a time, I've teared up over a solid opening to Hockey Night in Canada.

But when it comes to the Olympics, NBC has to get the gold medal. I suppose they're not TECHNICALLY montages, but ok, its close enough...

2008 - Beijing

Beijing was almost a lock to win the 2008 Olympics, with the allure of having never hosted a games before to tempting for the IOC to ignore. II think NBC does a good job of capturing 'the moment' here, the idea that the Games would 'open up' China to the world a little...

2006 - Torino

Don't know why this one strikes me so hard, but I think it has something to do with just the importance that this montage portrays. It makes it seem like what is about to take place is so monumental.

2004 - Athens

So I wasn't able to find the full intro, but here is a promo spot from NBC for the 2004 Athens games....it gives you an idea of what they did I'm sure.

2002 - Salt Lake City

Not the best quality, but you get the idea. Its important to keep in mind that the '02 Salt Lake games came only about 5 months after 9/11, so it was something fresh in the minds of most Americans. Its certainly an interesting view into a mindset that is maybe a little forgotten now.

There is a better quality version at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyt0MI8OSdQ, although it has the first 20 seconds or so cut off.

2000 - Sydney

Unfortunately the embedding is disabled on this one, which is to bad, because I think its the absolute best of the bunch. James Earl Jones was pretty much born just to narrate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9JMyjTQxsg