An
open letter to the Greek people
From
DICK
EBERSOL -
Chairman,
NBC Universal Sports & Olympics
.
While
it has been nearly a month since the Olympic cauldron was extinguished in
Athens, I can’t stop thinking about how wonderful the 2004 Summer Games
really were. In America, the Athens Games attracted the largest audience
ever for a non-US-hosted Olympics, but the impact of these Games will be
felt worldwide for generations to come.
The Greek people did more than just prove the naysayers wrong by hosting
impeccably organized and safe Games in which the athletes took center
stage. The Greek people made their Olympic Games extraordinary and
special.
As the longest-standing television and financial partner of the Athens
Olympic Games, we at NBC have so many to thank for staging an Olympics
that will long be remembered for their joy and peace, warmth and
friendliness, sportsmanship and inspiration. Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki
was more than just a charismatic, strong and wise leader. She showed the
world that there are no limits to what modern Greece is capable of
accomplishing. She was the perfect hostess to the world and set a shining
example for the most helpful and courteous volunteers I’ve encountered
in my three decades of attending Olympics. Gianna and her team, especially
Marton Simitsek, her talented and tireless operations chief, were nothing
short of inspirational in the way they conducted the Games.
We also marvel at the leadership of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, who
provided a fresh and energetic new start for the Games from the moment he
took office. The principles of democracy, so important to the Greek
people, were evident in the spirit of his entire administration,
especially in Fanni Palli-Petralia, the alternate minister of culture who
played such a key role in the successful operation of the Athens Games.
And thank you to Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis, who left an imprint on
these Olympics by leading with grace, energy and conviction.
The 203 million Americans who watched the Games on the networks of NBC
have achieved a better understanding of the Greek people. And so have I.
From now on, when someone tells me, “It’s the Greek way,” I will
believe. To all the Greek people, you have our eternal gratitude and
sincerest congratulations.
